Summary of Rulings on Issues of Fasting

Issue: Is the Sighting of One Land Binding upon Other Lands?

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fast when you see it, and break the fast when you see it. If it is obscured from you, then complete the number as thirty.”

Agreed upon from Ibn ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) with close wordings.

It is understood from the ḥadīth that lands which are in agreement in the times of the rising of the sun and the moon fast according to the sighting of those who are in agreement with them in the rising. As for if the risings are far apart: then the sighting of the eastern land is binding upon the western land, because they precede them in the risings, so it is obligatory upon them to act upon their sighting, due to the generality of his saying ﷺ: “Fast when you see it, and break the fast when you see it.”

So if trustworthy Muslims saw the crescent in the lands of Indonesia, then it becomes obligatory upon us in Yemen and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to act upon their sighting.

But it is not obligatory upon the eastern lands to act upon the sighting of the western countries which come after them in the risings of the sun and the moon when far apart.

So the sighting of the lands of al-Maghrib and al-Andalus is not binding upon the lands of the Arabian Peninsula, nor upon the eastern lands, since it is possible that the crescent only appeared at that time. So it is not a proof upon the lands that preceded them in the risings. And with Allah is success.

Shaykh al-Islām (may Allah have mercy on him) said, as in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā (25/103): “Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr transmitted consensus that the difference (i.e., between scholars) is in what it is possible for the risings to be in agreement upon. As for what is like al-Andalus and Khurāsān, then there is no difference that it is not to be considered.”

Khulāṣat al-Aḥkām fī Masāʾil al-Ṣiyām by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ḥizām al-Baʿdānī (p. 5)

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Summary of Rulings on Issues of Fasting

Issue: Testimony for the Sighting of the Crescent Moon

Abū Dāwūd (2342) reported with a ṣaḥīḥ isnād from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him): “The people looked for the crescent, so I informed the Prophet ﷺ that I had seen it, so he fasted and commanded the fasting of it.”

Khulāṣat al-Aḥkām fī Masāʾil al-Ṣiyām by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ḥizām al-Baʿdānī (p. 5)

Summary of Rulings on Issues of Fasting

Issue: Is the Sighting of One Land Binding upon Other Lands?

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fast when you see it, and break the fast when you see it. If it is obscured from you, then complete the number as thirty.”

Agreed upon from Ibn ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) with close wordings.

It is understood from the ḥadīth that lands which are in agreement in the times of the rising of the sun and the moon fast according to the sighting of those who are in agreement with them in the rising. As for if the risings are far apart: then the sighting of the eastern land is binding upon the western land, because they precede them in the risings, so it is obligatory upon them to act upon their sighting, due to the generality of his saying ﷺ: “Fast when you see it, and break the fast when you see it.”

So if trustworthy Muslims saw the crescent in the lands of Indonesia, then it becomes obligatory upon us in Yemen and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to act upon their sighting.

But it is not obligatory upon the eastern lands to act upon the sighting of the western countries which come after them in the risings of the sun and the moon when far apart.

So the sighting of the lands of al-Maghrib and al-Andalus is not binding upon the lands of the Arabian Peninsula, nor upon the eastern lands, since it is possible that the crescent only appeared at that time. So it is not a proof upon the lands that preceded them in the risings. And with Allah is success.

Shaykh al-Islām (may Allah have mercy on him) said, as in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā (25/103): “Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr transmitted consensus that the difference (i.e., between scholars) is in what it is possible for the risings to be in agreement upon. As for what is like al-Andalus and Khurāsān, then there is no difference that it is not to be considered.”

Khulāṣat al-Aḥkām fī Masāʾil al-Ṣiyām by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ḥizām al-Baʿdānī (p. 6)

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❌❤️⚠️The Reality of Valentine’s Day — Its Story, Ruling, and the Ruling of Assisting in It

Section One: A Festival of the Disbelievers Promoted Among the Muslims

O people of Islam and the Qur’an,

On Saturday, the fourteenth of February of this year, there will be widespread promotion of a festival from the festivals of the disbelievers and a season of celebration for them. It is a day that increases corruption and immorality, in which indecency spreads more widely, and virtue, protective jealousy, modesty, and chastity are weakened.

