5 Benefits of the Suhoor Meal
Despite the
importance of the pre-dawn meal (suhoor) during the month of Ramadan, some
people neglect it. They may prefer to sleep through it, or assume that skipping
it will help them lose weight if they suffer from obesity.
Likewise, some
families fall short in encouraging their children to eat suhoor, claiming the
need for sleep or the difficulty of waking them late at night, forgetting the
great benefits contained in this meal.
The late
scholar Ibn Baz said: “Suhoor is from the Sunnah, but it is not obligatory.
Whoever does not take suhoor commits no sin, but he has abandoned the Sunnah.
One should take suhoor even if only a little, whatever is available, even if it
is a few dates or any kind of food at the end of the night. If food is not
available or one has no appetite, then he should drink some milk or at least
water.”
The following
lines present five main benefits you gain when you maintain the habit of eating
suhoor:
First: It is the practice of a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and following his noble guidance. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “Take a meal a little before dawn, for there is a
blessing in taking a meal at that time.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
He also said: “The difference between our fasting and that of the People of the Book is
eating shortly before dawn.” (Muslim). This is undoubtedly one of
the blessings of suhoor, for everything that distinguishes the Muslim from the
disbeliever, whether in clothing, adornment, or any other matter, is goodness
and blessing.
Second: This meal carries great benefit for the body. It
protects it from hunger and thirst during the daytime of Ramadan, prevents the
loss of essential body cells, and shields a person from lethargy, fatigue, and
headaches during the fasting period, which exceeds 12 hours daily and even
longer in some countries around the world.
Third: This meal supplies the human body with energy and
vitality. It can remain in the stomach for 7 to 9 hours, which stimulates the
digestive system and maintains blood sugar levels during the fasting period. It
is also a source of vitamins and minerals.
Suhoor may be
taken with whatever is available, whether water or food, even if it is just
dates. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “How good is the believer’s meal of dates shortly
before dawn.” (Abu Dawud).
Fourth: The suhoor meal helps the fasting person perform acts
of worship during the day of Ramadan such as prayer, work, study, recitation of
the Quran, doing good deeds, giving charity, and other righteous acts that the
Prophet (peace
be upon him) encouraged. It is not acceptable for the daytime of
Ramadan to be spent in sleep, rest, and laziness under the pretext of fasting.
Rather, it is a month of worship, work, perseverance, and obedience.
Fifth: Attaining the blessing that the Prophet (peace
be upon him) promised. The pre-dawn meal contains blessing and
abundant goodness. Shaykh Ibn Baz said: “This blessing should not be neglected.
Rather, the believer should be keen to obtain it, even with a small amount of
food, a few dates, or some milk, so that he may draw strength from it for the
religious and worldly duties of the day.”
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