Ibn ‘Abbas told a desert Arab coming to the Prophet and saying he had seen the new moon, i.e. the new moon of Ramadan. He asked him whether he testified that there is no god but God and he replied that he did. He then asked if he testified that Muhammad is God’s messenger, and when he replied that he did he said, “Bilal, announce to the people that they must fast tomorrow."
Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.
Ibn ‘Umar said that the people tried to see the new moon and he informed God’s messenger that he had seen it, so he fasted and commanded the people to observe the fast."
‘A’isha said that God’s messenger used to count the days in Sha'ban in a manner he did not practise any other month, then fasted when he saw the new moon of Ramadan; but if the weather was cloudy he counted thirty days and then fasted.
We went out to perform the ‘umra, and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhla we tried to see the new moon. Some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. We then met Ibn ‘Abbas and told him we had seen the new moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights old and others that it was two nights old. He asked what night we had seen it, and when we told him we had seen it on such and such a night he said, “God’s messenger deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned as being on the night you saw it.” In a version he said: We saw the new moon of Ramadan when we were in Dhat ‘Irq* and we sent a man to Ibn ‘Abbas to enquire of him. He replied that God’s messenger had said, “God most high has deferred it till it is seen, but if the weather is cloudy observe the fast after the complete number of days have passed.”
*Dhat 'Irq was near Nakhla, so this version is simply a little more precise than the other about were they were.
‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God’s messenger as saying, “The difference between our fasting and that of the People of the Book is eating shortly before dawn.”
Sahl reported God’s messenger as saying, “The people will continue to prosper as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast.”*
*This refers to each day during Ramadan, and recommends that the fast should be broken as early as that may lawfully be done.
‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the night approaches on this side and the day retreats on that side and the sun sets, he who fasts has reached the time to break it.”
Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger forbade uninterrupted fasting, and when a man said, “You fast uninterruptedly, messenger of God,” he replied, “Which of you is like me? During the night my Lord gives me food and drink.”
Hafsa reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who does not before dawn express his intention of fasting is not credited with it.”
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Darimi transmitted it. Abu Dawud said that Ma'mar, az-Zubaidi, Ibn ‘Uyaina and Yunus al-Aili, all of whom got it on Zuhri’s authority, traced it no farther back than Hafsa.
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When any of you hears the summons to prayer while he has a vessel in his hand he should not lay it down till he finishes his drink.”*
*This is interpreted as referring to the dawn prayer during Ramadan.
Salman b. ‘Amir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you breaks his fast he should do so with dates for they provide blessing; but if he cannot get any he should break his fast with water for it is purifying.”
Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, but only Tirmidhi included “for they provide blessing.”
Anas said that the Prophet used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates, but if there were no fresh dates he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates he took some mouthfuls* of water.
*Mirqat explains this as three mouthfuls, but 'three' does not occur in the text.
Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a hasan gharib tradition.
Zaid b. Khalid reported God’s messenger as saying, ‘He who gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast, or who equips a fighter will have a reward equivalent to his.”
Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman, and Muhyi as-sunna, who said it is sahih, in Sharh as-sunna.
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “The religion will continue to prevail as long as people hasten to break the fast, because the Jews and the Christians delay doing so.”
Masruq and I visited ‘A'isha and said, “Mother of the faithful, there are two of Muhammad’s companions one of whom hastens to break the fast and hastens to pray while the other delays breaking the fast and delays praying. She asked which of them hastened to break the fast and hastened to pray, and when we told her that he was ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud she said, "Thus did God’s messenger do." The other was Abu Musa.
