Sahih Muslim, 1096 a
sahih'Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The difference between our fasting and that of the people of the Book is eating shortly before dawn.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُلَىٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، مَوْلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
فَصْلُ مَا بَيْنَ صِيَامِنَا وَصِيَامِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أَكْلَةُ السَّحَرِ
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Isnad
4 transmittersReferences2 variants
- In-Book Reference
- Book 13, Hadith 56
- USC-MSA web (English) reference
- Book 6, Hadith 2413 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge and enjoin the Muslims to have the Suhūr meal, given the blessing it contains for the fasting person. In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the Suhūr (pre-dawn) meal," i.e., the Suhūr meal - for he who wants to observe fasting, obligatory, or supererogatory - differentiates between the nature of our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book - the Jews and the Christians. This is because Allah made permissible for us some of what He has prohibited for them. So, our difference from them in this regard represents gratitude for this favor. They do not have a Suhūr meal, while we are enjoined to have it. The best time for this meal is the time of Sahar, which comes shortly before the rise of the true dawn. This meal is stressed because at this time most people will probably be sleeping, and sleep and its enjoyment may overcome and distract them from the significance of this meal. Then, as a result of abandoning this meal, they will be weakened in undertaking their activities during the daytime. The Hadīth urges us to have the Suhūr meal. It shows the Prophet's keenness on being distinguished and different from the People of the Book in the acts of worship common between us and them..