Book of Fasting
The Obligation of the Fast

The fast of Ramadan becomes incumbent upon everyone once the crescent moon has been sighted. It is likewise obligatory for those whose view of the crescent is blocked by cloud or haze¹ on the night of the thirtieth of Shaʿban: they must fast that day as a precaution, intending² it to be a day of Ramadan. If it is later confirmed to have been Ramadan, the fast counts. The Tarawih prayers are performed, but the other rulings that depend on the month’s onset—such as the occurrence of divorce, manumission, or the maturity of a set term—are not established.

The sighting is deemed valid on the report of a single upright, legally accountable Muslim, even if he is a slave or a woman. For all other months, however, the testimony of two upright men is required.

Section

The conditions³ that render fasting obligatory are four: Islam, puberty, sanity, and the ability to fast. Anyone unable to fast due to advanced age or a chronic illness with no hope of recovery does not fast; instead, for each missed day he feeds one needy person with a mudd of wheat or half a sāʿ of any other staple.