Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Muslims should observe Ramadan fasting when they see the new moon of Ramadan. This principle is based on the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “When you see it (the new moon) then fast, and when you see it then break the fast”.
2- Muslim countries and communities have different approaches in observing the new moon of Ramadan. This is the reason you observe different beginnings for Ramadan in various countries. You should, however, follow the decision of your country or community’s leader or imam regarding the start and end of Ramadan.
Answering your question, Dr. Wael Shehab, PhD in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University and currently the Imam of the Downtown Toronto Masjid in Canada, states:
Differences among Muslim countries in determining the beginning and end of Ramadan are based on many factors, among which are:
1- Some Muslim countries depend solely on sighting the new moon with naked eyes.
2- Some Muslim countries depend solely on astronomical calculations to decide the beginning and end of Ramadan.
3- Some Muslim countries combine the above two approaches.
Moreover, there are two juristic opinions on whether or not all Muslim countries should seek their own sighting for the new moon. Some scholars see that if the new moon is sighted in a Muslim country, other Muslim countries, which share part of the night with it, should act accordingly and start or end the fast. Other scholars, however, say that every country could have their own sighting of the new moon.
I myself prefer the application of the opinion that unites and gathers Muslims in the beginning and end of Ramadan as much as possible.
However, if the unity of Muslim countries cannot be achieved nowadays, then Muslims in each country must be united on celebrating the Islamic occasions and rituals such as the start and end of Ramadan and Eids.
May Allah accept your and our good deeds!
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.