First: the Messenger ﷺ explicitly stated in the hadith that there was someone who gave the adhan when dawn broke—namely, Ibn Umm Maktum—thus fulfilling the need. It is well known that if there is someone to give the adhan for the dawn prayer, that suffices.

Second: in the hadith related by the compilers of the major hadith collections, he explained that “Bilal gives the adhan at night in order to awaken the sleeper and send back the one who is praying” (1). His adhan, therefore, was not for the dawn prayer; rather, it was to awaken the sleeper and send back the one who was praying so that they might eat the pre-dawn meal. Hence he said, “Eat and drink until you hear the adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum.”

His statement, “after the middle of the night,” is likewise open to objection. The hadith of Bilal which they cite does not indicate that the adhan was given after the middle of the night; rather, it indicates that it was close to dawn. This is shown by his saying, “Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the adhan,” and, “so that your one who is praying may return and your sleeper may awaken.” This proves that only a brief period separated Bilal’s adhan from dawn—the length of time needed for the fasting person to eat the pre-dawn meal. For this reason, some people might suppose that they should stop eating when Bilal gave the adhan, so the Messenger ﷺ told them: “Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the adhan.” This indicates that Bilal’s adhan was close to the break of dawn.

The second view on this issue is that the adhan before dawn is not valid unless there is someone who gives the adhan after dawn (2). Those who hold this view have some basis in the hadith of Bilal.