Sahuur

[amma]

TIME OF SAHUUR

The time for sahuur begins from midnight until the break of dawn. It is recommended, however, to delay it till shortly before the time of Subh (morning) prayer.

In a hadith by Zaid bin Thabit (raa) he related that: "We ate sahuur with the Messenger of Allah (saas) then we went to pray Subh". I asked the Messenger `What was the time period between sahur and prayer?' He responded `The time period between them is the equivalent of the time it takes to recite fifty verses in Al-Qur'an.'" (Bukhari and Muslim)

This citation is instructive in that it settles the question of whether one should stop eating before morning prayer (Subh/Fajr), or before sunrise, as we see in certain prayer times tables showing the so-called shuruq (the sunrise, which some think is the time to stop eating). The hadith is explicit. The recommendation to delay Sahuur is only to the hour or so before (Subh). The mentioning of the period of recitation of fifty verses (ayats) is a cushion or a grace period in which food or drink should not be taken. All the reports that recommend delay of Sahuur must be understood in this way.

During the time of the Messenger of Allah (saas), the tradition of two adhans (or call to prayer) was established, and it has continued up until now in some Muslim countries. The first adhan is to indicate the beginning of sahuur: the adhan of Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum (raa). The second is the adhan of Bilal Ibn Rabah (raa): the adhan of Salaah, a morning prayer.

However, if you hear the second adhan while you are eating or drinking, you should immediately stop eating in preparation for fasting.