Sehri and Iftar Time: When Exactly Does the Fast Start and End?

The fast begins at Fajr (true dawn), which is when sehri ends, and it ends at Maghrib (sunset), which is iftar. On the expected first day of Ramadan, Tuesday, February 9, 2027, sehri ends at 5:27 AM in Lahore and iftar is at 5:43 PM, a fast of 12 h 16 min.

When sehri ends: subh sadiq

Islamic law describes two dawns. The first, the “false dawn” (subh kazib), is a faint vertical streak of light that appears and fades. The second, the “true dawn” (subh sadiq), is the light that spreads sideways along the horizon and keeps growing. The fast and Fajr prayer both begin at subh sadiq.

Timetables calculate subh sadiq as the moment the sun is a set angle below the horizon. In Pakistan that angle is 18°, the Karachi method used by most mosques and by our timings. So on a Pakistani timetable, the Fajr time and the end of sehri are the same moment.

Precaution minutes

Many printed Ramadan calendars show sehri ending a few minutes before Fajr, often around five to ten minutes. This is a precaution (ihtiyat), not a separate rule. It covers small differences in location within a city, clock errors and the time it takes to finish eating.

If you eat right up to the calculated Fajr time, scholars say the fast is still valid, as long as you stopped before true dawn. If you are unsure whether dawn has come, it is safest to stop. Don’t wait for the azan to finish eating, since mosques sometimes call it a little late.

When iftar begins

Iftar is at sunset, when the whole disc of the sun has gone below the horizon. That is the Maghrib time. It is sunnah to open the fast promptly, traditionally with dates or water, and not to delay it. Some calendars add one or two minutes after the calculated sunset as a precaution, which is fine.

First-day sehri and iftar in six cities

Expected first and last fasts of Ramadan, calculated with the Karachi method:

The start date depends on the moon sighting by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, so the first roza may come a day later than shown. If it does, every time shifts by about a minute.

How times change through Ramadan

Because Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year, it slowly passes through every season. This time it falls in February and March, when days are getting longer. In Lahore, sehri ends earlier and iftar comes later as the month goes on, so the last fast is about 50 minutes longer than the first.

The difference between cities is also worth knowing. Pakistan uses one clock time, but Karachi and Quetta are further west than Lahore, so the sun rises and sets later there. Iftar in Karachi is noticeably later than in Lahore on the same day.

Tips for sehri and iftar

• Set your alarm by your city’s timetable, not by a national average.
• Aim to finish eating ten minutes before Fajr, leaving time to drink water and make the intention.
• Keep dates and water ready before Maghrib so you can break the fast on time.
• Print a monthly sheet from our printable Ramadan calendar and keep it on the fridge.

Daily timings for every city are on our Ramadan timings page, including Karachi sehri and iftar. For the expected dates and more detail, read Ramadan 2027 in Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions