Fasting and breaking the fast follow the people of your country

Question: I am an Egyptian national working in Iraq. I previously broke my fast on the last day of Ramadan in Iraq after hearing the announcement of the sighting of the crescent moon on the Saudi Arabian radio, the Syrian radio, and others. I broke my fast based on that, knowing that the people of the country where I reside were still fasting. What is the ruling in this case, and what is the reason for the difference of opinion among people regarding Ramadan?

Answer: You must stay with the people of your country. If they fast, fast with them, and if they break the fast, break the fast with them. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , and because disagreement is evil. It is obligatory for you to be with the people of your country. If the Muslims in your country break the fast, break the fast with them, and if they fast, fast with them.
As for the reason for the difference of opinion, it is that some people see the crescent moon and some do not. Then, those who see the crescent moon may be trusted by others, who feel reassured by them and act upon their sighting, or they may not be trusted and others may not act upon their sighting. This is why the disagreement occurred. One country may see it, rule based on it, and fast or break the fast because of it, while the other country is not convinced by this sighting and does not trust the first country, for many reasons, political and otherwise.
It is obligatory for Muslims to all fast if they see the crescent moon and break the fast upon its sighting, due to the generality of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): If everyone is reassured of the validity of the sighting and that it is a true, confirmed sighting, then it is obligatory to fast and break the fast based on it. However, if people differ in reality and some do not trust others, then you must fast with the Muslims in your country and break the fast with them, acting in accordance with his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): .
It is established from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that when Kuraib informed him that the people of Sham had fasted on Friday, Ibn Abbas said: "We saw it on Saturday, so we will continue to fast until we see the crescent moon or complete thirty days." He did not act upon the sighting of the people of Sham because of the distance between Sham and Madinah and the difference in their horizons. He (may Allah be pleased with him) considered this a matter of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). So you have a precedent in Ibn Abbas and those scholars who agreed with his view regarding fasting with the people of your country and breaking the fast with them. And Allah is the guarantor of success.