In Focus | Ramadan

Burj Khalifa residents told to fast longer during Ramadan

Muslims residing above the 80th floor must delay their iftar by two to three minutes

  • WAM
  • Published: 23:21 August 6, 2011

Burj Khalifa
  • Image Credit: Silvia Baron/ANM
  • Burj Khalifa

Dubai: Muslims residing above the 80th floor in Dubai's Burj Khalifa must delay their iftar meal during Ramadan by two to three minutes as they see the sunset later, according to the Dubai Islamic Affairs Department.

Those residents should also start their daily fasting two minutes earlier on the grounds that dawn descends on them before those living on lower levels, the Department said in a Fatwa (edict).

“Residents in Burj Khalifa should observe varied timings for iftar, sunset and dawn prayers depending on the level where live,” the paper said, quoting Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, head of the Fatwa division at the department.

He said Muslims living on the 80-150 floors in the tower, the world’s tallest structure, should delay their iftar meal by two minutes while those on the 151-160 floors should break their fasting three minutes late.

“Residents on 80-150 floors should also perform evening and night prayers two minutes late and dawn prayers two minutes earlier while those above the 150th level should delay their evening and night prayers by three minutes and bring forward dawn prayers by three minutes,” he said.

“This difference in timing on the 160-storey building is because sun sets later for residents on top floors while these residents are the first to see the sun at dawn.”

Comments (1)

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  1. Added 11:25 August 7, 2011

    Its good to see that the authorities are taking into consideration basic principles of science and mathematics to account for those impacted. And kids in school wonder why they have to learn trigonometry, geometry, physics as it will never impact them in real life - now ask those people living high up in Burj Khalifa :)

    Aaqil Khan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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