Seeing the New Moon - Section 1

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break your fast till you see it; but if the weather is cloudy calculate when it should appear.” In a version he said, “The month consists of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you see it, and if the weather is cloudy wait till thirty days of the previous month have passed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوُا الْهِلَالَ وَلَا تُفْطِرُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدِرُوا لَهُ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ: «الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ لَيْلَةً فَلَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلَاثِينَ»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fast when you see it and break your fast when you see it, and if the weather is cloudy treat Sha‘ban as having thirty days.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غم عَلَيْكُم فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ»

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “We are an unlettered people who can neither write nor count. The month is thus and thus and thus,” drawing in his thumb when he said it the third time.* Then he said, “The month is thus and thus and thus,” meaning a complete thirty days. He meant alternately twenty-nine and thirty. *Spreading out the ten fingers the first two times and nine the third time. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَنَا أمة أُميَّة لَا تكْتب وَلَا تحسب الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا» . وَعَقَدَ الْإِبْهَامَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا» . يَعْنِي تَمَامَ الثَّلَاثِينَ يَعْنِي مَرَّةً تِسْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ وَمرَّة ثَلَاثِينَ "

Abu Bakra reported God’s messenger as saying, “The months of festival, Ramadan and Dhul-hijja, are not defective.”* *The most probable meaning is that, even if these months have only twenty-nine days, they are not on that account to be considered deficient in comparison with a month which has thirty days. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

شَهْرَا عِيدٍ لَا يَنْقُصَانِ: رَمَضَانُ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you must fast one day or two days just before Ramadan, except in the case of a man who has been in the habit of observing a particular fast, for he may fast on that day.”* *If a man is in the habit of fasting on a particular day of the week and one or other of the two days before Ramadan falls on that day, he may observe his usual practice. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يَتَقَدَّمَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ رَمَضَانَ بِصَوْمِ يَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ رَجُلٌ كَانَ يَصُوم صوما فليصم ذَلِك الْيَوْم»

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "When the middle of Sha'ban comes do not fast." Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا انْتَصَفَ شَعْبَانُ فَلَا تَصُومُوا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ

He reported God’s messenger as saying, "Calculate on the basis of the new moon of Sha'ban when Ramadan begins." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أحصوا هِلَال شعْبَان لرمضان» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Umm Salama said she never saw the Prophet (ﷺ) fasting two consecutive months, except Sha'ban and Ramadan. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَن أم سَلمَة قَالَتْ: مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ إِلَّا شَعْبَانَ وَرَمَضَانَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

‘Ammar b. Yasir said, "He who fasts on a day about which he is doubtful has disobeyed Abul Qasim"* *i.e., the Prophet. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: «مَنْ صَامَ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي يُشَكُّ فِيهِ فَقَدَ عَصَى أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ والدارمي

Ibn ‘Abbas told a desert Arab coming to the Prophet (ﷺ) and saying he had seen the new moon, i.e. the new moon of Ramadan. He asked him whether he testified that there is no god but God and he replied that he did. He then asked if he testified that Muhammad is God’s messenger, and when he replied that he did he said, “Bilal, announce to the people that they must fast tomorrow." Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: " جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الْهِلَالَ يَعْنِي هِلَالَ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ: «أَتَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ قَالَ: «أَتَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: «يَا بِلَالُ أَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ أَن يَصُومُوا غَدا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ والدارمي

Ibn ‘Umar said that the people tried to see the new moon and he informed God’s messenger that he had seen it, so he fasted and commanded the people to observe the fast." Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: تَرَاءَى النَّاسُ الْهِلَالَ فَأَخْبَرْتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ فَصَامَ وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ بِصِيَامِهِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد والدارمي

‘A’isha said that God’s messenger used to count the days in Sha'ban in a manner he did not practise any other month, then fasted when he saw the new moon of Ramadan; but if the weather was cloudy he counted thirty days and then fasted. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَحَفَّظُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ مَالَا يَتَحَفَّظُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ. ثُمَّ يَصُومُ لِرُؤْيَةِ رَمَضَانَ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْهِ عَدَّ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ صَامَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Abul Bakhtari said:

We went out to perform the <i>‘umra</i>, and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhla we tried to see the new moon. Some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. We then met Ibn ‘Abbas and told him we had seen the new moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. He asked what night we had seen it, and when we told him we had seen it on such and such a night he said, “God’s messenger deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned as being on the night you saw it.” In a version he said: We saw the new moon of Ramadan when we were in Dhat ‘Irq* and we sent a man to Ibn ‘Abbas to enquire of him. He replied that God’s messenger had said, “God most high has deferred it till it is seen, but if the weather is cloudy observe the fast after the complete number of days have passed.” *Dhat 'Irq was near Nakhla, so this version is simply a little more precise than the other about were they were. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ قَالَ: خَرَجْنَا لِلْعُمْرَةِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلْنَا بِبَطْنِ نَخْلَةَ تَرَاءَيْنَا الْهِلَالَ. فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ: هُوَ ابْنُ ثَلَاثٍ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ: هُوَ ابْنُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ فَلَقِينَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُلْنَا: إِنَّا رَأَيْنَا الْهِلَالَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ: هُوَ ابْنُ ثَلَاثٍ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ: هُوَ ابْنُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ. فَقَالَ: أَيُّ لَيْلَةٍ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ؟ قُلْنَا: لَيْلَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَدَّهُ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ فَهُوَ لِلَيْلَةِ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ عَنْهُ. قَالَ: أَهَلَلْنَا رَمَضَانَ وَنَحْنُ بِذَاتِ عِرْقٍ فَأَرْسَلْنَا رَجُلًا إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَسْأَلُهُ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِن الله تَعَالَى قد أَمَدَّهُ لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم