How can we verify the direction of the approach of night mentioned in the hadith (When night approaches from here, and day departs from here, and the sun has set, then the fasting person has broken his fast)

The questioner : In the hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .

The Shaykh : .

The questioner : How can we verify, I mean, from which direction does the approach of night come? From the east, because there are mountains where a person may not be able to see?

The Shaykh : The matter is actually very easy; if it were not for the negligence of Muslims, do not blame me if I tell you how we distinguish the time near sunset now? By the clock or by the atmosphere we live in? The answer is the same. If you are living, as they say, in some countries in an open area or a square, and you look to the east and look to the west where the sun is about to set, then the day is departing. This is not theoretical philosophy, but rather visible matters seen with the eye. The day departs with the setting of the sun, and night approaches with the appearance of darkness from the east. They are perfectly responsive, the opposite of when the sun rises in the east; there the bright light or bright radiance remains, while in the west it is not so. When the sun is in the middle of the sky, the light is equal in the east and the west perfectly. Then, as the sun leans toward the west and increases toward the setting, the day departs with the setting of the sun, and night approaches from the east. This is a very natural phenomenon. But the problem is that the majority of Muslims today are distracted by prevailing customs and traditions, especially if they are, as they say, scientific or cultural. Those obligated today to observe the five times religiously, and they are the imams of the mosques and the mu'adhdhins of the mosques, do not pay attention to these matters, let alone the general people. Therefore, the answer to your question now is that you should practice this observation. Even in a place like this, look to the east about half an hour before the sun sets, and this phenomenon described by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith you mentioned earlier will become clear to you: . You will see the darkness on the surface, meaning a very simple darkness, coming from the east, and you will see the day departing with the setting of the sun. Until the sun sets, the darkness here remains, intensifying and rushing in until it covers the area where you live. You can minimize this phenomenon if you are between two mountains, not in a plain where the eye can see to the east, west, north, and south. If you are between two mountains, when the sun rises, you will find that everything between the mountains is day because of the narrow distance. Then the sun rises and rises. When the sun sets and you are between these two mountains, you will see the darkness coming from the direction of the eastern mountain little by little. And conversely, with the narrow area between the mountains or in this valley, you will find this phenomenon perfectly manifested. But if we narrow the valley as we see it, what is it called? Like the direction of Petra, between two facing mountains and a valley, ah, what is it? The Valley of Moses. Here, this phenomenon does not occur due to the narrow distance. That is, the sun rises or sets, and this phenomenon does not appear. I mean three things: the approach of night, the departure of day, and the setting of the sun. This phenomenon does not occur here. On the contrary, you will see the rising of the sun as a matter of perhaps 10 minutes, a quarter of an hour, and then it no longer appears.

The questioner : In this case, how do the residents here operate?

The Shaykh : They must observe what is coming, that they see the darkness fully manifested. That is, the setting of the sun has occurred for them a long time ago, but the light of day still fills the place. So when the darkness replaces the light, then the fasting person breaks his fast. But I have minimized this image, especially to draw your attention to the fact that the matter is very easy for countries in general, like our country here, which is exceptional compared to many countries because it has mountains, plateaus, plains, and valleys. This sign placed by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in this authentic hadith is manifested in all these places despite the differences between them. But the time differs from place to place, from a person on top of a mountain to a person on a plateau to a person in a plain to a person in a valley. The times for these people differ. Who regulates these times? The unified adhan. I say it frankly, and since I learned this matter, I say the unified adhan is misleading. In addition to being non-Shari'ah, it is an innovation because it is non-Shari'ah, and in terms of its misleading people from knowing the times due to the difference in locations, it is misleading. We have observed this, and others have as well, in many places in this same country in Amman. So I see from my house the rising of the true Fajr after the unified adhan by about half an hour. The rising of the true Fajr is before the unified adhan by about half an hour.

The questioner : After the adhan.

The Shaykh : Yes, excuse me, yes, I wanted to explain that many mosques pray Fajr before its prescribed time because of the unified adhan. And I see the setting of the sun before the unified adhan by about ten minutes, and so on, many differences. Here, a mosque on the road from the fourth roundabout heading to the airport, called Masjid Suhayb. The imam was there and told me that in some seasons, the unified adhan raises its voice from the mosque's minaret, and the imam of the mosque sees the sun when it sets later.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. It is the opposite of what I have. I see the sun set, and the adhan is called after the sunset by about ten minutes. There, at Masjid Suhayb, the sun is seen when it sets later, and the unified adhan raises its voice on the minaret. And I saw this same phenomenon at Masjid al-Na'ur because it is in a low area of the land, and we are entering the mosque, and the adhan for Maghrib prayer also raises its voice on the minaret, and the sun is seen when it sets later. And so on. So who regulates the different times in one country? They are the imams of the mosques and the mu'adhdhins of the mosques. But if the mu'adhdhin of the mosque were there with adhanat and not a unified adhan, he would call the adhan according to the calendar, not according to the rising and the setting, no? Therefore, this is in reality one of the innovations about which two scholars absolutely do not differ that it falls under his saying (peace be upon him): . I say they do not differ, I mean, even if there is someone who says that there is a good innovation in Islam. This is unfortunate; some scholars in the past and many in the present say that there are good innovations in the religion. But the scholars of the past who named this saying of the later scholars about good innovations in Islam said, in agreement with all Muslim scholars, that the innovation of misguidance is that which contradicts the Sunnah. And here, in what we are discussing now, the adhan before the time contradicts the Sunnah, contradicts the obligation, and so on. So in summary, if night approaches from here, meaning the signs of night are seen with the eye, and these signs come from the east, I say the day and the departure of the day are also seen with the setting of the sun. So if these two phenomena appear, one from the east, which is the approach of night, and the other, the departure of the day, from the west, and the sun has set, then the fasting person has broken his fast, and consequently, the time for Maghrib prayer has arrived. This is the answer to your question. Please.