Hadith Text & Context

"Bilal pronounces the Adhan at night, so keep on eating and drinking (Suhur) till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces the Adhan."

This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 620 establishes the permissibility of continuing Suhur (pre-dawn meal) until the second Adhan, clarifying the distinction between the two calls to prayer.

Scholarly Commentary

Bilal's Adhan was the first call intended to awaken the devout for night prayers and preparation for fasting, while Ibn Um Maktum's Adhan marked the actual beginning of Fajr time when eating must cease.

The wisdom behind two Adhans demonstrates Islam's mercy, allowing sufficient time for spiritual preparation while ensuring clear boundaries for fasting obligations.

Classical scholars emphasize this hadith establishes that fasting begins at true dawn (Fajr al-Sadiq), not at the first Adhan, protecting Muslims from unnecessary hardship in worship.

Juridical Rulings

The consensus of scholars holds that eating and drinking remain permissible until the second Adhan, provided one stops immediately upon hearing it.

If uncertain whether the Adhan is before or after dawn, one should cease eating out of precaution, but if later discovering it was before dawn, the fast remains valid.

This ruling applies equally to all fasting obligations, whether Ramadan, voluntary fasts, or make-up fasts.

Spiritual Lessons

The two Adhans symbolize the balance between Allah's mercy and His commandments - facilitating worship while maintaining divine limits.

Ibn Um Maktum's blindness teaches that spiritual perception transcends physical sight, as he determined prayer times through divine guidance and community knowledge.

This arrangement exemplifies Islam's practical accommodation of human needs within the framework of worship.