In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. It is sunnah to make sehri. If a person is not hungry, he should at least
eat a few dates or anything else no matter how little it may be. If he
does not want to have anything at all, he should at least drink some
water.

2. A person did not make sehri. He merely woke up and ate some
betel-leaves. He will still receive the reward of sehri.

3. As far as is possible, sehri should be delayed. However, it should
not be delayed to the extent that the time of dawn commences and one
begins to have a doubt in one's fast.

4. A person made sehri very early but thereafter he continued having
some betel-leaves, tobacco, tea, water, etc. until just before dawn.
When there was a little time left, he gargled his mouth. He will still get
the reward of delaying his sehri, and the same rule will apply as that
which was mentioned with regard to delaying the sehri.

5. If one'e eyes did not open for sehri and all the members of the
household fell asleep, they should fast despite not having made sehri.
To leave out the fast on account of not making sehri is a sign of lack of
dedication and also a major sin.

6. As long as it is not dawn and the time of fajr salaat does not
commence, the explanation of which has passed in the chapter on the
times of salaat, it is permissible to continue with the sehri. Once this
time expires, sehri is not permissible.

7. A person woke up a bit late and thought that there is some time left.
On this assumption, he made sehri. Later he learnt that he had actually
made sehri after dawn. His fast will not be valid. He should make qada
but kaffarah will not be wajib. However, he should still abstain from
eating or drinking anything and remain like any normal fasting person.
In the same way, if a person thinks that the sun has set and opens his
fast and thereafter the sun appears, his fast will break. He will have to
make qada of this but there will be no kaffarah on him. After having
learnt that the sun has not set as yet, he should abstain from consuming
anything until sunset.

8. If a person gets delayed in waking up for sehri to such an extent that
he is in doubt as to whether there is any time left or not, it will be makruh
to consume anything. If he eats or drinks anything at such a time, he
has committed an evil act and sinned. Later, if he learns that it was
already the time of dawn, he will have to keep qada of that fast. But if he
does not learn anything and remains in doubt, it will not be wajib to
keep the qada fast. However, caution demands that he keep that qada
fast.

9. When a person is sure that the sun has set, it is mustahab for him to
open his fast immediately. It is makruh to delay in opening the fast.

10. One should delay in opening the fast on a cloudy day. When one is
sure that the sun must have definitely set, then only should one open
one's fast and make iftaar. Do not depend on watches and clocks until
and unless your heart is at ease because it is possible that the watch is
incorrect. In fact, even if the adhaan is heard from somewhere and
there is still a doubt as to whether the time is really up or not, even in
such a case it is not permissible to open the fast.

11. It is preferable to open the fast with dates. If these are not available,
any other sweet substance will suffice. And if even this is not available,
open the fast with water. Some men and women open their fast with
rough salt and regard this to be an act of reward. This is an incorrect
belief.

12. As long as there is a doubt as to whether the sun has set or not, it is
not permissible to make iftaar.