What does a Muslim do when Muslim countries differ regarding the crescent of Ramadan?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The solution is that each person fasts with his own country.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason for this is that today, for example, there are about forty Muslim countries, praise be to Allah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So these forty countries are not only different in fasting; they are also different in their systems.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : In their rulings and the like.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So if these countries differ from one another in their rules, this kind of difference that you are asking about now will result, meaning one country is fasting, one is breaking the fast, one is celebrating, and one is still in the last days of Ramadan, and so on. It was supposed that all these countries would fast on the same day and celebrate on the same day.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But this is due to the difference between them, first, and due to their distance from ruling by the Shari'ah of Allah, second. So differences have occurred between them in many matters, and what you are asking about today is one of those matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So now, it is better for one country to remain fasting than to divide against itself, for example, some Jordanians fast with their country and break the fast with their country, while others fast with Saudi Arabia and break the fast with Saudi Arabia. We were under the rain, and we would become under the gutter. We were separated, country from country, and now the single country is divided against itself, some fasting and some celebrating. No, it is a rule in Islam that if a Muslim falls between two evils, he chooses the lesser of the two. The lesser evil now is that we fast with our country and do not divide ourselves into two groups, one fasting and one breaking the fast. This is the answer to what you asked, so do not delve deeper and ask what we should do, because we cannot do anything as individuals, but we must choose the lesser evil, and the lesser evil that is necessary is that we fast with our government, with our country. And Allah, this is a mistake; the fasting should have been unified. It should have been, but this did not happen, so let us not divide ourselves against one another and remain a single block, fasting together and celebrating together.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what needed to be explained, and we have done so.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, but my dear professor.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : As we know, if, for example, a valid answer is given, if, for example, Saudi Arabia or Syria saw the crescent truly and consider today the 'Id al-Fitr as they announced, meaning in this case, it is permissible in the Shari'ah that it is not permissible to fast, meaning it is not permissible to fast on that day.
The Shaykh : You did not understand me, apparently.
The questioner : No, by Allah, I understood you, my dear professor.
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me?
The questioner : By Allah, I understood you.
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me? What is it that you understood?
The questioner : On the basis that you do not want to increase the division more and more, so you want at least to keep the remainder without it being scattered into new parts.
The Shaykh : So what is the point of your answer regarding this?
The questioner : No, your words are good, but I am speaking from the standpoint of a Shari'ah ruling, meaning that if today, as Saudi Arabia announced, as they announced in Syria and so on, that today is the first day of 'Id al-Fitr, the crescent, meaning as you say, the son of al-Ramtha is fasting and the son of Daraa is breaking the fast, meaning the crescent will appear... one. So if this crescent... the sighting is good, then in this case, fasting on this day is not permissible in the Shari'ah.
The Shaykh : Well, if we go back to entering Ramadan.
The questioner : Yes, the same thing.
The Shaykh : The same thing.
The questioner : Yes, the same thing.
The Shaykh : So what do you want then, that we here differ with one another and fight, you are breaking the fast and you are an open sinner and you are a wicked person?
The questioner : Hold on, hold on to that.
The Shaykh : How is that possible, meaning?
The questioner : Hold on to that.
The Shaykh : This will happen; go to one house, the people of one house will divide against each other, the father is fasting and the mother is breaking the fast, the son is fasting and the son is breaking the fast.
The questioner : Your words are sound, but I am asking about the Shari'ah ruling because it truly concerns me.
The Shaykh : Do not ask about the Shari'ah ruling what you know and the official knows like you or better than you, but ask about the Shari'ah ruling what you and your like do not know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what we have shown you. As for going back to the original, the original when there is true unity, then it is said that whoever opposes the group has left the group, and this is not permissible in Islam.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But I gave you a long and wide lecture. We are different in the most extreme disagreement in ruling by what Allah has revealed.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Today you want to speak about a legal case in the court, they will judge you by the law, not by the Shari'ah, what do you do? You do nothing.
The questioner : Say, "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (There is no power nor strength except with Allah).
The Shaykh : Because[Al-Baqarah 2:286], likewise say, "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (There is no power nor strength except with Allah) regarding what you are asking about.
