Fasting on the Day of Arafah:
Fasting on the Day of Arafah:
"Fasting on the Day of Arafah, which is a noble and great day, a blessed festival, and of immense virtue, has been authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that its fast expiates the sins of two years."
(Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāʾiq wa Ḥāshiyat al-Shalabī, 1/321)
Regarding the Consideration of Different Moon-Sightings:
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "(Differences in moon-sighting regions are not to be considered)." And it was also said: They are to be considered. This means that if the people of one region see the new moon and the people of another region do not, then according to the opinion that does not consider moon-sighting differences, all must fast based on that sighting. But according to the opinion that does consider it, it depends: if the regions are close enough that their horizons do not differ, then fasting becomes obligatory. However, if their horizons differ due to distance, then it is not obligatory. Most scholars are of the opinion that it is not considered, to the extent that if one town fasted 30 days while another fasted 29 days, they must make up one day. However, the more correct opinion is that it should be considered, as every people are responsible for what appears in their own region. The separation of the crescent from the sun’s rays varies from place to place, just as prayer times vary by region; for instance, if the sun passes the meridian in the east, it does not necessitate that it has done so in the west.
(Badā’iʿ al-Ṣanā’iʿ, 2/83)
"This applies if the distance between the two towns is small and their horizons do not differ. But if the distance is great, then one town is not bound by the ruling of the other, because at a large distance the horizons differ, and thus each town should rely on its own horizon."
(Al-‘Urf al-Shadhī by Allama Kashmiri, 2/217)
"Al-Zayla'i, the commentator on al-Kanz, said that the non-consideration of differing horizons applies only to nearby towns, not distant ones. The same is mentioned in Tajrīd al-Qudūrī and by al-Jurjānī. I say: one must accept al-Zayla'i’s view, otherwise, it would result in Eid occurring on the 27th, 28th, 31st, or even 32nd day; for the crescent in Constantinople might appear two days before it does in our region. If we fast according to our own moon-sighting and later learn that the crescent was seen in Constantinople, then we would be forced to bring Eid earlier—or delay it if someone fasted in Constantinople and came to us before Eid. I have not found this issue addressed in our books, but I believe such a person should follow the Eid of the region he is currently in. I derived this from Shafi'i texts, which mention that if someone has prayed Zuhr and then immediately reaches a location where Zuhr has not yet begun, he must pray again with them. Allah knows best, and His knowledge is most complete. Initially, I followed al-Zayla'i’s opinion, but later I found in Ibn Rushd’s Qawāʿid a consensus on considering moon-sighting differences in distant lands. As for defining what is 'near' or 'far', this is left to the person affected and has no fixed measure. The Shafi'is have mentioned some guidelines regarding this."
And Allah knows best.
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