Ramadan Reminder 3 – Suhoor Meal (Pre-dawn Meal)

The Prophet SAWS is reported to have said:

Eat Suhoor, indeed there is a blessing in Suhoor.

Dear brothers, in these long fasts, it’s often tempting to skip suhoor and have just the one large meal. Often, if one is asleep, waking up for suhoor is hard work and instead more sleep is attained at a cost of the suhoor.

Suhoor is an important part of the fast. In fact, the meal of suhoor is more important than that of the iftar.

Part of the reason for the blessings that result from eating this meal is its strengthening the fasting person and giving him energy, thus making fasting easy for him. Additionally, by eating this meal one attains the reward of following the sunnah of the Prophet SAWS.

Studies have shown the numerous benefits to having this meal such as it prevents fatigue and headaches during the day, it reduces extreme hunger and thirst during the day and it prevents the loss of focus or sluggishness during the day.

Even the type of food is important and again we follow the sunnah in relation to this. The Prophet SAWS said:

The best suhoor is to eat dates.

Alongside this we ought to focus on fruit, vegetables, oats, nuts and plenty of water. Even vegetables such as cucumber and lettuce will help as they contain plenty of fluid to help keep you hydrated. Keep meat consumption to a minimum as it will cause sluggishness and avoid foods high in sugar and high in salt as they will make you feel hungry and thirsty the next day.

Dear brothers, with unusually hot days for the average at this time of year, we should use this knowledge to keep our fasts intact and our health preserved during this blessed month of Ramadan.

May Allah SWT enable us to gain the reward associated with the suhoor meal.