Q: The question sent by shaykh `Uthman Al-Salih from a group of Saudi students living outside The Kingdom in America and other countries. Some of the students followed Egypt, Kuwait, and other countries considering Sunday as the first day of `Eid-ul-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast) while others fasted with this country, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in which Monday was the first day of `Eid-ul-Fitr. What is the religious ruling in this regard?

A: This question has to do with the issue of the different times of moonrise, and either considering the differences in times of moonrise to be of significance, or not as far as breaking Sawm (Fast) and other Shar`y (Islamic legal) rulings pertaining to the moon rising are concerned. The Council of Senior Scholars discussed this issue in one of its sessions and issued a decree explaining that scholars differed with regards to this question and there are two opinions: 1. A group held that the difference of the times of moonrise is significant. 2. Another group held that it was not and that when the moon of the month of Ramadan is sighted in a Muslim country, then it is applicable to other countries. Both groups cited evidences from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and maybe even quoted the same text. This is due to the differences in interpreting the texts, as each group has its own methods of deriving evidence. As the juristic difference in this issue has no abominable consequences and fourteen centuries have passed since the (Part No. 10; Page No. 132) advent of Islam, and not once did the Muslim Ummah (nation) hold a unified stance as far as sighting the new moon of Ramadan is concerned. Each country is entitled to follow the opinion most favored by its scholars. Moreover, since the countries where the students live are not Muslim countries and they are citizens of a country in which Sunday is not officially announced to be the first day of `Eid-ul-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast), but the last day of Ramadan, to avoid differences, whoever broke his Sawm (Fast) on Sunday should make up for it. However, whoever followed Saudi Arabia in observing Sawm on Sunday and celebrating the first day of `Eid on Monday, there is no blame on him.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.