What is the ruling on eating at the time of the Fajr adhan, based on the hadith: "If the prayer is established and the vessel is in the hand of one of you, he should not put it down until he has satisfied his need"?

A fasting person must abstain from all things that break the fast from the rise of true dawn, not from the adhan (call to prayer), due to Allah’s saying: ﴿And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 187].

Thus, whoever is certain of the rise of true dawn must abstain. He must spit out whatever is in his mouth, otherwise his fast will be invalid. As for one who is not certain of the rise of dawn, he may eat until he is certain. Likewise, if he knows that the muezzin calls the adhan before its time or he has doubts, he may eat, though it is preferable for him to abstain as soon as he hears the adhan.

As for the hadith, “If one of you hears the call to prayer and the vessel is in his hand, he should not put it down until he has satisfied his need from it,” scholars have interpreted it to mean that the muezzin was calling the adhan before the rise of dawn. The majority of scholars, including the four Imams, are of the opinion that one must cease suhoor (pre-dawn meal) upon the rise of dawn.

If the muezzin calls the adhan after the rise of dawn, one must abstain immediately upon hearing the call. However, if he calls the adhan based on a schedule or clock, the matter is less strict. One who is not certain of the rise of dawn is not harmed if he eats or drinks upon hearing the adhan, but it is preferable to be cautious and abstain, especially given the current reliance on calendars which may not be entirely accurate.