Suhoor (Arabic: ﺳﺤﻮﺭ lit. of the dawn), also called
Sehur, Sehri, Sahari and Sahur in other
languages, is an Islamic term referring to the
meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims
before fasting, sawm, in daylight hours during
the Islamic month of Ramadan. The meal is
eaten before fajr, or dawn. Suhoor as the
morning meal is matched by Iftar as the evening
meal, during Ramadan, replacing the traditional
three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and
dinner),although in some places dinner is also
consumed after Iftar later during the night. Being
the only meal eaten by Muslims from dawn to
sunset during the month of Ramadan, Suhoor
typically tends to be heavy and is highly
regarded by Islamic traditions to benefit of the
blessings and avoid crankiness or weakness
caused by the fast.
Anas (may Allah swt be pleased with him)
quoted that the Prophet s.a.w (peace and
blessings be upon him) as saying, “Make sure to
have your sahur meal, for sahur is blessed” (Al-
Bukhari and Muslim)
Amr ibn Al-Aas quoted that the Prophet s.a.w
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying,
“the difference between our fasting and that
People of the Book is the sahur meal” (Muslim)
Hadith:
Rasulullah (peace and blessings be upon him)
said: “Have your pre-dawn meal (sahur)
because there is a blessing at the pre-dawn
meal time.”
(Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
Huraian Hadith:
Lessons from Hadith:
1. The sahur time starts from midnight to dawn
but it is sunnah (recommended) to end the pre-
dawn meal about 10 to 15 minutes before the
bilal calls for Subh prayer. Rasulullah (peace and
blessings be upon him) once said that the pre-
dawn meal time is similar to the time of reciting
50 Quran verses.
2. Sleepiness and tiredness cannot be an excuse
to skip the pre-dawn meal because it can help to
strengthen a fasting person’s body to enable him
to perform the fast in daytime. Besides, the pre-
dawn meal itself is a recommended blessed
practise. According to Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, the
meaning of blessings (barakah) is the gaining of
reward that Allah s.w.t. will bestow upon those
who eat their pre-dawn meal and angels will
also pray for them.
3. Having a pre-dawn meal is the significant
difference between the fasting of Muslims and of
other religions because the other followers do
not take pre-dawn meal before fasting.
4. The sahur time is the most efficacious time to
pray to Allah s.w.t.
5. The pre-dawn meal may consist of little food
even just a gulp of water. However, it is not
encouraged to take too little or too much food
during the pre-dawn meal. It is sufficient to take
a moderate amount to aid in performing the fast
on the next day because taking too huge or too
small a meal will affect one’s health.
This shows that the sahur is a sunnah of the
Holy Prophets SWT and it is important to wake
up for it, it is highly rewarding.

The Prophet (s.a.w) was reported by Anas to have said: “eat something for sahur even if it is a date. For there is in it barakah.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Isn’t it great that Allah is rewarding us for eating? The kindness of Allah cannot be overemphasised when one ponders on the blessings in the act of eating sahur during Ramadan. For Almighty Allah (SWT), it is not enough blessings that HE provides us with food on our table, but HE further blesses anyone who wakes up in the first rays of dawn to eat the same food to commence fasting. This meal is given a distinctive name- sahur, which is derived from the word sahar that denotes the part of night before dawn. The prophet taught his companions and by extension, every Muslims that they should begin their fasting by taking something. It does not necessarily have to be heavy meal, in fact, overeating negates the spirit of fasting. It is advised to wake in the pre-dawn period to appropriately kick-start fasting by eating sahur among other things.

Eat moderately even as you remember those who could not afford a meal for that purpose. If you have more than what you eat moderately, give another who is seeking for anything for sahur. You can go the extra mile by asking the closest Muslim around you. Some people have asked whether there is need to wake up for sahur if one has nothing to eat. What is however appropriate is to wake up, carry out other activities of the Ramadan night and when it is time for sahur, get some water to drink. In it, there is barakah. It should be noted that there is no sin in not waking up for sahur if it was done inadvertently. Again, the inability to take sahur does not vitiate fast. Another common argument now is the appropriate time for sahur. Dear brothers and sisters, sahur is not breakfast and should not be treated in like manners. While breakfast is the dawn meal, sahur is pre-dawn meal.

Much as we know that the night is free for eating
and drinking, Allah has described the time for the
end of sahur as indicated in Quran 2 vs. 187 “…eat
and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to
you distinct from its black thread.” The prophet
also said; “Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum
makes his call to prayer. He does not make it until
the break of dawn.”
(Al-Bukhari) Ibn Umm Maktum was famous with
the last call to prayer before Subhi.

THE END

Nice post!

Jazakallahu khairan.


can't forgo sahur though