18 Degree Fajr Explained: for a more cautious fast of the month of Ramadan
The following post is meant to highlight a more cautionary practice with regards to fasting in the month of Ramadan. The author makes no absolute claims as to the true, calculated, astronomical arrival of Fajr. When in doubt, please consult your local Imam and follow your local masjid.
In the United States, most prayer apps default to a “15 degree” Fajr time. But there is a strong position that Fajr starts earlier at “18 degrees.”
As the image below shows:
First, 18° Fajr comes in
Later, 15° Fajr comes in
Eventually, sunrise occurs and Fajr ends
Example:
18° Fajr time = 5:25 AM
15° Fajr time = 5:44 AM
Sunrise = 6:57 AM
So, how does this affect us? Well, usually throughout the year it doesn’t. Because if we pray Fajr at the 15° time our app shows us, then it’s actually even more cautious with our prayer— the longer you wait, the more obvious it becomes that Fajr is in.
But, in Ramadan, being cautious with our fasts actually means taking into account the earlier 18° Fajr time.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. We know we have to stop eating when Fajr time comes in
2. There is a difference of opinion on whether Fajr starts earlier, at the 18° time
3. To ensure we are not eating during the fast, it is more cautious to stop eating earlier, when the 18° Fajr time arrives
While some well respected institutions, such as Darul Qasim, are advocates for the 18° Fajr time¹, many in America follow the Fiqh Council of North America which has settled on an approximate 15° Fajr time². Even so, the following is an excerpt from the position of the Fiqh Council of North America:
“The Fiqh Council decided that Muslims should choose one approximate time of 15° for all regions. Even though this calculation is not exact, it is a good estimation for Fajr and ʿIsha’ prayer times as explained by expert astronomers that were consulted.”²
Accordingly, it’s important to understand that even if one follows a 15° Fajr time on the basis of the Fiqh Council of North America, they recommend to “hasten the start of fasting by a few minutes to ensure that the time to stop eating has not entered.”³
If you are interested in knowing when the 18° Fajr time is, simply open up your preferred prayer app and customize the settings for calculating Fajr.
The following clip is the recommendation of Shaykh Yahya Rhodus with regards to this subject⁴:
The following is a suggested nightly routine proposed by Ustadh Mostafa Azzam⁵:
SUGGESTED NIGHTLY ROUTINE
Pre-18°: Finish eating and praying time-sensitive night prayers.
18°-15°: Engage in nafl prayer, dhikr, dua, Qur'an, etc.
Post-15°: Pray Fajr.
Basically, treat 18° as the official end of your night and 15° as the official start of your day, and use the time in between freely for "unofficial" worship.
References:
[1] The Timing of Fajr and 18 Degrees - Darul Qasim
[2] Fajr and Isha Timings are Fifteen Degrees - Fiqh Council of North America
[3] The Suggested Calculation Method for Fajr and Isha - Fiqh Council of North America
[4] On Fasting (6) - Fasting with Excellence (Part Two) w/ Shaykh Yahya Rhodus - Al-Maqasid
[5] Suggested Nightly Routine - Mostafa Azzam