Daraqutni

Husayn bin Harith Jadali narrates: The governor of Makkah, while delivering a sermon, made the people take an oath and inquired: Who among you has seen the crescent of "such-and-such first"? Then he said: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed us (that we should perform the sacrifice on the day of Eid al-Adha) if we do not see the crescent ourselves and two just witnesses testify to it, then we should perform the sacrifice (i.e., Eid al-Adha) based on their testimony. The narrator says: I asked Husayn bin Harith who that governor was, and he replied: I do not know. After that, I met him again, and he informed me: That person was Harith bin Hatib, who was the brother of Muhammad bin Hatib. Its chain is connected and this narration is authentic.

Husayn bin Harith Jadali narrates: The governor of Mecca informed that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed: "We (should perform the sacrifice after sighting the moon), that is, celebrate Eid al-Adha, and if we do not see the moon ourselves and two just persons testify to it, then perform the sacrifice based on the testimony of both." The narrator states: I asked Husayn bin Harith: Who was that governor? He replied: He was Harith bin Hatib, the brother of Muhammad bin Hatib. That governor also said: Among you is the person who has the most knowledge of Allah and His Messenger's (commands), then the governor pointed towards a person present there. The narrator states: Who was that person? He replied: He was Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) stated: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed us the same (that we should decide the sighting of the moon based on the testimony of two witnesses). Abu Bakr Nishapuri narrates: I asked Ibrahim Harbi about this narration, he stated: Sa'id bin Sulaiman narrated this to us, after which Ibrahim stated: That person was Harith bin Hatib bin Harith bin Mu'ammar bin Khabib bin Wahb bin Hudhayfah bin Jum'ah, who had the honor of migrating to Abyssinia.

Abdur Rahman bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We had the honor of being in the company of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we acquired knowledge from them, and they informed us of this: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us: "Begin fasting upon sighting (the new moon), and end fasting upon sighting it. If the sky is overcast, then complete the count to thirty. If two just persons bear witness, then begin fasting, celebrate Eid al-Fitr, or perform the sacrifice (i.e., celebrate Eid al-Adha) based on their testimony."

Rabi‘ reports from a Companion: Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was fasting, and it was the thirtieth day of Ramadan. Two villagers came and both testified that there is no god but Allah, and they informed that they had seen the new moon the previous night. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered the people to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. This hadith is authentic.

Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila narrates: Regarding the sighting of the moon for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted the testimony of one person. The narrator named Abdula'la has transmitted similarly from Ibn Abi Laila, but the narrator named Abdula'la is weak, and likewise, the narrator named Ibn Abi Laila did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Abu Wa'il, Shaqiq bin Salamah, has narrated a different report; he has transmitted from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not stop fasting until two men testify (that they have seen the moon)." This narration has been reported by A'mash, and from him by Mansur.

Shaqiq bin Salamah narrates: A letter from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us while we were in Khanqin. In his letter, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: "The moon sometimes appears small or large, so when you see the moon during the day, do not celebrate Eid al-Fitr until two men testify." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When you see the new moon during the early part of the day, do not celebrate Eid until two men testify that they saw the moon the previous night." This narration is more authentic compared to the narration of Ibn Abulaila.

Abu Wa'il narrates: A letter from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us (at the place of Khanqin), in which it was written: "The crescent of the first (of the month) sometimes appears small or large, so when you see the moon in the early part of the day, do not celebrate Eid until two men testify that they saw this moon the previous night."

Ibn Abu Layla narrates: I was present with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when a rider came to him and informed him: he had seen the crescent of the first (of Shawwal). So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed the people to observe Eid al-Fitr. Muhammad bin Ali narrates: I asked Abu Nu'aym: Did Ibn Abu Layla narrate hadith from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? He replied: I do not know. Muhammad bin Ali narrates: I asked Yahya bin Ma'in: Did Ibn Abu Layla hear hadith from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? He did not consider it correct. The narrator named Abd al-A'la is Abd al-A'la bin Tha'labi, who is not reliable. The narration of Abu Wa'il is more authentic in terms of chain, which has been transmitted by A'mash and Mansur from Abu Wa'il.

Abu Wa'il narrates: A letter from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us while we were at the place of Khanqin (in which it was written): "The crescent of the first (of the month) sometimes appears small or large, so when you see the moon in the early part of the day, do not celebrate Eid until two just men testify that they saw the moon the previous night." Abu Bakr has narrated this: If the narrator named Mumil, this narration is rare, because Imam Abdur Rahman Mahdi has narrated it differently from him.

Abu Wa'il narrates: A letter from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us while we were in Khanqin (it stated): "The crescent of the first (of the month) sometimes appears small or large, so if you see the moon during the day, then break your fast at sunset, unless two Muslims testify that they saw the moon the previous night (then you may break your fast and celebrate Eid al-Fitr)."

