2:183. !

() ; ( ) .

1899. () :
"
."
() .
Book :30
: 6
. () ,
() .
1901. () :
"
.
."
() .

2:184
2:184. ( ) ();
() , (
) ; ( ,
)
- - () ;
- (
), ( ).

2:185

2:185

( ,
; ( - )
; , ,
; (
) ;
, ;
( ) ,

 (
).
2:187

2:187.
; ,
;
; , ( )
;
() ( )
; , ; ,
() ,
;- ; ( )
()
.

2:196

9:112. , () , () ,
, , (),
, . ! () (!)
33:35

33:35. , ; ,
;; , ; ,
, ; () ,
;; , ; ,
() , ;
, -
.
.
1894. () :
" ( ) ; ,
! !
' !' ! (
) ! ,

 ! () ' , ,
! () ; !
!" ( )"
() .
Book : 30
4 ( ) .
1896. () :
" '' !
. ! ' ?'
. , ;
! .
!"
() .
Book : 30

Book : 30
: 7 () .
1902. () .
() . ()
() ()
. () - - ()
. () . ()
() .
Book : 30
: 8 .
1903. () :
"
!"
() .
Book : 30
14 .
1914. () :
" ;
! !"
() .
Book : 30

17 (- )
! () .
1918. & 1919. () () .
(), ( ) ; ()
, ' ; ! ,
() !" .
" ;
!" () .
Book : 30

1920. () .
" () ()
!"
Book :30
: 19 ?
1921. () .
" () ; ,
!" () ; '
?' . ' () !"
.
Book : 30
1923. () :
" ; !"
() .
Book :30
1970. () .
() .
( ) . '
() !
!" .
. .
Book :30

Tahajjud Prayer
2144. () :
() .
() .
() .
. () .
; . -
.
Book :13
1133. () .
() () .
Book :19
1123. () .
() . ()
. .

.
10 () , ?
1137. () .
() ' ! ?'
() ' . ( )

 ' .
Book : 19

153247: If a person prays some of Taraweeh with the imam then prays Witr and leaves, will
it be recorded for him as having prayed qiyaam al-layl?

In the mosque in the neighbourhood where I live, twenty rakahs of Taraweeh are offered, as well
as two rakahs of al-shaf and Witr. Now, as Isha prayer will be held very late, we were thinking
of praying Witr for those who want to leave the prayer early, and on that basis this group will
pray the two rakahs of al-shaf and Witr with the qaari, then they will leave, and the qaari will
stay and complete the remaining rakahs. Is it permissible to do that? Will those who are going to
pray ten rakahs with the (one) rakah of Witr and then leave take the same reward as those who
pray behind the other imam and pray twenty-three rakahs in all? I hope you can advise us about
this issue because we are thinking of implementing it starting next Ramadan, in sha Allah. May
Allah reward you with good for this advice.
Published Date: 2011-08-06
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is proven from the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he encouraged
praying Taraweeh in congregation and he said: Whoever stays with the imam until he leaves,
(the reward of) qiyaam al-layl will be written for him.
Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi (806); also narrated by Abu Dawood (1375), alNasaai (1605), and Ibn Maajah (1327). Also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh alTirmidhi.
This reward will not be attained by anyone but the one who prays with the imam until he has
finished all the prayers. The one who only prays some of the prayer and then leaves is not
entitled to the reward promised in this hadeeth, which is that of spending a night in prayer
(qiyaam laylah).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
If a person prays in Ramadan with someone who prays twenty-three rakahs, but he only prays
eleven and does not complete the prayer with the imam, is this action of his in accordance with
the Sunnah?
He replied: The Sunnah is to complete the prayer with the imam, even if he prays twenty-three
rak ahs, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever
stands (in prayer) with the imam until he finishes, Allah will record for him (the reward of)
spending a night in prayer. According to another report: The rest of that night.

