The Discrepancy Among Mu'adhdhins
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Q: I submit to your esteemed position a question that is on the minds of many people and occurs in all the large cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , which is: There is always a discrepancy among the mu'adhdhins in all the times of the adhan. Some of them call to prayer before the Umm al-Qura calendar, some match the timing of the Umm al-Qura adhan, and some are delayed beyond that, so the discrepancy between the first and the last is between three and four minutes. Is there an error on the part of the mu'adhdhins in this, and what is the ruling on abstaining from food and drink at the time of suhur , and likewise on iftar? I hope you will graciously and thankfully issue a fatwa for us on this matter; because a great deal of dispute and fighting occurs among the congregation of the same mosque because of it. May Allah guide you to all good and keep you a support for the Muslims in their religious and worldly affairs.
A: The adhan is a form of worship prescribed to announce the entry of the time for prayer, and whoever knows the signs of the entry of the time is permitted to call to prayer at that time, and since
some mu'adhdhins do not perceive these signs with precision, the competent authority decided to adopt the Umm al-Qura calendar, which is prepared by a specialized committee, and it is not permissible for the mu'adhdhin to call to prayer before the scheduled time in the calendar, due to the potential invalidation of the worship of fasting and prayer, or the prevention of Muslims from what is permissible for them to do.
A: The adhan is a form of worship prescribed to announce the entry of the time for prayer, and whoever knows the signs of the entry of the time is permitted to call to prayer at that time, and since
some mu'adhdhins do not perceive these signs with precision, the competent authority decided to adopt the Umm al-Qura calendar, which is prepared by a specialized committee, and it is not permissible for the mu'adhdhin to call to prayer before the scheduled time in the calendar, due to the potential invalidation of the worship of fasting and prayer, or the prevention of Muslims from what is permissible for them to do.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.