Doubt Concerning the Onset of Dawn

Question: What is the ruling for someone who is unsure whether dawn has broken? May he continue to eat and drink, or must he withhold until he is certain it has come, or should he act on his doubt? Kindly advise me, and may Allah bless you.

Answer: Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread; then complete the fast until nightfall” (al-Baqarah 2:187). Therefore, once he is certain that dawn has risen, eating and drinking become forbidden and he is obliged to refrain.

If, however, he is not certain and still doubts whether dawn has broken, the safer course is for him to abstain from food and drink, as a precaution and to steer clear of doubtful matters. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt,” and he also said: “Whoever avoids doubtful matters has protected his religion and his honor.” Hence it is better for him to withhold and to stop eating and drinking as long as he fears that dawn may already have broken.

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Supplication at the Time of Breaking the Fast

Question: What supplication has been authentically transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ for the moment of breaking the fast and for the pre-dawn meal (suḥūr)?