Question:
Some people always keep the fast of Ramadan for 30 days. What is the ruling on this?
Answer:
The authentic and famous hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the consensus and agreement of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, and the scholars of the Tabi‘in indicate that the Arabic month can be either 29 days or 30 days. Therefore, a person who always fasts for 30 days and does not consider the moon is opposing the Sunnah and consensus, and is the originator of an innovation in religion which Allah Almighty has not permitted. Allah Almighty has said:
اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ
“Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other guardians besides Allah.”
He also said:
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ
“Say, if you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins.”
And He said:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and what he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”
Also, the Divine command is:
تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ٭ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ
“These are the limits set by Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever; and that is the great success. But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will put him into the Fire to abide therein forever, and he will have a humiliating punishment.”
There are many verses on this subject.
In Sahihayn, Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates from the Prophet, peace be upon him:
صوموا لرؤيته و أفطروا لرؤيته فإن غم عليكم فاقدروا له
“Fast upon seeing the moon and break your fast upon seeing the moon. And if it is cloudy, then complete the month.”
And in a narration of Sahih Muslim:
فاقدروا له ثلاثين
“Complete the count to thirty.”
And in Sahihayn, the wording of a narration is:
إذا رأيتم الهلال فصوموا وإذا رأيتموه فأفطروا فإن غم عليكم فعدوا ثلاثين
“When you see the moon, fast, and when you see the moon, break your fast. And if it is cloudy, then complete thirty days.”
And in Sahih Bukhari, narrated from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he said:
صوموا لرؤيته وأفطروا لرؤيته فإن غم عليكم فصوموا ثلا ثين
“Fast upon seeing the moon and break your fast upon seeing the moon. And if it is cloudy, then fast for thirty days.”
In other words:
فأكملوا العدة ثلاثين
“That is, complete the count to thirty.”
And in another wording:
فأكملوا ثلا ثين يوما
“That is, complete the thirtieth day of Sha‘ban.”
And Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
لا تصوموا حتي ترواالهلال أو تكملوا العدة، ولا تفطروا حتي تروا الهلال أو تكملوا العدة
“Do not fast until you see the moon or complete the month. And do not stop fasting until you see the moon or complete the month.”
And it is established in multiple hadiths from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said:
إن الشهر تسع وعشرون فلا تصوموا حتي تروا الهلال ولا تفطروا حتي تروا الهلال فإن غم عليكم فأكملوا العدة
“Indeed, the month can also be twenty-nine days, so do not fast until you see the moon, and do not break your fast until you see the moon. And if it is cloudy, then complete thirty days.”
And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, also said:
الشهر هكذا وهكذا وهكذا وأشار بأصابعه العشر، وخنس إبهامه فى الثالثة ثم قال الشهر هكذا وهكذا وهكذا بأصابعه العشر ولم يخنس فيها شيئا
“The month is like this and like this and like this,” and he indicated with his ten fingers. Then he bent his thumb the third time. Then he joined his ten fingers and said three times that the month is like this, and he did not fold any finger.”
From this, his indication was that the month is sometimes 30 days and sometimes 29 days. The knowledgeable and faithful Companions and the great Tabi‘in generally accepted these authentic hadiths and acted accordingly. Thus, they used to pay attention to the sighting of the moons of Sha‘ban, Ramadan, and Shawwal, and acted upon the evidence and proofs that supported it, whether it concerned the completion of the month or its shortening. Therefore, it is obligatory and necessary for all Muslims to follow this straight path and abandon the opinions of those who oppose it and their invented innovations. By doing so, we can be among those for whom Allah Almighty has promised Paradise and His pleasure. Allah Almighty said:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
“And the emigrants and the helpers and those who followed them in righteousness – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.”
“Sheikh Ibn Baz. May Allah have mercy on him.”