It is better for one who is praying behind an imam to stay with him until he finishes, whether he
prays eleven rakahs or thirteen or twenty three or whatever. That is preferable, to follow the
imam until he finishes. End quote from Majmoo Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 11/325
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Praying qiyaam in Ramadan is attained by praying part of the night, such as half of it or one third
of it, whether that is by praying eleven rakahs or twenty-three. Qiyaam is attained by praying
behind the neighbourhood imam until he finishes, even if he finishes within one hour.
Imam Ahmad used to pray with the imam and not leave until he finished, acting in accordance
with the hadeeth. And whoever wants to attain this reward has to pray with the imam until he
finishes Witr, whether he prays a little or a lot, and whether the time taken is long or short. End
quote.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Jibreen. 24/9
If two imams pray in the mosque, then Taraweeh prayer is the prayer of both the imams, so the
one who wants to attain the reward of spending the night in prayer should not leave until the
second imam has completed his prayer and leaves.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What about one who prays
Taraweeh with the first imam, then leaves and says: I will have (the reward for) praying qiyaam
al-layl according to the text of the hadeeth because I started with the imam and finished with
him?
He replied: As for his saying, Whoever stands (in prayer) with the imam until he finishes, Allah
will record for him (the reward of) spending a night in prayer, that is correct.
But if there are two imams in one mosque, is each one of them regarded as independent of the
other or is each of them the deputy of the other?
What would seem to be correct is the second understanding that each of them is the deputy of
the other and is complementary to him. Based on this, if two imams pray in the mosque, then
these two imams are to be regarded as if they are one imam. So the worshipper should stay until
the second imam finishes, because we know that prayer behind the second imam is
complementary to prayer behind the first one.
Based on this, what we advise our brothers to do is to follow the imams there in the Haram until
they are completely finished. Although some brothers leave when they have prayed eleven
rakahs and say that this is the number of rakahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and we agree with them that it is better to follow the
number that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed and no one doubts
this, nevertheless I think that there is no reason why the number of rakahs should not be
increased. This is not on the basis of turning away from the number chosen by the Prophet

(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but on the basis that this is part of the goodness that
it is prescribed to seek more of.
But the problem is if there are two Witrs in one night, what should the worshipper do?
We say: if you want to pray tahajjud with the second imam, when the first imam prays Witr, do
an additional rakahs so that you will be praying two by two, and if you do not want to pray
tahajjud at the end of the night, then pray Witr with the first imam, then if it so happens that after
that you pray tahajjud, then do another rakah after Witr with the second imam. End quote.
Majmoo Fataawa wa Rasaail Ibn Uthaymeen, 13/436
What should be done in this case is that the people of the mosque should agree upon the number
of rakahs they will pray each night, which should suit all or most of them, so that there will not
be any division among the worshippers and so that none of them will be deprived of reward,
which they may be keen to attain were it not for their work.
We ask Allah to accept from us all and help us to obey Him.
And Allah knows best.
**9036: Numbers of rakahs in Taraaweeh prayer

have asked this earlier but did not get a satisfactory answer. My question is about Taraweeh
Prayer in Ramadan. You have answered to me in a question before that Taraweeh should not be
more that 11 rakat. It has been authentically reported that Muhammad SAAW prayed Taraweeh 3
times in Ramadan and it consisted 11 Rakah. Also the book by Shaykh Naasir-ud-Din Al-Albani
(May Allah have mercy on him) Qiyam and Taraweeh states that Taraweeh should be 11 Rakah.
The sunnah is 11 Rakat. Now the question which is confusing and often becomes a discussion
among brothers is whether the number of Rakat in Taraweeh should be 11 Rakat or 20 Rakat.
Some people during Ramadan go to masjids where the Imam does 11 Rakats and other go to
Masjids where the Imam does 20 Rakats. In most of the Hanafi Masjids around the US the Imam
does 20 Rakat. The point to note is whether 20 Rakat or 11 Rakat the Imam completes the entire
Qurran during Ramadan. The people are very sentitive about this issue and this issue becomes a
topic in gathering in the United States. The people who pray 20 Rakat blame the other groug
praying 11 as being wrong and the group praying 11 Rakat blames the group praying 20 as
wrong. This is a big fitnah in the US. This leads to disunity. People always quote that in Prophets
Mosque the Imam prays 20 Rakats and also in Masjid-ul-Haraam in Mecca the Imam prays 20
Rakat. Also those who during Ramadan go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah say that the Imam prays
20 Rakat. This is a confusion.
Please answer and explain to me the following issues:
1. The sunnah is to pray 11 Rakat then why is Prophets mosque in Medina and also in Masdid-ulHaram the imam leads the people to pray 20 Rakat? Why? Why is this different from the
sunnah?

