He—may Allah sanctify his soul—was also asked:

A man sights the crescent alone and is certain of his sighting. May he end the fast on his own, or begin fasting on his own, or should he do so with the people generally?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. If someone alone sights the crescent marking the beginning or the end of the fast, must he begin fasting or end the fast on the basis of his own sighting? Or should he neither begin nor end the fast except with the people?

There are three views on this, corresponding to three positions reported from Ahmad:

The first: He must begin fasting, and must end the fast privately. This is the view of al-Shāfiʿī.

The second: He begins fasting, but does not end the fast except with the people. This is the well-known position in the schools of Ahmad, Mālik and Abū Hanīfah.

The third: He begins fasting with the people and ends the fast with the people. This is the soundest of