is a hasan (good) hadith. And from Abu Musa, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Whoever fasts the entire life, Hell will be narrowed for him" (21). Al-Athram said: It was said to Abu Abdullah: "Musaddad interpreted the statement of Abu Musa, 'Whoever fasts the entire life, Hell will be narrowed for him,' as meaning he will not enter it." He laughed and said: "Who said this? Where is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disliked that (22), and what is [reported] in it of [other] hadiths?" Abu al-Khattab said: "It is only disliked if one includes within it the two days of the Eids and the days of Tashriq, because Ahmad said: 'If he breaks his fast on the two days of the Eids and the days of Tashriq, I hope there is no harm in that.'" A similar view was reported from Malik, and this is the opinion of al-Shafi'i, because a group of the Companions used to fast continuously, among them Abu Talhah. It is said that he fasted for forty years after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In my view, it is stronger that fasting the entire life is disliked, even if he does not fast these days; but if he does fast them, he has committed something prohibited. Fasting the entire life is only disliked because of the hardship, weakness, and resemblance to the monasticism that has been forbidden, evidenced by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Abdullah ibn Amr: "You are fasting the entire life and praying the night?" I said: "Yes." He said: "If you do that, your eyes will sink (24) and your soul will become exhausted (25). He has not fasted who fasts the entire life. Fasting three days is [equivalent to] fasting the entire life." I said: "I can bear more than that." He said: "Then fast the fast of David; he used to fast a day and break his fast a day, and he would not flee when he met [the enemy]." And in a narration: "It is the best of fasting." I said: "I can bear more than that." He said: "There is nothing better than that." Recorded by al-Bukhari (26).

520- Issue; He said: (And if the crescent is sighted during the day, before noon or after it, it is for the following night.)

The total [meaning] of this is that the well-known position from Ahmad is that if the crescent is sighted during the day, before noon or after it, and that is at the end of Ramadan, they should not break their fast based on its sighting. This is the opinion of Umar, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Umar, Anas, al-Awza'i, Malik, al-Layth, al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and Abu Hanifah. Al-Thawri and Abu Yusuf said: "If it is sighted before noon, it is for the past night, and if it is after noon, it is for the following night." This was also reported from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), recorded by Sa'id, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Fast for its sighting and break your fast for its sighting" (1). They have sighted it, so fasting and breaking the fast become obligatory, and because [time] before noon is closer to the past [day]. This is also related as a narration from Ahmad. For us, is what Abu Wa'il reported: "The letter of Umar came to us while we were in Khanaqin (2), saying: 'Crescents are some larger than others, so if you see the crescent during the day, do not break your fast until you reach evening, unless two men bear witness that they saw it yesterday evening' (3)." And because it is the opinion of Ibn...