أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَرْمَلَةَ - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي كُرَيْبٌ، أَنَّ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ، بَعَثَتْهُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالشَّامِ - قَالَ - فَقَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَقَضَيْتُ حَاجَتَهَا وَاسْتَهَلَّ عَلَىَّ هِلاَلُ رَمَضَانَ وَأَنَا بِالشَّامِ فَرَأَيْتُ الْهِلاَلَ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ ثُمَّ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ فَسَأَلَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْهِلاَلَ فَقَالَ مَتَى رَأَيْتُمْ فَقُلْتُ رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَنْتَ رَأَيْتَهُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ فَصَامُوا وَصَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ ‏.‏ قَالَ لَكِنْ رَأَيْنَاهُ لَيْلَةَ السَّبْتِ فَلاَ نَزَالُ نَصُومُ حَتَّى نُكْمِلَ ثَلاَثِينَ يَوْمًا أَوْ نَرَاهُ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ أَوَلاَ تَكْتَفِي بِرُؤْيَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ لاَ هَكَذَا أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

"I came to Ash-Sham. He said: "I came to Ash-Sham and complete her errand. Then the new crescent of Ramadan was sighted while I was in Ash-Sham. I saw the new crescent on the night of Friday, then I came to Al-Madinah at the end of the month. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas asked me about the sighting of the moon and said: ' When did you see it?' I said: 'We saw it on the night of Friday.' He said; 'You saw it on the ninth of Friday?' I said: 'Yes, and the people saw it and started fasting, and so did Muawiyah. He said: 'But we saw it on the night of Saturday, so we will continue fasting until we have completed thirty days or we see it.' I said: 'Will you not be content with the sighting of Muawiyah and his companions? He said; 'No; this is what the Messenger of Allah enjoined upon us."'