Book of Fasting

Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Alqamah bin Ulathah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had food brought for him, and he began to eat with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Meanwhile Bilal came and called the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not answer him, so he went back. He stayed in the mosque for as long as Allah willed, then he came back and said: "O Messenger of Allah, it is time for the prayer! By Allah, morning has come!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah Almighty have mercy on Bilal. Were it not for Bilal, we would have hoped that we would be given a delay as long as the time between us now and the rising of the sun." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Had Bilal not sworn an oath, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have continued eating until Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) said to him: 'Raise your hand.'"
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains Sawwar bin Mus'ab, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Alqamah bin Suhayl al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I was in the delegation when the people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He had a tent pitched for us near the house of Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would come to us and give us food to break our fast while daylight still remained. By Allah, we would think that this was something only among ourselves (that is, the time for breaking the fast had not yet come). We said: "O Bilal, has the Messenger of Allah broken his fast?" He replied: "Yes. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I have come to you only after the Messenger of Allah broke his fast." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would bring us our pre-dawn meal (suhur) at a time when we were seeking to warm ourselves. We would lift the curtain of the tent and our food would become visible to us (that is, there was so much light that it could be seen).
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Al-Tabarani recorded something similar in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, except that he said: Alqamah bin Sufyan narrated it from Abd al-Karim, from Sayyiduna Alqamah (may Allah be pleased with him).
I have not found any narrator named Abd al-Karim who heard from a Companion. The rest of the narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to call him to the prayer. The narrator Abu Ahmad stated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to fast. He called for a cup, drank from it, and gave me some to drink as well. Then he went out to the mosque, intending to offer the prayer. He stood and offered the prayer without performing ablution (wudu) anew, while he intended to fast. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: The original report is narrated in these very words; perhaps he had eaten something that had been cooked on fire.
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir.

Ahmad recorded from him, in one narration, these words: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to call him to the prayer, and he intended to fast. He drank water, then passed the vessel to me, and then went out to the prayer. The narrators of both these reports are the narrators of the Sahih.

Ahmad recorded from him, in one narration, these words: He (that is, Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him)) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to call him to the prayer, and he found the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taking the pre-dawn meal (suhur) in his own place of prayer in his house. Shaddad, the freed slave of Iyad, did not meet Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "See who is in the mosque and call him." I entered the mosque, and there were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). I called them both. Then I brought something to him and placed it before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from it and they ate from it too. Then they went out, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in the morning (Fajr) prayer.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

Abu al-Zubayr narrates: I asked Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) about a man who intends to fast and has a vessel in his hand from which he starts to drink, and meanwhile he hears the call to prayer (adhan). Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to talk among ourselves that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: '(In such a situation that person) should drink.'"
Ahmad recorded it, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let not the call to prayer (adhan) of Bilal stop you from the pre-dawn meal (suhur), for there is something (a weakness) in his eyesight."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.
Abu Ya'la also recorded it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan) while it is still night (that is, before true dawn), so keep eating and drinking until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Habib bin Abd al-Rahman narrates: I heard my paternal aunt, who had the honour of performing Hajj with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), say: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer (adhan) while it is still night (that is, shortly before true dawn), so keep eating and drinking until Bilal gives the call to prayer." (The narrator is unsure; perhaps the words are:) "Bilal gives the call to prayer while it is still night, so keep eating and drinking until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer." The female narrator says: (The gap between the calls of the two of them was such) that one would be going up while the other was coming down, and we would say to him: "Wait a little, so that we may take our pre-dawn meal (suhur)."

In one narration the wording is: "When Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer (adhan), keep eating and drinking"; that is, there is no doubt in this narration. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say:
Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) recorded it in abridged form.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Shayban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he went to the mosque and sat near one of the rooms of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard his voice and said: "Is that Abu Yahya?" He said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come in." He went in and saw that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was having a morning meal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come to the meal." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I intend to fast." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I too intend to fast. Our mu'adhdhin has some weakness in his eyesight; he gives the call to prayer (adhan) before true dawn."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains Qays bin al-Rabi', whom Shu'bah and al-Thawri declared thiqah (trustworthy), and there has been criticism of him.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan) while it is still night (that is, shortly before true dawn), so keep eating and drinking until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer." (The narrator says:) Sayyiduna Ibn (Umm) Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) would not give the call to prayer until it was said to him: "True dawn has come, true dawn has come."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: One night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took the pre-dawn meal (suhur), and some people were with him. Alqamah bin Ulathah al-Amiri came, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called for a (cooked) head for him. Then Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) came to call to the prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wait, Bilal! Let Alqamah take his pre-dawn meal."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Qays bin al-Rabi', whom Shu'bah and Sufyan al-Thawri declared thiqah (trustworthy), and there has been criticism of him.

Sayyiduna Amir bin Matar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We took the pre-dawn meal (suhur) with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then we got up for the prayer.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let not Bilal stop any one of you from taking the pre-dawn meal (suhur), for Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan) only so that the one offering voluntary prayer may finish his prayer and return, and the one sleeping may wake up."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Sahl bin Ziyad, whom Abu Hatim declared thiqah (trustworthy); there has been criticism of him that does no harm.

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan) while it is still night (that is, shortly before true dawn), so keep eating and drinking until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Yazid bin Iyad, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep eating and drinking until Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan)."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Habib bin Abd al-Rahman narrates: My paternal aunt, who performed Hajj with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bilal gives the call to prayer (adhan) while it is still night, so keep eating and drinking until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer." (The female narrator says:) One of them would be going up while the other was coming down, and we would say to him: "Wait! Let us take our pre-dawn meal (suhur)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) recorded from this woman
the following narration: "When Ibn Umm Maktum gives the call to prayer, eat from this in the darkness (that is, before true dawn)." The narrators of al-Tabarani are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Salim (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of Sayyiduna Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that he was with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) on a rooftop in Ramadan while he was praying. He came to him and said: "O successor (Khalifah) of the Messenger of Allah, will you not eat (something)?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) gestured with his hand. This happened twice. When it happened the third time, he said: "Bring me your food." Then he ate, then he offered two rak'ahs, then he came to the mosque, and the prayer had already begun.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Mutayr al-Shaybani narrates: We took the pre-dawn meal (suhur) with Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), then we went out, and the prayer had already begun.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Amr bin Hurayth narrates: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were the quickest of people in breaking the fast and the latest of them in taking the pre-dawn meal (suhur) (that is, they would break the fast at its earliest time and take the pre-dawn meal at its last time).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Amr bin Maymun narrates: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were the quickest of people in breaking the fast and the latest in taking the pre-dawn meal (suhur).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.