Assalaamu alaykum Shaykh, my question is: Is calling the azan the corect way for breaking the fast? Could you give me a hadith in which our beloved prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, use to command bilal, may Allaah be pleased with him, to call the azan for breaking the fast? May Allaah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The athaan was legislated for great purposes, the most important of which is to announce that the time of the prayer has begun. Ibn Hajar said, “The athaan is legislated to herald the beginning of the time of the prayer, to call the people to the congregational prayer, and to show the rituals of Islam.”

Besides, An-Nawawi said in Sharh Saheeh Muslim, “The scholars stated four matters in regard to the wisdom of the athaan: to show the rituals of Islam and the formula of tawheed (pure monotheism); to show the beginning of the time of the prayer and the place where it is to be held; and to call people to the congregation.”

It is, also, one of the correct ways to inform about the time of breaking the fast, but breaking the fast does not depend on the athaan; rather it depends on sunset. Therefore, if the time of breaking the fast is announced (or known) by a means other than the athaan, then this is also acceptable.

The Standing Committee for Issuing Fataawa was asked: “Is it permissible to break the fast before the mueththin calls the athaan and after being certain that the sun has set?”

Answer:

“If the fasting person is certain about the sunset and the beginning of the night, then it is lawful for him to break the fast; Allaah says (what means): {Then complete the fast until the sunset.} [Quran 2:187] Also, the Prophet said, 'When the night falls from this side (the east) and the day vanishes from this side (the west) and the sun sets, then the Muslim can break his fast.' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Thus the statements of the people that are said in this regard are not taken into account. Also, it is not a condition to hear the athaan (in order to break the fast) after being certain that the sun has set.”

Allaah knows best.