This is a series of articles covering various topics related to fasting, selected from the Explanation of ‘Umdatul Ahkam’ by Shaykh ‘Abdul-Aziz ibn Bāz. Read the other articles in the series here.

عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الْفِطْرَ»

Sahl ibn Sa‘d narrated that Allāh’s Messenger said:

The people will not cease to remain upon goodness so long as they hasten with the breaking of the fast. ^[1]

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ – رضي الله عنه – قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم:-  «إذَا أَقْبَلَ اللَّيْلُ مِنْ هَهُنَا وَأَدْبَرَ النَّهَارُ مِنْ هَهُنَا فَقَدْ أَفْطَرَ الصَّائِمُ»

‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb narrated that Allāh’s Messenger said:

If the night approaches from here and the day departs from here then the fasting one is to break his fast. ^[2]

Explanation of Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azīz ibn Bāz:

The first ḥadīth establishes that the Sunnah is to hasten the ifṭār (breaking the fast) and that the Ummah (Muslim nation) will continue to be upon goodness as long as they hasten to break their fast as soon as the sun sets. 

In a ḥadīth [qudsī], Allāh says:

«أَحَبُّ عِبَادِي إِلَيَّ أَعْجَلُهُمْ فِطْرًا»

“The most beloved of my slaves to me are those who are quickest to break their fast.”^[3]

Likewise, it is better to have suḥūr (eating the pre-dawn meal) in the last part of the night, which comes in the ḥadīth Zayd ibn Thābit that they ate saḥūr with the Prophet. Anas [ibn Mālik] asked him: “How much time was between the adhān and saḥūr?”He said: “Enough time to recite fifty verses”- meaning: the Prophet delayed the suḥūr to the last part of the night. Suḥūr is a highly recommended Sunnah as the Prophet said:

«تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً»

“Eat the saḥūr (pre-dawn meal) for there are blessings in the meal.”^[4]

In the second ḥadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb narrated that Allāh’s Messenger said: “If the night approaches from here and the day departs from here then the fasting one is to break his fast.”

“If the night approaches from here”: From the east.

“…and the day departs from here”: From the west.

“…then the fasting one is to break his fast”: When the sun sets and completely disappears, the fasting person should break his fast. This is the case even if some yellowness remains on the mountain tops and trees. However, if the sun has not set but is covered by a mountain, palace or other structure then one should not break their fast until they are certain that it has completely disappeared.

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Source: Explanation of ‘Umdah al-Aḥkām, Dār al-Riyādah (pgs. 254-255)

Footnotes:

[1] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 1957) and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 1098)

[2] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 1941) and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 1100)

[3] Jāmi’ al-Tirmidhī (no. 700)

[4] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 1923) and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 1095)