It is known that you have mentioned that the Umm al-Qura calendar advances by a few minutes; what is obligatory regarding abstaining from food and drink and breaking the fast for a person, and specifically for the mu'adhdhin?

The questioner : He says: May the Shaykh be respected, it is known that you have mentioned that the calendar advances by a few minutes; what is obligatory regarding abstaining from food and drink and breaking the fast for a person, and specifically for the mu'adhdhin?

The Shaykh : As for abstaining from food and drink, a person should be scrupulous in this, meaning: do not call the adhan before the time. If one says, "Has the time entered or not?" we say: wait until you are convinced, or certain, that the time has entered. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Look, the narrator said: "And Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man who did not call the adhan until he was told: 'It is morning, it is morning.'" It is said to the mu'adhdhin: Be careful, my brother, do not forbid the servants of Allah what Allah has made lawful for them. A person has been made lawful by Allah to eat and drink until when? Until the dawn becomes clear, until the dawn becomes clear. So do not forbid the servants of Allah. Do not say, "I will call the adhan five minutes before the time as a precaution." Then, if you are scrupulous regarding fasting, you will neglect being scrupulous regarding prayer, and prayer is more important. Allah has made it lawful for us to eat until the dawn becomes clear, and He has forbidden us to pray until the dawn becomes clear. So if you are scrupulous for the sake of fasting, you will fall into error regarding prayer, and prayer is more severe. How many women or sick people in the house are waiting for the adhan, and as soon as it is called, they get up and pray? Perhaps they will pray before the time, and you will be the one who bears this sin. At sunset, one should also be scrupulous; do not call the adhan until one sees that the sun has set, or until one is convinced that the sun has set. That is, one does not have to be certain of the sun's setting; if one is convinced that the sun has set, there is no harm. I think that the calendar, with a regulated clock, is fine regarding sunset. But regarding the dawn, it is advanced by five minutes, certainly. There is no doubt in our view that there is an advancement. But regarding sunset, it appears to be correct. However, the mu'adhdhin's clock must be what? Regulated. Some people, some mu'adhdhins, have clocks that are messed up; they mislead them. Perhaps they look at the clock one day and call the adhan early. This is something one must be scrupulous about. So a person should be scrupulous in the dawn and scrupulous in the sunset, and regulate his clock completely. And praise be to Allah, now regulating the clock is easy. I heard that the telephone has a specific number you press; Shaykh Mahmoud says: 961. Call this and you will know whether the time has entered or not. Yes, it is regulated, if Allah wills. This is the apparent view: that the radio clock and the timing clock are all regulated. There is no doubt that they are more accurate than the clock in a person's hand.