Question: If a people are not able to be sure that the sun has actually set due to the obstruction of mountains for example, should they break their fast according to the timetable, or should they wait until they are sure that the sun has set?
Answer: They should break their fast when the sun has set. However, if there are mountains in the way that prevent them seeing the sun actually set, then upon them is to investigate and seek its setting. So if they think that the sun has most probably set, they should break their fast, but if they doubt about its setting, they should wait until they are fairly sure it has set or it has most probably set. Its setting is known from darkness of the night appearing from the east. So, when the darkness from the east has spread, we know that the sun has set in the west.
Abu Khadeejah. See: Fatāwā ʿAlat-Tareeq fee Masā’il Mutanawwiyah of Al-ʿAllāmah Muhammad Ibn Sālih Al-ʿUthaimeen, p. 412, no. 874.
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