Whoever of You Witnesses the Month Let Him Fast — Ramadan Fasting and the Sighting
fiqh
Level: basic
sawm
fqh-037
فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡيَصُمۡهُ
— البقرة 185
Verse: "Whoever witnesses among you the month — let him fast it." (2:185)
"Witnesses": Meaning encountering and being present during it — everyone who reaches Ramadan must fast it.
Establishing Ramadan's start: By crescent sighting or completing thirty days of Sha'ban.
Wisdom for a specific month: "The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed" — fasting is linked to the greatest event. A worship tied to the noblest of occasions.
Source: Al-Qurtubi (2/310); Sahih Al-Bukhari (1900); Ibn Qudama (3/6)
Question: What are the two ways to establish the beginning of Ramadan?
Answer: Sighting the crescent with the eye, or completing thirty days of Sha'ban when the crescent is not visible.