The Book of Fasting

Al-Zuhri reported that the Prophet swore not to visit his wives for a month. Al-Zuhri said that Urwa informed him, from Aisha, who said: When twenty-nine nights had passed, which I had counted, the Messenger of Allah came to me—he began with me. I said, “Messenger of Allah, you swore not to come to us for a month, yet you came after twenty-nine nights, which I counted.” He replied, “The month is twenty-nine days.”

Kuraib reported that Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith sent him to Muawiya in Syria. He arrived there, took care of her business, and Ramadan began while he was in Syria. He saw the crescent on Friday night. At the end of the month, he returned to Medina, where Abdullah ibn Abbas asked him about the crescent. Kuraib said, “We saw it on Friday night.” Ibn Abbas asked, “Did you see it yourself?” He replied, “Yes. The people saw it too, and they fasted, as did Muawiya.” Ibn Abbas said, “But we saw it on Saturday night, so we will continue fasting until we complete thirty days or see the crescent.” I asked, “Is the sighting and fasting of Muawiya not enough for you?” He said, “No. This is how the Messenger of Allah commanded us.” Yahya ibn Yahya was uncertain whether the wording was “Is it enough for us?” or “Is it enough for you?”

Adi ibn Hatim reported that when the verse “until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread at dawn” was revealed, he said, “Messenger of Allah, I put two cords beneath my pillow, one white and one black, so I can tell night from day.” The Messenger of Allah replied, “Your pillow must be very wide! What is meant is the darkness of night and the brightness of day.”