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1220.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "
When
Ramadan begins, the gates of Jannah are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained
.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
This is a special distinction of the month of Ramadan during which Muslims become more inclined
towards the worship of Allah. They pay greater attention to the recitation of the Qur'an, remembrance of Allah,
worship, and seeking pardon for sins.
1221
-
َلﺎﻗ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ِﻪﱠﻠﻟا َلﻮﺳر ﱠنَأ ُﻪﻨﻋو
:
»
ﻲﻤﻏ نِﺈﻓ ، ِﻪِﺘَﻳؤُﺮِﻟ اوُﺮِﻄْﻓَأَو ، ِﻪِﺘَﻳْؤُﺮِﻟ اﻮُﻣﻮُﺻ
َﻦﻴﺛﻼَﺛ َنﺎﺒْﻌَﺷ َةﱠﺪِﻋ اﻮُﻠِﻤْآَﺄَﻓ ، ﻢﻜﻴﻠَﻋ
«
ﻪﻴﻠﻋ ٌﻖﻔﺘﻣ
.
يرﺎﺨﺒﻟا ﻆﻔﻟ اﺬهو
.
ﻢﻠﺴﻣ ِﺔﻳاور ﻲﻓو
:
»
َﺛ اﻮﻣﻮُﺼَﻓ ﻢﻜﻴﻠَﻋ ﱠﻢُﻏ نِﺈَﻓ
ًﺎﻣْﻮَﻳ َﻦﻴِﺛﻼ
«
.
1221.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "
Observe
Saum (fast) on sighting the crescent and terminate it on sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy before
you, then complete the number (thirty days) of the month
.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
The words "
Ghabiya
'', and "
Ghumma
'', both have the same meanings, namely clouded sky or sky
overcast with clouds, as a result of which the moon is not visible. In that case, the injunction is that thirty days of the
month be completed. If the moon of Ramadan is not sighted on the 29th Sha`ban, then its thirty days be completed
and Ramadan's Saum be started on the next day. Similarly, if the moon for the month of Shawwal is not sighted on
the 29th of Ramadan, thirty days of Saum must be completed before celebrating `Eid-ul-Fitr. This means that the
sighting of the moon is necessary for keeping the Saum of Ramadan. Counting by celestial system is not sufficient
for this purpose. Moreover, the evidence of reliable witnesses for the crescent of Ramadan and the evidence of two
dependable witnesses for the crescent of Shawwal are sufficient. This amount of evidence will fulfill the
requirement of sighting the moon. Whether the sighting of the moon at one place is sufficient for another place is
controversial and arguments of both the groups of `Ulama', who support and oppose it, are based on this Hadith. The
group which contend that the sighting of the moon at one place is valid for another holds that the words "
Sumu
" and
"
Aftiru
" are addressed to all the Muslims, and for this reason the sighting at one place holds good for another place.
The group which holds that the sighting of the moon at one place is not enough for the Muslims of other localities
contend that the words are addressed to the people who have actually sighted the moon. The Muslims of the
localities of other areas who have not sighted the moon are not addressed by these words. They say that the sighting
of the moon goes with each area according to which they will decide about starting of Saum and celebrating `Eid.
There is a third group also, which is of the opinion that for such areas which are in close proximity and do not have
much difference in the timings of sunrise and sunset, the sighting of the moon at one place holds good for the other.
In any case, it is a moderate view, which can be implemented without fear of its being wrong. According to this
view, at least in one country the sighting of the moon at one place holds good for all other areas.
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