Every Ramadan, families pin a Sehri and Iftar timetable to the fridge, and every year someone asks why the mosque's timetable is a few minutes different from the one on their phone. This guide explains exactly what the two times mean, how they are calculated, and why timetables differ.
When does Sehri end?
Sehri (also called Suhoor) is the pre-dawn meal. The fast begins at true dawn (Subh Sadiq), when the first light spreads across the horizon. That is the same moment as the start of Fajr prayer time. The Quran describes it as the time when "the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of night" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:187).
So the "Sehri ends" time in a timetable is the Fajr time. Many timetables, and many scholars, advise stopping eating a few minutes earlier as a precaution (ihtiyat). Some calendars print this as a separate "Imsak" time, usually 5 to 10 minutes before Fajr.
When is Iftar?
Iftar is at sunset, which is the start of Maghrib time: the moment the whole disc of the sun has gone below the horizon. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged breaking the fast promptly once the sun has set, so there is no need to wait for darkness.
Expected Ramadan 2027 dates
Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin on Monday, 8 February 2027 in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf (Umm al-Qura calendar), and around Tuesday, 9 February 2027 in Pakistan and India, where the month usually starts a day later after local moon sighting. The final dates depend on the moon sighting announced the evening before.
Example: first day of Ramadan 2027
| City | Date | Sehri ends | Iftar | Fast length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi | 9 February 2027 | 5:53 AM | 6:22 PM | 12h 29m |
| Lahore | 9 February 2027 | 5:28 AM | 5:44 PM | 12h 16m |
| Riyadh | 8 February 2027 | 5:12 AM | 5:43 PM | 12h 31m |
| Dubai | 8 February 2027 | 5:40 AM | 6:11 PM | 12h 31m |
| London | 8 February 2027 | 5:51 AM | 5:05 PM | 11h 14m |
Why timetables differ by a few minutes
- Calculation method. Dawn is defined by how far the sun is below the horizon: 18° in the Karachi and Muslim World League methods, 18.5° in Umm al-Qura, 15° in the North American (ISNA) method. A smaller angle gives a later Fajr, and in some places the difference is 20 minutes or more. See prayer time calculation methods.
- Precaution minutes. Some timetables subtract a few minutes from Sehri and add a minute or two to Iftar to be safe.
- Location. Large cities span several kilometres. A timetable for "Karachi" is calculated for one point, so times at the other end of the city can differ by a minute.
- Moon sighting. If your country starts Ramadan a day later, every row in a Saudi timetable is one day off for you.
Duas for Sehri and Iftar
Intention (niyyah) for the fast
The intention is in the heart, and waking up for Sehri is itself an intention to fast. Many people in South Asia also say:
وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ نَّوَيْتُ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ
Wa bi sawmi ghadin nawaitu min shahri Ramadan: "I intend to keep tomorrow's fast of the month of Ramadan." These words are not from a hadith; they simply express the intention.
Dua when opening the fast
The Prophet ﷺ used to say after breaking his fast (Abu Dawud):
ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
Dhahaba al-zama'u wabtallatil-'urooqu wa thabatal-ajru in sha Allah: "The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills."
Another dua widely recited at Iftar, also reported by Abu Dawud:
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ
Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu: "O Allah, for You I fasted, and with Your provision I break my fast."
Each city timetable can be saved as an image to share on WhatsApp, or printed. Daily prayer times for the rest of the year are on the prayer times page.