THE CORRECT TIME TO BREAK FAST IN RAMADHAN

 The times to begin and end fast are detailed in the following verse of Surah Al-Bakarah:

وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْل

"Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then fast to the night." (Qur'an 2:187)

Raaton ko khao pio yahan tak ke tumko syahi e shab ki dhari se sapedha subh ki dhari numaya nazar aa jaye tab yeh sab kaam chodh kar raat tak apna roza poora karo 

The time to begin fasting in the morning is when light is first seen. 

The time to stop fasting is when it is "NIGHT (LAYL/ ليل)". 

That is the actual word used in the Qur'an, NOT SUNSET'. 

'Night' refers to the time when the sky becomes such that we would tell someone it is night time.

The verse reads atimmoo al-siyaam ilaa al-layl - اتموا الصيام الي الليل: "complete the fast to the night" literally, i.e. to fast "to the night". 

Some erroneous translations read "until night" or "until nightfall" - both are incorrect, the correct translation is "to the night".

The Qur'an is in a human language and uses human beings' understanding of how they use the vocabularies in the language. 

MANY MUSLIMS BREAK  FASTS WHEN THE SUN IS SETTING, WE WOULD NOT CALL THAT 'NIGHT / ليل' at all as it is still bright outside - neither at the time of the prophet, nor today. 

At such a time, the word 'NIGHT / ليل' is NEVER USED  to DESCRIBE that TIME OF DAY.

ARGUMENT:   Allah says He merges night with day and day with night in the Qur'an (i.e. 3:27).

 Raat ko din mein pirota hua le aata hai aur din ko raat mein

This indicates there is an overlap in which day and night are merged (sunset and sunrise).

 This means it is Quranically correct to consider sunset to be night hence we can break our fast at that time.

This appears to be a valid point.

 However, there is a mistaken understanding here. 

The merging time 'zones' (sunrise and sunset) are being thought of as overlaps of complete night and complete day. 

This is NOT the CORRECT WAY to visualise a 'merging'. 

When Allah is merging the day and night, for instance at sunset, it starts off as 100% day 0% night, then 99% day 1% night, so on until it is 0% day 100% night. 

It is not an overlap of complete night and day (then, no change in light would be observed!). 

Thus, the definition of the word "night (layl / ليل)" is not realised during sunset.

ARGUMENT: We start fasting when we first see day light, we do not wait for it to be fully day. 

Likewise, we do not have to wait for it to be fully night to consider it officially night to break our fasts.

The precise times for the two ends of fasting times are being described in the verse. 

During a 'sunset', it is not 'night', which is what the verse specifies as the time to end fast.

Here, one is trying to superimpose the start time of fasting onto the end time, even though the end time has been clearly stated separately - the motive here is to find a way to believe it is sunset. 

A believer has to take the teaching of the verse first and foremost, and not apply a preconceived understanding of fasting times to suit his own needs.

ARGUMENT: How do you know how to define 'night' ? ❓

Maghrib / sunset can be the start of night because the Qur'an does not define for us what night is.

Besides the point that the use of the word "night" is in its self sufficient, the Qur'an has expressions for 'night', 'day' as well as 'sunrise' and 'sunset'. 

For example:

أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

"Establish the prayer from declining of the sun / sunset (dulook al-shams / دلوك الشمس) to the darkness of the night (ليل / layl), and the Qur'an at dawn, surely the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed." (Qur'an 17:78)

Salat qayam karo zawal-e-aftaab (declining of the sun) se lekar raat ke andhere tak, aur fajr ke Quran ka bhi intezam karo, kyunke Quran e fajr mashood (witnessed) hota hai.

The words "DULOOK AL-SHAMS / دلوك الشمس" used in the verse means 'setting of the sun / sunset'. 

Therefore, there is an expression for maghrib / sunset in the Qur'an. 

Furthermore, the word "layl / ليل", 'night' is used in the above verse too. 

Here we can see that in the Qur'an, there are words for 'sunset' and 'night', and also notice that night is not the same as sunset (since both are identified separately). 

The verse of fasting (2:187) uses the word "layl / ليل", 'night' to describe when to finish fasting. If Allah meant sunset, he would have chosen the right word for it. 

Furthermore, "night / layl" is described as "darkness (غسق / ghasaq)", i.e. "darkness of the night (غسق اليل / ghasaq al-layl)", further emphasising what night is.

