unanimously. This is the view of al-Thawri, the scholars of Iraq, Malik among the people of the Hijaz, al-Shafi'i, Abu Thawr, Abu 'Ubayd, and others, because Allah, the Exalted, said: "then [the] fasting of two consecutive months." These are two consecutive months. If he begins from the middle of a month and fasts sixty days, it also suffices him without disagreement. Ibn al-Mundhir said: Those whom we have memorized from among the people of knowledge have reached a consensus on this. As for if he fasts one month by the new moon and one month by calculation, such as fasting fifteen days of Muharram, all of Safar (9), and fifteen days (10) of Rabi', then it suffices him, whether Safar is complete or deficient. This is because the original principle is to consider the months by the new moons, but we abandoned that for the month in which he began from its middle due to the impossibility of doing so; therefore, in the month where it is possible to consider it, it must be considered. This is the school of al-Shafi'i and the people of reason (ashab al-ra'y). It can also be argued that only two months by calculation would suffice, because when we added fifteen days [of Muharram] (11) to fifteen days of Safar, that became a month, so the start of the fast of the second month (13) also became from the middle of a month. This is the opinion of al-Zuhri.
Section: If he intends to fast the month of Ramadan as an expiation, it will not suffice him for Ramadan, nor for the expiation, and the continuity is interrupted, whether he is a resident or a traveler, because an impermissible breaking of the fast has intervened in the fast of the expiation. Mujahid and Tawus said: It suffices him for both. Abu Hanifah said: If he is a resident, it suffices him for Ramadan but not for the expiation, because the specification of the intention is not a condition for Ramadan; and if he is on a journey, it suffices him for the expiation but not for Ramadan. His two companions said: It suffices for Ramadan but not for the expiation, both in travel and at home. Our view is that Ramadan is specifically designated for its own fast, and it is forbidden to fast it for anything else,
(9) Safar is prevented from being declinable (diptote) according to the opinion of Abu 'Ubaydah. See: Taj al-'Arus (s f r) 12/330, 331. (10) Omitted from: The original. (11) Omitted from: The original. (12) In A and M: "sama" (he fasted). (13) In B: "al-tali" (the following). (14) In the original: "li-sawmi".