2. Why are the number of Rakat of Taraweeh in Prophets mosque and Masjid-ul-Haraam 20
Rakat? Please explain to us so.
Published Date: 2002-09-11
Praise be to Allaah.
We do not think that the Muslims should be so sensitive with regard to issues that are the matter
of scholarly differences or make them the cause of division and fitnah among the Muslims.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, when speaking about the matter
of one who prays ten rakahs with the imam, then sits down and waits for Witr and does not
complete the Taraaweeh prayers with the imam:
It grieves us deeply that we find in the Muslim ummah a group which differs concerning matters
in which differences of opinion are acceptable, and they take these differences as a means to
cause division. Differences within the ummah existed at the time of the Sahaabah, yet they
remained united. The youth in particular and to all those who are committed to Islam must
remain united, because they have enemies who are laying in wait.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti, 4/225
Two groups have gone to extremes with regard to this matter. The first group denounced
everyone who prays more than eleven rakahs and said that doing so was bidah. The second
group denounced those who do only eleven rakahs and said that they are going against scholarly
consensus (ijmaa).
Let us listen to what Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some people go to extremes in
adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and say that it is not permissible to do more
than the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more
than that, saying that they are sinners.
This is undoubtedly wrong. How can they be sinners, when the Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), upon being asked about night prayers, said that they are to be
done two by two, and he did not specify any particular number? Of course the one who asked
him about the night prayer did not know the number, because if he did not know how to do it, it
is even more likely that he did not know the number. And he was not one of those who served the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so that we might say that he knew what
happened inside his house. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told
him how to do it but did not say how many times, it may be understood that the matter is broad
in scope, and that a person may pray one hundred rakahs then pray Witr with one rakah.
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Pray as
you have seen me praying, this does not apply in absolute terms even for these people. Hence
they do not say that a person should pray Witr with five rakahs sometimes and with seven

rakahs sometimes and with nine rakahs sometimes. If we understand it in absolute terms, then
we would have to pray Witr with five rakahs sometimes and with seven rakahs sometimes and
with nine rakahs sometimes. But what is meant by the hadeeth is pray as you have seen me
praying with regard to how to pray not how many rakahs, unless there is a text to state what the
number is.
Whatever the case, a person should not be strict with people with regard to a matter that is broad
in scope. We have even seen some brothers who are strict on this matter accusing the imams who
pray more than eleven rakahs of following bidah, and they leave the mosque, thus missing out
on the reward of which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: Whoever stands with the imam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of qiyaam al-layl
will be recorded for him. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 646). Some of them even sit down after completing ten rakahs, thus
breaking up the rows of worshippers by sitting there, and sometimes they start talking and
disturb the people who are praying.
We have no doubt that their intentions are good and they are doing their best to come to the right
conclusion, but that does not mean that they are correct.
The other group does the opposite. They sternly denounce those who pray only eleven rakahs
and say that they have gone against scholarly consensus. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has
been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers way, We shall keep him in the
path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell what an evil destination!
[al-Nisa 4:115]
All the generations who came before you only knew the number as twenty-three rakahs, and
they denounce anyone who says anything different.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti, 4/73-75
With regard to the evidence quoted by those who say that it is not permissible to do more than
eight rakahs in Taraaweeh, they quote the hadeeth of Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahmaan, who
asked Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), How did the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray during Ramadaan? She said: He did not pray more than
eleven rakahs in Ramadaan or at other times. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful
and long they were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were,
then he would pray three. I said, O Messenger of Allaah, will you sleep before you pray Witr?
He said, O Aaishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909; Muslim, 738

