Scholarly Consensus: Faj’r begins at 18 degrees

Conclusions:

1. Based on near unanimous opinion of Ulama and observations in United Kingdom and Canada 18 degrees should be adopted for Subh Sadiq (true dawn) i.e. commencement of fasting and Faj'r Salah. Click here to read a detailed article on how to calculate these times for your location.
2. When 18 degrees is not present, Aqrabul Ayyam (nearest day), Aqrabul Bilaad (nearest city) or Nisf ul Lail (half of night) should be adopted. Using Sab’al Layl or 1/7th of the night is a manifest error.

Key Ulama endorsing conclusions:

1. Shaykh (Maulana) Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) [1863-1943]
2. Shaykh (Mufti) Muhammad Shafi Usmani (RA) [1897-1976]
3. Darul-uloom Karachi Fatwa
4. Darul-uloom (Jamia) Farooqia (Karachi):
5. Darul-uloom Binori Town (Karachi)
6. Shaykh (Mufti) Rafi Usmani (HA)
7. Shaykh (Mufti) Taqi Usmani (HA)
8. Mufti Ismail Bhadkodrawi (HA) [Khantaria, India]
9. 1983 consensus of British Deobandi Ulama
10. Shaykh (Maulana) Yakub Qasmi (HA) [UK]
11. Shaykh (Mufti) Shabbir Ahmed (HA) [UK]
12. Shaykh (Mufti) Yusuf Sacha (HA) [UK]
13. Shaykh (Mufti) Yusuf Danka (HA) [UK]
14. Shaykh (Mufti) Ebrahim Desai (HA) [South Africa]
15. Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada
16. Shaykh Nuh Keller (HA) (HA) [Jordon]
17. Shaykh (Dr) Haitham Al-Haddad (HA) [UK]
18.  Shaykh (Maulana) Saleem Dhorat (HA) [UK]
19. Shaykh (Mufti) Zubair Dudha (HA) (Islamic Tarbiyah Academy)

www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Acts-of-Worship/scholarl...

This is an extensive article on the subject of start of Faj’r and commencement of Fasting. You are requesting to help in safeguarding the fasting and acts of worship of our Muslim Brothers and Sisters by forwarding this link to as many people as you can.

Based on Part 3 listing the Fatwa of Shaykh (Mufti) Shabbir Ahmed Saheb (HA) and checked by his son (last night), teh concluding words are however mine so please suggest a suitable conclusion summarising the Fatwa.

Jzk

Canadian Observational data has been removed from  Jami'yyatul Ulama Canada, see here:

salahtimes.wikispaces.com/Important+Documents

Mufti Sajid Patel (HA) has been notified but I am desperate for those documents!

Stranger things have happened in the world like the Saudees catching the moon through an eclipse! :P

Correct, see blog here because Esha is a separate issue...

www.muftisays.com/blog/Muadh_Khan/3393_31-07-2013/an-expl...

Mufti Saheb,

Shaykh (Mufti) Shabbir Ahmed (HA) and other Ulama has given a Fatwa for UK that it is incorrect, I have merely summarised it as one-line due to short attention span of people.

1. Please read Part 3
2. Forumulate your words as Summary and I will paste Insha'Allah what you deem to be the correct Summary.

When 18 degrees is not present, Aqrabul Ayyam (nearest day), Aqrabul Bilaad (nearest city) or Nisf ul Lail (half of night) method should be adopted. Using Sab’al Layl or 1/7th of the night is a manifest error.

The line in contention is in in Italics and ready to change to whatever you percieve to be a better summary inline with the Fatwa.

No Mufti Saheb please do critique as it gives us a chance to learn, Insha'Allah. My limited understanding is that all 4 methods are Taqdeeri but 1/7th method cannot be applied to UK because our twilight times greatly vary.

1. The minimum observed Subh-Sadiq to Fajar time in UK (anytime) during the year is 113 minutes (roughly)
2. Our the longest Night is 971 minutes and shortest night is 442 minutes. This means that 1/7th on longest night is roughly 138 minutes and shortest is 63 minutes so Shaykh (Mufti) Shabbir Ahmed Saheb (HA) is saying that the 1/7th rule cannot be applied to UK throughout all seasons and all intervals.

Now lets look at specifics to deduce the Fatwa of Shaykh (Mufti) Shabbir Ahmed (HA)...

London:

From 23rd of May to 20th of July we don't get 18 degrees due to perpetual twilight.

23rd of May:

Sabal-Layl Method Calculation:

Sunrise: 04:59

Sunset: 18:25

Night Time = (Roughly) 10 Hours and 33 Minutes or 10.566 Hours

1/7rd of Night (Duration) = 1.509 or roughly 90 minutes

Therefore Subh-Sadiq that day will be (roughly) = 03:29

Aqrabul-Ayyam Method:

Subh-Sadiq previous day is on = 01:06

Aqrabul-Bilad Method (Paris is closest to London):

Subh-Sadiq that day is on = 02:19 (or 01:19 with the time difference)

20th of July:

Sabal-Layl Method Calculation:

Sunrise: 05:07

Sunset: 18:34

Night Time = (Roughly) 10 Hours and 33 Minutes or 10.566 Hours

1/7rd of Night (Duration) = 1.509 or roughly 90 minutes

Therefore Subh-Sadiq that day will be (roughly) = 03:27

Aqrabul-Ayyam Method:

Subh-Sadiq next day is on = 01:37

Aqrabul-Bilad Method (Paris is closest to London):

Subh-Sadiq that day is on = 02:28 (or 01:28 with the time difference)