Sighting the Crescent of Ramadan
The Substantiation of the People of
Belief that The Reliance for Fasting Is On
Sighting the Crescent of Ramadan or
Completing Thirty Days of Sha^ban
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Who ordered us to
implement what the Messenger brought and to leave out what he forbade.
May Allah raise the rank of our Master, Muhammad, who put us on
a clear, truthful path. May Allah raise the rank of the Al of the Prophet and
his Companions. May Allah protect the Muslim nation from what the Prophet fears
for them.
Introduction
Fasting the month of Ramadan is a great worship. The following Qudsiyy hadith narrated by al-Bukhariyy is sufficient to show the merit of Ramadan:
which means: <<All the deeds of the son of Adam are his
except fasting--it is for Me and I reward for it.>> Fasting Ramadan
is among the best acts of obedience, among the greatest deeds, and one of the
most important matters of Islam. This is ascertained by the hadiths
al-Bukhariyy and Muslim reported that Islam is based
on five important matters; the Prophet counted fasting Ramadan among them.
Allah, ta^ala, revealed in the Qur’an
a method and a set of rules clear of falsehood for determining the beginning
and ending of the month of Ramadan. Moreover, Allah revealed this method and
set of rules on the tongue of His Prophet, who did not speak out of his own. Jibril descended to Prophet Muhammad with the Sunnah as
well as with the Qur’an. The Muslims took these rules from the Prophet and
implemented them from the time of the Prophet until our days. This method is
based on sighting the crescent with the naked eye in towns, villages, locales,
and countries. All those who lived in Muslim countries and became familiar with
their customs know this fact. The Muslims’ custom comprises going out to sight
the crescent, gathering in spots where sighting is clear, and firing guns or
igniting fires on the tops of mountains when the sighting of the crescent is
confirmed. Such sighting announces the beginning of the honorable month of
Ramadan or the advent of the blessed ^
We were surprised by the sudden emergence of an innovation from
a faction wanting us to quit following this dignified route and methodology of
the Prophet. Instead, they want us to follow the calculations of astronomers
for determining the beginning of the month--for both fasting and for the day of
^Id--and not to rely on the testimony of the trustworthy ones and the pious and
God-fearing Muslims.
A group of people gathered in
Deducing judgments is the role of the mujtahid
mutlaq, like ash-Shafi^iyy,
Malik, Abu Hanifah, or
Ahmad. It may also be done by the mujtahids who are
restricted to a school of thought (madhhab), like al-Juwayniyy, the Imam of the Haramayn;
al-Khattabiyy; Ibn Daqiq al-^Id; al-Halimiyy, and
those who attained their rank.
Who among those who met and voted in
However, since this group announced the aforementioned matters,
we could not remain silent. It is not sufficient for us to only deny their
saying in our hearts because it is obligatory to advise the Muslims. Moreover,
ordering the lawful is the method of the pious. We opted to imitate the
successful Muslims by declaring the truth and uprooting the falsehood while
hoping to gain reward and be saved on the Day of Judgment. We named this rushed
treatise.
The Substantiation Of the People of Belief that The
Reliance for Fasting Is
On Sighting the Crescent of Ramadan or Completing Thirty
Days of Sha^ban
May Allah make it a widespread benefit. The Statements of the
Scholars About the Case.
No two Muslims disagree it is the duty of the knowledgeable and
the role of the scholars to determine the beginning and ending of the month of
Ramadan and they are the authority in such determination. The scholars of the
four schools of Islamic Law agreed that the basis for determining the beginning
of Ramadan is as follows: The crescent is visually observed after the sunset of
the twenty-ninth (29th) day of Sha^ban. If the
crescent is sighted, then the following day will be the first day of Ramadan.
However, if the crescent is not sighted, then the next day will be the
thirtieth (30th) of Sha^ban and the following day
will be the beginning of Ramadan.
Muslims throughout the countries implemented this practice and
the highly knowledgeable ruled accordingly. Moreover, they stated the reliance
is on this rule and no attention is due to the sayings of mathematicians and
astronomers, nor are their sayings relied upon in determining the beginning and
ending of fasting. Some of the sayings of renowned scholars are as follows:
1. Al-Maziriyy from the Shafi^iyy school said: "... they said it is not
permissible that what is meant is the calculation of the astronomers, because
if this was made incumbent upon the people, it would be a burden on
them--because it is only known to certain individuals. However, the laws of the
Religion introduce people to what is known by their masses."