They said: This hadeeth indicates that the Messenger of Allaah was consistent in his prayers at
night in Ramadaan and at other times.
The scholars refuted this use of the hadeeth as evidence by saying that this is what the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, but the fact that he did something
does not imply that it is obligatory.
The evidence that there is no set number for prayers at night which include Taraaweeh is the
hadeeth of Ibn Umar according to which a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) about prayer at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: Prayers at night are to be offered two by two (two rakahs at a time).
If any of you fears that the time of dawn is approaching then let him pray one rakah as Witr.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 846; Muslim, 749)
If we look at what the scholars of the prominent schools of thought said, you will clearly see that
this matter is broad in scope and that there is nothing wrong with doing more than eleven
rakahs.
Al-Sarkhasi, who is one of the imams of the Hanafi school, said:
It is twenty rakahs, apart from Witr, in our view.
Al-Mabsoot, 2/145
Ibn Qudaamah said:
The favoured view according to Abu Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on
him), is that it is twenty rakahs. This was the view of al-Thawri, Abu Hanfeefah and al-Shaafai.
Maalik said it is thirty-six.
Al-Mughni, 1/457
Al-Nawawi said:
Taraaweeh prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view is that it is twenty
rakahs with ten tasleems, and it is permissible to pray it individually or in congregation.
Al-Majmoo, 4/31
These are the views of the four imams concerning the number of rakahs of Taraaweeh prayer.
All of them said something more than eleven rakahs. Perhaps the reasons why they said
something more than eleven rakahs include the following:
1-

They thought that the hadeeth of Aaishah did not mean that this was the specific number.

2-

A greater number was narrated from many of the salaf.

See al-Mughni, 2/604; al-Majmoo, 4/32

3- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray eleven rakahs and
make them very lengthy, so much so that it used to take him most of the night. Indeed, one night
in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying
Taraaweeh, he did not end his prayer until just before dawn, and the Sahaabah feared that they
would miss suhoor. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) loved to pray behind the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and they did not feel that it was too long.
The scholars thought that if the imam made the prayer so long, this would be too difficult for the
members of the congregation and that might put them off. So they thought that the imam should
make the recitation shorter and increase the number of rakahs.
The point is that the one who prays eleven rakahs in the manner narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever
makes the recitation shorter and increases the number of rakahs is also doing well. A person
who does either of these two things is not to be denounced. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
If a person prays Taraaweeh according to the madhhabs of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafai and
Ahmad, with twenty rakahs, or according to the madhhab of Maalik, with thirty-six rakahs, or
with thirteen or eleven rakahs, he has done well, as Imam Ahmad said, because there is nothing
to specify the number. So the greater or lesser number of rakahs depends on how long or short
the qiyaam (standing in the prayer) is.
Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 64
Al-Suyooti said:
What is narrated in the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth is the command to observe night prayers
during Ramadaan, which is encouraged without specifying a particular number. It is not proven
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rakahs of
Taraaweeh, rather that he prayed at night, with an unspecified number of rakahs. Then he
delayed it on the fourth night lest it become obligatory for them and they might not be able to do
it. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: There is no saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rakahs of Taraaweeh. The narration which suggests that he
used to pray twenty rakahs is extremely weak (daeef).
Al-Mawsooah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/142-145
So you should not be surprised that people pray Taraaweeh as twenty rakahs. There have been
generation after generation of those imams (who used to pray twenty rakahs), and all of them
are good. And Allaah knows best.

Lailathul Qadr

2014. () :
" ()

! ,
!"
() .
Volume :2 Book :32
49. '() ( ) ( )
. . (
() ) ' () .
. ( )
. . ( )
() () ' "
() .
Volume :1 Book :2
2016. () .
() .
. () '
; , . ,
! ( )
() ! , !"
. .
. . ,
. .
() .
.
Volume :2 Book :32
2022. () :
" ;
!"
() .
" !" () .
Volume :2 Book :32
2015. () .
, () () () ; , ()
' ( ) ! , .
() !" .
Volume :2 Book :32

4082: Should a woman start with making up missed fasts from Ramadaan or with the six
days of Shawwaal?

What should a woman do first: fast the six recommended days of Shawwal ( Alayam Alsetta
Albeed) or fast equivalent to the days she missed in Ramadan due to her monthly period?
Published Date: 2012-08-23

Praise be to Allaah.
If she wants to earn the reward mentioned in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), Whoever fasts Ramadaan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it
will be as if he fasted for a lifetime (reported by Muslim, no. 1984), then she should complete
her Ramadaan fasts first, then follow it with six days of Shawwaal, so that the hadeeth with be
applicable to her too, and she will gain the reward mentioned in it.
As regards the matter of permissibility, it is permissible for her to delay making up her
Ramadaan fasts, provided that she makes them up before the next Ramadaan comes along.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