They have named it, as a form of deception and disguise, with a name that increases its spread and encourages those whose religion is weak to participate in it or to consider it lightly. They have called it “Valentine’s Day,” or “the Day of Love.”

Section Two: Its Origin — A Story Rooted in Paganism and Falsehood

This day did not originate from revelation. It did not come from a prophet. It was not established by divine guidance. Rather, its roots trace back to pagan Rome and the religious traditions of other nations, not to the guidance of Islam.

The pagan Romans used to celebrate festivals in mid-February, specifically on the fifteenth of February every year, and this day coincided with their spring holiday and seasonal rituals.

During that time, Christianity was in its early stages, and the Roman emperor Claudius II issued a decree prohibiting marriage among soldiers. There was a Christian monk named Valentine who opposed this decree and would secretly conduct marriage ceremonies in opposition to the emperor’s command.

When his actions were discovered, he was imprisoned and sentenced to execution. While imprisoned, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and this was kept secret because Christian law prohibited monks and priests from marrying.

The emperor offered to pardon him on the condition that he abandon Christianity and worship the pagan Roman gods, and that he would become among those close to him and even marry into his family. However, he refused this offer and chose to remain upon Christianity, and so he was executed on the fourteenth of February in the year 270 CE.

After his death, they elevated him to the status of a saint and gave him the title “Saint Valentine,” honouring his memory. When Christianity spread throughout Europe, this day became institutionalised as an annual religious and cultural celebration on the fourteenth of February in his remembrance, claiming that he sacrificed himself for Christianity and that he cared for lovers.

Thus, its foundation is built upon pagan ritual and Christian religious tradition, and it became a festival from their festivals and a symbol from their religious practices.

Section Three: Its Present Reality

This festival has become one of the greatest means used to spread immorality, sexual deviation, and corruption.

Section Four: The Ruling on Celebrating Valentine’s Day

It is not permissible for a Muslim man or woman to celebrate this day, nor to congratulate anyone for it, nor to exchange gifts because of it, nor to single it out by wearing red clothing, nor by using its red roses, nor by using its phrases, congratulations, or messages.

It is not permissible to change the furnishings of homes with red coverings because of it, nor to scatter roses upon beds or pathways, nor to decorate homes, walls, and ceilings with red hearts.

This is because this festival is from the practices, traditions, and festivals of the disbelievers, and it is imitation of them and spreading what they are upon of misguidance.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Humiliation and disgrace have been placed upon whoever opposes my command, and whoever imitates a people is from them.”

Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said regarding this hadith:

“This contains an indication of severe prohibition, warning, and threat against imitating the disbelievers in their statements, actions, clothing, festivals, acts of worship, and other matters specific to them.”

Ahmad Shakir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“The scholars have not differed since the early generations regarding the prohibition of imitating the disbelievers.”

Ibn Qasim al-Hanbali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Imitating them is prohibited by consensus.”

Section Five: The Prohibition of Assisting in It

It is also prohibited to assist others, whether Muslims or disbelievers, in celebrating this day or strengthening them in establishing its practices. This includes congratulating them, giving gifts because of it, printing cards related to it, designing its symbols, manufacturing or selling its clothing, decorations, symbols, flowers, or trading in them, or preparing food related to it and earning from it.

This is because this festival is prohibited in the legislation of Allah, and assisting in what is prohibited is itself prohibited.

Allah, the Exalted, said: “And do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:2)

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The Best of Deeds After the Obligatory Acts

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked about the best of deeds after the obligatory acts, so he answered:

“And as for what you asked about from the best of deeds after the obligatory acts: then indeed it differs according to the differing of the people in what they are able upon and what suits their times, so it is not possible therein to give a comprehensive, detailed answer for every one.

