Eating or Drinking at Suhoor until the Azan

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the honourable scholars of Islam say regarding the following: if someone did not know the [correct] ruling and thus continued eating suhoor in Ramadan until after the azan, will the fast of that day be valid? Also, will one have to make up (do qaḍā’) for that fast?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   The time for suhoor ends as soon as it is true dawn (ṣubḥ ṣādiq). The azan is given for Fajr Salah once fajr time starts. Therefore, the fast of anyone who continued eating or drinking after the azan is not valid. It is necessary for such an individual to make up (do qaḍā’) for that fast.

It is stated in Tanwīr al-Abṣār:

تسحر یظن الیوم لیلا والفجر طالع قضی فقط

   In Fatāwā Razawiyyah, the answer given to a similar question is as follows: “In cities with a latitude near to Bareilly and Bilgram, suhoor should be eaten until 4 o’clock. It is far beyond the start of ṣubḥ ṣadiq  at half past 4, and so to eat until then bears no sense. Such a fast is definitely invalid, and it is obligatory (farḍ) to make up (do qaḍa) for it.”

   In another section of the text, it states: “This Ramadan, there was no time [for suhoor] until 5 o’clock. Eating until 5 o’clock meant that the fast was certainly invalid; the term ‘it became invalid’ cannot even apply. To make up (do qaḍa) for the fast is necessary, albeit an expiation (kaffarah) is not due.”

   It is mentioned in Bahār-e-Shariat: “If the ṣubḥ ṣādiq  had commenced and one ate suhoor thinking it is night or had doubt of it being night, it will be necessary to make up (do qaḍa)  for the fast in all these cases; expiation (kaffārah)  is not due.” 

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Abū Ḥamzah Muhammad Ḥassān ꜤAṭṭāri

Verified by: Mufti Fuzayl Razā ꜤAṭṭāri

Date: 23 Rabī al-Thāni, 1442 (09 December, 2020)