**Is it essential to stop eating and drinking as soon as one hears the adhaan for
Fajr?

What is the ruling on eating or drinking during the adhaan for Fajr? Because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: If the iqaamah for prayer is given and the vessel is in
the hand of any one of you, let him not put it down until he has finished with it..
Published Date: 2011-08-11
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The hadeeth mentioned in the question was not narrated in that wording. The wording of the
hadeeth is:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: If one of you hears the call (to prayer)
and the vessel is still in his hand, let him not put it down until he finished with it.
Narrated by Ahmad, 10251; Abu Dawood. 2350; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood. We will discuss its meaning according to the scholars below.
Secondly:
It is obligatory for the fasting person to refrain from things which break the fast from the true
dawn until the sun sets. What is means is when dawn breaks, not the adhaan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

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]
So when a person becomes certain that the true dawn has come, he has to stop eating and
drinking, and if there is food in his mouth he has to spit it out; if he does not do that, then he has
invalidated his fast.
But if a person is not certain that dawn has come, he may eat until he is certain. The same applies
if he knows that the muezzin gives the call before the time comes, or if he is not sure whether he
gives the call on time or ahead of time: he may eat until he is certain. But it is better for him to
stop eating as soon as he hears the adhaan.
With regard to the hadeeth mentioned above, the scholars interpreted it as referring to a muezzin
who gives the call to prayer before dawn breaks.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo 6/333:
We have stated that if dawn breaks and a person has food in his mouth, he should spit it out and
complete his fast. If he swallows it after knowing that dawn has come, his fast is invalidated.
There is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of
Ibn Umar and Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with them both), according to which that
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Bilaal gives the call to
prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoom gives the call to prayer. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari and Muslim. There are many ahaadeeth in al-Saheeh with similar meanings.
With regard to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: If one of you hears the call (to
prayer) and the vessel is still in his hand, let him not put it down until he has finished with it
and according to another version he said: the muezzin used to give the call to prayer when dawn
broke al-Haakim Abu Abd-Allaah narrated the first version, and said: This is saheeh according
to the conditions of Muslim. Both were narrated by al-Bayhaqi, who said: If this is saheeh, it is
understood by the majority of scholars as meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) knew that he used to give the call to prayer before dawn came, thus the
eating and drinking referred to were taking place just before dawn came.
The phrase when dawn broke is understood to be the words of someone other than Abu
Hurayrah, or it may be describing the second adhaan, in which case the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) If one of you hears the call (to prayer) and the
vessel is still in his hand refer to the first call to prayer, so that it is in accordance with the
hadeeth of Ibn Umar and Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with them). He said: Thus the
reports are in agreement. And Allaah is the Source of strength, and Allaah knows best.
End quote.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in Tahdheeb al-Sunan that some of the
salaf followed the apparent meaning of the hadeeth mentioned in the question, and they regarded
it as permissible to eat and drink after hearing the adhaan of Fajr. Then he said:
But the majority are of the view that sahoor should stop when dawn breaks. This is the view of
the four imams, and the majority of fuqaha of the regions, and was also narrated from Umar
and Ibn Abbaas. The former quoted as evidence the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoom gives the call to prayer,
for he does not give the call until dawn breaks. It is narrated thus in al-Bukhaari; in some
versions it says: and he was a blind man who did not give the call to prayer until it was said
to him: Dawn has come, dawn has come. And the majority quoted as evidence the words of
Allaah: 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], and the words of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoom gives the call to
prayer, and his words, There are two dawns. The first one does not make it haraam to eat or
make it permissible to pray, but the second makes it haraam to eat and permissible to pray.
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan.
Reports were narrated from some of the Salaf which indicate that it is permissible for a fasting
person to eat until dawn breaks. Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated a large
number of such reports, including the report that Umar ibn al-Khattaab used to say: If two men
are uncertain about dawn let them eat until they are certain.
It was narrated that Ibn Abbaas said: Allaah has permitted drinking so long as you are
uncertain, i.e., about the dawn.
It was narrated that Makhool said: I saw Ibn Umar take a bucket of Zamzam water and say to
two men, Has dawn come? One of them said: It has come, and the other said, No (it
hasnt), so Ibn Umar drank (the water).
Ibn Hazm said, commenting on the hadeeth asked about here and a number of similar reports: All
of this refers to cases when they are not yet certain that dawn has come. Thus the Sunnahs are in
accordance with the Quraan.
End quote from al-Muhalla, 4/367.
Undoubtedly most of the muezzins nowadays rely on clocks and timetables, not on sighting the
dawn. This cannot be regarded as certainty that dawn has come. Whoever eats in this case, his
fast is valid, because he was not certain that dawn had come, but it is better and safer to stop
eating.
Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling
on the fast of one who hears the adhaan of Fajr but continues eating and drinking?
He replied:

What the believer must do is to abstain from things that break the fast, eating and drinking etc.,
when it becomes clear to him that dawn has broken, if the fast is an obligatory one such as in
Ramadaan and fasts in fulfillment of vows or as an act of expiation, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
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]
If he hears the adhaan and knows that this is the call for Fajr prayer, he must stop eating. If the
muezzin gives the call to prayer before dawn breaks, then he does not have to stop eating, and it
is permissible for him to eat and drink until it is clear to him that dawn has come.
If he does not know whether the muezzin gives the call to prayer before or after dawn, then it is
better and safer for him to stop eating when he hears the adhaan, but it does not matter if he
drinks or eats something during the adhaan because he does not know whether dawn has broken.
It is well known that those who live in cities where there are electrical lights cannot know
whether dawn has come at the time when it breaks, but they can follow the adhaan and
timetables which give the time of dawn, hour and minute, in accordance with the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Leave that which makes you doubt for
that which does not make you doubt. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
Whoever avoids doubtful matters will have protected his religious commitment and honour.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
End quote, from Fataawa Ramadaan, compiled by Ashraf Abd al-Maqsood, p. 201
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: You said that we must stop
eating when we hear the adhaan, but a few years ago they did not stop eating until the end of the
adhaan. What is the ruling on that action of theirs?
He replied:
The adhaan for Fajr prayer may be given either after dawn breaks or before. If it is given after
dawn breaks, then one must stop eating as soon as he hears the call, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Bilaal gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and
drink until Ibn Umm Maktoom gives the call to prayer, for he does not give the call until dawn
has broken. If you know that this muezzin does not give the call to prayer until dawn has
broken, then stop as soon as you hear him. But if the muezzin gives the call based on a timetable
he follows, or based on his watch, then the matter is less serious.
Based on this, we say to this questioner: You do not have to make up what is past, because you
were not certain whether you ate after dawn had broken. But in the future you should be careful;
when you hear the muezzin, stop eating.

End quote from Fataawa Ramadaan, p. 204

And the Shaykh said, pointing out what is said about timetables being inaccurate:
Because some people nowadays are uncertain about the timetables that people have, and they say
that they give the time of dawn too early, we went out into the desert with no lights around us,
and we saw that the dawn came later, and some people exaggerated and suggested that the dawn
comes twenty minutes later.
But it seems that this exaggeration is not correct. What we think is that the timetables that people
have nowadays give the time of dawn in particular as five minutes early, so if you eat whilst the
muezzin is giving the adhaan according to the timetable, it doesnt matter. Some muezzins, may
Allaah reward them with good, give the adhaan five minutes later than the time given in the
timetables as they exist at present, as a precaution, but some ignorant muezzins give the adhaan
for Fajr early, claiming that this is on the safe side with regard to the fast, but they forget that
they are being careless with regard to something that is more important than the fast, namely Fajr
prayer. So people may end up praying ahead of time based on their adhaan. If a person offers a
prayer ahead of its time, even if he says the opening takbeer, his prayer is not valid
From Majmoo Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol 19,
question no. 772
And Allaah knows best.

**For pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers who do not fast, they have to make up
the missed fasts and it is not enough for them to feed the poor

I read that it is permissible for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers not to fast, and that
they can feed the poor and do not have to make up the missed days. They quoted as evidence the
report narrated from Ibn Umar concerning that. How true is this? Please answer with evidence,
may Allaah bless you.
Published Date: 2003-11-11
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on pregnant woman and breastfeeding mothers if
they do not fast. There are several opinions.
1 That they have to make up the fasts only. This is the view of Imam Abu Haneefah (may
Allaah have mercy on him). Among the Sahaabah, it was the view of Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may
Allaah be pleased with him).

