Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem As Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatuh! Duration of Fast In the Light of Qur'an and Sunnah [2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 187] Image-URL http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/surah2ayah185.gif Interpretation of the meaning in English ".. Eat and drink during the nights (of Ramadan)*1 until you can discern the white streak of dawn from the blackness of night.*2 Then complete your fast till night-fall.*3 Explanation: *1- In this connection, too, there was a misapprehension at first. Some thought that eating and drinking were absolutely prohibited after the performance of the 'Isha' (Night) Prayer. Others thought that one could eat and drink so long as one had not fallen asleep, but that if one had it was not permissible to eat on reawakening. These were people's own fancies and often caused great inconvenience. This verse seeks to remove all such misconceptions. It clearly lays down the duration of the fast: from dawn until sunset. Between sunset and dawn it is permissible to eat, to drink, and to indulge in the legitimate gratification of sexual desires. At the same time the Prophet introduced the pre-fasting repast, recommending a good meal just before dawn. *2- In fixing the time of obligatory rites, Islam has been mindful that these timings should be so clear and simple that people, at all stages of development, should be able to follow them. This is why Islam bases its timing on conspicuous natural phenomena and not on the clock. *3- 'Complete your fasting until night sets in' means that the time of fasting ends with nightfall, i.e. sunset marks the breaking of the fast. The precise time of the end of the pre-dawn repast is when a lean strip of aurora appears at the eastern end of the horizon and begins to grow. The time to break one's fast starts when the darkness of night seems to have begun to appear over the eastern horizon. In our own time, some people have adopted an attitude of extreme caution with regard to the time of both the end and start of fasting. The Law has not fixed these schedules with rigid precision. If a person wakes up just at the crack of dawn it is proper for him to eat and drink hastily. According to a Tradition the Prophet (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) said: 'If anyone of you hears the call for [the morning] Prayer while he is eating he should not stop immediately, but should finish eating to the extent of his bare need.' (Abu Da'ud. Siyam', 14 - Ed.) Similarly, one need not wait for the light of day to disappear fully before breaking the fast. The Prophet (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ), for instance, used to ask Bilal to bring him something to drink as soon as the sun had set. Bilal expressed his astonishment, pointing out that the light of day could still be observed. To this the Prophet (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) replied that the time of fasting came to an end when the darkness of night began to rise from the east. (Muslim, 'Siyam', 10; Abu Da'ud, 'Siyam', 15; etc. - Ed.) Delaying the Suhoor until just before dawn [Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 140] Narrated Hazrat Adi bin Hatim (Radi Allah Anhu): When the above verses was revealed: "Until the white thread appears to you , distinct from the black thread," I took two (hair) strings one black and one 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 Muhammad (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ), and told him the whole story. He explained me, "That the verse means the darkness of night and blackness of dawn." Image-URL: http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/sahihhadithno934_new.gif [Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 146] Narrated Anas bin Malik (Radi Allah Anhu), The Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) said, "Take the Suhoor as there is a blessing in it." Image URL: http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/sahihhadithno936.gif Interval between Suhoor and Fajr Prayer [Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 144] Narrated Hazrat Anas (Radi Allah Anhu): Zaid bin Thabit (Radi Allah Anhu) said," We took the Suhoor with Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) then He (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) stood for As-Salah (the prayer)." I asked, "What was the interval between the Suhoor and the Adhan?" He replied, "The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of Qur'an." Image-URL: http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/sahihhadithno935.gif Hastening to break the fast as soon as the Sun sets [Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 178] Narrated Hazrat Sahl bin Sa'd (Radi Allah Anhu): Allah's Messenger Muhammad (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) said, "The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the Iftar." Image-URL: http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/sahihhadithno952_new.gif [Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 177] Narrated Ibn Abi Aufa (Radi Allah Anhu), Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu- alleihi-wasallam ) said, "When you see night falling from this side, the person observing fast should break its fast", and he beckoned with his finger towards east. Image-URL: http://www.alquranic.com/group/mail550/sahihhadithno951.gif Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me! 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