Hadith 708

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، وَعَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً " . قَالَ : وَفِي الْبَاب عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ، وَجَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، وَعَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ، وَالْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ ، وَعُتْبَةَ بْنِ عَبْدٍ ، وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى : حَدِيثُ أَنَسٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
´Anas bin Malik narrated that :` the Messenger of Allah said: "Partake of Sahar, for indeed there is a blessing in the Sahar."
Hadith Reference سنن ترمذي / كتاب الصيام عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / 708
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح، ابن ماجة (1692)
Hadith Takhrij «صحیح مسلم/الصوم 9 (1095) ، سنن النسائی/الصیام 18 (2148) ، ( تحفة الأشراف : 1068 و1433) (صحیح) وأخرجہ کل من: صحیح البخاری/الصوم 20 (1923) ، وسنن ابن ماجہ/الصیام 22 (1692) ، و مسند احمد (3/99، 215، 258، 281) ، وسنن الدارمی/الصوم 9 (1738) ، من غیر ہذا الطریق۔»
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
1:
The imperative form here is for recommendation and desirability (nadb wa istihbab). By eating suhur (pre-dawn meal), a person feels strength and energy within himself for the entire day. In contrast, one who does not eat suhur is quickly overcome by hunger and thirst.

2:
From this, it is understood that eating suhur is among the distinguishing characteristics of this ummah.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 708
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
Taking the pre-dawn meal (suhoor) is also necessary because the Jews do not have the practice of eating suhoor; therefore, one should partake in suhoor in opposition to them. Moreover, it helps in completing the fast. Even a few dates and sips of water are sufficient for suhoor, or whatever Allah provides.
In any case, abandoning suhoor is contrary to the Sunnah.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 1923
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s intent is that in this hadith, the command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam regarding suhur (pre-dawn meal) is not for obligation (wujub), but rather for recommendation (istihbab). Thus, all the hadith scholars are in agreement that eating suhur is recommended (mustahabb), not obligatory (wajib), because a command is for obligation only when there is no indication (qarinah) to the contrary. However, here there is an indication to the contrary: that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his companions radi Allahu anhum practiced wisal (continuous fasting without suhur or iftar). If suhur were obligatory, wisal would not be established.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 8/68)
(2)
There are several aspects of blessing (barakah) in suhur:
Following the Sunnah, differing from the People of the Book, it provides strength for worship, and it is a means of Allah’s reward and recompense.
(Fath al-Bari: 4/179)
It is narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Suhur is a source of blessing, so do not abandon it, even if it is only with a sip of water, for indeed Allah sends mercy upon those who partake in suhur, and the angels pray for them.”
(Musnad Ahmad: 3/44)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 1923
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Islam is the name of moderation, balance, and the middle path.
That is why the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) encouraged eating the pre-dawn meal (suhoor) and also that suhoor should be taken at the last part of the night, and that the fast should be broken immediately at sunset.
This is so that the period of hunger and thirst is not unnecessarily prolonged,
and by eating suhoor, a person’s strength and energy are not excessively weakened. One rises for suhoor so that he may also have some opportunity for the remembrance of Allah, and so that he may participate in the morning (Fajr) prayer as well. In contrast, if suhoor is not eaten,
then one will not be able to rise at the pre-dawn time, and will also be deprived of the remembrance of Allah.
And due to deprivation from food and drink, hunger and thirst will soon afflict him, and his working strength and ability to act will be affected.
Due to the prolonged period of hunger and thirst, the fasting person will be subjected to hardship.
A similar situation will arise if a person eats suhoor very early and then goes to sleep,
and in this case, there is also the risk of missing the congregational prayer. For this reason, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Eating suhoor is a source of blessing,” meaning that being deprived of it
is a cause of being deprived of blessing.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 2549
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:

The word "mas-hur" has been recited both with a fathah (zabar) on the letter "seen" and with a dammah (pesh).
With a fathah on the "seen," "sahur" means the food that is eaten before beginning the fast, and "suhur" (with a dammah on the "seen") refers to the act of eating.
The meaning of the hadith is that eating at this time is a source of blessing.
There is also reward for it,
because it is a Sunnah practice.
And it also makes it easier to complete the fast.
Or it means that there is a special blessing in the food eaten at this time, and the reason for this is also that it is connected to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
And through it, one is also protected from resembling non-Muslims, because the Jews and Christians do not eat sahur. See: (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Siyam, Chapter: The Virtue of Sahur and the Emphasis on Its Recommendation and the Recommendation to Delay It, Hadith: 1096, 1095)


Reward is not connected to hardship, but to adherence to the rulings of the Shari‘ah.
A small and easy act done according to the Sunnah is better than one that is contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1692
Shaykh Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
Lexical Explanation 535:
As-Sahur: When the letter "Seen" has a fatha (a), it refers to the food that is eaten before the break of dawn (fajr). And if it has a dhamma (u), then it is a verbal noun (masdar), and it refers to the act of eating.

Benefits and Issues 535:
➊ This hadith encourages eating the pre-dawn meal (suhur).
➋ Since the Jews and Christians did not observe the pre-dawn meal (suhur), their opposition has been mentioned. In the narration of Sahih Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The difference between our fasting and that of the People of the Book is the (pre-dawn) meal (suhur)." The meaning of "barakah" (blessing) is that eating at this time brings reward, because it is a Sunnah act, and it makes completing the fast easier. Or it means that the food eaten at this time actually contains a special blessing. The reason for this is also that it is connected to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Source: Bulugh al-Maram: Commentary by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Page: 535