Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

ASSALM U ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAH WABARAKATU,

In this modern world where T.V & Radio are so common that you cannot miss any thing. I have 2 questions to ask,

1. When its time for IFTAR my family break the fast by hearing the AZZAN on the T.V wheareas we have a Masjid in our area and we can hear the AZZAN loud and clear. Though its a matter of few minutes. That on T.V it is 2 mins early and in Masjid its 2 mins late. Is it permisable to break fast like this.

2. I am working in an office where we dont get to hear the AZZAN so what I do is I switch on the Radio and tune into a station where AZZAN is said after 6 mins. Can I break the fast like this. 

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Answer:

What time to break fast

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 187:

187 Permitted to you on the night of the fasts is the approach to your wives. They are your garments. And ye are their garments. Allah Knows what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them and seek what Allah hath ordained for you; and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah; approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men that they may learn self-restraint.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 3.140 Narrated byAdi bin Hatim

When the above Verse (2:187) was revealed: ‘….until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread’ ….I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So the next morning I went to Allah's Messenger (saws) and told him (saws) the whole story. The Prophet (saws) explained to me, "That Verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn!"

In light of the above guidance of the Glorious Quran and the authentic and established Guidance and Practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws), the timing of fasts start at absolute first break of dawn and end as soon as the sun has completely set.

Your Question: When its time for IFTAR my family break the fast by hearing the AZZAN on the T.V wheareas we have a Masjid in our area and we can hear the AZZAN loud and clear. Though its a matter of few minutes. That on T.V it is 2 mins early and in Masjid its 2 mins late. Is it permisable to break fast like this.

Beloved Sister in Islam, modern technology has indeed made it possible to narrow down and find out the exact time the sun has completely set in one’s area down to the very minute, if not seconds!

It is only a phenomena of nature that the exact timing of the setting of the sun would differ from place to place, and if you live in a relative big city, it is possible that the TV station might be located tens of kilometers away from your area or location of residence; thus it is possible that the ‘adhaan’ of the TV station as well as the one from your local ‘masjid’ are both accurate; for approximately every 50 kilometers west adds 1-minute to the timing of the setting of the sun.

If that is indeed the case, and you can hear the ‘adhaan’ from your local ‘masjid’ clearly, then it would be safest to break your fast at the declaration of the ‘adhaan’ from your local ‘masjid’.

Your Question: I am working in an office where we dont get to hear the AZZAN so what I do is I switch on the Radio and tune into a station where AZZAN is said after 6 mins. Can I break the fast like this. 

Beloved Sister, physically listening to the ‘adhaan’ being declared by the ‘masjid’, or the TV or Radio stations is not the criteria to determine the timings of when one is eligible to break one’s fasts! As soon as the sun has completely set, one should break their fast.

One only needs to go to the Internet or check the local papers and determine the exact time listed for sunset in their area; and as soon as that time approaches, one may break their fast.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan