What should a Muslim do if he moves from
one country to another during Ramadaan, where the people started fasting on a different
day?
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person finds himself in a country where the people have already
started fasting, he must fast with them, because he must follow the ruling of the country
he is in. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Fast
when the people fast, break your fast when the people break their fast, and offer your
sacrifice when the people offer their sacrifice.” (Reported by Abu Dawood with
a jayyid isnaad; there are corroborating reports narrated by Abu Dawood and others).
Suppose that he moved from a country where he had begun
fasting with the people there, and went to another country. He has to either break his
fast or continue fasting according to the ruling of the people in the country to which he
has travelled, even if they end their fast earlier than the country where he started
fasting. But if it turns out that he has fasted less than twenty-nine days, he must make
up the fasts later on, because the hijri month cannot be less than twenty-nine days.