This benefit is about hastening to break the fast and not waiting for the Muadhin (the one who gives the athan [call to prayer]). You find many people today delaying the iftar even after the time has entered according to the timetable and instead wait for the Muadhin. The Muadhin himself sometimes delays the time for the adhan due to breaking the fast himself or with the argument of making sure that the time entered. In either case, the Salaf used to hasten to break the fast and they did not wait for the Muadhin. If the time entered, the Sunnah is to break the fast.
The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam 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 sallahu alayhi wa salam 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 sallahu alayhi wa salam, he would order a man to ascend a high place. If he [the man] said: the sun has set, he sallahu alayhi wa salam 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 sallahu alayhi wa salam to hasten to break the fast after he sallahu alayhi wa salam 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 sallahu alayhi wa salam could break his fast. And that did not occur from him except to affirm his statement sallahu alayhi wa salam: “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: Its 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 sallahu alayhi wa salam 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
