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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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On the disagreement among people regarding the entry of the month of Ramadan?

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Question : The questioner says: The Muslims in this country fasted on a Saturday, and some of the scholars said that a total solar eclipse occurred on Saturday at noon, so how was the crescent moon sighted?

Answer : We Muslims are commanded to judge by what is apparent. If the apparent evidence is established for what necessitates affirmation, it is obligatory for us to act upon it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "If two witnesses testify, then fast and break your fast." We are commanded, if two just witnesses testify to the sighting of the crescent moon, to act upon what is established by their sighting. This is whether the natural state agrees with that or contradicts it. Even if it were assumed that the crescent moon did not actually appear on that night according to the natural calculation, we are not obligated by it, and we are not sinful if we contradict the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the obligation of fasting upon the testimony of those who establish the entry of the month, or the obligation of breaking the fast upon the testimony of those who establish the entry of the month of Shawwal. We have nothing other than this apparent evidence that we were commanded to follow. What is the opinion of this brother when two just men testify to us that they saw the crescent moon? What is his opinion if we do not fast based on your testimony? Because the natural calculation dictates such and such? That means we have disobeyed Allah and His Messenger and followed the natural decree, whereas we are commanded and obligated by the legislative commands, by the legislative rulings, not by the natural rulings.
Source قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[13 من 28] عن اختلاف الناس في دخول شهر رمضان؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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