English translation
691. Ibn 'Abbās narrated: "A Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'I have seen the crescent.' So he said: 'Do you testify that none has the right to the worshipped but Allāh? Do you testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ?'" He said: 'Yes.' So he said: 'O Bilāl! Announce to the people that they should fast tomorrow.'" (Da'if) (Another route) from Simāk (one of the narrators) that is similar (with this chain). Abū 'Eisā said: There is some differing (in the narration of) the Hadīth of Ibn 'Abbās. It was reported by Sufyān Ath-Thawrī and others from Simāk bin Ḥarb, from 'Ikrimah, from the Prophet ﷺ which is Mursal, and most of the companions of Simāk reported it from Simāk from 'Ikrimah from the Prophet ﷺ in Mursal form. This Hadīth is acted upon according to most of the people of knowledge. They say that the testimony of one man is accepted for fasting. This is the view of Ibn Al-Mubārak, Ash-Shāfi'i, Ahmad, (and the people of Al-Kūfah). Ishāq said that fasting is not begun without the testimony of two men, and there is no disagreement among the people of knowledge regarding breaking the fast; that it is not accepted in that case without the testimony of two men.
