Q 1: What is the ruling on fasting the last day of Sha‘ban, if the scholars in a certain country did not reach an Ijma‘ (consensus of opinion) on confirmed sighting of the new moon of Ramadan, but later discovered that it was truly the first day of Ramadan? This happened in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the year 1404 A.H. Some people fasted on sighting the new moon of Ramadan or being informed of it by reliable witnesses. Their Sawm turned out to be valid, as was confirmed later. They started and ended Sawm based on the sighting of the new moon. Yet, some shaykhs issued Fatwas saying that the Sawm of those who did not see the new moon is invalid, as they acted contradictory to the majority of Muslims, even if they were wrong. The Fatwas went on to say that only the Muslim scholars of each country are entitled to confirm the sighting of the new moon. It also says that the Sawm of a person who relies upon opinions issued concerning sighting the new moon by scholars other than those of their residence country is invalid, and they have to make up for it.