marks the month. For this reason, they call a year a hijjah (pilgrimage), saying, “He is seventy hijjahs old,” and “We stayed for five hijjahs.” Allah has thus made the crescents markers of time for people in matters of worship established by the Sacred Law, whether directly or through a cause, and in rulings arising from a person’s stipulations. Whatever time-bound matter is established by revelation or stipulation, the crescent marks its appointed time. This includes fasting, Hajj, the period prescribed for an oath of abstention from one’s wife, the waiting period, and expiatory fasting. These five are mentioned in the Quran.

Allah Most High says:

“The month of Ramadan.”

And He Most High says:

“Hajj is during well-known months.”

And He Most High says:

“For those who swear to abstain from their wives is a waiting period of four months.”

And He Most High says:

“Then fasting for two consecutive months.”

Likewise, He says:

“So travel freely throughout the land for four months.”

The same applies to fasting undertaken by a vow and other such fasting. It also applies to stipulations concerning work connected with payment, debts arising from advance-payment sales, zakat, the poll tax, blood money, contractual options, oaths, deferred dowers, instalments under manumission contracts, settlements in lieu of retaliation, and all other debts, contracts and matters for which a term is set.

He Most High says:

“And the moon—We have determined phases for it, until it returns like an old date stalk.”

And He Most High says:

“It is He who made the sun a radiance and the moon a light, and determined phases for it, so that you may know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this except in truth.”

His words, “so that you may know,” are connected—and Allah knows best—to His words, “and determined phases for it,” not to “made.” For the fact that the former is