Excerpt from: Urdu Sharḥ ʿUmdat al-Aḥkām — Translated by: Ḥāfiẓ Faizullah Nāṣir
“When you see it (the moon), begin fasting. And when you see it (again), break your fast. If it is obscured from you, then complete the calculation.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1906, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1080]
✔ Not everyone must see the new moon.
✔ The sighting of the moon by some reliable individuals is sufficient.
☑ For general legal matters, two just witnesses are required.
☑ However, for Ramadan moon sighting, the testimony of even one trustworthy Muslim is accepted.
[Irshād al-Sārī, vol. 3, p. 356]
If one starts fasting based on cloudy weather and later finds out that it wasn’t Ramadan, the fast counts as nafl (voluntary) — not fard.
Note: Fasting with doubt (without confirmation) about Ramadan is not allowed. It must be based on certainty, either via sighting or by completing 30 days of Shaʿbān
◈ Ḥadīth — Moon Sighting to Begin & End Ramadan
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (RA):I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:“When you see it (the moon), begin fasting. And when you see it (again), break your fast. If it is obscured from you, then complete the calculation.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1906, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1080]
Understanding the Ruling:
✔ Not everyone must see the new moon.✔ The sighting of the moon by some reliable individuals is sufficient.
☑ For general legal matters, two just witnesses are required.
☑ However, for Ramadan moon sighting, the testimony of even one trustworthy Muslim is accepted.
[Irshād al-Sārī, vol. 3, p. 356]
🌥 If the Sky is Cloudy:
➤ The instruction "فَاقْدُرُوا لَهُ" means:➥ Complete 30 days of Shaʿbān if the moon is not visible due to clouds. If one starts fasting based on cloudy weather and later finds out that it wasn’t Ramadan, the fast counts as nafl (voluntary) — not fard.Note: Fasting with doubt (without confirmation) about Ramadan is not allowed. It must be based on certainty, either via sighting or by completing 30 days of Shaʿbān
