Break your fast a few minutes early?
by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (daamat barakaatuhum)
For many years, without fail, I have been giving an example in the month of Ramadaan, that at the end of a very, very hot and long day of Summer, a person is sitting at the dastarkhaan (table cloth), close to the time of Iftaar, waiting patiently to open his fast. There is just 3 minutes left for the setting of the sun when he is told: "Eat! .. , What difference will it make if you break your fast now? What is another 2 or 3 minutes? ... You have already stayed away from food and drink for almost 15 -~ 16 hours."
Even if this happens to be the weakest Muslim, in respect to obeying Allah Ta'ala, he will respond: "It is the ruling of the Qur'aan and the Ahadith that I break my fast after the setting of the sun and not before that time. It is the command of Allah Ta'ala and I cannot disobey Him."
The weakest person's Imaan becomes so strong at this stage of his fast, that he will not break his fast. He will refuse to break his fast, even if the world's great personalities have to say so.
So we should question ourselves and also answer truthfully: Is it not the Hukm, the Command of that same Allah, to perform Salaah five times a day and for the men, in the Musijd, in Jamaat as far as possible? Is it not the Command of that same Allah to correctly discharge our Zakaah, perform Haj, treat our parents with love and respect, be faithful to our wives and treat them with compassion and vice versa for the wives, be honest in our business dealings and be kind and just to those under our authority?
