What is the ruling on one who eats after the Fajr adhan during fasting and says there is nothing wrong with it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I say, O Shaykh, some of the people in our area used to eat after the Fajr adhan, and when I mentioned to them that it is not permissible, they said there is nothing wrong with it. What is the ruling on their fast in this case?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it?! Why is there nothing wrong with it?!
The questioner : They say this, and I have warned them.
The Shaykh : I mean, they eat until Dhuha and say there is nothing wrong with it!
The questioner : So what is the ruling regarding the past days?
The Shaykh : The phrase "there is nothing wrong with it" is not a valid argument. However, yes, if they said: "The Fajr has not yet appeared," for example, if they were in the desert and there were no lights around them, and they said, "We did not see the Fajr appear," because some people nowadays doubt the calendar that is in people's hands. They say that it is ahead of the appearance of the Fajr, and they say, "We went out to the desert, and there were no lights around us, and we saw the Fajr is delayed." Some of them even exaggerated and said it is delayed by a third of an hour. Yes, but it appears that this is not correct. It appears that the calendar that is in people's hands now—which is the Umm al-Qura calendar—has a five-minute advance specifically for the Fajr. I mean: if you eat while the adhan is being called, there is no blame on you, unless the mu'adhdhin is being cautious and delaying. Because some mu'adhdhins, may Allah reward them with good, are cautious and do not call the adhan until five minutes after the current timing.
And this issue is a serious one. Some ignorant mu'adhdhins advance the Fajr adhan, thinking that this is more cautious for fasting, but they forget that they are neglecting what is more severe than fasting! That is the Fajr prayer. Perhaps someone prays before the time, and if a person prays before the time, even with the opening takbir, his prayer is not valid.
Then they say: "We are being cautious." We say: Are you being more cautious than Allah was cautious for His servants?!
Indeed, Allah says:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] until the Fajr becomes clear. Even the expression did not say: "until the Fajr appears." So you, now, if you call the adhan and prevent Allah's servants from eating and drinking at this moment, it means that you have forbidden people what Allah has permitted for them. Thus, they would be sinful from this aspect as well. Even if it is assumed that people waited and did not pray from the time of the adhan, they would be sinful from the side that they prevented Allah's servants from what Allah has made lawful for them. Ignorance is a deadly disease. Some people are ignorant and look with the eye of a one-eyed person. The one-eyed person sees from one side, and the second side is neglected; he does not see it. And this is a great error. Therefore, it is obligatory for students of knowledge to warn people about this issue, especially the mu'adhdhins, and say: "Fear Allah regarding Allah's servants! How do you call the adhan before the Fajr and prevent Allah's servants from what Allah has made lawful for them?!"
Perhaps a person has just woken up from sleep, thirsty, and wants to drink. But because of his scrupulousness and mindfulness of Allah, when he heard the mu'adhdhin, he abstained. And the mu'adhdhin is calling the adhan before the Fajr, thinking that this is caution. So he forbids this poor man. And caution is not to follow the stricter path, but true caution is to follow what the Shari'ah has brought. This is caution. Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it?! Why is there nothing wrong with it?!
The questioner : They say this, and I have warned them.
The Shaykh : I mean, they eat until Dhuha and say there is nothing wrong with it!
The questioner : So what is the ruling regarding the past days?
The Shaykh : The phrase "there is nothing wrong with it" is not a valid argument. However, yes, if they said: "The Fajr has not yet appeared," for example, if they were in the desert and there were no lights around them, and they said, "We did not see the Fajr appear," because some people nowadays doubt the calendar that is in people's hands. They say that it is ahead of the appearance of the Fajr, and they say, "We went out to the desert, and there were no lights around us, and we saw the Fajr is delayed." Some of them even exaggerated and said it is delayed by a third of an hour. Yes, but it appears that this is not correct. It appears that the calendar that is in people's hands now—which is the Umm al-Qura calendar—has a five-minute advance specifically for the Fajr. I mean: if you eat while the adhan is being called, there is no blame on you, unless the mu'adhdhin is being cautious and delaying. Because some mu'adhdhins, may Allah reward them with good, are cautious and do not call the adhan until five minutes after the current timing.
And this issue is a serious one. Some ignorant mu'adhdhins advance the Fajr adhan, thinking that this is more cautious for fasting, but they forget that they are neglecting what is more severe than fasting! That is the Fajr prayer. Perhaps someone prays before the time, and if a person prays before the time, even with the opening takbir, his prayer is not valid.
Then they say: "We are being cautious." We say: Are you being more cautious than Allah was cautious for His servants?!
Indeed, Allah says:
until the white thread
حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الخَيْطUntil it becomes clear
حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَPerhaps a person has just woken up from sleep, thirsty, and wants to drink. But because of his scrupulousness and mindfulness of Allah, when he heard the mu'adhdhin, he abstained. And the mu'adhdhin is calling the adhan before the Fajr, thinking that this is caution. So he forbids this poor man. And caution is not to follow the stricter path, but true caution is to follow what the Shari'ah has brought. This is caution. Yes, indeed.