CONCLUSION

One may break his fast when he would simply call the time "night" conscientiously, and not 'day' ie. it should not feel like day. 

There is no fixed way specified - the important thing is that the believer is sincere in following the Qur'an and feels the conditions for 'night' is met.

“If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would lead you away from the path of Allah. They follow nothing but speculation – they are only guessing.” (Qur’an 6:115-116)

Tumhare Rubb ki baat sacchayi aur insaf ke aitebar se kamil hai, koi uske farameen ko tabdeel karne wala nahin hai aur woh sab kuch sunta aur jaanta hai.

Agar tum un logon ki aksariyat ke kehne par chalo jo zameen mein baste hain to woh tumhein Allah ke raaste se bhatka denge, woh to mehaz gumaan par chalte aur qayaas-aaraiyan karte hain.

THE FASTING OF RAMADHAN

 Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was brought down providing guidance for the people, as well as clear proofs of the guidance and the Criterion. 

So those of you who witness the month shall fast it, and for those who are ill or travelling, then an equal number of other days. God wants ease for you, and He does not want hardship for you, and for you to complete the count and magnify God for guiding you so that you may be thankful. 2:185

As with all other practices, all the details of Fasting are given in the Quran.

*1- What are the hours for fasting?❓*

The hours for fasting are outlined in the following verse:

You may eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinguishable to you from the dark thread, then maintain the fast until the night. 2:187

Abstaining from food and drink should start at the first thread of light at dawn. This usually takes place between an hour and two hours before sunrise, depending on the time of year. The fasting is then to be maintained until nightfall. 

The Quranic definition of the night is all the time between sunset and sunrise.

*2- When was fasting first decreed and to whom?*❓

The Quran tells us that fasting is older than the Quran and was decreed to those before us:

O you who believe, fasting is decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those before you so that you may be reverent. 2:183

*3- What is the meaning of 'siyam' in the Quran?*❓

The word 'siyam', which is usually translated to fasting, is used in the Quran to mean abstention. Abstention could be from a number of things. For example, the word "Sawm" as used in 19:26 is used to indicate an abstention from talking:

So eat and drink and be happy, then if you see any human, say, "I have vowed a Sawm (fast) for the Almighty and so I will not speak today to any human being." 19:26.

Then we have the word "Siyam" as used in 2:187, which refers to the abstention from eating and drinking:

You may eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinguishable to you from the dark thread, then maintain the Siyaam (fast) until the night. 2:187

O you who believe, Siyaam (fasting) is decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those before you so that you may be reverent. 2:183

The Quranic fasting is an abstention from eating and drinking during the fasting hours, as well as abstention from all sexual contact. Prior to the revelation of the Quran, sexual intercourse was prohibited throughout the fasting period. This has been modified with the revelation of the Quran to apply to the fasting hours only:

It has been made lawful for you to have sexual intercourse with your wives during the nights of the fast. 2:187

*4- Who is obliged to observe the fasting and who is reprieved?*❓

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on those who can physically withstand it. Sick people and travellers on long or arduous travels are exempted from fasting, but they must make it up by fasting other days when they are no longer sick or travelling.

For those who are ill or travelling, then an equal number of other days. God wants ease for you, and He does not want hardship for you. 2:185

*5- The importance and benefits of fasting*

Fasting and the month of Ramadan are given great importance in the Quran.

If you fast it is better for you if you only knew. 2:184

Ramadan is a Holy month because it is the month during which the Quran was revealed, and so the advent of Ramadan ushers in a time for reflection, soul searching and devotion to God. In many ways, the monthof Ramadan serves as a tune-up for the soul.

The benefits of fasting are numerous. Undoubtedly the greatest of these is the fact that fasting is an act of worship of our Creator. Fasting is also a great exercise in self-control and the development of will power. The deliberate intention to shun physical satisfactions of the body during the 'fasting hours', allows the human being to attain a measure of spiritual ascendancy and closeness to God. Ramadan is also a time for reflection, reading the Quran, being charitable, purifying one's behaviour and doing good deeds in general. Ramadan is an opportunity to gain by giving up, to prosper by going without and to grow stronger by conquering weakness.

In addition, through experiencing hunger, fasting is a means of developing compassion for the poor and less fortunate who experience such feelings on a daily basis, and more so those who die from starvation. Consequently, this should develop in us the will to be more charitable as well as to be more thankful and appreciative of God's blessings. Fasting is also beneficial to health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits and over indulgence.

