❖ Fasting Becomes Obligatory for Nearby Regions Upon Moon Sighting ❖
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
As mentioned in the previous Ahadith, the Prophet ﷺ accepted the testimony of certain companions regarding the sighting of the crescent moon. Based on that testimony, he himself fasted and commanded others to fast as well.
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 2052, Kitāb al-Ṣawm: Chapter on Accepting the Testimony of One Person for the Moon of Ramadan, Abū Dāwūd: 2342]
◈ Imam Ibn Qudāmah (رحمه الله) stated:
When the crescent is sighted in one region, then fasting becomes obligatory for the residents of all other regions.
[Al-Mughnī: 4/328]
However, from the report of Kurayb, it is evident that each region may observe its own moon sighting. The narration goes:
Kurayb reported that he saw the moon on the night of Friday (Thursday night) in Shām, and upon returning to Madīnah, he informed Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما). Ibn ʿAbbās responded:
"We saw it on Saturday, so we will continue fasting until we either complete thirty days or see the moon ourselves."
Kurayb asked:
"Is the moon sighting and fasting of Muʿāwiyah (رضي الله عنه) not sufficient for you?"
Ibn ʿAbbās replied:
"No. This is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us."
[Muslim: 1087, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām: Chapter on Each Region's Sighting, Abū Dāwūd: 2332, Tirmidhī: 689, Nasāʾī: 4/131]
Shaykh al-Albānī wrote:
Undoubtedly, the narration of Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) pertains to a person who started fasting based on a local moon sighting, and later during Ramadan learned that the moon had been sighted a day earlier in another region. In such a case, he should continue fasting with his people until they complete thirty days or see the moon.
Thus, this resolves the contradiction and allows the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) and others — which include all people informed of a moon sighting regardless of distance — to retain their general applicability, as also supported by Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) in Fatāwā: 25/107.
[Tamām al-Minnah: p. 398]
① The incident of Kurayb refers to a mid-Ramadan scenario, not the beginning of the month.
② Kurayb saw the moon in Shām, not in any nearby area of Madīnah, and Shām at the time was a separate state and region.
Some scholars opine that:
[Al-Mughnī: 4/328]
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❀ General Ruling on Sighting of the Moon
As mentioned in the previous Ahadith, the Prophet ﷺ accepted the testimony of certain companions regarding the sighting of the crescent moon. Based on that testimony, he himself fasted and commanded others to fast as well.
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 2052, Kitāb al-Ṣawm: Chapter on Accepting the Testimony of One Person for the Moon of Ramadan, Abū Dāwūd: 2342]
❀ Opinion of Scholars
◈ Imam Ibn Qudāmah (رحمه الله) stated:
When the crescent is sighted in one region, then fasting becomes obligatory for the residents of all other regions.
[Al-Mughnī: 4/328]
❀ The Report of Kurayb and the View of Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما)
However, from the report of Kurayb, it is evident that each region may observe its own moon sighting. The narration goes:
Kurayb reported that he saw the moon on the night of Friday (Thursday night) in Shām, and upon returning to Madīnah, he informed Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما). Ibn ʿAbbās responded:
"We saw it on Saturday, so we will continue fasting until we either complete thirty days or see the moon ourselves."
Kurayb asked:
"Is the moon sighting and fasting of Muʿāwiyah (رضي الله عنه) not sufficient for you?"
Ibn ʿAbbās replied:
"No. This is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us."
[Muslim: 1087, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām: Chapter on Each Region's Sighting, Abū Dāwūd: 2332, Tirmidhī: 689, Nasāʾī: 4/131]
❀ Clarification by Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله)
Shaykh al-Albānī wrote:
Undoubtedly, the narration of Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) pertains to a person who started fasting based on a local moon sighting, and later during Ramadan learned that the moon had been sighted a day earlier in another region. In such a case, he should continue fasting with his people until they complete thirty days or see the moon.
Thus, this resolves the contradiction and allows the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) and others — which include all people informed of a moon sighting regardless of distance — to retain their general applicability, as also supported by Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) in Fatāwā: 25/107.
[Tamām al-Minnah: p. 398]
❀ Important Distinctions
① The incident of Kurayb refers to a mid-Ramadan scenario, not the beginning of the month.
② Kurayb saw the moon in Shām, not in any nearby area of Madīnah, and Shām at the time was a separate state and region.
❀ Differences Based on Geographic Proximity
Some scholars opine that:
- If two regions are geographically close, such as Baghdad and Basrah, their moon sighting is shared, and fasting becomes obligatory for both based on the sighting in either.
- If the distance is greater, such as between Iraq and Ḥijāz or Shām, then each region should follow its own sighting.
[Al-Mughnī: 4/328]
