Was the beginning of the month of Ramadan in Italy on Friday, September 21st, or Saturday, September 22nd, given that there is a disagreement among Muslims there regarding this date?
The commencement of Ramadan is established by sighting the crescent moon on the night of the thirtieth of Sha'ban, or by completing Sha'ban with thirty days. If two trustworthy witnesses attest to sighting the crescent moon, then fasting becomes obligatory. Some scholars consider the testimony of a single trustworthy witness sufficient.
In "Mawahib al-Jalil," it states: Fasting Ramadan becomes obligatory by five things: sighting the crescent moon, or the Imam announcing its sighting, or a trustworthy person reporting it, or the general public seeing it, or two trustworthy witnesses reporting its sighting, or one trustworthy witness reporting it in a place where there is no Imam to investigate the moon's matter.
Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini said: Fasting becomes obligatory by completing Sha'ban with thirty days or by sighting the crescent moon, based on the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Fast upon seeing it and break your fast upon seeing it; and if it is obscured from you, then complete the count of Sha'ban to thirty." And the sighting of the crescent moon is established by the testimony of a trustworthy person.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/102580