I was traveling from Makkah to al-Madinah in Ramadan, and near al-Madinah the mu'adhdhin in Makkah called the adhan, so I broke my fast thinking that Maghrib in al-Madinah would enter before Makkah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I was traveling from Makkah to al-Madinah in Ramadan, and near al-Madinah the mu'adhdhin in Makkah called the adhan, so I broke my fast thinking that Maghrib in al-Madinah would enter before Makkah. Is my fast valid, or do I have to make up my fast for this day?
The Shaykh : The questioner did not clarify what became clear to him: did the sun set in al-Madinah before Makkah, or the other way around? In any case, as long as this was his assumption—that is, he assumed that the sun sets in al-Madinah before it sets in Makkah—and he broke his fast based on this assumption, then he owes no make-up fast, because in reality he was ignorant of the time.
By the way, I say: all things that break the fast, whether eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, or anything else, if a person consumes them while being ignorant that it is after the dawn has risen, and he did not know that it had risen, or if he consumes them before the sun has set, and he did not know that it had set, but it was his strong assumption that it had set, then he owes nothing. The evidence for this from the Book of Allah is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Ahzab 33:5] and His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] Allah the Exalted said: And it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that she said: And it is established in the authentic hadith from 'Adi ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) that he fasted and placed two cords under his pillow, one black and the other white, and he would eat and look at the cords. When the white became distinct from the black, he stopped. He informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said to him: Sahih Ibn Hibban 14:47 And he did not order him to make up the fast. Likewise, in the hadith of Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not order them to make up the fast, even though they broke their fast before the sun had set, but this was their assumption. If making up the fast had been obligatory, it would have been part of the Shari'ah, and its conveyance would have been obligatory upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had conveyed it to his Ummah, it would have been transmitted, because the Shari'ah is preserved. Since it was not transmitted that the Messenger ordered them to make up the fast, it is known that making up the fast is not obligatory. This is the correct position, which aligns with the general evidences of the Shari'ah, which are based on the ease and simplicity of this Shari'ah.
In summary, the answer to the brother who broke his fast between Makkah and al-Madinah, assuming that Makkah precedes al-Madinah in sunset, is: You owe no make-up fast.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The questioner did not clarify what became clear to him: did the sun set in al-Madinah before Makkah, or the other way around? In any case, as long as this was his assumption—that is, he assumed that the sun sets in al-Madinah before it sets in Makkah—and he broke his fast based on this assumption, then he owes no make-up fast, because in reality he was ignorant of the time.
By the way, I say: all things that break the fast, whether eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, or anything else, if a person consumes them while being ignorant that it is after the dawn has risen, and he did not know that it had risen, or if he consumes them before the sun has set, and he did not know that it had set, but it was his strong assumption that it had set, then he owes nothing. The evidence for this from the Book of Allah is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended
وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ مَا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْOur Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاHe has done so
قد فعلتWe broke our fast on a cloudy day during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and then the sun appeared.
أفطرنا في يوم غيم على عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم ثم طلعت الشمسThat is merely the whiteness of the day and the darkness of the night.
إنما ذلك بياض النهار وسواد الليلIn summary, the answer to the brother who broke his fast between Makkah and al-Madinah, assuming that Makkah precedes al-Madinah in sunset, is: You owe no make-up fast.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.