Shias often delay Iftar (breaking the fast) because their scholars generally believe that the mere disappearance of the sun's "face" over the horizon is insufficient to confirm the arrival of night.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
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The Core Belief: The predominant Shia view is that Iftar should only commence when complete darkness sets in. This means the red glow of sunset caused by the sun's reflection in the atmosphere must disappear entirely.
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Reasoning: Even though the sun's physical disk has descended below the horizon, the Shia scholars believe the lingering light indicates that it's not yet truly night. They argue that the "night" has not fully begun until the afterglow vanishes.
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Practical Application: This often translates into a delay of approximately 10-15 minutes after the sun has visually set, allowing for the complete disappearance of the afterglow.
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Differing Interpretations: It's important to note that not all Shia Muslims adhere to this delay with the same strictness. Some may follow the timings provided by specific religious authorities or observatories.
In summary, the delay in Iftar observed by many Shias stems from their interpretation that true nightfall, and thus the permissible time to break the fast, begins only after the complete disappearance of the sunset's afterglow, not just the sun's disk.
