يَجِبُ صِيَامُ رَمَضَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ بَالِغٍ عَاقِلٍ قَادِرٍ عَلَى الصَّوْمِ.
The Book of Prayer
Book of Fasting
كِتَابُ الصِّيَامِ
The Book of Fasting
كِتَابُ الصِّيَامِ
532. The Wisdom behind Fasting
Entire books can be written about the wisdom of fasting, but some of the most important points include: . Demonstration of submission to the will of Allah (ST), and an exercise in devotion, where the servant reinforces in his heart that Allah (ST) comes first and that His pleasure should be the ultimate objective before any desire. This is the greatest wisdom behind all acts of worship.
. Allowing oneself to bring into balance the physical and spiritual sides since, during most of the year, most people are too busy satisfying their carnal desires. Through fasting, they can allow their souls to rise to greater heights of piety, devotion, self-denial, perseverance and asceticism.
. Fasting is a great exercise of self-restraint and perseverance, qualities that are essential for the spiritual and moral development of the believers and the refinement of their character.
. Fasting allows the affluent to experience hunger and thirst, and consequently to sympathize with those who are forced, on most days, to live that experience. Fasting is good for one’s health. It eliminates the weaker cells in the body and allows people to rest their digestive tracts and lose some of their extra weight.
533. Allah (ST) says:
A child should be ordered to fast when he can tolerate it. 534
وَيُؤْمَرُ بِهِ الصَّبِيُّ إِذَا أَطَاقَهُ.
[Determining the Beginning of Ramadan]
Fasting becomes mandatory when one of these three things occurs: the completion of thirty days of [the Islamic month of] Sha‘bân, the sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadan, or the presence of clouds on
وَيَجِبُ بِأَحَدِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: كَمَالِ شَعْبَانَ، وَرُؤْيَةِ هِلاَلِ رَمَضَانَ، وَوُجُوْدِ غَيْمٍ أَوْ قَتْرٍ لَيْلَةَ الثَّلاَثِيْنَ يَحُوْلُ
{The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is sick or on a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days…} (al-Baqarah 2: 185)
}شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ{
The Prophet (SA) counted fasting Ramadan as one of the five pillars in the famous hadith of Jibreel (AS).
534. Fasting for Children
It is not mandatory for them. The Prophet (SA) said:
“The pen has been lifted for three (they are not held accountable): one who has lost his mind, until he regains his sanity; one who is asleep, until he wakes up; and a child, until he reaches puberty.” (D-from ‘Ali. Nawawi:S)
«رُفِعَ القَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: عَنِ المَجْنُونِ المَغْلُوبِ عَلَى عَقْلِهِ حَتَّى يُفِيقْ، وَعِنِ النَائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقَظَ، وَعَنِ الصَبِي حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ».
However, it is important to get them used to fasting so that it will not be hard on them when they must fast. Ar-Rubayi‘ bint Mu‘awwidh said:
“…So we would fast it afterwards and make our children fast and make stuffed toys of wool for them, so if they cried we would give the toys to them until it was time to break the fast.” (B)
فَكُنَّا نَصُومُهُ بَعْدُ وَنُصَوِّمُ صِبْيَانَنَا وَنَجْعَلُ لَهُمْ اللُّعْبَةَ مِنْ الْعِهْنِ فَإِذَا بَكَى أَحَدُهُمْ عَلَى الطَّعَامِ أَعْطَيْنَاهُ ذَاكَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ عِنْدَ الْإِفْطَارِ.
the night of the thirtieth of Sha‘bân that prevents its sighting. 535
دُوْنَهُ.
If one Muslim alone sees the crescent, he should fast. 536
وَإِذَا رَأَى الْهِلاَلَ وَحْدَهُ، صَامَ.
