❖ Question:
Some people insist on fasting 30 days in Ramadan every year regardless of the moon sighting. What is the ruling on this practice?
❖ Answer:
Authentic and well-known Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ, the consensus of the Companions (رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين), and the agreement of the scholars among the Tābiʿīn all indicate that the Islamic (lunar) month can be either 29 or 30 days.
Thus, anyone who always fasts 30 days and ignores the moon sighting, is in opposition to the Sunnah, the consensus of the Ummah, and is an innovator introducing into the religion what Allah has not permitted.
Allah ﷻ says:
"Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any protectors other than Him."
(Surah al-Aʿrāf 7:3)
And:
"Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins."
(Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:31)
Also:
"Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it."
(Surah al-Ḥashr 59:7)
And:
"These are the limits of Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow... And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will enter him into the Fire, to abide therein..."
(Surah an-Nisāʾ 4:13–14)
There are many such verses supporting obedience to divine command and prophetic guidance.
❖ Authentic Hadiths Regarding the Start and End of Ramadan:
❖ Final Advice:It is obligatory upon all Muslims to follow this straight path, adhere to the Sunnah, and abandon innovations and erroneous views. By doing so, one aligns with those whom Allah has promised Paradise and His pleasure, as He said:
"And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār and those who follow 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 shall dwell forever. That is the supreme success."
(Surah at-Tawbah 9:100)
— Shaykh Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله)
Some people insist on fasting 30 days in Ramadan every year regardless of the moon sighting. What is the ruling on this practice?
❖ Answer:
Authentic and well-known Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ, the consensus of the Companions (رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين), and the agreement of the scholars among the Tābiʿīn all indicate that the Islamic (lunar) month can be either 29 or 30 days.
Thus, anyone who always fasts 30 days and ignores the moon sighting, is in opposition to the Sunnah, the consensus of the Ummah, and is an innovator introducing into the religion what Allah has not permitted.
Allah ﷻ says:
"Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any protectors other than Him."
(Surah al-Aʿrāf 7:3)
And:
"Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins."
(Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:31)
Also:
"Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it."
(Surah al-Ḥashr 59:7)
And:
"These are the limits of Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow... And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will enter him into the Fire, to abide therein..."
(Surah an-Nisāʾ 4:13–14)
There are many such verses supporting obedience to divine command and prophetic guidance.
❖ Authentic Hadiths Regarding the Start and End of Ramadan:
- "Fast upon sighting the moon and break your fast upon sighting the moon. If it is cloudy, then complete the count to thirty."
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1906–1909; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1080 - "If it is obscured from you, then complete it as thirty days."
- "The month is like this, like this, and like this" — the Prophet ﷺ indicated with ten fingers three times, then curled one thumb the third time to indicate 29 days, and kept all fingers extended another time to show 30 days.
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1908; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1080
❖ Final Advice:It is obligatory upon all Muslims to follow this straight path, adhere to the Sunnah, and abandon innovations and erroneous views. By doing so, one aligns with those whom Allah has promised Paradise and His pleasure, as He said:
"And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār and those who follow 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 shall dwell forever. That is the supreme success."
(Surah at-Tawbah 9:100)
— Shaykh Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله)
