Abu Jamrah says that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to make me sit on his cot. He said: When the delegation of the tribe of Abdul Qais came to the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he asked: Who are these people or which delegation is this? They said: We are the people of Rabi’ah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Welcome to the delegation or the people, neither disgraced nor regretful. They said: O Messenger of Allah! We cannot come to you except in the sacred months because between us and you is the tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something definite which we can convey to those behind us and by acting upon it, enter Paradise. They also asked about drinks. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them four things and forbade them from four things. He commanded them to have faith in Allah and asked: Do you know what it means to have faith in Allah? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: To testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to pay zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to give one-fifth (khums) from the spoils of war. And he forbade them from using green glazed jars, gourds, hollow wooden vessels, and oil-coated containers, and said: Remember these things and convey them to those behind you.

Muhammad bin Haneen says that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) disliked that anyone should fast before the new moon of Ramadan was sighted. He said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If the moon is not sighted, then complete thirty nights.

Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him), said (Shu’bah was in doubt): Fast upon sighting the moon and break the fast upon sighting the moon. If the sky is cloudy, then complete thirty days.

Abdullah bin Abi Qais says that I was sent to Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) so that I could ask her about fasting in case the crescent of Ramadan is hidden, about voluntary prayers after Asr, and about continuous fasting (wisal). I presented myself before her and said: So-and-so sends you greetings and has sent me to ask you about voluntary prayers after Asr, about continuous fasting, and about the fasts of Ramadan. She narrated part of the hadith and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to be more cautious regarding the days of Sha'ban than other months, then upon sighting the crescent of Ramadan, he would fast. If the crescent was not sighted, he would complete thirty days of Sha'ban, then fast.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Listen! Do not fast one or two days before Ramadan, except for the person who habitually fasts; he may fast on that day.

Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I have seen the moon. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Do you bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger? He replied: Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then announced: Observe the fast.

Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: I have seen the moon. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah? He said: Yes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O Bilal! Announce among the people that they should fast tomorrow.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that elderly men and elderly women, who had the ability to fast, were permitted that if they wished, they could refrain from fasting and feed a poor person for each day, and making up the fast was not obligatory upon them. Then this ruling was abrogated by the verse:“So whoever among you witnesses the month, let him fast it”(Al-Baqarah: 185). Now this permission is only for those elderly men and women who do not have the ability to fast, and for pregnant and breastfeeding women, if they fear for their child, then they may refrain from fasting and feed a poor person for each day.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not let Bilal's (may Allah be pleased with him) adhan prevent you from eating suhoor, for Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the adhan to awaken the one who is sleeping and to bring back the one who is praying (qiyam). The true Fajr is not the one that appears vertically, but rather the one that spreads horizontally (right and left)."

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Eat suhoor, for there is blessing in suhoor.