How are the times for prayer and breaking the fast determined for a fasting person who travels to lands where the sun rises for only a short time and then sets, knowing that the people of those lands are disbelievers who do not know the times of the sun's movements?
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The questioner : You know that there are parts of the earth where the sun rises for only a short time and then sets. So, how are the times for prayer and breaking the fast determined for a fasting person who goes there? Knowing that the people of those lands are disbelievers who do not know the times and movements of the sun on the days it appears to them. Please guide us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Yes, these people have the ruling of those who will experience the time of the Dajjal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed his Companions about the Dajjal and said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2240Sahih (Darussalam) The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) hurried to ask about the religious matter related to this difference in the sun's movement. They said: O Messenger of Allah! Do you think that on the day that is like a year, one day's prayer is sufficient for us? He said: Sunan Abi Dawud 4321Sahih (Al-Albani) Accordingly, the day that is like a year contains the prayers of a full year, and its measure is determined according to the year in which night and day are twenty-four hours.
Accordingly, we say to these people whom he referred to:The questioner : Determine the measure of the prayers and the usual months, then base your worship on this estimation. But on what basis do they estimate?
On the latitude of Makkah or on the equator, such that they estimate night as twelve hours and day as twelve hours, or on the latitude of the nearest land to them where there is night and day. Some scholars have said all of this.
Some of the scholars said: They estimate according to the equator, where night and day are twelve hours each throughout the year.
Some of them say: They consider the latitude of Makkah, because Makkah is the mother of cities and is in the center of the earth.
Some of them say: They estimate according to the nearest land to them, whether its night is long or short, as long as there is night and day within twenty-four hours. This opinion is closer to the truth in my view, because it is closer to the nature of the earth, for those around them are closer to their time than those who are far from them.
Then, I stand to clarify the difference between the methodology of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in receiving the Shari'ah and the methodology of those who came after them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Dajjal will remain on earth for forty days, a day like a year, a day like a month, and a day like a week, none of them thought to ask: How will the sun move on this day? Will the sun be held back, or will its movement be weakened, or what?
Although this question might occur to the minds of many people before the question asked by the Companions, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not care about this matter. They cared about the more important matter, which is asking about their religion. Therefore, a person should take the position of a submissive Muslim in these matters and similar ones, without raising objections or casting doubt.
Second: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of this hadith, they did not doubt it for a moment. It became as if it were a reality before their eyes right now. Therefore, they asked about prayer and did not consider its occurrence unlikely. Rather, they treated it as if it were seen with the eye. This indicates the strength of the Companions' (may Allah be pleased with them) submission to the command of the Shari'ah, and that they (may Allah be pleased with them) do not hesitate in carrying out the command of Allah and His Messenger, and they do not care about anything as much as they care about the matters of their religion.
And consider also what happened to the women of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admonished them on a festival day and said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1462 So what did they do? They began to give charity with the jewelry in their hands, their ears, and their chests. One woman would take off her ring, her bracelet, or her earring and throw it into the garment of Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). We ask Allah the Exalted to grant us the ability to follow these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and to adopt their straight methodology, for it is the straight path.
In summary: The answer to the questioner's question is that we say to these people: Determine the measure of days and nights in the nearest land to you where there is night and day within twenty-four hours.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, these people have the ruling of those who will experience the time of the Dajjal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed his Companions about the Dajjal and said:
Forty days, a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the remainder of his days are like your days.
إنه يمكث في الأرض أربعين يوما يوم كسنة، ويوم كشهر، ويوم كأسبوع، وسائر أيامه كأيامكمNo, you must make an estimate of its extent
لا، أقدروا له قدرهAccordingly, we say to these people whom he referred to:The questioner : Determine the measure of the prayers and the usual months, then base your worship on this estimation. But on what basis do they estimate?
On the latitude of Makkah or on the equator, such that they estimate night as twelve hours and day as twelve hours, or on the latitude of the nearest land to them where there is night and day. Some scholars have said all of this.
Some of the scholars said: They estimate according to the equator, where night and day are twelve hours each throughout the year.
Some of them say: They consider the latitude of Makkah, because Makkah is the mother of cities and is in the center of the earth.
Some of them say: They estimate according to the nearest land to them, whether its night is long or short, as long as there is night and day within twenty-four hours. This opinion is closer to the truth in my view, because it is closer to the nature of the earth, for those around them are closer to their time than those who are far from them.
Then, I stand to clarify the difference between the methodology of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in receiving the Shari'ah and the methodology of those who came after them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Dajjal will remain on earth for forty days, a day like a year, a day like a month, and a day like a week, none of them thought to ask: How will the sun move on this day? Will the sun be held back, or will its movement be weakened, or what?
Although this question might occur to the minds of many people before the question asked by the Companions, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not care about this matter. They cared about the more important matter, which is asking about their religion. Therefore, a person should take the position of a submissive Muslim in these matters and similar ones, without raising objections or casting doubt.
Second: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of this hadith, they did not doubt it for a moment. It became as if it were a reality before their eyes right now. Therefore, they asked about prayer and did not consider its occurrence unlikely. Rather, they treated it as if it were seen with the eye. This indicates the strength of the Companions' (may Allah be pleased with them) submission to the command of the Shari'ah, and that they (may Allah be pleased with them) do not hesitate in carrying out the command of Allah and His Messenger, and they do not care about anything as much as they care about the matters of their religion.
And consider also what happened to the women of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admonished them on a festival day and said:
O women! Give alms, for I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-Fire were you (women).
يا معشر النساء! تصدقن فإني رأيتكن أكثر أهل النارIn summary: The answer to the questioner's question is that we say to these people: Determine the measure of days and nights in the nearest land to you where there is night and day within twenty-four hours.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.