He says: I live in a non-Islamic country, and they establish Ramadan according to the calendar without sighting the moon. What is the guidance?

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. This questioner is from outside this country. He says: Our country is non-Islamic, and they determine the first day of Ramadan according to the calendar without sighting the moon. He asks: How do we fast?

The Shaykh:
You should exert your efforts to sight the crescent moon. You have not closed your eyes. Look at the horizon and search for the crescent. If you see it, fast. If you do not see it, complete the count of Sha'ban as thirty days. Yes.

The questioner:
Likewise, may Allah preserve you, a questioner close to this one says: In our country, every year there is disagreement and division regarding the entry into the month of Ramadan and its exit, and likewise regarding 'Id al-Adha, so three festivals occur in the same country. He asks: What is the guidance in this matter?

The Shaykh:
The guidance in this is as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is feasible in every place: if you see it, fast, and if you see it, break your fast. If it is obscured from you, complete the count, and praise be to Allah. The Islamic centers now take the place of the governments, so the center is the one that, for example, takes charge of establishing the month. The center has the sighting, the readiness, and the Muslims. Yes.