HOW THE START OF RAMADĀN IS DETERMINED Q4: How is the start of Ramadān determined? Ans: Sighting the new moon or Counting Sha'bān to complete 30 days. Sheikh Ibn Baz (may ALLĀH have mercy on him) was asked: "In some lands of the Muslims the people go about fasting without relying on the sighting of the new moon. Rather, they think it is sufficient to only rely on calendars. So, what is the ruling on this?" He responded: "The Prophet ﷺ ordered the Muslims that they should: "Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadān), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha'ban." {al-Bukhari #1909 and Muslim #1081} He ﷺ also said: "We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days." {al-Bukhari #1913 and Muslim #1080} The Hadiths concerning this matter are numerous and all of them prove that it is obligatory to act according to the sighting or completion of the number of days (in the month as 30) when there is no sighting. Likewise they prove that it is not permissible to rely on calculations for this. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah mentioned that it is the consensus of the people of knowledge that it is not permissible to rely upon calculations to confirm the new moons. This is the truth concerning which there is no doubt. And ALLĀH is the Giver of success." {Fatāwa Islāmiyah (3/222-224)} It says in Fatāwa al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah (10/100): "It is not permissible to rely on astronomical data to confirm the beginning or end of the blessed month of Ramadān, because ALLĀH has not prescribed that for us in HIS Book or in the Sunnah of HIS Prophet (ﷺ). What HE has prescribed for us is to confirm the beginning and end of Ramadān by sighting the new moon of Ramadān to start fasting, and the new moon of Shawwaal to end the fast and gather to offer the Eid prayers." Barokallohu fīkum ♥️ *AD DA'WATUL ISLAMIYYAH CHANNEL* https://chat.whatsapp.com/JsIL1BTUUgXLoSz4YdcG9q