It is very important that the Muslim does not allow this
great blessing from his Merciful Lord to escape him.
What is the best thing the
Muslim can eat for Sahoor
The Messenger (S)
said: "The best Sahoor for the believer is dates." [Abu Dawood,
Al-Baihaqee and Ibn Hibbaan]
Note: If one does not find food to eat then a gulp of
water would suffice as is substantiated in the hadeeth.
Delaying the
Sahoor
It is recommended to delay the Sahoor
(pre-dawn meal) till just before dawn. Zaid ibn Thaabit said: "We ate the
Sahoor with the Messenger (S), then we got up to offer the Salaah (prayer - in
this case the Fajr prayer). I asked "What was the time between the Adhaan
(call to prayer) and the Sahoor?" He said: "(The time it would take)
to recite fifty verses." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]
It must be known that it is allowed to eat, drink and
have sexual relationship with one's spouse as long as one doubts and is
uncertain that the dawn has started. Allah (T) and His Messenger (S) have made
clear the criterion for establishing the Fajr, and this is what one is required
to go by.
The Ruling for
Sahoor
The Messenger of Allah (S) commanded
that whoever wants to fast must take the Sahoor (pre-dawn meal). He (S) said:
"Whoever wishes to fast, then let him eat something for Sahoor." [Ibn
Abi Shaibah, Ahmad and others]
And he (S) also said: "Take the Sahoor because in
the Sahoor is Barakah (blessings)."[Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Then he (S) also prohibited the Muslims from neglecting
it. He (S) said: "What differentiates our fast from the fast of the People
of the Book is the Sahoor meal." [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ahmad]
The author concludes:
It is clear that the Messenger (S) emphatically commands
us to eat the Sahoor from three different angles:
(a) He (S) ordered it.
(b) It is
one of the highlight of the Muslim's fast and it distinguishes the fast of the
Muslim from the fast of others.
(c) He prohibited us
from neglecting it.
All three
of the above inferences are very strong and they all seem to be pointing to one
specific thing.
6. RULINGS FOR AL-IFTAAR (Breaking the fast after
sunset)
When a person lawfully
break his fast
Allah(T) said:
"Then complete the fasting until the night
"[Baqarah 2:187]
The Messenger of Allah (S) explained this to mean the
coming of the night and the going away of the day and when the disk of the sun
disappears.
Hastening the breaking of
the fast
People of Eemaan! It is important to
hasten breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets because this was the practice
of the Messenger of Allah (T) and his companions.
'Amrun Ibn Maimoon Al-Awdee said: "The companions
of the Messenger were the fastest people to break the fast (at Maghrib) and the
last to eat the Sahoor (i.e. they used to try to take it at the last possible
moment)." [Abdur Razaak in the Mussanaf]
Hastening to break the fast also has other benefits that
can be included under this heading.
Hastening to break the fast
earns good
Sahl Ibn Sa'd (R) said that the
Messenger (S) of Allah (T) said: "The people will continue to be in good
condition as long as they hasten to break the fast." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]
To hasten the breaking of
the fast is the Sunnah of the Messenger (S)
If
the Muslims hasten the breaking of the fast this would help them to keep on the
Sunnah and they would be following the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) who followed
it. It is known that the person who holds unto the Sunnah will never go astray.
Sahl Ibn Sa'ad said that the Messenger (S) of Allah (T)
said: "My nation would continue to be on my Sunnah as long as they do not
wait for the stars to come out before breaking the fast." [Ibn Hibbaan]
Hastening the breaking of
the fast is a way to he different from the Astray (the Christians) and those
whom Allah is angry with (the Jews)
If people
will remain on what is good because they hold on to the Sunnah of the Messenger
of Allah (T), then if they leave this way and follow the Christians and the Jews
they would definitely lose the good benefits. This is established in the
following Hadeeth. Abu Huraira (R) said that the Messenger of Allah (T) said:
"The Deen will be uppermost/manifest as long as the people hasten to break
their fast because the Jews and the Christians delay (it)." [Abu Dawood and
Ibn Hibbaan]
From the above Hadeeth we must not think that our
practising this hadeeth alone would be responsible for the Deen to be manifest.
This hadeeth must be understood along with all those verses from the Quraan and
the Hadeeth of the Messenger (S) that deal with the issue of being different
from the disbelieving people.