The ruling on a fasting person delaying the Fajr prayer if the true dawn cannot be seen

Question : Shaykh, there are some who claim to be students of knowledge who issue fatwas regarding fasting, stating that the Fajr adhan in Bahrain is called early. They issue fatwas that people should eat and drink until the iqamah, which is about twenty or twenty-five minutes after the adhan. Knowing that, Shaykh, the Qatar municipality calls the adhan five minutes after the actual time, and the Eastern Region calls it two or three minutes after that. What should we say to them?

Answer : May Allah bless you. Abstaining from eating for the fasting person is required when . If the sky is clear and there is no dust or lights preventing the sighting of the dawn, then the criterion is the sighting of the dawn. For example, here in Saudi Arabia, the timing in the people's hands for the Fajr adhan, specifically, includes a five-minute advance. If a person prays before the five minutes are complete, his prayer is not valid in our view. As for the advance being a third of an hour, that is excessive. In any case, the ruling is tied to the sighting of the dawn, and seeing the dawn in the later times is very difficult due to the presence of lights. Accordingly, a person should exercise caution and delay five minutes from the timing in the people's hands, then call the adhan.