Every Ramadan, the same questions come up: When exactly do I have to stop eating? Is "imsak" the same as Fajr? Why does my mosque's calendar say iftar is at 18:42 while an app says 18:39? This guide answers them step by step, so you can read any Ramadan timetable with confidence.
When the fast begins and ends
The daily fast runs from true dawn to sunset. The Quran describes the start in Surah al-Baqarah (2:187): eat and drink "until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread", then complete the fast until the night.
In practice, this means:
- The fast begins at true dawn (al-fajr al-sadiq) — the moment a horizontal band of light spreads along the eastern horizon. This is also the start of the Fajr prayer time. Turkish speakers call it sabah sadık.
- The fast ends at sunset, when the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon. This is the start of Maghrib, and the moment of iftar.
True dawn is distinguished from "false dawn" (al-fajr al-kadhib), a faint vertical glow that appears earlier and then fades. The fast is tied to true dawn, not the false one.
Because nobody watches the horizon every morning anymore, timetables calculate dawn from the sun's angle below the horizon. Different authorities use different angles — for example, the Turkish Diyanet uses 18° and Indonesia's Kemenag uses 20°. A larger angle means an earlier dawn, so the start of the fast can differ by several minutes depending on which method your calendar follows.
What "imsak" means — it depends on where you are
Imsak literally means "to hold back" or "to abstain". The word is used everywhere, but it does not point to the same minute in every country.
Turkey and Turkish communities abroad
In Diyanet calendars, imsak is the start of Fajr. It is the last moment of sahur and the beginning of the fast. When a Turkish timetable shows "İmsak 05:12", that is the time you must stop eating, and it is also when the Fajr prayer time starts. Turkish mosques in Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere generally follow the same convention.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore
In Southeast Asia, Imsak is a precautionary time about 10 minutes before Subuh (Fajr). It is a reminder to finish eating, not the actual start of the fast. Strictly speaking, the fast begins at Subuh; the Imsak column simply gives you a safety buffer.
Why this matters
If you move between these conventions — for example, an Indonesian student in Istanbul or a Turkish family visiting Malaysia — the word "imsak" can mislead you by about ten minutes. Always check whether your timetable's imsak is Fajr or comes before Fajr.
| Convention | What "imsak" shows | When the fast actually starts |
|---|---|---|
| Diyanet (Turkey) | Start of Fajr | At imsak |
| Kemenag (Indonesia), Malaysia, Singapore | About 10 min before Subuh | At Subuh |
Suhoor: eat, and don't rush it
Suhoor (Turkish sahur, Indonesian sahur) is the pre-dawn meal. Two themes from the Sunnah are well known:
- Suhoor is encouraged. In a hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said that there is blessing (barakah) in suhoor.
- It is recommended to delay it toward the end of the night. In a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, Zayd ibn Thabit described the gap between finishing suhoor and standing for the prayer as roughly the time it takes to recite fifty verses.
Delaying suhoor does not mean eating up to the last second. A sensible approach is to finish a few minutes before your local imsak or Fajr time, especially if your calendar's method differs from your mosque's. If you wake up late and dawn has clearly arrived, scholars discuss the ruling in detail; ask your local imam rather than guessing.
Iftar: break the fast promptly
The opposite applies at the other end of the day. A hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim states that people will remain in goodness as long as they hasten to break the fast. Hastening means breaking the fast once sunset is confirmed — not waiting until it is fully dark, and not breaking it before sunset either.
Many people break the fast with dates and water, then pray Maghrib, then eat the main meal. Since Maghrib time is limited, it helps to keep the first bite small so the prayer is not delayed too much.
Why iftar times differ by a minute or two
You may notice that two calendars for the same city disagree on sunset by one to several minutes. That is normal. The main reasons:
Atmospheric refraction
The atmosphere bends sunlight, so you can still see the sun when it is already geometrically below the horizon. Standard calculations account for this by defining sunset as the moment the sun's centre is about 0.833° below the horizon (refraction plus the sun's apparent radius). Real refraction varies with temperature and pressure, so the true moment can shift slightly from day to day.
Elevation and the horizon
Calculations usually assume a flat horizon at sea level. If you are on a high floor, a hill or a mountain, you see the sun set later. If mountains block your western horizon, it disappears earlier. City timetables pick one reference point for everyone.
Safety margins (temkin / ihtiyat)
Many authorities add a few precautionary minutes to the calculated sunset so that nobody breaks the fast too early anywhere in the city. Diyanet calls this temkin; in Indonesia, Kemenag applies an ihtiyat of about two minutes. A calendar that applies no margin will show an earlier iftar time than one that does.
City boundaries and rounding
A large city spans many kilometres from east to west, and sunset moves across it. Some calendars use the city centre, others the western edge. Rounding to the whole minute adds another small difference.
The practical rule: follow the timetable used by your local mosque or religious authority, and don't mix one calendar's imsak with another calendar's iftar.
Ramadan 1448 AH: expected dates
Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with the exact date depending on the moon sighting or calculation method used in your country. Some countries announce the start based on astronomical calculation in advance; others wait for a sighting on the evening of the 29th of Sha'ban. The official announcement from your local authority — Diyanet in Turkey, Kemenag in Indonesia, or your national council or mosque elsewhere — is what decides.
Practical tips for the month
- Get your city's timetable early. Make sure it is for your city, not a nearby one. Even a 100 km difference east or west can shift times by several minutes.
- Match the method to your community. Many prayer apps let you choose the calculation method. In WAQT you can pick from 25 methods, including Turkey's Diyanet and Indonesia's Kemenag, and fine-tune each prayer by a few minutes so it matches your mosque's printed calendar exactly.
- Set two alarms for suhoor. One to wake up with enough time to eat calmly, and one shortly before imsak. A pre-prayer reminder works well here: WAQT can alert you 15, 30 or 45 minutes before Fajr, in addition to the adhan at Fajr and Maghrib time.
- Look at the whole month at once. Dawn gets earlier or later every day, so a monthly view helps you plan your sleep and cooking. WAQT's prayer calendar shows each day's times for the month alongside the Hijri date.
- Plan for travel. If you travel during Ramadan, your fasting times follow the place where you are, not your home city. Update your location when you arrive.
Getting ready for Ramadan
Know which convention your calendar uses for imsak, pick a timetable that matches your local mosque, and set your reminders before the first night. With those three things in place, you can stop worrying about the clock and focus on the month itself.