Is My Fast Invalid If I Eat after Dawn in Ramadan Mistakenly?

Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

What is the ruling for someone who, during Ramadan, eats or drinks after dawn, mistakenly believing that dawn has not yet arrived?

Answer

In the name of Allah,

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, his Family, and all his Companions.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is an individual obligation upon every morally responsible Muslim. It is essential to perform this duty in the best way possible, including being mindful of the time of abstention as dawn approaches.

The fasting person must abstain before dawn, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to do. Narrated by Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them), the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“Bilal calls to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum calls to prayer,” or he said, “until you hear Ibn Umm Maktum’s call to prayer.” Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man who would not call to prayer until told by the people that morning had come. [Bukhari]

Imam Muslim also narrated this hadith but with different wording.

Eating or Drinking after Dawn by Mistake

There are situations where a Muslim may have limited time for Suhur due to an excuse such as forgetfulness, distraction, or being occupied with an important matter. As a result, they may delay eating their Suhur until time becomes tight, prompting them to hastily eat and drink, fearing the dawn. They believe that dawn has not yet arrived, but in reality, it has. The ruling in this case varies depending on the different circumstances.

The first situation: If someone eats or drinks based on their own judgment, thinking it is before dawn, and then it becomes clear that they were mistaken and had eaten during the daytime, their fast is invalid ( and requires make up) because there is no consideration for an assumption that is clearly erroneous.

The second situation: If someone eats or drinks without a valid assumption, simply rushing into eating and drinking without any sign or effort to determine the time, and it turns out that dawn had already arrived at the time of eating, they are required to make up the fast and are considered sinful.

Conclusion

In summary, abstention and making up the fast are obligatory in both cases, with the difference between them being the matter of sin. In the case of making an effort, there is no sin, while in the case of rushing without due diligence, there is a sin.

It is obligatory for Muslims to be aware of these matters and the Islamic rulings so that their worship is based on insight. We ask Allah to grant us a deep understanding of the religion and to guide us on the path of His pious servants. Allah is the Provider and Helper.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen. He was born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.

Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.

His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” and “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh.” He has also verified several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).