The questioner : Well, sir, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.
The questioner: And upon you peace.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The reason for this is that today, for example, there are about forty Muslim countries, praise be to Allah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So these forty countries are not only different in fasting; they are also different in their systems.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : In their rulings and the like.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So if these countries differ from one another in their rules, this kind of difference that you are asking about now will result, meaning one country is fasting, one is breaking the fast, one is celebrating, and one is still in the last days of Ramadan, and so on. It was supposed that all these countries would fast on the same day and celebrate on the same day.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But this is due to the difference between them, first, and due to their distance from ruling by the Shari'ah of Allah, second. So differences have occurred between them in many matters, and what you are asking about today is one of those matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So now, it is better for one country to remain fasting than to divide against itself, for example, some Jordanians fast with their country and break the fast with their country, while others fast with Saudi Arabia and break the fast with Saudi Arabia. We were under the rain, and we would become under the gutter. We were separated, country from country, and now the single country is divided against itself, some fasting and some celebrating. No, it is a rule in Islam that if a Muslim falls between two evils, he chooses the lesser of the two. The lesser evil now is that we fast with our country and do not divide ourselves into two groups, one fasting and one breaking the fast. This is the answer to what you asked, so do not delve deeper and ask what we should do, because we cannot do anything as individuals, but we must choose the lesser evil, and the lesser evil that is necessary is that we fast with our government, with our country. And Allah, this is a mistake; the fasting should have been unified. It should have been, but this did not happen, so let us not divide ourselves against one another and remain a single block, fasting together and celebrating together.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what needed to be explained, and we have done so.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, but my dear professor.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : As we know, if, for example, a valid answer is given, if, for example, Saudi Arabia or Syria saw the crescent truly and consider today the 'Id al-Fitr as they announced, meaning in this case, it is permissible in the Shari'ah that it is not permissible to fast, meaning it is not permissible to fast on that day.
The Shaykh : You did not understand me, apparently.
The questioner : No, by Allah, I understood you, my dear professor.
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me?
The questioner : By Allah, I understood you.
The Shaykh : What did you understand from me? What is it that you understood?
The questioner : On the basis that you do not want to increase the division more and more, so you want at least to keep the remainder without it being scattered into new parts.
The Shaykh : So what is the point of your answer regarding this?
The questioner : No, your words are good, but I am speaking from the standpoint of a Shari'ah ruling, meaning that if today, as Saudi Arabia announced, as they announced in Syria and so on, that today is the first day of 'Id al-Fitr, the crescent, meaning as you say, the son of al-Ramtha is fasting and the son of Daraa is breaking the fast, meaning the crescent will appear... one. So if this crescent... the sighting is good, then in this case, fasting on this day is not permissible in the Shari'ah.
The Shaykh : Well, if we go back to entering Ramadan.
The questioner : Yes, the same thing.
The Shaykh : The same thing.
The questioner : Yes, the same thing.
The Shaykh : So what do you want then, that we here differ with one another and fight, you are breaking the fast and you are an open sinner and you are a wicked person?
The questioner : Hold on, hold on to that.
The Shaykh : How is that possible, meaning?
The questioner : Hold on to that.
The Shaykh : This will happen; go to one house, the people of one house will divide against each other, the father is fasting and the mother is breaking the fast, the son is fasting and the son is breaking the fast.
The questioner : Your words are sound, but I am asking about the Shari'ah ruling because it truly concerns me.
The Shaykh : Do not ask about the Shari'ah ruling what you know and the official knows like you or better than you, but ask about the Shari'ah ruling what you and your like do not know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what we have shown you. As for going back to the original, the original when there is true unity, then it is said that whoever opposes the group has left the group, and this is not permissible in Islam.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But I gave you a long and wide lecture. We are different in the most extreme disagreement in ruling by what Allah has revealed.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Today you want to speak about a legal case in the court, they will judge you by the law, not by the Shari'ah, what do you do? You do nothing.
The questioner : Say, "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (There is no power nor strength except with Allah).
The Shaykh : Because
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاThe questioner : Well, sir, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.
The questioner: And upon you peace.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.