Support IslamQA

Please contribute generously in order to ensure the continuity of our website InshaAllah.

Can he break the fast following Saudi when the people of his country are still fasting?

29-10-2005

Question 67895

Here in our country we completed the fast of Ramadaan with thirty days, but in Saudi they fasted for twenty-nine days. I was surprised when one of my friends did not fast on the thirtieth day. He said to me that it is haraam to fast on this day because the moon has appeared in Saudi.
My question is: what is the ruling on what my friend did?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

If a Muslim is in a country that relies on moonsighting to determine the beginning and end of the month, then he is enjoined to start and end the fast when they do. We have stated that in the answer to question no. 12660.

But if the Muslim is in a kaafir land, or in a land where they tinker with the beginning and end of the month according to their whims and desires, and do not pay attention to the moonsighting as prescribed in Islam, then there is no sin on him if he follows those whose moonsighting and adherence to Islamic rulings he trusts. See the answer to question no. 50522, where this is explained further.

And Allaah knows best.

Seeing the New Moon

Show on Islam Q&A website.