535. The Day of Doubt
(a) + (-H, -M, -S): One should not fast on the day of doubt when the sky is cloudy on the eve of the 30th of Sha‘bân (meaning the night of the 29th, after maghrib). This is due to the statement of ‘Ammâr ibn Yâsir:
“He who fasts the day of doubt has disobeyed Abul-Qâsim [‘the father of al-Qâsim’, meaning the Prophet (SA)].” (T. T:S)
مَن صَام اليوم الذي شَكَّ فيه فقد عَصَى أبا القاسِم
The majority’s position was chosen by many contemporary Ḥanbalis because of the hadith above. The reason Imam Aḥmad chose to fast that day was to respect the sanctity of Ramadan. There are also reports from some Companions who favored fasting it, while others disliked it. There is also a hadith in which the Prophet (SA) said:
“If there are clouds obstructing your view, (uqduroo) for it.” (B – from Ibn ‘Umar)
فإن غُمَّ عليكم فاقدُرُوا لَه.
The word uqduroo can mean ‘estimate,’ which is the meaning used by the advocates of calculations to determine when Ramadan begins and ends. It can also mean ‘limit it,’ which would mean limiting Sha‘bân to 29 days in favor of Ramadan (in other words, not losing any of its days) which Imam Aḥmad argued was the understanding of Ibn ‘Umar himself, the narrator of the hadith, who used to fast the day of doubt. The correct understanding of the word, according to the majority, was mentioned by the Prophet (SA) himself when he said:
536. One Who Is Alone in Seeing the Crescent Moon, and Is Not Followed by the Rest
There are 3 different opinions regarding what happens when only 1 person reports seeing the crescent moon and his testimony is not accepted by the rest:
(A) + (+H, +M): He should fast (marking the beginning of Ramadan) upon his sighting, but to be on the safe side, he may not break the fast (marking the end of Ramadan) on his lone sighting.
(-S): He should fast and (privately) break his fast (at the end of Ramadan) based on his sighting.
(a, -t): He may not do either; he should fast with the group because the Prophet (SA) said:
“Your fasting is when you all fast, and the day of breaking your fast is when you all break it, and Eid al-Aḍḥâ is when you all celebrate Eid al-Aḍḥâ.” (T – from Abu Hurayrah. T:R)
صَومُكم يَومَ تَصُومُون، وفِطرُكم يَومَ تُفطِرون، وأضحاكم يَومَ تُضَحُّون.
537. Multiplicity of Sighting Zones
While all scholars recognize the astronomical multiplicity of sighting zones, they differed on the legal consequentiality of that. The position in the madh-hab (A) + (+H, +m, +s) is to disregard the multiplicity of sighting zones and accept the testimony of Muslims from any locality. ‘People’ in the matn above, then, means all Muslims who come to know of the sighting. They argued that the Prophet (SA) addressed all Muslims when he said, “Fast when you sight the crescent.”
(a) + (-h, -S): Every locality has its own sighting. They argued that Muslim reported from Kurayb that he said: …I was in Syria when the month of Ramadan started. I saw the new crescent (of Ramadan) on the night of Friday. When I came back to Madinah at the end of the month, ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Abbâs (RAHUMA) asked me (about the new crescent) and said, “When did you see it?” I said, “We saw it on the night of Friday.” He said, “You saw it yourself?” I said, “Yes, and the people also saw it, and they and Mu‘âwiyah fasted.” He said, “But we saw it on Saturday night, so we will continue to fast until we complete 30 (days of fasting) or we see it (the new crescent of Shawwâl).” I asked, “Is the sighting of the moon by Mu‘âwiyah not sufficient for you?” He said, “No; thus commanded us the Messenger of Allah (SA).
This report may, however, be understood to apply to people who were not able to hear of the sighting at the other locality at the beginning of the month.
(-M): A multiplicity of sightings is only consequential when the localities are extremely far from each other. This matter requires collective ijtihâd. Meanwhile, people in every masjid/community should follow those in charge in their masjid.
538. How Many Witnesses Establish the Beginning of Ramadan?
(A) + (+S): One is sufficient (A): for the beginning of Ramadan, one woman is sufficient). (+H): One is sufficient when it is cloudy; otherwise, (-H) requires the sighting by al-jamm al-ghafeer (more than three people, or a number that confers certainty).
