Authored by: ʿUbaydullāh Ṭāhir (حفظه الله)
Encouragement for Suhūr
❀ Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Take Suhūr, for indeed there is blessing in Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1943, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1095)
❀ Narrated by a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ:
He said:
“I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ while he was taking Suhūr, and he said: ‘Indeed, Suhūr is a blessing that Allah has given you, so do not leave it.’”
(Sunan al-Nasāʾī 2162, Musnad Aḥmad 23113, Authentic)
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who take Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3467, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Take Suhūr even if it is just a sip of water.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3472, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Suhūr is a blessing, so do not leave it, even if one of you only takes a sip of water. Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who take Suhūr.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 11086, Ḥasan)
The Difference Between Our Fasting and the Fasting of the People of the Book
❀ Narrated by ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the meal at Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1096)
Suhūr is a Blessed Meal
❀ Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
He said:
“ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) invited me to Suhūr and said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called it the blessed breakfast.’”
(al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ by al-Ṭabarānī 501, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by al-Miqdām ibn Maʿdikarib (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Hold fast to the Suhūr meal, for indeed it is the blessed breakfast.”
(Sunan al-Nasāʾī 2164, Ḥasan)
Virtue of Eating Dates at Suhūr
❀ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The best Suhūr for the believer is dates.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2345, Ḥasan)
The Virtue of Delaying Suhūr
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Bilāl gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktūm gives the call to prayer.”
Ibn ʿUmar added:
“He was a blind man who would not call the adhān until he was told: ‘The morning has come.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 617, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1092)
❀ Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit (رضي الله عنه):
He said:
“We had Suhūr with the Prophet ﷺ, then he stood up for prayer.”
He was asked:
“How long was there between the adhān and the Suhūr?”
He replied:
“The time it takes to recite fifty verses.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1921, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1097)
Note: This shows that delaying Suhūr until the time of the Fajr adhān is preferable. Finishing Suhūr a few minutes before Fajr out of caution is not supported by any evidence. Some narrations mention that Bilāl would call the first adhān and Ibn Umm Maktūm the second; scholars have noted that they would alternate.
Completing the Meal Even After Hearing the Adhān
❀ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“If one of you hears the call to prayer and has the vessel in his hand, he should not put it down until he has fulfilled his need from it.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2350)
Conclusion:
Suhūr is a significant Sunnah, full of blessings and divine mercy, distinguishing the fasts of the Muslims from those of the People of the Book. Muslims should revive this blessed meal, even if it’s only a sip of water, and strive to delay it until the Fajr adhān, maintaining the spirit of obedience and gratitude to Allah (ﷻ).
And Allah knows best.
Encouragement for Suhūr
❀ Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Take Suhūr, for indeed there is blessing in Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1943, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1095)
❀ Narrated by a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ:
He said:
“I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ while he was taking Suhūr, and he said: ‘Indeed, Suhūr is a blessing that Allah has given you, so do not leave it.’”
(Sunan al-Nasāʾī 2162, Musnad Aḥmad 23113, Authentic)
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who take Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3467, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Take Suhūr even if it is just a sip of water.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3472, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Suhūr is a blessing, so do not leave it, even if one of you only takes a sip of water. Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who take Suhūr.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 11086, Ḥasan)
The Difference Between Our Fasting and the Fasting of the People of the Book
❀ Narrated by ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the meal at Suhūr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1096)
Suhūr is a Blessed Meal
❀ Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
He said:
“ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) invited me to Suhūr and said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called it the blessed breakfast.’”
(al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ by al-Ṭabarānī 501, Ḥasan)
❀ Narrated by al-Miqdām ibn Maʿdikarib (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Hold fast to the Suhūr meal, for indeed it is the blessed breakfast.”
(Sunan al-Nasāʾī 2164, Ḥasan)
Virtue of Eating Dates at Suhūr
❀ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The best Suhūr for the believer is dates.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2345, Ḥasan)
The Virtue of Delaying Suhūr
❀ Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Bilāl gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktūm gives the call to prayer.”
Ibn ʿUmar added:
“He was a blind man who would not call the adhān until he was told: ‘The morning has come.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 617, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1092)
❀ Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit (رضي الله عنه):
He said:
“We had Suhūr with the Prophet ﷺ, then he stood up for prayer.”
He was asked:
“How long was there between the adhān and the Suhūr?”
He replied:
“The time it takes to recite fifty verses.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1921, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1097)
Note: This shows that delaying Suhūr until the time of the Fajr adhān is preferable. Finishing Suhūr a few minutes before Fajr out of caution is not supported by any evidence. Some narrations mention that Bilāl would call the first adhān and Ibn Umm Maktūm the second; scholars have noted that they would alternate.
Completing the Meal Even After Hearing the Adhān
❀ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“If one of you hears the call to prayer and has the vessel in his hand, he should not put it down until he has fulfilled his need from it.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd 2350)
Conclusion:
Suhūr is a significant Sunnah, full of blessings and divine mercy, distinguishing the fasts of the Muslims from those of the People of the Book. Muslims should revive this blessed meal, even if it’s only a sip of water, and strive to delay it until the Fajr adhān, maintaining the spirit of obedience and gratitude to Allah (ﷻ).
And Allah knows best.
