حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّمَا الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَلَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ وَلَا تُفْطِرُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدُرُوا لَهُ قَالَ نَافِعٌ فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِذَا مَضَى مِنْ شَعْبَانَ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ يَنْظُرُ فَإِنْ رُئِيَ فَذَاكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُرَ وَلَمْ يَحُلْ دُونَ مَنْظَرِهِ سَحَابٌ وَلَا قَتَرٌ أَصْبَحَ مُفْطِرًا وَإِنْ حَالَ دُونَ مَنْظَرِهِ سَحَابٌ أَوْ قَتَرٌ أَصْبَحَ صَائِمًا
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4488
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: " Verify the month Is twenty-nine days. Do not fast until you see it and do not break the fast until you see it, and if it is cloudy then work it out" Naafi' said: When twenty-nine days of Sha'baan had passed, 'Abdullah would send someone out to look. If (the new moon) was seen, that was that, and if it was not seen, and there was nothing to prevent it being seen such as clouds or rain, he would not fast the next day. If there was something to prevent it being seen, such as clouds or rain, he would fast the next day.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020