The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الْفِطْرَ
“The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast.”
[Saheeh al-Bukhari no. 1957]
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to hasten to break the fast without waiting for the Muadhin:
Proof:
كان إذا كان صائما أمر رجلا فأوفى على نشز ، فإذا قال : قد غابت الشمس أفطر
“If he was fasting (ﷺ) , he would order a man to ascend a high place. If he [the mann] said: the sun has set, he (ﷺ) used to break his fast“
[Silsilatus-Saheeha (5/118)]
Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah wrote commenting on the above Hadith:
“I say: in this Hadith is his concern(ﷺ) to hasten to break the fast after the he (ﷺ) was sure the sun set. So he ordered the one who ascended a high place to inform him of the setting of the sun so he (ﷺ) could break his fast. And that did not occur from him except to affirm his statement (ﷺ) : “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast.” It is investigated in al-Irwaa (917). It is truly unfortunate that we see the people today opposing the Sunnah. For verily many of them see the sun set with their eyes and along with that do not break their fast until they hear the adhan of the land…” [Then the Shaikh mentioned two reasons for this ignorance]
The Companions radiallahu anhumma used to hasten to break their fast and they too did not wait for the Muadhin
Proof:
حدثنا وهب بن بقية ، أخبرنا خالد ، عن حميد ، عن أنس ، أنه لم يكن ينتظر المؤذن في الإفطار وكان يعجل الفطر
“Anas ibn Malik radiallahu anhu did not wait for the Muadhin for Iftar. He used to hasten to break the fast”
[Reported by al-Firyaabi in as-Siyaam no. 51 and something similar was reported by at-Tabarani in Mu’jam al-Kabir no. 677. The Muhaqiq of as-Siyam by al-Firyaabi, Abdul Wakeel an-Nadwi, said: It’s chain is strong (pg. 58). And it is as he said ]
Some of the Companions radiallahu anahum used to hasten to break their fast so much that they would hide from the people lest they see them!
Proof:
حدثنا أبو معاوية عن الأعمش عن مجاهد قال : إني كنت لآتي ابن عمر بفطره فأغطيه استحياء من الناس أن يروه
Mujahid said: “I used to bring Ibn Umar radiallahu anhumma his iftar and he used to hide it out of shyness that the people would see him”
[Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf and its chain is Saheeh]
So let us practice the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and break the fast as soon as the time enters and let us not delay it waiting for the Muadhin.
May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
