The Shaykh’s remarks on the error in the times of Maghrib and Fajr.
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The Shaykh : Yes, so I want to mention this now, for the reminder benefits the believers. Our country, Oman, as you know, has completely different elevations. It has mountains, highlands, plains, and valleys. These four types are not treated the same regarding the times of prayer, nor regarding the times of suhur and iftar. Therefore, what we see today, under the supervision of the Ministry of Awqaf—and as they call it today, I am sorry, the Islamic Ministry of Awqaf—is a grave error. They bind all Muslims in Amman, and perhaps outside Amman, to the local time. But the local time varies, as we mentioned to you. What about non-local times? They burden people with what they cannot bear, so that they themselves do not fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon them. They are employed to look after the interests of Muslims regarding times, and they receive a regular salary for it, yet they do not carry out this duty. They say in the calendar, "with regard to the differences in time." Who takes note of this? We saw with our own eyes in the town of al-Na'ur, a single small village attached to Amman, that it was called upon twice in two Ramadans. I entered the large mosque...
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. The unified adhan for Maghrib is called while the sun is still visible after it has set. This is in al-Na'ur. In another year, I saw the sun setting while the adhan was being called, the same unified adhan. And here in Amman, at the mosque of Suhayb, do you know the mosque of Suhayb? The imam who used to lead there told me, from his mouth to my ear, that he saw the sun had not set and the adhan was being called at his mosque. Who takes note of these differences? They think they have absolved their responsibility when they say, "What? With regard to the difference." This difference is not observed in Amman itself, let alone outside of it. Therefore, now people fall into confusion. I reside in the mountain of Hamlan in southern Marka, and the mountain is quite high. I see with my own eyes every morning that Fajr appears twenty-five minutes after the adhan.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah. I also hear with my own ears that some of the mosques near me establish the prayer when the true dawn appears. That is, I can say the obligatory prayer is in its time, but the recommended practice has been advanced.
Abu Layla : In winter it coincides, but in summer there are other times.
The Shaykh : I do not think there is a big difference, perhaps one or two minutes. But the important difference is this: in Fajr, I see the sun setting from behind the mountain, and I am on a mountain, and I break my fast with dates, and the adhan is called after that, sometimes ten minutes later, sometimes eight minutes, no less. These differences should really be observed. But who observes them? There should be employees, they are the imams of the mosques, they are the mu'adhdhins of the mosques. But the Ministry has exempted them from this responsibility. It has tasked them to break their fast and pray according to the unified adhan.
The questioner : As I mentioned, al-Na'ur and Suhayb...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. Now, on our mountain in Hamlan, the time for us is six minutes early.
Abu Layla : By Allah, our Shaykh, in Zarqa it is two months now.
The Shaykh : You are not accustomed to breaking your fast. The professor, without you telling me, I am telling you: you are not accustomed to breaking your fast according to the Sunnah.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, we referred to what you have mentioned more than once in the mosque, without stating that we break our fast before the adhan, because of the harm that may occur, as you know, our Shaykh.
The questioner : I have a question, our Shaykh, may Allah bless you. It was reported in "Sahih al-Imam Abu Dawud" and al-Hakim and others that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said or something similar. Some said that this hadith is not authentic, and our information is that the hadith is authentic with you. Is it possible to have a benefit regarding this hadith? May Allah bless you. And what is the meaning of the cup? And is it applied to the table set upon which I eat and drink? And what is the type of food?
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. The unified adhan for Maghrib is called while the sun is still visible after it has set. This is in al-Na'ur. In another year, I saw the sun setting while the adhan was being called, the same unified adhan. And here in Amman, at the mosque of Suhayb, do you know the mosque of Suhayb? The imam who used to lead there told me, from his mouth to my ear, that he saw the sun had not set and the adhan was being called at his mosque. Who takes note of these differences? They think they have absolved their responsibility when they say, "What? With regard to the difference." This difference is not observed in Amman itself, let alone outside of it. Therefore, now people fall into confusion. I reside in the mountain of Hamlan in southern Marka, and the mountain is quite high. I see with my own eyes every morning that Fajr appears twenty-five minutes after the adhan.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah. I also hear with my own ears that some of the mosques near me establish the prayer when the true dawn appears. That is, I can say the obligatory prayer is in its time, but the recommended practice has been advanced.
Abu Layla : In winter it coincides, but in summer there are other times.
The Shaykh : I do not think there is a big difference, perhaps one or two minutes. But the important difference is this: in Fajr, I see the sun setting from behind the mountain, and I am on a mountain, and I break my fast with dates, and the adhan is called after that, sometimes ten minutes later, sometimes eight minutes, no less. These differences should really be observed. But who observes them? There should be employees, they are the imams of the mosques, they are the mu'adhdhins of the mosques. But the Ministry has exempted them from this responsibility. It has tasked them to break their fast and pray according to the unified adhan.
The questioner : As I mentioned, al-Na'ur and Suhayb...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. Now, on our mountain in Hamlan, the time for us is six minutes early.
Abu Layla : By Allah, our Shaykh, in Zarqa it is two months now.
The Shaykh : You are not accustomed to breaking your fast. The professor, without you telling me, I am telling you: you are not accustomed to breaking your fast according to the Sunnah.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, we referred to what you have mentioned more than once in the mosque, without stating that we break our fast before the adhan, because of the harm that may occur, as you know, our Shaykh.
The questioner : I have a question, our Shaykh, may Allah bless you. It was reported in "Sahih al-Imam Abu Dawud" and al-Hakim and others that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said
If the mu'adhdhin calls the adhan and the vessel is in the hand of one of you, let him finish his need from it before he leaves it.
إذا أذن المؤذن وكان الإناء في يد أحدكم فليقض حاجته منه قبل أن يدعه
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.