Decades over decades, the commencement andtermination of the noble Ramadan fastinggloberlly or in Nigeria in particular has been causing a bong of contention to the extent that it seems to have tripartitated the Nigerian Muslim fasting into three which should not have been so if the cogent laid Shariah was being obeyed and whims and selfishness is not worshipped, namely:a. Those who starts and ends Ramadan fasting the moment the crescent (new moon) is being sighted and announced by the authority concerned with that at sokoto. This category are the majority.b. Those who believe to start or break the fasting if they see it with their own naked eyes only, mostly found in the Northern parts of Nigeria.c. Those who belief in getting a consensus of opinion of some people or analogical deduction on the very day to start or ends the fasting of Ramadan before the expiration of the month of Shaaban. Mostly found in the South Western states of Nigeria.It should be borne in mind that Islam means total submission to the will of Allah'and that Muhammad's (P.B.U.H) ethical code of conducts are, Muslim's model.Islamic calender are 12 as said by Allah in Quran 9:36 and the Allah himself, naturally shows the beginnings and ends of each of it in His sky and He is the God of all, the omniscient, regardless of tribal, class, or geographical afflictions, afterall, every country should depend on her own sight of the crescent as far as Ramadan is concern (Likulli Baladin Ruuyatuhu) as found in sohihul Muslim, Volume 3 in relation to Hadith of Kuraib (R.A), hence, why the disparities in the same country of the same territorial boundary'Fasting can only starts or ends through 4 ways.Namely:a. Practical sighting of the virgin crescentb. Sighting of the crescent by two trusted menc. Sighting of the crescent by a congregation of Muslimsd. Completing the days of Ramadan fasting at last to be followed by IDULFITR' (Annual fast breaking festival) immediately.These principles are derived from Quran 2:185 'Therefore, whoever witness the month among you, should fast it...' And many famous traditions (Hadith) among which Abdullah bn' Umar narrated that the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) said 'The month (Islam) is 29 nights, hence, do not fast until you see it (crescent) but if it is clouded (covered by cloud) complete the counting of thirty' Reported by Muslim. Sheikh Aliyu As-shaukam, in his book Nailul Autor, Chapter of fasting mentioned another one 'Do not fast until you see it and do not break the fast until you see it, but if it has been clouded complete the counting of thirty (days).'Ibn Rushd mentioned in his book called Bidayatul Mujtahid wanihayatul Muqtasid that a villager came to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) He said I saw the crescent tonight, then he said (P.B.U.H) do you testify that there is no deity (deserved to be worshipped) except Allah and that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the messenger of Allah. He said yes, 'Oh Bilal announce to people that they should fast tomorrow' Tirmidhiyyu. So also two villagers brought the news of the sight of the crescent from the village at the end of Ramadan and the Prophet (P.B.U.H) ratified it. Aliyu Shaukani said 'For if some people of a country have seen it, of course Muslims have seen it, hence, it becomes incumbent on others as well' Nailul Autuor, volume 4, page 268.In a nutshell, you can make a lot of juristic deductions from these factual quotations. Such as Ramadan is only compulsory on a Muslim that witnessed the month alive and it begins and ends the moment you have seen the crescent or the news is brought to you, just as that or those villagers who brought news of seeing the crescent to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) in the city of Madina (where Islam was nursed and nurtured) which indicates that neither the Prophet nor his companion (sahabas) saw it within Madina or its vicinity, thus, what reason have you to dispel their sight'(To be continued)
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