2. An-Nawawiyy, may Allah have mercy
on him, documented that ruling and confirmed it. He said in Rawdat
at-Talibin: "The results of the calculations of
the astronomers do not make it obligatory to fast, neither for them nor
others."
3. Al-Hafidh Waliyuddin
al-^Iraqiyy said: "The mass (jumhur)
of the Companions of ash-Shafi^iyy are on that and
the rule is based on sighting and not on any other way." He proceeded to
say, "Likewise said Malik, AbuHanifah,
ash-Shafi^iyy, and the mass of the scholars among the
Salaf and the Khalaf."
The hafidh, the Hannafiyy faqih, the great linguist, Murtada
az-Zabidiyy, in Sharh Ihya’ ^Ulum id-Din copied that and
confirmed it and said: "What also indicates not to take by their sayings
is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah,
related by al-Hakim and in As-Sunan
on Ad-Durr: "Moreover, it is said
in Al-Mi^raj: ‘Their saying is not considered by
consensus’ and it is not permitted for the astronomer to go by his own
calculation." In the same book, Ibn ^Abidin also said: "The Imams of the four schools
explicitly declared sighting the crescent during the day is not considered,
rather what is correct is to consider sighting it at night and there is no
consideration for the saying of the astronomer."
4. When talking about how
to determine the beginning of the month of fasting, Shihab
ud-Din ar-Ramliyy ash-Shafi^iyy, in his famous fatawa,
said: "Rather than accepting calculations, the Prophet, who followed
Allah's Revelation, completely omitted them by saying: <<We are a nation
which does not rely on writing or calculation to know the beginning or the end
of the month. The month is either twenty-nine (29) or thirty (30) days.>>"
He said in Sharh al-Minhaj:
"Our companions (i.e., the Shafi^iyys) said
according to what is authentic, the beginning of Ramadan is not confirmed by
the calculations of those who calculate--even if they were trustworthy. The
companions of AbuHanifah unanimously agree on
that."
5. The author of Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, which is one of the Hanafiyybooks,
said: "For determining the time for fasting, there is no consideration for
the saying of those who calculate."
6. The author of Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah said: "Is the saying of the experts among
those knowledgeable in astronomy acceptable? The correct answer is that it is
not acceptable, and likewise is reported in As-Siraj ul-Wahhaj."
7. Ibn ^Abidin
copied the aforementioned saying of Ad-Durr (#5
above), confirmed it, and said in his book titled Al-Hashiyah
on Ad-Durr: "Moreover, it is said in Al-Mi^raj: ‘Their saying is not considered by consensus’ and
it is not permitted for the astronomer to go by his own calculation." In
the same book, Ibn ^Abidin
also said: "The Imams of the four schools explicitly declared sighting the
crescent during the day is not considered, rather what is correct is to
consider sighting it at night and there is no consideration for the saying of
the astronomer."
8. In Ash-Sharh al-Kabir,
from the
9. Ash-Shaykh Muhammad ^Ulaysh al-Malikiyy mentioned in
his Fatawa that one cannot count on calculation for
knowing the beginning of the month of Ramadan.
10. Al-Bajiyy, who is one of the most
famous faqihs of the
11. The judge, Ibn Rushd
al-Malikiyy, also copied this scholarly consensus
regarding that matter in his introduction. This was Abul
Walid Ibn Rushd, the grandfather. The grandson was a misguided
philosopher like Ibn Sina.
12. Ibn Buzayzah
said: "Had the matter depended on it, i.e., knowing the calculation for
the positions of the moon to start fasting, it would have resulted in a
hardship--since it is not known except by a few."
13. In Fath al-Bari, al-^Asqalaniyy copied and confirmed the saying of Ibn Buzayzah.
14. Al-Buhutiyy al-Hanbaliyy,
who is among the famous Hanbaliyy scholars, said in
his book, al-Kashshaf: "If one intended fasting
the thirtieth (30th) of Sha^ban without a lawful
evidence based on sighting the crescent or completing Sha^ban,
or the horizon was blocked by clouds, like if he fasted based on calculation
and stars, even if it oftenly coincided or after a
night of clear sky he later knew it was the last day to fast, his fasting is
still invalid for not relying on what is considered religiously."
Based on the examples mentioned, it is clear the faqihs of the four schools are in agreement upon not
considering the sayings of the astrologers, astronomers, and/or mathematicians
for determining the beginning and ending of the month of Ramadan. Moreover,
some of the faqihs conveyed the scholarly consensus
on that ruling. The reliance is on sighting the crescent or completing thirty
days of Sha^ban as mentioned by a countless number of
faqihs among these schools. The one who looks through
the summaries of the books of fiqh, not to mention
the lengthy ones, ascertains this result.
The one who follows the mass of the nation succeeds and the one
who strays, strays to Hellfire.
Refuting a Misconception
Those who advocate calculation said the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, instructed to consider
sighting and not calculations because the majority of the Arabs at his time did
not know how to write or calculate the positions of the moon, and had they
known how to calculate, the Prophet would have instructed them to follow calculations.
The refutation of this misconception is multi-faceted. Firstly,
had the matter been as they mentioned and had the Prophet wanted to make the
judgment on this issue contingent on calculation he would have told the Muslims
to refer to those people familiar with calculations. Though not numerous,
people familiar with calculations did exist at the time of the Prophet.
Moreover, the Prophet would not have told them to start fasting and stop
fasting when the moon was sighted.
Secondly, had this ruling been based on what they said, then it
would not have been unknown to all the Muslim scholars who preceded us.
Astronomy was known and commonplace during the times of previous Muslim
scholars. As a matter of fact, although previous Muslim scholars had both vast
experience and wide exposure in this science, they still abided by the ruling
based on sighting the moon or completing thirty days of Sha^ban.
This is so because those scholars knew that the Prophet, sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam, did not want to tie the ruling for fasting to the
claims of the astronomers or the calculations of the astronomers or
mathematicians.
If those who deviated claim all Muslim scholars were wrong, then
they have ascribed misguidance to the Muslim nation, and that is enough disgrace
on them. If they say that the Muslim scholars were truthful in their ruling,
then let them abide by it, and quit disagreeing with the previous scholars.
Thirdly, most of the Muslims today do not know and do not master
the calculations of astronomers or mathematicians, just as the situation was
during the time of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam--therefore
nothing has changed. If they say this unfamiliarity with calculations was the
reason behind making the ruling contingent on sighting, then this same reason
still exists today! If they say this is not the reason behind the ruling for
sighting, then they have rejected their previous saying and thereby abandoned
it.
Fourthly, al-Bayhaqiyy narrated from
the route of Sufyan ibn Salamah: "While we were at Khaniqin,
we received a letter sent by ^Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah raise
his rank. He told us some crescents were bigger than others, so if we sighted
the crescent in the daytime, not to break our fast until two trustworthy
Muslims testify they sighted it the night before."
Our Master ^Umar not only did not rely
on calculations but also ordered the one who sighted the crescent during the
day with his naked eyes to not count on it. This is so because such a doing is
not the sighting which the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
instructed to abide by nor ordered to follow.
On the other hand, the saying of ^Umar:
"Some of the crescents are bigger than others," is explicit in
opposing them and in invalidating their reliance on calculations--that is
unless they want to claim they possess more knowledge about the Religion of
Allah and the meaning of the instructions of the Prophet than our Master ^Umar--and how far from the truth this is.
Section: Their Disagreement with the Hadiths
of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam
Let it be known that the issuers of this strayed opinion have
opposed many sayings of the Prophet of Allah. If the Muslim just reads in the
section on fasting in any of the famous books of hadith,
one will find those people’s opposition to the Prophet--clear and blunt. Also,
one will be astonished and will question how those people will face the Prophet
on the Day of Judgment when they claim to have followed him, and yet they
contradict his hadith and reject it.
For you, the one who seeks the truth, following are some of
these explicit sayings of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam:
1. Al-Bukhariyy, Muslim, and others
narrated from the route of ^Abdullah Ibn ^Umar, may Allah raise his rank, that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:
which means: <<The lunar month is twenty-nine (29)
nights so do not fast until you sight the crescent. However, if it was cloudy
then complete the count to thirty (30) days.>> The Prophet made this
clear statement, but those who oppose said: "We are going to fast whether
or not we sight the crescent, whether or not it was cloudy--as long as the
astronomer has instructed with that!!
