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سنن دارمي
Darimi
من كتاب الصومFrom the Book of Fasting
باب الصَّوْمِ لِرُؤْيَةِ الْهِلاَلِ:Chapter: Fasting Upon Sighting the Crescent
Hadith 1724
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي ابْنَ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهِ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّهُ عَجِبَ مِمَّنْ يَتَقَدَّمُ الشَّهْرَ، وَيَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ، فَصُومُوا، وَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ فَأَفْطِرُوا، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ، فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا".
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) expressed amazement at a person who fasts for Ramadan in advance (without sighting the moon), and he used to say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Begin fasting when you see the moon and stop fasting when you see the moon, and if clouds obscure you, then complete the count of thirty days."
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadiths 1721 to 1724)
These hadiths clarify the importance of sighting the crescent moon (ru’yat-e-hilal). The Arabic months and dates are counted according to the lunar calendar, and because of this, the days of the month of Ramadan keep changing—sometimes falling in winter, sometimes in summer. If they were based on the solar calendar, the season would always remain the same, and this is a wisdom of Islamic law (shari‘ah). That is why it has been said: begin fasting by sighting the crescent and break the fast (i.e., celebrate Eid) by sighting the crescent. If clouds obscure the sky, then complete thirty days for each month.
These hadiths clarify the importance of sighting the crescent moon (ru’yat-e-hilal). The Arabic months and dates are counted according to the lunar calendar, and because of this, the days of the month of Ramadan keep changing—sometimes falling in winter, sometimes in summer. If they were based on the solar calendar, the season would always remain the same, and this is a wisdom of Islamic law (shari‘ah). That is why it has been said: begin fasting by sighting the crescent and break the fast (i.e., celebrate Eid) by sighting the crescent. If clouds obscure the sky, then complete thirty days for each month.
