Duration of Fast

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah : Ayah 187]

“And eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night.”

Doing Sehri Late

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 140]

Narrated Hazrat Adi bin Hatim (Radi Allah Anhu): When the above verses was revealed: “Until the white thread appears to you , distinct from the black thread,” I took two (hair) strings one black and one white , and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam), and told him the whole story. He explained me, “That the verse means the darkness of night and blackness of drawn.”

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 146]

Narrated Anas bin Malik (Radi Allah Anhu), The Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “Take Sehri as there is a blessing in it.”

Interval between Sehri and Fajr Prayer

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 144]

Narrated Hazrat Anas (Radi Allah Anhu) : Zaid bin Thabit (Radi Allah Anhu) said, ” We took the Sehri with Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) then He (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) stood for As-Salat (the prayer).” I asked, “What was the interval between the Sahur and the Adhan?” He replied, “The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of Quran.”

Doing Iftar Early

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 178]

Narrated Hazrat Sahl bin Sa’d (Radi Allah Anhu): Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the Iftar.”

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 177]

Narrated Ibn Abi Aufa (Radi Allah Anhu), Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, “When you see night falling from this side, the person observing fast should break its fast”, and he beckoned with his finger towards east.

[Sahih Bukhari : volume 3, Book 31, Number 180]

Hazrat Asma bin Abi Bakr (Radi Allah Anhu) said, “We broke our fast during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) on a cloudy day and then the sun appeared.”