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Is it permissible to rely on the mosque's call to prayer (adhan) which is five minutes later than the electronic adhan for abstaining from food and drink during fasting, or must one rely on the electronic adhan?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the muezzin's call to prayer aligns with the common calendar in your country, there is no harm in relying on it, even if it is later than the timing of a specific program. However, if the muezzin is not known for accuracy, it is safer to rely on the timing of the aforementioned program due to its accuracy and reliability.

Making a mistake by stopping eating early is less severe than making a mistake by eating after dawn breaks, based on the saying of Ibn Baz: "If he hears the adhan and knows that it is called at dawn, he must stop eating." If one does not know the muezzin's situation, it is safer to stop eating upon hearing the adhan. Therefore, one should be cautious by acting according to both the adhan and the calendars, in accordance with the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) sayings: "Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt," and "Whoever guards against doubtful matters, he has indeed made his religion and his honor blameless."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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