by When does the Fast Start?
Question:
One intended to perform voluntary or compulsory fasting, but he woke up to eat his sahoor meal late, when the caller was announcing the calling for the Fajr prayer, and he drank and fast. Was his fasting considered valid? When is the time limit for eating and drinking for people who intends to fast?
Answer:
It is said that the beginning of self restraining to do the things that may invalidate fasting isn’t related to adhan (call for prayer), but to the breaking of the dawn, based on Allah’s decree,
وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ
” And eat and drink at night until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of the night;” (Qs. Al Baqarah/The Cow: 187)
The adhan might differs between a caller and another; some callers might announce the call before the dawn breaking to awake people and thus they might prepare themselves in such condition, it is still allowed to eat and drink between the caller and the dawn breaking; but contrary to that, some callers might announce their calls after the dawn breaking. Thus it is all back to the caller’s habit. Whoever knows that the caller’s habit is to announce the call for prayer before the dawn breaking, he or she might eat and drink after his call until the dawn breaking. It is based on the hadith from the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- :
إن بلالاً يؤذن بليل فكلوا واشربوا حتى يؤذن ابن أم مكتوم وكان رجلاً أعمى لا يؤذن حتى يقال له أصبحت أصبحت
“Indeed, Bilal announces the call for prayer at night, thus you might eat and drink until Ibn Ummi Maktum announces his call, (because) he is a blind man, and he will not announce the call until he has been told that the dawn has broken. The dawn has broken. “ (Narrated by Bukhari in his hadith book, part 3, page 152-153, from a hadith of Ibn Umar -may Allah be pleased with him-)
As for a caller who is known to announce his call at the dawn breaking, then the person who intends to fast should not eat or drink after this caller announce his call. [Taken from Fatwa of Sheikh Shalih Al Fauzan from the book, “Al Muntaqa Min Fatawa Asy Syaikh al Fauzan”]
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Translator: Sigit Hariyanto
Reviewed by: Ustadz Aris Munandar
Article of www.Syaria.com
