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Fasting Ramadan is among the best acts of obedience, among the greatest deeds, and one of the most important matters of Islam. This is ascertained in the hadith reported by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim which indicates that Islam is based on five important matters; the Prophet counted fasting the month of Ramadan among them. The scholars of the four schools of Islamic Law agreed that the basis for determining the beginning of Ramadan is as follows: The crescent is visually observed after the sunset of the twenty-ninth (29th) day of Sha^ban. If the crescent is sighted, then the following day will be the first day of Ramadan. However, if the crescent is not sighted, then the next day will be the thirtieth (30th) of Sha^ban and the day after will be the beginning of Ramadan.
Muslims throughout the countries implemented this practice and the highly knowledgeable scholars ruled accordingly. Moreover, they stated that the reliance is on this rule and no attention is given to the sayings of mathematicians and astronomers, nor are their sayings relied upon in determining the beginning and ending of fasting. Imam Ahmad, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'iyy all narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: إنا أمة أمية لا نكتب ولا نحسب الشهر هكذا وهكذا which means: We are a nation that do not rely on writings or calculations [of the astronomers] to determine the beginning or the end of the month. The month is either twenty- nine or thirty days. The scholars from the four madhhabs (schools of thought) all agreed that the calculations of the astronomer have no significance thus they do not determine the obligation of fasting. Finally, blessed are those who abide by the Muslim Jama^ah, their masses of scholars, and the sayings of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. On the Day of Judgment regret shall be to those who follow a way other than that of the believers and stray away from the believers’ methodology.
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