Almost all Muslim Scholars use calculation for negation, meaning if it is impossible to see the moon according to astronomical data, they would not accept a reported sighting. There is no arrogance in informing our Somali scholars to consult with astronomers on moon sighting so that they can avoid accepting false sighting. Those Somali scholars in the west specially bear responsibility to understand birth of the moon and location of possible sighting using astronomical data calculations.

SULDAANKA, Masha ALLAH nailed it, This Uluma must realise we check the clock at mosque, for prayer time, not go out and look at the sun, and shades.

If you were castaway, far away from humanity and have no access to anything that can help you. Then you can employ those old methods. But so long that you can verity or have access to tools that can help you to verify, or know people who have access to the right tools that have better chance of verifying with lesser margin of error than you do. Then the guesstimate method becomes invalid. Similarly, if you have access to time and calendar, then going outside and measuring the length of your shadow to estimate if it time for Asr is such as waste of time and may not be accurate at all. I think the lesson the Somalis should learn from this is to leave it to those who have better tools than we do. I second the Uluma in the West who called Eid on Saturday should come out and apologise.

I would advise all to start attending the lessons on fiqh in their local mosques and forego their fadhikudirir session once a week. You will be wiser for it. It's as they say, the more you learn, the more you realise just how ignorant you truly are.

Maakhiri1 I heard one Somali scholar based in Mnpls was warned that the sighting of the crescent was wrong astronomically and he kept telling the non-Somali scholar that he talked to people in Somalia and 40 people saw the new moon. These Somali scholars based in the west should investigate for themselves this matter and if they come to the conclusion that the sighting information they received was wrong, they should admit their mistake.