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.