can you eat after fajr but before sunrise

No, during Ramadan (or any obligatory fast), you cannot eat after true Fajr begins, even though the sun has not yet risen.

Short, direct answer

• You may eat and drink:
  • At night.
  • Up until true dawn (Fajr time begins).
• You must stop immediately once Fajr enters (true dawn), even though sunrise is still some time away.

So the fasting window is: from Fajr (true dawn) until Maghrib (sunset) , not sunrise.

Why Fajr is the cutoff (not sunrise)

The Quran sets the limit like this: eat and drink “until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread of night.” This is referring to true dawn , which is the start of Fajr time.

• After this point:
  • The fast has started.
  • Eating or drinking deliberately breaks the fast.

• Sunrise is only the end of the Fajr prayer time, not the start of the fast.

A common mistake in forums and casual discussions is thinking “it’s still dark, so I can eat until sunrise,” but that is incorrect according to mainstream scholarly views.

What about the adhan and timetables?

Classically, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned two adhans for Fajr: Bilal’s (at night) and Ibn Umm Maktum’s (at true dawn). Muslims could continue eating until the second adhan, which signalled Fajr had entered.

Today:

• If the adhan or timetable is for true Fajr :
  • You should stop as soon as that time begins.

• If you know the adhan is called a bit early , some scholars allow eating until you are certain true dawn has come, though they still recommend stopping a few minutes earlier out of caution.

• Many modern teachers advise:
  • Stop a few minutes before the printed Fajr time to be on the safe side.

If you are mid-bite when Fajr actually enters:

• Strong majority: you must stop and spit it out ; swallowing after knowing Fajr has entered invalidates the fast.

If someone ate after Fajr by mistake

Forum discussions and fatwa sites talk about this a lot, especially around Ramadan.

• If you truly did not know Fajr had started (wrong clock, mistaken time, etc.):
  • Some scholars say the fast is still valid , others say you should make that day up , but Allah is Most Merciful and judges by intentions.

• If you knew Fajr had come in but still continued:
  • That day’s fast is generally considered invalid , and you must repent and make it up later.

Putting it in simple terms

Think of it like this:

• Night + Suhoor time = from Maghrib until Fajr begins.
• Fasting time = from Fajr until Maghrib.
• Sunrise is not part of the suhoor window ; it just marks the latest time to pray Fajr, not to eat.

So to your exact phrase “can you eat after fajr but before sunrise” :

• If you mean after Fajr time has actually started : No , you cannot.

• If you meant “it’s still dark and I thought it was before Fajr, but it was actually after”: then you fall into the rulings above on mistake/ignorance and should ask a local scholar for a ruling tailored to your situation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.