there is a group of people who follow the general sighting and fast
with Saudi and other neighbouring lands. I started to follow this
group this year and I fasted one day before my country. Do I have to
make up the fast, knowing that the sightinghere was proved after that?
Should I break the fast with my country or when the moon is
sightedanywhere?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 12660 we stated that if the Muslim is in
a Muslim country that relieson sighting of the moon to mark the
beginning and end of the month, then he must follow that country, and
it is not permissible for him to differ from it in starting and ending
the fast.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
fast is the day when you fast, breaking the fast is the day when you
break the fast, and sacrifice is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by AbuDawood (2324) and al-Tirmidhi (697);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
The imams differed with regard to the question of whether, if the moon
is sighted in one place, all the Muslims are obliged to fast, or are
only the nearby countries obliged to fast and not the
distantcountries, or are those whose sighting coincides with that
sighting obligedto fast, and not those whose sighting did not coincide
with it? There areseveral opinions.
The Muslim should follow the scholars of his own country in whichever
of these views they believe to be more correct, based on the evidence
that they have available, and he should not start or end the fast on
his own.
We have quoted the statement of the Council of Senior Scholars on this
issue in the answer to question no. 50487 , in which they said:
… the members of the Council of Senior Scholars think that matters
should be left as they are and that this subject should not be stirred
up. Each Islamic state should have the right to choose whichever
opinion it wishes, based on the suggestions of its own scholars,
because each view has its evidence and proofs.
Please read this statement in full, because it is important.
Based on this, you should follow your country whichrelies on the
sighting of the moon to establish the beginning and end of the month
and the beginning and end of the fast. If you do that, you will have
done well and you are notrequired to make up the fast.
And Allaah knows best.
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