(-M): The testimony of two is required.
(A) argued that the Prophet (SA) accepted the testimony of ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Umar (RAHUMA) when he alone reported seeing the crescent moon at the beginning of Ramadan. (D. Nawawi:S) He also accepted that from a single Bedouin man. (D,T; with a controversial chain)
(A/SM): This ruling applies to the beginning of Ramadan only. For the end of Ramadan, or the beginning of any other month, the testimony of two men is required.
539. How Many Witnesses Establish the Ending of Ramadan?
For the end of Ramadan, (A) + (+H, +M, +S) accepted the testimony of two witnesses. (H) accepted it only if there are clouds, requiring the testimony of al-jamm al-ghafeer if there are no clouds. (M) allowed either the testimony of two trustworthy witnesses or al-jamm al-ghafeer, without verifying the status of each witness. The requirement of two witnesses here is because the Prophet (SA) said:
“…And if two witnesses testify [to seeing the crescent], then fast and break your fast.” (N. al-Albâni:S)
فإن شَهِد شاهدان فَصُوموا وأفطِروا.
If they fasted [started the month of Ramadan] – based on the testimony of two – for thirty days, then they should break their fast. If they did [started the month of Ramadan] in the presence of the fogging by clouds or based on the statement of one individual, then they should not break their fast until they either see it or complete the [full] period. 541
وَإِنْ صَامُوْا بِشَهَادَةِ اثْنَيْنِ ثَلاَثِيْنَ يَوْمًا، أَفْطَرُوْا، وَإِنْ كَانَ بِغَيْمٍ، أَوْ قَوْلِ وَاحِدٍ، لَمْ يُفْطِرُوْا، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَرَوْهُ، أَوْ يُكْمِلُوْا الْعِدَّةَ.
If a captive is confused regarding the months, he should do his best to figure it
وَإِنْ صَامُوْا بِشَهَادَةِ اثْنَيْنِ ثَلاَثِيْنَ يَوْمًا، أَفْطَرُوْا، وَإِنْ كَانَ بِغَيْمٍ، أَوْ قَوْلِ وَاحِدٍ، لَمْ يُفْطِرُوْا، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَرَوْهُ، أَوْوَإِذَا اشْتَبَهَتِ الأَشْهُرُ عَلَى الأَسِيْرِ، تَحَرَّى، وَصَامَ،
That would apply to both the beginning and end of Ramadan, except that the above hadiths indicate that one witness is sufficient for the beginning.
540. See the controversy mentioned above in Footnote # XX, Page XX (One Who Is Alone in Seeing the Crescent Moon, and Is Not Followed by the Rest).
541. Can Ramadan Be 31 days?
What Imam Ibn Qudâmah means here is that if they started the month based on the testimony of two people, then they should break their fast after 30 days of Ramadan, whether or not they see the crescent of Shawwâl. However, if they based the beginning of Ramadan on the testimony of only 1 individual, or if they fasted on the day of doubt (because of clouds), then they should continue to fast until they see the crescent or until they complete 60 days from the beginning of Sha‘bân. Ibn Qudâmah indicated in al-Mughni that there is another opinion in the Ḥanbali madh-hab, which supports breaking the fast after 30 days of fasting, even without seeing the crescent, if they started the month based on the testimony of a single witness – but certainly not if they started on the day of doubt. (a) + (-H, -S)
Iout and fast. If his fasting coincided with the month or started after it, it would be valid, but if it started before it, it would not. 542
فَإِنْ وَافَقَ الشَّهْرَ أَوْ مَا بَعْدَهُ، أَجْزَأَهُ، وَإِنْ وَافَقَ ماَ قَبْلَهُ، لَمْ يُجْزِهِ.
542. While this is the position of the vast majority, Imam Ibn Qudâmah (may Allah bestow mercy on him) indicated in al-Mughni that some Shâfi‘is consider fasting before the month began as valid, as long as the person does his best to seek the month of Ramadan.