But from that which is like consensus between the scholars who have knowledge of Allah and His command: that constant adherence to the dhikr (remembrance of Allah) always is the best thing with which the servant occupies himself in general.

And upon that indicates the hadith of Abu Hurayrah which Muslim narrated: ‘The mufarridūn have preceded.’

They said: O Messenger of Allah, and who are the mufarridūn?

He said: ‘Those men who remember Allah much and those women who remember.’”

📚[Al-Waṣiyyah aṣ-Ṣughrā (614)]

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📖A Profound Lesson in Humility from the Salaf: When an Imām Called His Student “My Teacher”

Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“And this Imām al-Jawharī, the imām of the Arabic language and literature, made a mistake in his lesson. So one of the young students followed him and alerted him to his mistake. So he rejoiced at that, and embraced him, and kissed his head, and said to him: ‘I repent from that. May Allah reward you on my behalf with goodness as a teacher.’ Then when the next lesson came, he said to him when he entered the masjid: ‘Welcome to my teacher. Make space for my teacher.’ And he informed them of the student’s alerting him to his mistake, and he began to exert himself in supplication, and the people were saying Āmīn.

Look and reflect upon the truthfulness and the soundness of the hearts of our righteous Salaf. They would rejoice in the one who informed them of their mistakes and their faults, and some of them would wish that he were wealthy, so that he could reward the one who alerted him to the mistake.

Compare this with the condition of many of our common people and our elite, as they find discomfort when they are alerted to a mistake in themselves, and they criticise him, saying that he is not qualified to declare them mistaken.

How many people have we seen who were reminded of a mistake in themselves, and a fault in their conduct and their character, yet they do not rejoice at that. Rather, they disparage him and belittle him, either because he is younger than them in age or position, or due to ignorance from them that it would diminish their status if they accepted it.”

📚[Majālis Shahr Ramaḍān, p. 35]

🌱 The Completion and Perfection of Fasting Lies in Restraining the Soul from All Desires

Al-Qurṭubī — may Allah have mercy upon him — said in his Tafsīr (2/273), after defining fasting:

“And fasting in the legislation (ash-Sharʿ) is: refraining from the nullifiers (things that break the fast), along with the accompanying of the intention with it, from the rising of the dawn until the setting of the sun. And its completion and its perfection is by avoiding the prohibited matters and not falling into the forbidden matters, due to his statement ﷺ: ‘Whoever does not leave false speech and acting upon it, then Allah has no need of him leaving his food and his drink.’”

📖 Make for Yourself a Personal Notebook When Reciting the Qur’an!

Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned:

“And some of the people of knowledge in Ramadan, while he was in the time of reciting the Qur’an, would make with himself a personal notebook. Whenever he read something and a verse from the Book of Allah stopped him — in it were many meanings or something like that — he would record it in the notebook. So Ramadan would not leave except that he had attained much good from the meanings of the Noble Qur’an.

And indeed, I saw a small booklet of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī, may Allah have mercy upon him. He said that he wrote it in Ramadan while he was reading the Qur’an. A verse would pass by him, so he would stop at it, and reflect upon it, and write upon it benefits that you do not find in any tafsīr.

So for this reason, Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, encouraged reflecting upon the Qur’an for the one who desires guidance. And his Shaykh, Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

‘Whoever reflects upon the Qur’an seeking guidance from it, the path of truth will become clear to him.’

So Shaykh al-Islām, may Allah have mercy upon him, stipulated two conditions: reflection, and seeking guidance — because a person may reflect, but he did not intend seeking guidance, rather he only wants to know the meanings of the Qur’an. He does not want to be guided by it nor make it a lamp for himself by which he walks. So if you reflect upon it while you want guidance from it, and you want to make the Qur’an a lamp for yourself by which you walk, the path of truth will become clear to you.”

📚 [Al-Kāfiyah al-Shāfiyah fī al-Intiṣār lil-Firqah al-Nājiyah, by Imām Ibn al-Qayyim — explanation of Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn (1/503–504)]

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