2 That if they fear for themselves, they have to make up the fast only, and if they fear for their
children then they have to make up the fasts and feed one poor person for each day. This is the
view of Imam al-Shaafai and Imam Ahmad. Al-Jassaas also narrated this from Ibn Umar (may
Allaah be pleased with him).
3 That they have to feed the poor only, and do not have to make up the fasts. Among the
Sahaabah, this was the view of Abd-Allaah ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him). Ibn
Qudaamah also narrated this in al-Mughni (3/37) from Ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
him).
Abu Dawood (2318) narrated from Ibn Abbaas and Ali that this phrase those who can fast
with difficulty [al-Baqarah 2:184] was a concession granted to old men and old women who
find it difficult to fast, allowing them not to fast and to feed one poor person for each day instead,
and the same for pregnant and breastfeeding women if they are afraid. Abu Dawood said: i.e., for
their children they may not fast and may feed (the poor) instead. Al-Nawawi said: its isnaad is
hasan.
This was also narrated by al-Bazzaar who added at the end: Ibn Abbaas used to say to a
concubine of his who was pregnant: You are like one who cannot fast, so you have to pay the
fidyah but you do not have to make up the fasts. Al-Daaraqutni classed its isnaad as saheeh, as
stated by al-Haafiz in al-Talkhees.
Al-Jassaas narrated in Ahkaam al-Quraan that the scholars differed concerning this issue. He
said:
The Salaf differed concerning this matter, and there were three points of view. Ali said: they
have to make up the fast if they do not fast, but they do not have to pay the fidyah. Ibn Abbaas
said: They have to pay the fidyah but do not have to make up the fasts. Ibn Umar said: They
have to pay the fidyah and make up the fasts.
Those who said that they only have to make up the fasts quoted the following as evidence:
1 The report narrated by al-Nasaai (2274) from Anas, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: Allaah has waived half of the prayer for the traveler, and fasting, and
for those who are pregnant and breastfeeding. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh alNasaai. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that the ruling on
pregnant and breastfeeding women is like the ruling on the traveler. The traveler may not fast and
has to make it up later, and this also applies to pregnant and breastfeeding women. See Ahkaam
al-Quraan by al-Jassaas.
2 Analogy to the sick. Just as the sick are allowed not to fast and have to make it up later, the
same applies to those who are pregnant and breastfeeding. See al-Mughni, 3/37; al-Majmoo,
6/273.
This view was favoured by a number of scholars.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo al-Fataawa, 15/225.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women come under the same ruling as those who are sick. If it is too
difficult for them to fast then it is prescribed for them not to fast, but they have to make up the
fasts when they are able to do so, like those who are sick. Some of the scholars are of the view
that it is sufficient for them to feed one poor person for every day they missed, but this is a weak
view. The correct view is that they have to make up missed fasts, just like travelers and those
who are sick, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days
[al-Baqarah 2:184]
He also said in Majmoo al-Fataawa, 15/227:
The correct view concerning this matter is that pregnant and breastfeeding women have to make
up the fasts, and what was narrated from Ibn Abbaas and Ibn Umar, that pregnant and
breastfeeding women have to feed the poor instead, is a weak view that goes against the shari
evidence. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days
[al-Baqarah 2:184]
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are likened to those who are sick, and do not come under the
ruling on old men who are unable to fast. Rather they come under the ruling on those who are
sick, so they should make up the fasts when they become able to do so, even if that is delayed.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah (10/220):
If a pregnant woman fears for herself or her foetus because of fasting in Ramadaan, she may
break the fast and she only has to make up the missed fasts. In this regard she is like one who is
sick and is unable to fast or fears that fasting will harm him. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days
[al-Baqarah 2:184]
Similarly if a breastfeeding woman fears for herself if she nurses her child during Ramadaan, or
she fears for her child if she fasts and does not breastfeed him, then she may not fast, and she
only has to make up the missed fasts.
It also says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah (10/226):

A pregnant woman has to fast when she is pregnant, unless she fears for herself or her foetus if
she fasts, in which case she is allowed not to fast, but she has to make up the missed fasts after
she gives birth and becomes pure from nifaas it is not sufficient for her to feed a poor person
instead, rather she has to fast and does not have to feed a poor person if she does that.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti, 6/220, after mentioning the difference of
scholarly opinion about the ruling on this matter, and expressing his preference for the view that
she only has to make up the missed fasts :
This view is the most likely to be correct in my opinion, because at most they are like one who is
sick or traveling, who only have to make up missed fasts.
And Allaah knows best.