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Religion & Philosophy
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The Vertical Time Zone: Breaking the Ramadan Fast in the Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa's immense height means residents on upper floors see the sun for longer. Due to the Earth's curvature, those above the 80th floor must wait 2 extra minutes, and those above the 150th floor wait 3 minutes, to break their daily Ramadan fast after sunset on the ground.
Imagine living in a building so tall it creates its own time zone, at least when it comes to sunset. For residents of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, this is a yearly reality during the holy month of Ramadan. While those on the ground floor break their daily fast at the prescribed time, their neighbors living nearly a kilometer above them are still watching the sun, and must wait.
A Sunset with a View... and a Delay
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. The breaking of the fast, known as Iftar, occurs precisely when the sun dips below the horizon. But what happens when your horizon is different from everyone else's? This is the unique challenge faced by the residents of the 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa. To address this, Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, creating three distinct fasting schedules for the building.
- Ground to Floor 80: Break the fast at the normal ground-level sunset time.
- Floors 81 to 150: Wait an additional two minutes after the official sunset time.
- Floor 151 and above: Wait an additional three minutes.
This means a family on the 155th floor has to wait three full minutes after hearing the call to prayer from the mosques below before they can take their first sip of water or bite of a date.
The Science of a Higher Horizon
This isn't an arbitrary rule; it's based on a simple astronomical fact. Because the Earth is round, the higher your altitude, the farther your horizon. From a greater height, you can effectively see 'over' the curve of the Earth, allowing you to observe the sun for a longer period after it has already set for people at sea level. It’s the same principle that allows mountain climbers to witness the sunset long after the valleys below have fallen into twilight. The Burj Khalifa is so tall that it functions as a man-made mountain, creating a tangible difference in the observed sunset between its base and its pinnacle.
An Ancient Principle in a Modern World
The ruling is a fascinating example of applying centuries-old religious principles to the extremes of modern engineering. The core tenet of breaking the fast is based on the actual, physical observation of sunset, not just a clock. As Dubai's Grand Mufti, Dr. Ahmed Al Haddad, has clarified, the principle remains consistent whether you are on a plane or at the top of a skyscraper.
The Burj Khalifa is almost one kilometre high, which means that the residents of the top floors can still see the sun, while it has already set for those on the ground floors. One should not break the fast till the sun has completely set.
This situation is analogous to Muslims fasting while on an airplane. They, too, must wait until the sun physically sets from their vantage point high above the clouds, which can often be much later than for the country they are flying over. The Burj Khalifa simply verticalizes this long-established concept within a single building.
Ultimately, this unique rule for the Burj Khalifa serves as a powerful reminder of the intersection between faith, science, and human ambition. It shows how timeless principles can be adapted to contexts that would have been unimaginable just a generation ago, proving that even in the world's most futuristic skyscraper, ancient traditions still reach for the heavens.