The Time of Breaking Fast after Sunset

وَقْتُ سُقُوطِ الْقُرْصِ وَ وُجُوبِ الْإِفْطَارِ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ أَنْ يَقُومَ بِحِذَاءِ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ يَتَفَقَّدَ الْحُمْرَةَ الَّتِي تَرْتَفِعُ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَإِذَا جَازَتْ قِمَّةَ الرَّأْسِ‌[3] إِلَى نَاحِيَةِ الْمَغْرِبِ فَقَدْ وَجَبَ الْإِفْطَارُ وَ سَقَطَ الْقُرْصُ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘At the time of the fall of the disc (sunset) and obligatory breakfast, one can stand in front of al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) and look for the redness that rises from the east. When it (redness) passes overhead toward the west, breaking fast becomes obligatory and the disk has fallen (it is

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا غَابَتِ الْحُمْرَةُ مِنْ هَذَا الْجَانِبِ يَعْنِي نَاحِيَةَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَقَدْ غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ فِي شَرْقِ الْأَرْضِ وَ غَرْبِهَا.

When the redness disappears from this side (the east), it is sunset all over the east and west of the earth (land).”’

سُئِلَ عَنِ الْإِفْطَارِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ بَعْدَهَا قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ قَوْمٌ يَخْشَى أَنْ يَحْبِسَهُمْ عَنْ عَشَائِهِمْ فَلْيُفْطِرْ مَعَهُمْ وَ إِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَ لْيُفْطِرْ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about breaking fast if it is before or after Salat (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘If he (the Imam) is afraid of keeping them from their dinner, first it is breaking fast with them; otherwise, first is Salat (prayer), then it is breaking the fast.’”