Q. It is always the case that Ramadan starts on different days in different regions and countries. Sometimes the difference is more than one day. How does this affect an occasion like the Night of Power? Does it mean that it occurs on different nights in different regions?
Nouman
A. It is unfortunate that Muslims are always divided when it comes to marking Islamic dates and occasions. However, God is very kind to us. He does not place a burden on us as a result of our mistakes. Should we make an error in the sighting of the moon and, as a result, begin Ramadan on the wrong date, He does not deprive us of any benefit of the month. There will still be a Night of Power, and it will occur on an odd night in the last third of the month. Since we differ according to the sighting of the moon, the Night of Power will remain true according to our actual fasting. This means that it will occur on different days for different regions, but it will continue to be calculated by the same criterion. In other words, in each community, it will be on their odd nights in the last ten days of the month.
What is to be remembered in this connection is that God has made the Night of Power an occasion to earn great and rich reward, and He does not deprive His servants of such an occasion because of an error in calculating the start of their month. However, people are required to do their best in order to ascertain the right start of each lunar month, particularly Ramadan.
Fasting During the Year
Q. Which days should we fast during each month, particularly the month of Muharram?
Nazeema, Jeddah
A. There is nothing that we “should” fast at any time during the 11 months that follow Ramadan. The only duty is to fast the month of Ramadan. Whatever else we fast is voluntary, i.e. a matter of choice. We may do so as we are recommended by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He has suggested that fasting the three middle days of a lunar month, 13, 14 and 15 is recommended, calling these “the white days”, because the full moon occurs in the middle. We are also recommended to fast six days after Ramadan, beginning with the month of Shawwal. Most people think that these should be in Shawwal, but the Hadith recommending them may be taken as meaning “beginning with Shawwal.” We are also recommended to fast on 9 and 10th of Muharram, as well as 9 Dhul Hijjah, unless we are doing the pilgrimage. In this case such fasting is not recommended.