Shernblâlî (rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’aleyh), wrote in the book Nûr-ul-îdhâh. “It is mustahab to have the iftâr early on cloudless nights. ” While explaining the book, he wrote, “On cloudy nights one must be careful in order to protect one’s fast from being broken, [that is, one must delay the iftâr a little]. One who eats the iftâr before the stars are seen has done it early enough. ” Tahtâwî says in his explanation of the book, “It is mustahab to break fast before performing the evening prayer. As written in the book Bahr [and also in Ibnî Âbidîn], to make haste for the iftâr means to have the iftâr before the stars are seen. ” Also it is mustahab to perform the evening prayer at that time, that is, to perform it early. When it is well understood that the sun has set, first the iftâr is eaten with dates, water, olives or salt. That is, the fast is broken. Then the evening prayer is performed in jamâ’at in a mosque or at home. Then the supper is had. Because it will take a long time to eat the food at the table, especially during Ramadân, the iftâr must be made with a little food and the supper must be had after the evening prayer so that the evening prayer will be performed early and the meal will be eaten with ease and without haste. Thus, the fast will be broken early and the prayer will be performed early.

It is stated as follows on the two hundred and eighty-ninth page of the first volume of Ibni ’Âbidîn, during the discourse on how to find the direction of qibla: “Scholars said that we should not trust calendars in learning the first day of Ramadân-i-sherîf. For, the fast becomes fard after the new moon is seen in the sky. Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated: ‘Begin to fast when you see the new moon!’ On the other hand, the appearing of the new moon depends on calculation, not on seeing it; calculation is valid, and the new moon appears on the night indicated by calculation. Yet it may be seen on the following night instead of that night, and it is necessary to begin the fast on the night it is seen, not on the night it must appear (according to the calculation). Such is the commandment of Islam.” It is an act of worship to look for the new moon in the sky. As is seen, announcing the beginning of Ramadân-i-sherîf beforehand is an indication of not knowing Islam.