It is incumbent upon the Muslim authorities to make the news of the fast or the breaking of the fast publicly known, so that everyone can carry out what is required of them—whether fasting, eating, or any other ruling that follows from the confirmed sighting.

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī said: “There is no doubt that any public matter of importance that must be announced promptly should be conveyed by whatever means will realize the objective. People have always reported such matters by the fastest method available, and whenever a speedier means appears they at once adopt it. The principles of the Sharia point to this, for anything that establishes the truth of a report is endorsed and accepted by the Lawgiver; He never rejects sound information regardless of the path by which it reaches us. Once this principle is understood, then whenever the news of the beginning or end of the fast is confirmed by a legitimate means, it must be accepted. Widespread public circulation (istifāḍa) is one of those legitimate avenues that attest to the veracity of the informant. It is clear that the istifāḍa achieved in the age of cannons, telegraphs, and modern media is even stronger than the erstwhile forms that yielded certain knowledge. The prevailing, consistent custom and established practice of disseminating official news leaves no room for doubt about the reliability of the report.”}