Can We Rely on Ramadan Timetables?

Question

Can we rely on the Umm al-Quraa Ramadan timetable for fasting and prayer times if our city has its own timetable with slight differences?

Bottom Line

You should follow the timetable specific to your city or region. The Umm al-Quraa timetable is accurate for Makkah, but prayer and fasting times differ slightly across locations.

Quick Answer

Timetables are reliable only when made for your specific city. The Umm al-Quraa timetable is correct for Makkah but not for al-Qunfudhah or other cities with different coordinates. Using a local timetable ensures you start and end fasting at the right times. Scholars, including Ibn Baz and the Saudi Grand Mufti, affirmed Umm al-Quraa’s accuracy for Makkah, but they also stressed that each city must follow its own timings.

Key Takeaways

• Prayer and fasting times differ by location, even within the same country.
• Local timetables prepared by scholars and experts should be followed.
• Relying on another city’s schedule may cause you to fast or pray too early or late.

Detailed Answer

Prayer and fasting are tied to natural signs: the true dawn (Fajr) and sunset (Maghrib). Because these vary by geography, no two cities will have identical times unless they are extremely close.

The Umm al-Quraa timetable is recognized as accurate for Makkah. Scholars such as Shaykh Ibn Baz (RA) and the current Saudi Grand Mufti have confirmed its reliability. However, that accuracy applies to Makkah, not to other regions. For example, al-Qunfudhah lies south of Makkah and has differences of several minutes in Fajr, Zuhr, and Maghrib times.

Relying on Makkah’s timetable in another city can cause problems: fasting may begin after dawn or end before sunset. For this reason, scholars insist on following local timetables prepared by qualified committees. Where no such timetable exists, one should observe the sky directly (true dawn and sunset) or follow a trustworthy mu’adhdhin who calls the adhaan at the proper time.

This ensures your fasts and prayers align with Allah’s commands, avoiding mistakes caused by misplaced reliance on another city’s schedule.

What This Means for You

If you live outside Makkah, follow the timetable issued for your city, not the one for Umm al-Qura. Local timetables are more accurate for your fasting and prayers. This safeguards your worship and avoids falling into error.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Qur’an

1. Al-Baqarah 2:187: Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of night, then complete the fast until nightfall.

Hadith

2. Sahih al-Bukhari 1905: The Prophet ﷺ said, “When night falls from this side and the day departs from this side, and the sun has set, the fasting person may break his fast.”

Secondary Sources

3. Shaykh Ibn Baz, Statement (1418 AH), affirming the accuracy of the Umm al-Quraa timetable for Makkah.
4. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Fatawa, on minor differences in Fajr time (~5 minutes).
5. Official fatwas of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and the Standing Committee on prayer timetables.