The length of time between Athaan (call for prayer) and Suhoor

01/08/2010| IslamWeb

Anas ibn Maalik reported that Zayd ibn Thaabit, may Allah be pleased with them, said, “We had Suhoor with the Prophet then he stood for prayer."So, he asked him, "What was the interval like between the Suhoor and the Athaan?" He, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, "It was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Quran.” [Muslim]

According to the narration of Al-Bukhari Anas ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated, “Zayd ibn Thaabit ate Suhoor with the Prophet . When they finished, he stood for [Fajr (Dawn)] prayer and offered it.” People asked Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, "How long was the gap between their finishing the Suhoor and the start of the morning prayer?" He, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, "It was equal to the time taken by a person to recite fifty verses of the Quran.”

 

Benefits and rulings derived from these reports:

1.     Delaying the Suhoor is a recommended act, because this achieves its purpose, namely, strengthening the fasting person. In addition, it denotes a starker contrast to the tradition of the People of the Book.

2.     The days and nights of the honorable Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were mostly dedicated to worship; therefore, Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, estimated the time according to the number of Quranic verses that could be read during that period.

3.     Time can be calculated based on physical deeds, as this was customary among Arabs. They used to say, for instance, the time it takes to slaughter a camel, or the like.

4.     The gap between the Athaan and Suhoor should be enough for reading fifty such verses of the Quran that are neither long nor short; and, the recitation should be moderate, neither quick in pace nor slow.

5.     The recommendation of delaying the Suhoor does not apply to [another act that nullifies fasting, which is] sexual intercourse, because that does not strengthen a fasting person; instead, it invalidates the fast and leads to the obligation of expiation [for that sin], for dawn may arrive and one may fail to stop himself, under the pressure of sexual desire.

6.     Keenness on seeking knowledge and being well-versed in, and observant of, religious affairs, acts of Sunnah and one’s time, can be learned from Anas ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, who was eager to inquire about the interval between the Suhoor and the Athaan.

7.     The mercy of the Prophet, , towards his Ummah (nation) is evident, as he, , legislated the Suhoor for them to keep them stronger during their fast. He, , also delayed it himself, deliberately, so that people would follow him. If he, , had not done so, his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would have imitated him [in having Suhoor early] and this would have been very difficult for the whole Ummah. Similarly, if the Prophet, , had had Suhoor in the early hours of the night or at midnight, its purpose would not have been achieved to a great extent.

8.     There must be due courtesy when speaking about the Prophet, , as Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “We had Suhoor with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa ‎sallam”. He, may Allah be pleased with him, did not say, “We and the Prophet partook in Suhoor together.” He, may Allah be pleased with him, used the preposition “with”, which implies that he considers himself subordinate to the Prophet, .