When does fasting begin and when does it end?

متى يبدأ الصيام و متى ينتهي؟

Fasting in Islam is defined by a specific daily timeframe. A Muslim must completely abstain from all nullifiers of the fast, such as eating, drinking, and intimate relations, starting exactly from the break of true dawn until the complete setting of the sun.

يُعرّف الصيام في الإسلام بإطار زمني يومي محدد. يجب على المسلم الامتناع تماماً عن جميع المفطرات، كالأكل والشرب والعلاقة الزوجية، بدءاً من طلوع الفجر الصادق وحتى غروب الشمس بالكامل.

The fast is bound by distinct times during the day, marking when to abstain and when it is permissible to break the fast.

يرتبط الصيام بأوقات مميزة خلال اليوم، تحدد متى يجب الإمساك ومتى يُسمح بالإفطار.

The Boundaries of the Daily Fast | حدود الصيام اليومي

1. Abstaining from Nullifiers
The fasting person must abstain from all the things that break the fast (eating, drinking and sexual intercourse) from dawn to sunset. (This timeframe is strictly tied to astronomical phenomena, specifically the true dawn and the complete disappearance of the sun's disk below the horizon. The Prophet ﷺ said: "When the night approaches from this side and the day retreats from that side and the sun sets, then the fasting person breaks his fast." Sahih Al-Bukhari 1954)
1. الإمساك عن المفطرات
يجب أن يمسك الصائم عن كل المفطرات ( الأكل و الشرب و الجماع) من طلوع الفجر إلى غروب الشمس. (وهذا الإطار الزمني مرتبط بدقة بالظواهر الفلكية، وتحديداً الفجر الصادق والاختفاء الكامل لقرص الشمس تحت الأفق. قال النبي ﷺ: "إذا أقبل الليل من ها هنا، وأدبر النهار من ها هنا، وغربت الشمس، فقد أفطر الصائم" صحيح البخاري 1954)

2. The Quranic Command
(You may˺ eat and drink until you see the light of dawn breaking the darkness of night, then complete the fast until nightfall.) Al-Baqara 2: 187. (This divine verse clearly sets the boundaries, demonstrating the mercy of Allah in making the fast manageable by defining a clear beginning and end to the daily worship).
2. الأمر القرآني
(وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ )البقرة 2: 187. (تضع هذه الآية الكريمة الحدود بوضوح، مما يدل على رحمة الله في تيسير فريضة الصيام على عباده من خلال تحديد بداية ونهاية واضحة للعبادة اليومية).

Scholarly Insight: In Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), the precise timing of the fast is a critical condition for its validity. The "white thread" mentioned in the Quran refers to the true dawn (Fajr Sadiq), which is the horizontal spread of light across the horizon, not the false dawn (Fajr Kadhib) which is a vertical column of light. Furthermore, scholars emphasize that the intention (Niyyah) to perform the obligatory fast of Ramadan must be established in the heart before this true dawn occurs. Breaking the fast should be done promptly once the sun has completely set, as the Prophet ﷺ heavily encouraged hastening the breaking of the fast to maintain the physical well-being of the fasting person and to distinguish Islamic practice from the practices of previous nations.

Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة

When exactly must a person stop eating to begin their fast?

A person must stop eating and drinking the moment the true dawn (Fajr) breaks. This is visually described in the Quran as the white thread of dawn becoming distinct from the black thread of night.

When is it permissible to break the fast?

The fast ends, and it becomes permissible to eat and drink again, immediately upon the complete setting of the sun, which marks the beginning of the night (Maghrib).

What are the main things a fasting person must abstain from during these hours?

From dawn to sunset, the fasting person must completely abstain from eating, drinking, and intimate sexual relations with their spouse.

Chapter 3.2 - Fasting

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