In the month of Ramadan, there is disagreement among the imams of the mosques regarding the announcement of the dawn, despite the fact that these mosques have an adhan calendar prepared by astronomers.

The questioner : The questioner, Atiyyah, says: In the month of Ramadan, there is disagreement among the imams of the mosques regarding the announcement of the dawn, despite the fact that these mosques have an adhan calendar prepared by astronomers who are accredited by the Ministry of Awqaf and Guidance. However, some imams do not follow this calendar, especially for the Fajr prayer only, where they delay the adhan by more than a quarter of an hour from the time in the calendar. It is known that the dawn cannot be seen for the following reason, which is the electric lights. What is your advice...

The Shaykh : And what is that?

The questioner : The electric lights. What is your advice for such people, and what is your view regarding the astronomers? May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the astronomers have knowledge of astronomy, but Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: So as long as the dawn has not become clear, a person is allowed to eat and drink. But the problem now is that one who is in cities or villages with electricity cannot perceive the dawn from the moment it first appears due to the lights. The precaution is that if the time of Fajr arrives according to the schedule, a person should refrain from eating and drinking. As for the prayer, one should take precaution by not rushing to pray, but waiting. And praise be to Allah, waiting in prayer in order to ensure the entry of the time is not considered delaying the prayer from its first time. So the precaution here is: regarding fasting, we say the precaution is to abstain according to the schedule; and regarding prayer, we say the precaution is to delay until the dawn becomes clear to you. Yes.