An ordinary report communicates information about an event; formal testimony supplies proof under the rules governing a disputed right. A single credible report may suffice in one context, while the legal establishment of an adverse private claim can require both witnesses in the prescribed number and integrity.
Case 1: A credible person reports the sighting of the Ramadan crescent. The question concerns a time of worship.
Case 2: A claimant seeks a court ruling that another person’s property is his. That involves adversarial proof of ownership.
Whether a report is believed, heard, or legally sufficient as court evidence are three separate questions.