The Case of One Who Eats or Drinks but Has Doubts About Its Taking Place before or after Dawn

يُتِمُّ صَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ لْيَقْضِهِ فَإِنْ تَسَحَّرَ فِي غَيْرِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ أَفْطَرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ أَبِي كَانَ لَيْلَةً يُصَلِّي وَ أَنَا آكُلُ فَانْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ أَمَّا جَعْفَرٌ فَقَدْ أَكَلَ وَ شَرِبَ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ فَأَمَرَنِي فَأَفْطَرْتُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ فِي غَيْرِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who eats Suhur (breakfast in the morning before dawn), then comes out of his house to find out when it has already become dawn. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to complete that fast then make Qada’ (compensatory fast) for it; however if such breakfast is in a time o

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[3] عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَكَلَ وَ شَرِبَ بَعْدَ مَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ قَامَ فَنَظَرَ فَلَمْ يَرَ الْفَجْرَ فَأَكَلَ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَرَأَى الْفَجْرَ فَلْيُتِمَّ صَوْمَهُ وَ لَا إِعَادَةَ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ قَامَ فَأَكَلَ وَ شَرِبَ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْفَجْرِ فَرَأَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فَلْيُتِمَّ صَوْمَهُ وَ يَقْضِي يَوْماً آخَرَ لِأَنَّهُ بَدَأَ بِالْأَكْلِ قَبْ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who eats and drinks after dawn in the month of Ramadan. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he got up and looked but did not see the dawn then ate then returned and saw that it was dawn, he is required to complete that fast and there is no Qada’ (compensatory fast) on him. If he get

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع آمُرُ الْجَارِيَةَ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ أَمْ لَا فَتَقُولُ لَمْ يَطْلُعْ فَآكُلُ ثُمَّ أَنْظُرُهُ فَأَجِدُهُ قَدْ طَلَعَ حِينَ نَظَرَتْ قَالَ تُتِمُّ يَوْمَكَ ثُمَّ تَقْضِيهِ أَمَا إِنَّكَ لَوْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي نَظَرْتَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْكَ قَضَاؤُهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of my fasting when I asked the girl to look if it was dawn yet and she said that it was not dawn, yet and I ate; then I looked and saw that it was dawn. He (the Imam) said, ‘You are required to complete that fast and make Qada’ (compensatory fast for it); however, if

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ يَتَسَحَّرُونَ فِي بَيْتٍ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى الْفَجْرِ وَ نَادَاهُمْ فَكَفَّ بَعْضُهُمْ وَ ظَنَّ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَسْخَرُ فَأَكَلَ فَقَالَ يُتِمُّ صَوْمَهُ وَ يَقْضِي.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who along with his friends go for Suhur (breakfast in the morning before dawn) in a house. He looks toward dawn and asks them to stop eating. Certain ones among them stop and others think that he is joking and he eats. He (the Imam) said, ‘He completes that fast and make

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع يَكُونُ عَلَيَّ الْيَوْمُ وَ الْيَوْمَانِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَسَحَّرُ مُصْبِحاً أُفْطِرُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَ أَقْضِي مَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ‌[1] يَوْماً آخَرَ أَوْ أُتِمُّ عَلَى صَوْمِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَ أَقْضِي يَوْماً آخَرَ فَقَالَ لَا بَلْ تُفْطِرُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ لِأَنَّكَ أَكَلْتَ مُصْبِحاً وَ تَقْضِي يَوْماً آخَرَ.

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of my fasting that I owe one or two days of the month of Ramadan. I eat Suhur (breakfast in the morning before dawn) but it is already dawn. Is it necessary for me to eat that day instead of fasting and make Qada’ (compensatory fast) of that day on another day or complet

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ شَرِبَ بَعْدَ مَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ يَصُومُ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ وَ يَقْضِي يَوْماً آخَرَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ قَضَاءً لِرَمَضَانَ فِي شَوَّالٍ أَوْ فِي غَيْرِهِ فَشَرِبَ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ فَلْيُفْطِرْ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ وَ يَقْضِي.

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about a man who drinks after dawn and he does not know that it is the month of Ramadan. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to fast that day and make Qada’ (compensatory fast) on another day, and if it is a Qada’ of the month of Ramadan in (the month of) Shawwal or other times and he d

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[2] عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ قَامَا فَنَظَرَا إِلَى الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا هُوَ ذَا وَ قَالَ الْآخَرُ مَا أَرَى شَيْئاً قَالَ فَلْيَأْكُلِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَسْتَبِنْ لَهُ الْفَجْرُ وَ قَدْ حَرُمَ عَلَى الَّذِي زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ رَأَى الْفَجْرَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ[3].

The one who does not see any dawn, eats but eating is unlawful for one who thinks he has seen the dawn. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, ‘Eat and drink until the white thread appears from the dark thread of dawn/ (2:187)”