Question :
I received a message stating that Ramadan will start on the twenty-seventh of next May. This message is based on the Hadith that whoever does so will be forbidden to Hellfire. What is the ruling on circulating such message?
The Answer :
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.
There is no evidence from Sharia proving that whoever informs people about the start date of Ramadan, in advance, will be forbidden to Hellfire. Therefore, this message is incorrect, and , in principle, it should be put out of circulation one way or the other as the Hadith included in it is fabricated. It is worth pointing out that the official start date of the month of Ramadan, according to the General Iftaa` Department, is based on sighting the new moon at the end of the month of Sha`ban, and none can determine its start before that.
We advise every Muslim to think before circulating any fake news in order to participate in delivering the truth. And Allah the almighty knows best.