This narration is also transmitted with another chain of transmission.

Rabi’ bin Hirash narrates from a companion: There was a disagreement among the people regarding the last day of Ramadan. Two villagers came and swore by Allah before the Prophet (peace be upon him) that they had seen the moon the previous night. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed the people: “Break your fast and celebrate Eid al-Fitr.” The narrator named Khalaf added this: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed: Let the people go to the Eidgah (for the Eid prayer).” This chain is Hasan and established.

Abu Umair bin Anas narrates from his uncles: The testimony was presented before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the people had sighted the moon, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the people: "Break your fast and go out for the Eid prayer the next morning." This narration is Hasan, and the following narration is also Hasan.

Abu Bishr reports: I heard Abu Umair bin Anas narrate from some of his uncles, and Abu Nadrah narrates from his Ansari uncles: They were with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the last part of the day when some riders arrived and testified that they had seen the moon the previous night. So the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed the people: "Break your fast and go to the Eid prayer ground the next day to perform the Eid prayer."

Fatimah bint Husayn narrates: A person testified before Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) about sighting the crescent of Ramadan, so Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) fasted. The narrator states: He also ordered the people to fast and said: "I would rather fast on a day of Sha'ban, for me it is better than not fasting on a day of Ramadan." Imam Shafi'i says: If the general people have not seen the crescent of Ramadan and a just person sees it, then I permit that I accept his testimony, because this is also transmitted from the Athar (traditions) and caution is also in this, but after that Imam Shafi'i gave this fatwa: For Ramadan, the testimony of at least two men is a condition. Imam Shafi'i and some of our companions have stated: I will accept the testimony of at least two men in this matter, this is the analogy, and this is the ruling for testimony regarding every unseen matter.

Imam Shafi'i says: "Whoever alone sights the crescent of Ramadan, then he should fast on that day, and whoever alone sights the crescent of Shawwal, he should not fast on that day and should keep this matter concealed (but others will not fast or refrain from fasting based on his testimony)."

Imam Malik narrates: "Whoever alone sees the crescent of Ramadan, he should fast, because it is not right for him not to fast, as he knows that this day is part of Ramadan. Whoever alone sees the crescent of Shawwal, he should not break the fast, because people will accuse him of not fasting, as among them are some who are not trustworthy. Then he should mention this matter when the crescent becomes apparent to the people and they say: We have seen the crescent."

Abu Bakhtari narrates: We saw the crescent of Dhu al-Hijjah, and it appeared large to us. The person who considered it less said it was the crescent of the second night, and the one who considered it more said it was the crescent of the third night. When we arrived in Makkah and met Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and we related this to him, he counted for us according to the calculation (in which we had seen the crescent). I said to him: We saw the crescent as large. He replied: "The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has made the beginning of the month conditional upon the sighting of the crescent." This narration and the one after it are authentic.

Abu Bakhtari narrates: We set out to perform Umrah, and when we camped at Batn Nakhlah, we sighted the moon. Some said: This is the moon of the second night, and some said: This is the moon of the third night. Then we met Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and we informed him: We had sighted the moon, some said it was the moon of the second night, and some said it was the moon of the third night. He asked: On which night did you see it? We replied: On such-and-such night. He said: "It is for that night on which you saw it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has made its ruling conditional upon its sighting." This narration is authentic.

Abu Bakhtari narrates: We saw the crescent of Ramadan while we were at Dhat 'Irq. We sent a person to ask Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), so he said: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah spreads it before you so that you may see it. If clouds cover you, then complete the number." This narration is authentic.

Kuraib reports: Lady Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her) sent me to the service of Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). He says: I came to Syria, fulfilled the task of Umm al-Fadl, and during that time the crescent of Ramadan was sighted. I was present in Syria; I saw the crescent on the night of Friday. Then, at the end of the month, I came to Madinah Munawwarah. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) spoke with me, and when I mentioned the sighting of the crescent, he asked: When did you see the crescent? I replied: I saw it on the night of Friday. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked: Did you see it yourself? I said: Yes! And the people also saw it, and I fasted, and Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) also fasted. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "We saw it on the night of Saturday, and we will continue to fast until we complete thirty days or see the crescent of Shawwal." So I said to him: Is the sighting of the crescent and fasting of Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) not sufficient for you? He replied: No! The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has given us this instruction. This narration is authentic.

Sayyiduna Abu Mas’ud Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: (In the month of Ramadan) on the morning of the thirtieth day, two villagers came and testified before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that they had seen the moon the previous night. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered the people: “Break your fast and celebrate Eid al-Fitr.”
Chapter: Making the intention (for fasting) at night itself.