What do Muslims do if the crescent of Ramadan is obscured?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: I mean, we said, as a continuation of the previous topic, Mishkat al-Masabih 1970, we completed the number of days of the month. But in reality, based on what we have completed now, these days that we are fasting—for example—will result in the Day of 'Arafah being correct according to the announcement that the beginning of the month will be, say, the first of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, just as it has happened with us now. We say that it is possible that the first of Dhul-Hijjah was the fourth day, not the fourth of the month—for example—in this situation.
The Shaykh: I think I did not understand the question.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: But I will answer you based on the assumption, and you will understand the answer.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh: I will tell you that all the months are connected to one another.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh: So, if we establish a month—for example—Sha'ban, and we see its crescent, we can say that the first day of Sha'ban is such-and-such, okay.
The questioner : Okay.
The Shaykh: Now, if it is obscured on the twenty-ninth, we need to complete it to make it thirty.
The questioner: Thirty.
The Shaykh: Of course, the thirty-first day will be what? Ramadan.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: There is a problem.
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh: Now, let us proceed with Ramadan. It reaches the twenty-ninth, we observe the crescent, and we do not see the crescent for one reason or another. The month of Ramadan does not differ from the month of Sha'ban except regarding the entry into Ramadan, not regarding the exit. The entry into Ramadan is based on the crescent of Sha'ban.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: But the exit from Ramadan, we need to base it on the sighting or on the obscuring.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Now, if you know this detail, do you get the answer to your question or not?
The questioner: We will take the answer to the question.
The Shaykh: That is my intention.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
and if the weather is cloudy treat Sha‘ban as having thirty days
فإن غُمَّ عليكم فأكملوا عدة الشهرThe Shaykh: I think I did not understand the question.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: But I will answer you based on the assumption, and you will understand the answer.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh: I will tell you that all the months are connected to one another.
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh: So, if we establish a month—for example—Sha'ban, and we see its crescent, we can say that the first day of Sha'ban is such-and-such, okay.
The questioner : Okay.
The Shaykh: Now, if it is obscured on the twenty-ninth, we need to complete it to make it thirty.
The questioner: Thirty.
The Shaykh: Of course, the thirty-first day will be what? Ramadan.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: There is a problem.
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh: Now, let us proceed with Ramadan. It reaches the twenty-ninth, we observe the crescent, and we do not see the crescent for one reason or another. The month of Ramadan does not differ from the month of Sha'ban except regarding the entry into Ramadan, not regarding the exit. The entry into Ramadan is based on the crescent of Sha'ban.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: But the exit from Ramadan, we need to base it on the sighting or on the obscuring.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Now, if you know this detail, do you get the answer to your question or not?
The questioner: We will take the answer to the question.
The Shaykh: That is my intention.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.