‘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.
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.
