Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. We see some Ramadan timetables where there is a section for the time to start fasting, and that time is defined as ten or fifteen minutes before the Fajr prayer. Does this action have any basis from the Sunnah or is it an innovation?
الإمساك قبل الفجر بنحو عشر دقائق
Answer
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions. Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As to what follows: In response to your question, we say: This development which you have indicated that it is in some timetables, or which the questioner has pointed out that it occurs in some timetables, undoubtedly has no basis. It has no basis from the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him), rather it is part of the responses and independent reasoning of some people whereby they contradicted the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because he said to his companions, as has been transmitted in an authentic narration, “The Adhan pronounced by Bilal should not stop you from taking sahur, for he pronounces the Adhan at night” [al-Bukhari (621)]. This indicates the Adhan which is before the onset of dawn “but the Adhan of ibn Um Maktum” who used to call the Adhan which indicates the onset of dawn, as was stated in the hadith that “he would not pronounce the Adhan unless he was told that the day had dawned" [al-Bukhari (617)], that is, dawn has appeared. This is from one angle, and it shows us that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited people from starting fasting before Adhan, and he said, “The Adhan pronounced by Bilal should not stop you,” and thus whoever stops people from eating what Allah has made permissible for them, by any means whether it is written or spoken has contradicted the Prophet (peace be upon him), and Allah has stated in the verse of fasting, “ So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allah has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)” [al-Baqarah 2: 187]. Thus Allah linked the ruling to the appearance of dawn, and he did not link it to preceding the appearance of dawn, taking precautions, or fasting before the appearance of dawn. Therefore, it is imperative to stick to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not to cause harm and difficulty to people in issues which Allah the Exalted did not command. The principle in this matter is that people should eat and drink until dark appears and is distinct from night.