2. Malik, Abu Dawud,
at-Tirmidhiyy and an-Nasa’iyynarrated
from the route of Ibn ^Abbas,
that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam, said:
which means: <<Do not fast unless you sight the
crescent and do not break your fast unless you sight it. If it is cloudy, then
complete the count to thirty (days).>> Those who oppose said: "Overlooking
sighting is not detrimental"--even though mentioned by the Prophet"!!
"Rather what is detrimental is overlooking the saying of the
mathematician"--even though not mentioned by the Prophet!!
3. Al-Bukhariyy, Muslim, and others
narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
said:
which means: <<We do not rely on writing or calculations
to know the beginning or the end of the month. The month is either twenty-nine
(29) or thirty (30) days.>> In a narration by Ahmad, the Prophet said:
which means: << We do not rely on writing or calculations
to know the beginning or the end of the month. The month is either twenty-nine
(29) or thirty (30) days. Fast when the crescent is sighted and break your fast
when it is sighted. If it is cloudy, complete thirty (30) days of Sha^ban.>>
Al-Qadi ^Iyad
said: (...by attributing them with ‘ummiyyah the
Prophet did not mean that they are ignorant of which day was the twenty-ninth
and which was the thirtieth. The Prophet did not deny them the knowledge of such
calculation, rather he gave them a rule about observing the moon to begin
fasting and to end fasting. In giving the rule, the Prophet did not allow them
to adopt the methodology of calculating relied upon by the non-Muslims.
In Al-Ihkam. the great faqih, Ibn Daqiq
al-^Id, said: "To confirm the obligation of fasting by calculation is
contrary to the text. How would one rely on the saying of the one who
calculates when the wise Rule-setter said: <<If it is cloudy complete
thirty (30) days of Sha^ban>>? Had calculation
and the one who calculates been part of religious criterion for fasting and
breaking fast, the Rule-setter would not have ignored this. However, the
Rule-setter guided us to something contrary to that when he said: <<We do
not rely on writing or calculations to know the beginning or the end of the
month. The month is either twenty-nine (29) or thirty (30) days.>>"
In explaining this hadith, al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar
al-^Asqalaniyy said: "The ruling for fasting and
other related actions is contingent upon sighting. This is so to relieve the
Muslims from the burden of calculations pertaining to the positions of the
moon. The ruling for fasting continued as such even though some who knew about
calculations appeared after this. Emphatically, the meaning fundamentally
negates making the ruling contingent upon calculation. This is clarified by the
saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
stated in the previous hadith: <<If it is
cloudy complete thirty days of Sha^ban>>. The
Prophet did not say, ‘Ask those involved in calculation.’"
Al-Qastalaniyy explained this hadith in his Irshad as-Sari. He
said: "We were not obligated in determining the timing of our worship to
be in need of knowing calculation or writing. Instead, our worship was linked
to clear signs and apparent matters which can be equally known to those who
calculate and to others."
Look attentively at how those fabricators have neglected the hadith of the Prophet and how they follow one way and the
Muslim scholars and hafidhs follow another. May Allah
guide us always to the righteous path.
4. Al-Bukhariyy and others narrated
that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam, said:
which means: <<Do not fast Ramadan one or two days before
its time. Fast when the crescent is sighted and break your fast when the
crescent is sighted. If it was cloudy, complete thirty days of Sha^ban.>>
May Allah endow His mercy on you, observe how the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, forbade fasting (like
to fast relying on calculations) without sighting or completing thirty days of Sha^ban when sighting cannot be achieved. Also, observe the
Prophet considered the fasting without sighting or completing thirty days of Sha^ban as fasting before the time of Ramadan and
prohibited it. Alas, would one who knows that the Prophet forbade a matter, yet
dares to consider it lawful, have a touch of piety or knowledge?
Al-Hafidh Ibn
Hajar in explaining this same hadith
said: "Fasting is linked to sighting, hence there is no need for
undertaking a hardship (meaning calculations)." Al-Qastalaniyy
copied his saying and confirmed it.
5. The Prophet stressed the issue of sighting. When some of the
followers of the companions said the moon was two nights old and others said it
was three, Ibn ^Abbas,
asked them: "Which night did you see it?" They replied: "On such
and such a night." Then Ibn ^Abbas
said: "The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
said:
which means: <<Allah prolonged its time in order for it to
be sighted. The crescent was born the night you saw it.>>" This was
related by Muslim.
If those people know, this saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, is enough to demolish
all what they have said regarding relying on calculations. No saying which goes
against the saying of the Prophet has any consideration. The saying of the Best
of the Creation is not abandoned for the sake of following the saying of any
person per se. It is not permissible for one who claims to follow Islam to
deviate from following the text of the Prophet to follow his own personal
inclinations and the whisperings of his devil.
How can one practice that when the Prophet, as narrated by at-Tabaraniyy, said:
which means: <<Among the sayings of everyone is what is
acceptable and what is unacceptable, save the Messenger of Allah.>> Malik, may Allah raise his rank, said: "The sayings of
all of us are subject to rejection and correction except the occupant of this
grave, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. "Every one of us
rejects statements and his statements are rejected except the occupant of this
grave, i.e., the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.
This is why ash-Shafi^iyy did not rely
on the statements of the astronomers and those who watch the positions of the
moon to determine religious judgments and did not consider their sayings as
proofs in such cases. In Al-Fath, al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar,
when talking about why and when the moon eclipses and the prayer related to it,
said: ".... it includes refuting those who observe the positions of the
moon because they claim it does not fall except in the mentioned times. Ash-Shafi^iyy established that the eclipse and the feast may
occur together. Some of those who adopt the saying of those who observe the
positions of the moon objected to ash-Shafi^iyy.
The followers of ash-Shafi^iyy refuted
the person who objected and they discredited him." Also in Al-Fath he said: "...His saying in the hadith (to frighten) refutes the claim of those who observe
the position of the moon that eclipse is a standard matter and does not delay
or come after. For had the case been as they claimed, it would be a frightening
matter--rather it would be similar to the case of the ebb and rising tide at
sea. Ibn al-^Arabiyy and
more then one among the scholars refuted them by the following hadith of Abu Musa when he said: "He stood up
frightened fearing it was the Day of Judgment. They said had the occurrence of
the eclipse been by calculation, there would not have been fear... etc."
It is clear ash-Shafi^iyy did not rely
on the sayings of astronomers (and the like) to deduce such religious judgments
because the Prophet did not consider their statements as proofs in deducing
these judgments (as is clear from the aforementioned hadith).
Hence, the one who follows the People of Knowledge and Merit drinks fresh
water, pure from all inert materials--free from harm. Let the one who sips from
the turbid water blame only himself.
Section: Refuting Another Misconception
Among the arguments those people follow to justify their actions
and convince the weak-minded ones is their talk about unity. They said:
"Abiding by calculations of astronomers in the matter of fasting and
determining the beginning and ending of the month unites the Muslims,
strengthens them, and prevents their disunity."
Such a saying deceives the ignorant but not the intelligent,
experienced Muslims. It is known beyond the slightest doubt that at the time of
the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam, the Muslims of
the different countries of the
which means: <<
Constantinople (today’s
Had the Prophet and those after him wanted, they would have
ignited fires on the top of mountains or followed other methods to inform the
Muslims on the same night throughout the different cities about the beginning
of the month. They could have made it incumbent on all to fast on the same day.
However, neither the Prophet nor the Muslim caliphs did so even though they had
the ability to do so. They did not restrict the Muslims to such practices, and
such policy did not weaken the Muslims or drive them backward.
The Muslims became disunited and fragmented when ignorance about
the laws of the Religion prevailed among them. This took place when the
scholars became rare and the Muslims’ adherence to practicing the rules of the
Religion weakened. As related by at-Tirmidhiyy the
Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam, said:
which means: <<Allah does not take the knowledge away by
ordering it pulled away from the people. But Allah takes the knowledge away by
making the scholars die. When no scholar remains, people take ignorant leaders
for themselves from whom they seek religious answers. Those leaders will answer
them out of ignorance, thus straying themselves and others.>>
O you who are concerned about the good endings, note that
Muslims used to pray to one direction in North America and that was to the
Southeast (Muslims’ old graves are proofs for that.) Then, some of those who
did not have knowledge about the Religion (although they may be knowledgeable
about geometry and the like) claimed that the right direction as due Northeast
based on innovated rules and principles. They did not follow the sayings of the
Imams nor their schools. Those who did not have knowledge among the party known
as Hizb al-’Ikhwan and
those who reject at-tawassul took their false saying
and followed it. They spread this opinion among the people and consequently the
became divided into two groups: One is deceived by this innovated opinion and
another adheres to the old truth. As a result, Muslims became divided and in
disagreement.
