If my country differs from a neighboring country in determining the day of fasting or the day of breaking the fast, what is my obligation?

The questioner : Regarding the situation that has occurred, where many Islamic countries fasted and we did not fast.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Meaning, we did not break our fast on that day.

The Shaykh : We did not break our fast.

The questioner : Now, I called one of the young men yesterday, who came from Saudi Arabia, so I remained abstaining with the people of the country. One of the young men objected and said: No, ask Shaykh Al-Albani, for he is, if Allah wills, the source of the ruling.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : I do not know the details of the matter.

The Shaykh : The issue is, in fact, of extreme precision, because the principle in fasting and breaking the fast is that the entire Muslim community must fast on one day and break their fast on one day. This is the principle due to the generality of his statement (peace and blessings be upon him): . But unfortunately, as you see, the rulers of Muslims today are not in agreement on this specific aspect of Islam, but on matters far more important than this. Until the Muslim rulers agree to submit to the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), at least in this specific aspect, we see that we should adopt the opinion of some scholars who say that every region, every horizon, fasts on its own, and they do not fast together due to the difference in what? The horizons. We adopt this for one reason that goes back to a very important jurisprudential rule, which states: "That if a Muslim falls between two evils, he chooses the lesser of the two." Do I think you understand this statement?

The questioner : Understood, understood.

The Shaykh : So if we return to the principle in this matter, which is: , Saudi Arabia, for example, as happened this year, broke its fast yesterday. Now, we who heard the announcement of the Sharia judge, Shaykh Nuh, that we will complete Ramadan for thirty days, if we say we should return to the principle and break our fast with Saudi Arabia as we fasted with Saudi Arabia, the Jordanian people, as well as the other Islamic peoples, will be divided into two groups: people who will fast as we did, and people who will break their fast as some did with Saudi Arabia. Here, we will fall into a problem greater than the existing fundamental problem. The existing fundamental problem is the difference between governments and peoples, where one people is fasting and another is breaking their fast. Now, this problem will expand and manifest itself so that one people is divided against itself, and even one family is divided against itself. For example, the father is fasting and the wife is breaking her fast, or both are fasting and some of the children are breaking their fast, and vice versa. Therefore, to avoid this great harm, we practically, not theoretically or as a school of thought, adopt the other school of thought which says: every region fasts according to its own sighting and its own crescent. I think the answer is, if Allah wills.

The questioner : Clear, clear.