Discussion of the issue of the adhan being called outside the prescribed time.

The Shaykh : Because the reality is that the mu'adhdhins today do not know; the mu'adhdhins who are supposed to be trustworthy regarding the times of the Muslims, upon which their prayer and fasting, and perhaps other matters, are based, do not know; because they have become reliant on the computer and the "calendar," and these "calendars" are not accurate at all. I have known for a year that the calendar printed for us in Damascus by the Hashemite Arab Press is brought here and they follow it. Well, there is a difference between Damascus and Amman in terms of, first, the longitude, and then, what? The elevation and altitude, and so on. So it is supposed that the mu'adhdhins do not rely on the calendar; because they will fall into very serious errors, and this error exists today in the Islamic world. Recently, two or three days ago, a young Muslim from al-Ta'if called me and asked me about the time of Fajr with you; because we have a shaykh there, his name is "Abdullah al-Sa'di," who says: they call the adhan for the Fajr prayer there a third of an hour before the true dawn appears. I said: Allahu Akbar! This is a calamity for the whole world. So now, here with us, they call the adhan for Fajr before the time, between half an hour and a third of an hour, a third of an hour, half an hour. So, apart from the experience here... one of our brothers there wrote a printed thesis saying the same problem; they call the adhan in Kuwait before the time of Fajr, I forgot, between half an hour and a third of an hour; so it has become two countries... in Islam.
Then the shaykh "Taqi al-Din Halali," perhaps some of you have heard of him or read his work, in what? In the town of Meknes in Morocco, he wrote a thesis about what? The time of the Fajr prayer. They also call the adhan there before the time by half an hour or a third of an hour. This difference varies in... this has become... three. Then we came to the fourth, a certain Egyptian in Alexandria informed us - also - that they call the adhan before the time of the true dawn, also in this proportion, and the fifth, now, two or three days ago, it became known in al-Ta'if until now; what is the reason? The Muslims are abandoning their religion and relying on others, whereas especially these minarets were built and were not in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so as long as they were built, let them be utilized, let him go up and look for the true dawn, and you will see a bright light like a lamp, how is it coming like that in length? You would say a long lamp, perhaps tens of meters in the horizon, a white light that the blind man can almost see.

The questioner : In the cities...

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : In the cities...

The Shaykh : It does not show? This is not showing for you in Zarqa?

The questioner : It does not show...

The Shaykh : You tried to see it, perhaps in the middle... the middle of the house, but you are looking at a house.

The questioner : No, our mountain is high...

The Shaykh : My dear.

Another questioner : ... .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : The Fajr adhan? I am telling you this... the night is shortening, it was long, now every day it shortens.

The questioner : Meaning, in the circle of the true dawn?

The Shaykh : Yes, this adhan, this is not given a time by the hour, no, because you know that the four seasons differ in the length of the night and the length of the day, so the point is that we, by the grace of Allah - Mighty and Majestic - fast every Monday and Thursday, the mu'adhdhin here calls the adhan and I am eating my suhur.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Fajr, oh, he calls the adhan and I am eating my suhur.

Another questioner : If I were to issue a fatwa for you, I would tell you: You have broken your fast! [Everyone laughs!]

The Shaykh : We are here, as you see, on a mountain... a mountain.

Another questioner : ... .