I was fasting with the intention that it was the ninth of Muharram, but it turned out to be the eighth. Is it permissible for me to break my fast?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: If I was fasting on this day with the intention that it was the ninth of Muharram, and it turned out to be the eighth, and this was in the afternoon of that day, should I complete my fast, or break it, or what should I do? And what do you advise us? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
And what revealed that it was the ninth? What does he say? Hmm?
The questioner:
He says, may Allah keep you safe: If I was fasting on this day with the intention that it was the ninth of Muharram, and it turned out…
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
…that it was the eighth, and this was in the afternoon of that day.
The Shaykh:
And what reveals that it is the eighth? If it has not been revealed, then you are on your fast. You fasted the ninth day, and you fast tomorrow, if Allah wills, with the intention that it is the tenth, and that is sufficient, if Allah wills. Yes, if it has not been revealed, but the people feel that it is, that is not based on anything. People’s feelings are not based on anything. The ruling is based on the sighting of the crescent moon, if he saw the crescent moon. But the mere talk of people is not based on anything, ever. Yes, so the one who fasted today, if Allah wills, his fast is valid according to his intention, and it is the ninth day based on the apparent evidence. And you fast the next day, considering it the tenth day. And the one who did not fast today fasts tomorrow, considering it the tenth day, and fasts the day after that, considering it the eleventh day. There is no harm. Both are permissible. The matter is broad, and praise be to Allah. But the people have a tendency to restrict and to overburden themselves. They have overwhelmed the scholars with questions that have no need. The matter is broad. This is the first point. This is a recommended practice (mustahabb). Whoever fasts it has a reward, and whoever leaves it owes nothing. So there is no need for this burden. Second, it is sufficient to verify this. It is not obligatory that you know whether the crescent was seen or not seen. It is not obligatory to overburden yourself. This is based on the apparent evidence. Yes.
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: If I was fasting on this day with the intention that it was the ninth of Muharram, and it turned out to be the eighth, and this was in the afternoon of that day, should I complete my fast, or break it, or what should I do? And what do you advise us? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
And what revealed that it was the ninth? What does he say? Hmm?
The questioner:
He says, may Allah keep you safe: If I was fasting on this day with the intention that it was the ninth of Muharram, and it turned out…
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
…that it was the eighth, and this was in the afternoon of that day.
The Shaykh:
And what reveals that it is the eighth? If it has not been revealed, then you are on your fast. You fasted the ninth day, and you fast tomorrow, if Allah wills, with the intention that it is the tenth, and that is sufficient, if Allah wills. Yes, if it has not been revealed, but the people feel that it is, that is not based on anything. People’s feelings are not based on anything. The ruling is based on the sighting of the crescent moon, if he saw the crescent moon. But the mere talk of people is not based on anything, ever. Yes, so the one who fasted today, if Allah wills, his fast is valid according to his intention, and it is the ninth day based on the apparent evidence. And you fast the next day, considering it the tenth day. And the one who did not fast today fasts tomorrow, considering it the tenth day, and fasts the day after that, considering it the eleventh day. There is no harm. Both are permissible. The matter is broad, and praise be to Allah. But the people have a tendency to restrict and to overburden themselves. They have overwhelmed the scholars with questions that have no need. The matter is broad. This is the first point. This is a recommended practice (mustahabb). Whoever fasts it has a reward, and whoever leaves it owes nothing. So there is no need for this burden. Second, it is sufficient to verify this. It is not obligatory that you know whether the crescent was seen or not seen. It is not obligatory to overburden yourself. This is based on the apparent evidence. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [668 -954] كنت صائما بنية أنه التاسع من محرم، فظهر لي أنه الثامن، فهل لي أن أفطر؟ - صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.