Fatwa No : 29414
What is the ruling for the one who witnesses the moon of Ramadan or Shawwal alone?

What is the ruling for the one who witnesses the moon of Ramadan or Shawwal alone?

If someone does not bare testimony after witnessing the moon of Ramadan or Eid, and the official moon sighting committee announces that the moon has not been sighted, what will be the ruling for him? Will he keep the fast or not?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Firstly, if someone witnesses the moon of the month of Ramadan or Shawwal, then he must not delay in bearing testimony to this.
Secondly, if someone witnessing the moon of the month of Ramadan and bears testimony, however his testimony was not accepted, or he fails to bear testimony after having witnessed it, then he must keep the fast (i.e. on the first of Ramadan). If he does not keep the fast, Qaza of that day will be incumbent upon him (i.e. he will fast any other day after Ramadan to compensate for this day in which he had failed to keep the fast).
Furthermore, if someone witnesses the moon of the month of Shawwal and bears testimony, however his testimony was not accepted, or he fails to bear testimony after having witnessed it, and the official moon sighting committee announces that the moon has not been sighted, then in this case, he must also keep the fast (with everyone else, even though he knows that it is the 1st of Shawwal). It is not permissible for him to discontinue the fast on the basis of his own individual sighting.
And Allah knows best.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

كما في الهندية : وإذا رأى الواحد العدل هلال رمضان يلزمه أن يشهد بها في ليلته حرا كان أو عبداً ذكرًا كان أو أنثى اھ (1/197) –
وفيها أيضًا:رجل رأى هلال رمضان وحدة فشهد ولم تقبل شهادته کان عليه أن يصوم وإن أفطر في ذلك اليوم كان عليه القضا دون الكفارة وإن أفطر قبل أن يرد القاضي شهادته فالصحيح أنه لا تجب عليه الكفارة كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان الخ وفيها:رجل رأى هلال الفطر وشهد ولم تقبل شهادته كان عليه أن يصوم فإن أفطر ذلك اليوم كان عليه القضا اھ (1/198)- والله أعلم .