Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Ḥadīth [1923]

The author, may Allāh shower blessings on him, said: The chapter on the merit of predawn meal in Ramaḍān. It is referred to as saḥūr and suḥūr. Saḥūr is the meal a person takes while suḥūr is the act of eating saḥūr.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) encouraged eating this meal by his word and action. He said: “Eat the predawn meal. Surely, there is a blessing in the predawn meal.” This involves an order and an explanation. He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) instructed that we should take the predawn meal and explained that there is blessing in it.

One of such blessings is compliance with the order of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), and submission to his orders is all good, rewarding and full of blessing.

Among its blessing is that it is an aid to the slaves. It aids someone towards the fast. If he takes the predawn meal, this predawn meal will suffice him till sunset. Despite that during the days of eating, he eats at the beginning of the day, the middle of the day and the last part of the day and drinks a lot; Allāh will send down blessings in the saḥūr (predawn meal) and it would suffice him from before dawn till sunset…

• Reference: [1229-1232 (5/308-309), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

This ḥadīth tells us that suḥūr is masnūn (sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), even if one takes a small quantity of food. This meal is blessed and maintains one’s energy and vitality during ṣawm (fasting). Against this, if a person goes to sleep after taking his dinner to save himself from the inconvenience of getting up before dawn or takes suḥūr early will be, on one side, disobeying Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), while on the other side, he will be feeling hunger and thirst very early and very much as he himself has increased the period of fasting by not taking the suḥūr. Subḥānallāh! How the weaknesses of man have been taken into account in the teachings of Islām while suitable provision has been provided to overcome them!

• Reference: [1229 (2/936), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

1) To partake of a predawn meal (saḥūr) is recommended or desirable, because this would make it easy for one to sustain the fast. Physical energy would remain. Moreover, one would get the reward from having taken it with the intention of fasting.

2) From the expression barakah or blessedness, it transpires that the predawn meal is not compulsory.

• Reference: [2146 (3/184), Sunan an-Nasā’ī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

‘As-Saḥūr’ if it is pronounced with fatḥah on letter ‘seen’ it means ‘eating and drinking’ food stuff in the predawn meal; and if it is pronounced with ḍammah on letter ‘seen’ it is an infinitive verb, then it means the act of taking predawn meal

Islām is a natural religion based on moderation, middle course, and away from excessiveness. Therefore it urges to eat and drink as a predawn meal and also that the predawn meal is to be taken a little before the dawn appears; and the breaking of the fast should be soon after the sun has set, so that the time for remaining hungry and thirsty does not get prolonged needlessly, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) stated it is a source of blessing.

• Reference: [708-709 (2/152-153), Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

‘The Jews and Christians do not observe partaking of sahūr. It is reported by Muslim (1096) that the eating of saḥūr is the difference between us and the people of the scriptures. This facilitates fasting and one gets an increased amount of reward.

• Reference: [535 (1/229), Bulūgh al-Marām, Dārussalām (Eng)]

And in his saying: ‘Fis-suḥūri barakah (in the pre-dawn meal there is blessing)’; it means, that eating the food of suḥūr, with that we intend only worship i.e., the fast. And ṣawm (the fast), everything of it is barakah, and the pre-dawn meal is the beginning of this barakah. As for saḥūr, it has other benefits; from them, strengthening of the body in order to perform the fast, thus the blessing of fasting is association with the blessings of the pre-dawn meal.

• Reference: [4349-4351 (2/262), Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil, Dār Abi Ṭayyab (Ar)]

Translated by Mohammed Manna (India)

• Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (899 (1/556))
• Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1095)
• Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (580 (1/157))
• Sunan an-Nasā’ī (2144-2145 [2146-2147]) – on the authority of ‘Abdullāh bin Mas’ūd
• Sunan an-Nasā’ī (2146 [2148])
• Sunan an-Nasā’ī (2147-2151 [2149-2153]) – on the authority of Abī Hurayrah
• Sunan at-Tirmidhī (708)
• Sunan ibn Mājah (1692)
• Sunan ad-Dārimī (1696 (2/6-7))
• Bulūgh al-Marām (535 (1/229))
• Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (1982)
• Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn (1229)
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’ (2943 (1/567))
• Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil (4349-4351 (2/262))

Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)