As if those people were not satisfied by that sedition, today
they are trying to pervert the Islamic laws on the issue of determining the
beginning and ending of the month of Ramadan. They are planting new seeds for
disagreement and encourage abandoning adherence to the Qur’an the Sunnah, the Ijma^,the Athar, and the Ijtihad of the
Muslim scholars. Instead, they encourage following mere opinion in an effort to
pull out the strongholds of Islam one after the other in a systematic attempt
to destroy the Religion. In reality, their actions are indeed what fragment the
Muslims and dissipate their effort. In
Had they been sincere, they would have let the Muslims remain on
the rightful track which is in accordance to the actions of the Muslims all
over the earth. Let the Muslims follow their Religion without imposing
hardships them like basing their fasting on calculations that most do not
understand.
Instead of doing that we wish those people would have turned
their efforts toward teaching the fundamentals of the correct belief, the
integrals of ablution, the conditions of prayers, and what is similar to that
among what every Muslim needs. Let them turn their efforts toward ordering
Muslims to quit drinking alcohol, refrain from committing adultery and
fornication, and to stop selling pig meat and intoxicants. Let them warn the
Muslims against the sins of the eyes, the ears, the hands, and the feet.
However, the one who does not posses something cannot offer it to others. The
one who did not sit humbly before the scholars is not fit to guide others--even
if he wanted to.
Muslim related the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam, praised the issue of purification highly by saying:
Those people are short of knowing the purification as required
and also short of knowing most of the religious rules, because their leader and
example, Sayyid Qutb, made
them turn away from learning the Knowledge of the Religion when he said in his Tafsir: "To work with al-fiqh
at this time is wasting ones life." They followed him in that and thus
destroyed themselves.
Verily to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
In Conclusion
It is clear to every mindful person that worthless sayings are
passed around by those who are against the four Islamic schools. These sayings
are only a group of words with no content. It is a mirage that the thirsty may
think of as water, but upon reaching it finds nothing more than an illusion.
Our advice to every Muslim is to abide by the sayings mentioned
by the faqihs of the four schools. The Muslim nation
unanimously agreed on the high rank and integrity of those scholars. Let the
Muslim learn the rules of fasting before the month of Ramadan comes in by
studying under someone who possesses both knowledge and trustworthiness and is
someone who himself has acquired the knowledge from someone trustworthy and
knowledgeable, and so on with a continuous chain that reaches to the Prophet.
Our advice to Muslims in every city is to dispatch a group to
watch for the crescent after the sunset of the twenty-ninth (29th) day of Sha^ban. If the crescent is sighted, then the next day will
be Ramadan. If the crescent is not sighted, and one did not hear of a
trustworthy man of a neighboring city who sighted it, then let them complete
thirty (30) days of Sha^ban and fast the day after
that.
Furthermore, if sighting the crescent was confirmed as per
religious laws in a country far away from another, (i.e., the sun’s rising and
setting times differ between these two countries,) the scholars applied two
methods. Some of them said the Muslims of the country in question cannot fast
and must complete thirty days of Sha^ban because the
people of each country must sight on their own. This is the
On the other hand, the saying that relies on the opinion of the
astrologers, mathematicians, schedulers, astronomers, and the like is not
considered. The one who renders such a saying a basis for judgment has
committed a grievous mistake. Truthful is the Prophet, who as narrated by al-Bukhariyy, said:
which means: <<Every condition not in accordance with the
Book of Allah is false, even if there were one hundred conditions.>>
Finally, blessed be those who abide by the Muslim Jama^ah, their masses of scholars, and the sayings of the
Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam. On the Day of
Judgment regret shall be to those who follow a way other than that of the
believers and stray away from the believers’ methodology.
Praise be to Allah who is
clear of all non-befitting attributes.
And Allah knows best.