Some scholars believe that the last ten nights of Ramadan are of special importance in comparison to the rest of the month. 

They refer to the 'ten nights' mentioned in 89:2 in support of their claim.

 However, there is no reference, direct or indirect, made in 89:2 to fasting or to Ramadan. In addition, the Quran does not make any distinction between any of the various nights of the month. They also claim that the night on which the Quran was revealed, which is called the Night of Destiny 'Laylat Al-Qadr' (97:1) is a very special night. They support their claim by a number of hadith, one of which states that any prayer on that night is answered! Once again, this concept has no Quranic support. The truth is that God answers prayers to whom He pleases regardless of the time or date of the prayer.

In addition, it is claimed that the Night of Destiny is the 27th of Ramadan, but once again there is no Quranic evidence for that.

*6- When does Ramadan begin and when does it end?*❓

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is a lunar calendar. A lunar month is between 29 and 30 days, which is the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth. Since a lunar month is on average one day shorter than a solar month, a lunar year is around 11 days shorter than a solar year. Therefore, the month of Ramadan comes 11 days earlier every year. This way the month of Ramadan rotates around the seasons and thus provides equal conditions for people living in different parts of the world. In the northern hemisphere, when Ramadan falls in the summer months, fasting is observed when the days are warm and long, whereas when it falls in the winter, fasting takes place when the days are cool and short. This is reversed in the southern hemisphere.

At one stage during the moon's orbit around the earth, the moon is in conjunction with the sun, with the sun's light hitting the side of the moon away from the earth. In this position, the moon (new moon) is invisible to us here on earth because the moon is between the earth and the sun, and its illuminated side is facing away from us.

As the moon continues to orbit around the earth, it starts forming a crescent moon. This will be shortly after the new moon even though the crescent will not be visible for several hours. The Quran tells us that fasting should start when we witness the month (2:185), and also that the crescent is the 'timer' for the month (2:189). Thus, fasting should commence on the first dawn after the first crescent moon (waxing crescent). Today we do not need to rely on the naked eye to 'witness the month', rather, the astronomical knowledge we have today allows us to determine the precise beginning of the lunar month.

Key words in 2:185

In 2:185 we note some key words which have an important bearing on the commencement of fasting. These words are: "those of you who witness the month shall fast it." The question here is: Since fasting is an obligation on all believers, why did God say only "those of you" rather than address all believers? The answer is that the believers will not all see the crescent at the same time. This is due to geographical differences in location. The crescent will be seen by some before others. As a result, believers should start their fasting at different times as well.

The policy of some governments to proclaim the start of fasting in their countries in tune with the Mecca timing, and before they witness the crescent, is thus contrary to the instructions in 2:185. 

If they do so they would have started fasting when someone else witnessed the crescent and not themselves!

The only valid case where tuning to Mecca’s timing can be justified is in locations where the sun does not set for 24 hours, or stays up for very long hours where it becomes a physical impossibility to fast. The example is in northern areas during the summer days.

Ending of the fasting

The fasting of Ramadan continues as long as we are still in the month of Ramadan. As soon as the thinnest new crescent appears, we would be in the month of Shawwal. We are not to fast except the month of Ramadan. Therefore, we should not fast that day. We must fast all complete days that occur before the rising of the new crescent. This means that if the new crescent rises in the middle of the fasting hours, then we should not fast that day, otherwise we would be fasting Ramadan plus a part of Shawwal. The Quranic instructions is to fast Ramadan only.

In the past, people only had the visual means to confirm the beginnings of every month. Therefore, they would have been entitled to end their fasting as soon as the new moon is witnessed, even if that occurred at times during their Fasting hours. However, nowadays the astronomical charts can give us an accurate timing for every phase of the moon. 

This allows believers to know beforehand the exact time to the Fasting. If for example the new moon was to appear on Wednesday at midday, then the believers would not be required to fast the day of Wednesday.

The explanation for this is that the instruction in the Quran is to 'fast the month of Ramadan' (2:185) and nothing else. According to the example above, the new moon on midday on Wednesday signals the beginning of the 10th month which is Shawwal. If the believers fast on Wednesday, they would be fasting the month of Ramadan and also part of the month of Shawwal, when as mentioned the Quranic instruction is to fast the month of Ramadan only.