“The people looked for the crescent moon, and I informed the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — that I had seen it; so he fasted and commanded the people to fast.”

Narrated by Abū Dāwūd (no. 2342), Ibn Ḥibbān (no. 3447), al-Ḥākim (no. 1541), and al-Dārimī (no. 1733), from the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar — may Allah be pleased with them both.
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Abī Dāwūd (no. 2028) and Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl (no. 908).

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

Among the manifest signs that indicate the power and wisdom of Allah Almighty is His creation of the crescent moons and what He has placed in them of benefits for His servants. Among the greatest of these benefits is that through them people come to know the appointed times for acts of worship — such as fasting, paying zakāh, performing ḥajj, and fulfilling expiations, among others.
In this noble ḥadīth, the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — instructs the Muslims to observe and seek out the crescent of Ramaḍān in order to determine the beginning of the month of fasting. This is the meaning of his words: “The people looked for the crescent moon” — that is, they gathered together to sight it and took part collectively in observing it, as though each person were saying to his companion, “Look at the crescent!” and the like.
Then ibn ʿUmar — may Allah be pleased with them both — alone sighted the crescent of Ramadān, and he informed the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — that he had seen it. Hence, the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — fasted based on his sighting and commanded the people to fast.
This indicates that the sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadān is established by the testimony of a single trustworthy person, for the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — accepted the report of Ibn ʿUmar — may Allah be pleased with them both — as sufficient proof for the commencement of the month. This serves as a foundational principle on this matter according to the majority of scholars.
The ḥadīth also demonstrates that the beginning of Ramadān is confirmed by the actual sighting of the crescent moon, not by astronomical calculation.

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