Discussion on the ruling of fasting when moon sightings differ.

The Shaykh : Let me return and say, finally, in answer to your question, or the second part of your question: regarding fasting, this issue is one we discuss often. Recently, some people asked me about it; so we say:
The scholars have differed in reality regarding fasting: is the Muslim community, no matter how vast its lands, obligated to fast all together, or does the matter depend on the difference in moon sightings?
There are two well-known schools of thought, but if we look at his (peace be upon him) absolute statement: ; this absolute text commands the Muslims to fast all together, to fast all together based on the sighting in one country, but this is within the limits of possibility, especially in that time. Today, however, the moon is seen here in an instant, and the news can be spread throughout the Islamic world in very few minutes. In this case, it is obligatory for all Muslims to begin fasting, even if in succession, because of what? The distance between some countries and the difference in moon sightings. But this sighting must be adopted Islamically by all Islamic countries. But what is to be done? Today, Islamic governments do not care about implementing the required Islam with a single understanding without difference, such as establishing the hudud (fixed Qur'anic punishments), for example, and the like. It is even more likely that they do not care about establishing a legal ruling in which there is disagreement, as we mentioned earlier. As long as the matter is like this, and we, as individual Muslims, do not have the power to oblige the entire Islamic world to fast on one day as they define it on one day; as long as this is not within our power or capability; then we must apply an authentic hadith, which is his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: .
So if you live in these lands, you must fast with their fasting and celebrate with their celebration, and do not tie your fate to Saudi Arabia or another country that fasted before these lands or delayed. Likewise, we say to the Muslims there: fast with the fasting of the Muslims there; because it is not possible now to gather the Muslims on one fast and one celebration. So in that case, we say: "O my soul, some evil is less than some." It is true that it was better for them to fast on one day and celebrate one celebration, but this is not possible for the reasons we mentioned. However, it is possible for each person to fast with his country. And of course, we do not want to create a new faction, as I noticed myself when I traveled for 'Umrah to the House of Allah in the first Ramadan. In one of the stops we made in a place called "Al-Ashash," two hundred kilometers before Medina, the car broke down. So I went to the shops to look for a need for it. I entered a shop owned by a man with the appearance of Muslims, bearded, and a young man. In the middle of the conversation, he said: I am not fasting. Why? He said: Because of Kuwait. Excuse me, he said: I am fasting. And this was the first day they fasted there in Kuwait. I said to him: How can you be fasting when you live in Saudi Arabia? He said: The fasting was confirmed by the Kuwaitis, and they are Muslims, and the Messenger came with the same hadith: . This is a valid argument, but practically it cannot be applied. So I said: You are fasting now, and the people here? They are not fasting. Then you will be surprised by another contradiction: the people are fasting here and you are not fasting, they celebrate and you do not celebrate. Therefore, it is better to follow the Muslims among whom you live.
And we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to inspire the rulers of the Muslims to gather them on fasting on one day, and on celebrating on one day, but no... the problem does not start here; this is a manifestation of the basic ailment. So we must treat the problems at their root, as I spoke about recently with some detail. And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The questioner : ... May Allah reward the Shaykh with good and increase him in knowledge... one... ... we hope that another opportunity will be given to us... to you, Shaykh, with a wider and more spacious lesson than the one we experienced with him, and may Allah reward him with good and thank him.