When Should Plane Passengers Break Fast?
As-salamu `alaykum. Your Eminence Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, what is the legal ruling concerning plane passengers who do not break their fast in Ramadan while traveling, and when the sun is about to set, the crew announces the time of Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer according to the time of the town they are flying over, though the passengers still can see the sun for a long or a short time, especially when the plane is flying toward the west?Another similar case is that of the people dwelling on very high floors or near tops of mountains, or those working in high lighthouses. In such cases, the media announces the time of Maghrib Prayer, and the muezzins announce the Adhan. However, such people still can see the sun going to set. So should they break their fast based on what they hear or on what they actually see? Also, what is the ruling pertaining to such people's abstaining from eating, drinking, and having sexual intercourse? Should this issue be considered at all prayer times, that is, at Fajr, Zhuhr, etc.? We hope your eminence will clarify the legal ruling pertaining to this issue, and ask Allah to make your age longer, your deeds pious, and to let people benefit from you and your knowledge. Jazakum Allah khayran.