Understanding the Time to Start the Fast in Ramadan
Based on what the Qur’an says for astronomic observation, not what the “esteemed experts” have to say
Peace be upon you! We are finally in the midst of one of the most blessed months by Allah. Ramadan is the Month of the Qur’an, which started being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) through the Archangel Gabriel.
The Qur’an was revealed over a period of 23 years, with some parts in Mecca, and some in Medina. It is crucial to understand why Allah the Exalted destined 23 years for the Qur’an to be revealed.
Psychologically speaking, the Qur’an is not an ordinary book and requires years of focused learning and outlook, not only in a spiritual manner but a physical one as well.
Preparation for Fasting in Ramadan
Fasting in Ramadan (sawm) is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for every able Muslim to fast in the month of Ramadan. The fast starts primarily before sunrise and ends with sunset.
In early pre-dawn, Muslims prepare their pre-fasting meal, known as suhoor (sehri) and this is consumed to prepare the body for fasting. High-fiber foods like dates, whole grains, nuts, bananas, and multiple cups of water are consumed in the meal.
Now let’s come to a disputed issue about the timing of ending suhoor.
In most Muslim communities (nations), people stop eating and drinking as soon as they hear the call to prayer (azaan). I still don’t know where this decision to stop eating originates from, but it sure doesn’t follow what the Qur’an has to say about the timing.
Let’s take a look at it!
White and black thread of dawn
In the second chapter of the Qur’an, Surah al Baqarah (the heifer), Allah says in the 187th verse:
So now have sexual relations with them [your wives] 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), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall.
Notice how Allah uses an Arabic idiomatic expression:
“until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread”
I would suggest watching the Zakir Naik video I linked above to understand the context of this verse: when it was revealed, how it was revealed, what the Sahaba understood by the verse, and how later, the Prophet (PBUH) explained the reality of the false and true fajr
Linking Quran and Science
Allah says multiple times in the Quran that He has made the Quran clear, made it a clear sign. This means that understanding the Qur’an isn’t rocket science. It is a matter of understanding the Arabic language and the context of the verse.
As is evident by many Sahih Hadith, there are two types of fajr:
- False Fajr: this is where a single strand of whiteness appears over the horizon, hinting that dawn has arrived
- True Fajr: this is when the first redness appears on the horizon, indicating the time to stop eating and drinking and begin the process of fasting
Analysis of the Three Types of Dawns
Accordingly, there are three types of dawns recognized by the scientific community
- Astronomical Dawn: When the Sun is at -18 degrees altitude with the horizon. The twilight is faint and it cannot be ascertained whether dawn has started yet.
- Nautical Dawn: When the Sun is at -12 degrees altitude with the horizon. This is the point of the “first light” when the human eye can notice the lighting effects of the Sun via atmospheric dispersion.
- Civil Dawn: When the Sun is at -6 degrees altitude with the horizon. It is the brightest of all dawns and this is when the redness starts to shift toward yellowness.
It is evidently obvious that the Quranic verse is referring to the Nautical Dawn, which is when the “first light” appears in the sky. It is when one can distinguish between the white thread & the black thread of the dawn.
In conclusion, it is wrong to assume that the fast begins when the call to prayer is made, but by looking at the Alt-metric (altitude in the horizontal coordinate system) of the Sun. As soon as it touches -12 degrees, let that be an indication for a Muslim to stop eating and drinking.
Of course, I ask Allah for forgiveness if in any way I have wronged His Quran (nauzubillah), and may Allah give all Muslims the sight and wisdom to understand the Quran.
