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Fatwa CenterTime of the first Fajr Athaan
Question
Regarding the first Athaan of Fajr, when should it be given, i.e., how long before the arrival of Fajr?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The scholars
differed in opinion with regard to the first Fajr Athaan. The Shaafi'ee and Hanbali schools are of the view that its time is the second (last) part of the night. Nonetheless, the Maaliki school is of the view that it is in the sixth last part of the night. The evidence that the second view is the most correct is the narration reported by Ibn 'Umar 
which reads: "The Prophet 
had two persons who called the Athaan, Bilaal and Ibn Umm Maktoom 
. He said: "Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoom calls for the Athaan." He [Ibn 'Umar] said: "The difference between the two is very short, as long as it would take one to descend, and the other one to ascend." [Muslim] This is evidence that the first Athaan is close to the time of the beginning of the real time of Fajr. Ibn Hajar
said: 'This is evidence for those who are of the opinion that the time of the first Athaan is the time of Suhoor [the predawn meal]." The other evidence is the narration reported by Ibn Mas'ood that the Prophet said: "The Athaan given by Bilaal should not prevent you from having your Suhoor, as he calls when it is still night so that a person who is performing night prayer would end his prayer, and so that the sleeping people would wake up." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] So, Bilaal used to call Athaan by Suhoor time.
Allaah Knows best.
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