The fifth question of Fatwa no. 7753:
Q 5: what is the ruling on a person who does not fast according to the first sighting of the new moon
of Ramadan, but waits until he sees it for himself depending on the following Hadith, 
Start fasting on seeing it (the new moon of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing it (the new moon of Shawwal) 
? Is this understanding correct?
A: It is obligatory to fast when the sighting of the new moon is confirmed, even if only one trustworthy Muslim sees it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) issued orders to fast when a Bedouin testified that he had seen the new moon. Interpreting the Hadith mentioned in the question to mean that no individual should fast until they see the new moon for themselves is incorrect, because the Hadith tells everyone to fast when the sighting is confirmed, even if only one trustworthy Muslim sees the new moon.
May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
| Member | Member | Committee Deputy Chairman | The Chairman |
| `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud | `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan | `Abdul-Razzaq `Afify | `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz |
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