A delicious recipe hub with easy meals, Ramadan favourites, and healthy ideas.
Growing “taqwa” (God-consciousness)
Sins forgiven (when done with true faith and sincerity)
A special, unmatched reward from Allah
Fasting becomes a “shield” (spiritual protection)
Entering Jannah through a special gate (Rayyān)
Stronger connection with the Qur’an
Training sincerity and self-control
Catching Laylat al-Qadr (a night better than 1,000 months)
Weight and waist reduction (especially in people that are overweight/obese)
Some improvements in cardiometabolic markers.
Ramadan-specific evidence (dawn-to-dusk dry fasting).
Suhoor is the food or drink you have before starting your fast – it is eaten near the end of the night, in enough time before Fajr prayer starts. It’s called suhoor because it’s eaten at the “sahar” time — the last part of the night.
Suhoor can be as little as a small amount of food or drink—it doesn’t have to be a particular type of meal.
It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The best suhoor for the believer is dates.” (Abu Dawood 2345; classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawood).
And it is narrated from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Suhoor is a blessed meal, so do not leave it, even if one of you only takes a sip of water, for Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who eat suhoor.” (Ahmad 11003; classed as hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ 3683).
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged sahoor and explained its benefits, for example:
“Eat sahoor, for in sahoor there is blessing.” (Bukhari 1923; Muslim 1095)
“The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the meal before dawn (sahoor).” (Muslim 1096)
“Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who eat sahoor.” (Ahmad 11086; classed sahih by the commentators on al-Musnad; classed hasan by al-Albani in as-Saheehah 1654)
In these hadiths, sahoor means the pre-dawn meal for someone who intends to fast. It helps because it gives you strength and makes fasting easier. It is also one of the things that distinguishes Muslim fasting from the fasting of the People of the Book (original Jews & Christians).
Scholars explain its importance like this:
Imam an-Nawawi said scholars agree sahoor is recommended (mustahabb), not compulsory, and its “blessing” is clear because it gives energy for fasting and reduces hardship. (Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim 7/206)
Al-Mannaawi explained that the blessing includes helping a person fast properly, controlling desires, purifying the heart, and bringing a person closer to Allah — which is why it is strongly encouraged. (Fayd al-Qadeer 2/270)
Al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah states sahoor is Sunnah, and Ibn al-Mundhir reported consensus that it is recommended. (al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah 24/270)
The Standing Committee for Fatwas said the person who is fasting should eat sahoor before dawn because it strengthens them for fasting. (Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah 9/26)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said sahoor is all blessing: it’s worship, following the Prophet ﷺ, differing from the disbelievers, helping you fast, and giving your body strength for worship. (Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh 7/147)
Ibn Hajar said the blessings of sahoor include: following the Sunnah, differing from the People of the Book, gaining strength and energy for worship, improving mood by easing hunger, giving charity if someone asks, remembering Allah and making du‘a at a blessed time, and helping you firmly intend to fast (especially if you forgot before sleeping).
Eat balanced meals. Aim for half your plate to be above-ground vegetables, a quarter to be protein (e.g. meat, fish, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy), and less than a quarter to be whole-grain carbohydrates.
Choose more above-ground vegetables (like green beans, spinach, broccoli, aubergine and mushrooms), along with protein and healthy fats (such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish). This can help you stay fuller for longer and reduce large rises and drops in blood glucose.
Add more lentils, pulses and beans to your meals. If you can, start meals with salads, soups, fruit, or lentils.
Include plenty of full-fat yoghurt and other milk-based foods to help you feel full and to support calcium intake. Try plain or Greek yoghurt with vegetables or lower-sugar fruits (like berries or apples), plus seeds and nuts.
Drink plenty of water before the fast begins. A good target is at least 8 cups (around 2.5 litres) daily, so your body can restore fluids ready for the next day.
Limit amounts of high sugar fruits, particularly dates, grapes and tropical fruit (e.g. mangoes and pineapples) and avoid drinking fruit juice. Fruit juice contains very high levels of sugar.
Limit starchy processed foods such as white bread, rice, couscous, noodles, chips and pizza. These will cause your blood sugar to rise and will tend to cause increased hunger and weight gain.
Avoid sugary foods such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits and pastries. A much healthier option (which will keep you feeling fuller for longer) is plain yoghurt with some low sugar fruit (e.g. berries).
Avoid deep-fried foods such as samosas and chips. Measure oil you use in cooking and ideally use plenty of unprocessed oils including butter or olive oil.
Avoid caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee as these can act as diuretics.
Avoid sugary drinks such as orange, apple and tropical fruit juices, and fizzy drinks as well as diet cola.