Sayyiduna Asim bin Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "When night comes and the day departs and the sun sets, then the fasting person should break his fast." In the narration of Harun, it is: "Then you have broken your fast." And in the narration of Ahmad bin Abda, it is: "When night comes from this side." In the narrations of Ahmad and Harun, the word "for me" (li) is not present. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that these words, "then the fasting person has broken his fast," are in the form of a statement, but their meaning is that of a command. That is, the fasting person should break his fast because the time for iftar has arrived. And if the meaning of these words was according to their apparent statement, then the time of iftar for all fasting people would be the same, and the following sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have no meaning. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As long as people hasten in breaking the fast, they will remain upon goodness." And the blessed saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is: "The religion will remain dominant as long as people hasten in breaking the fast." And even this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have no meaning, that Allah the Exalted says: "The most beloved of My servants to Me is the one who hastens the most in breaking the fast." If, upon the coming of night, the departure of day, and the setting of the sun, all fasting people broke their fast and if all had iftar at the same time and no one could break the fast before another, then even this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have no meaning. His instruction is: "Whoever finds dates, let him break his fast with them, and whoever does not find dates, let him break his fast with water." But the meaning of his saying, "then his fast is broken," is that it has become permissible for him to break his fast. And Allah knows best.