Suhoor and Iftar (morning and evening meals). Morning meal - Suhoor

Importance and virtues of suhoor

Every fasting Muslim should perform Suhoor during the last part of the night with the intention of fasting. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Eat before dawn, for in suhoor there is grace” . (al-Bukhari 1923, Muslim 1095.)

Question: The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) says: “Take food before dawn, for there is grace in suhoor.” What is meant by “the grace of suhoor”?

Answer: The grace of suhoor is of two kinds: it is Sharia grace and bodily grace. Sharia grace consists in the fact that a person fulfills the command of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and also takes an example from him. Bodily grace consists in the fact that through nutrition the body acquires the strength necessary to observe fasting.

Regarding the merits of performing suhoor, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Verily, Allah and His angels bless those who perform Suhoor.” . (Ahmad 3/12. Sheikh al-Albani called the hadith good.)

Suhur is also the difference between the fast of Muslims and the fast of Christians and Jews. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Verily, the difference between our fast and the fast of the people of the book is suhoor.” (Muslim 2/770.)

The importance of suhur is spoken of in many authentic hadiths. From Ibn ‘Amr, Abu Sa’id and Anas, may Allah be pleased with them, it is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Complete suhoor with at least a sip of water.” (Ahmad, Abu Ya'la, Ibn Hibban. Authentic Hadith. See Sahih al-Jami' 2945.)

“Truly, there is good in suhoor, so do not abandon it.” (Ahmad 11003. The hadith is good. See Sahih al-Jami' 3683.)

Also the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The best suhoor for a believer is dates.” (Abu Daud. Reliable hadith. See “Sahih at-targhib” 1/448.)

Suhoor time

The time of Suhoor begins shortly before dawn. If a person eats a few hours before dawn or before going to bed, then it is not called suhoor. See “al-Mausu’atul-fiqhiyya” 3/269.

It is advisable to postpone suhoor until the last part of the night, until morning prayer. Ibn 'Abbas said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say: “We, the prophets, were commanded to break our fast early and perform Suhoor later.” " (Ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani, ad-Diya. Reliable hadith. See “as-Silsilya as-sahiha” 4/376.)

Anas reported that Zayd bin Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “(Once) during Ramadan, we ate before dawn with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and then he stood up for prayer.” (Anas said): “I asked: “How much time passed between adhan and suhoor?” He said: “So much (that one could read) fifty verses.”(Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two types of dawn: dawn, at which it is forbidden to eat and it is allowed to perform morning prayer, and dawn, at which it is forbidden to perform morning prayer, but it is allowed to eat.”. (Ibn Khuzaima, al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by Imam Ibn Khuzaima, al-Hakim and Sheikh al-Albani. See “al-Silsilya al-sahiha” 693.)

A person can eat until he is sure that it is beginning to get light. Allah Almighty said: “Eat and drink until you can tell the difference between the white thread of dawn and the black one.”(al-Baqarah 2: 187).

Ibn Abbas said: “Allah has permitted you to eat and drink until your doubts disappear (regarding the dawn).”. (‘Abdu-Rrazzak, hafiz Ibn Hajar called the isnad reliable. See “Fathul-Bari” 4/135.)

Sheikh Albani's story: “I want to remind you of what was mentioned in the previous hadith: "...and delay the pre-dawn meal". (“My Ummah will be good as long as people hasten the breaking of the fast and delay the pre-dawn meal.”) This means the opposite of iftar. He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered us to hurry up with Iftar. But as for Suhoor, it must be postponed. But what is happening today is completely contrary to this, as many people take their suhoor long before Fajr (morning prayer). It's not proper to do this. This is contrary to the Sunnah expressed in the sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his practice. The companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, delayed suhur until such a late time that one of them could almost hear the adhan while continuing to eat. He delayed Suhoor."

Sheikh Muhammad Solih al-Munajid was asked:

“What do you mean by ‘eat and drink until the white thread separates from the black’?”

He replied:

“This means that Allah has allowed those who fast to eat and drink at night until dawn comes. The white thread means day, the black thread means night.

Al Hafez said: “The verse indicates the boundary between day and darkness of night. This happens when true sunrise occurs. The word "rising" is replaced by the word "white thread", and there is no need to explain what was meant by the word black thread, because the explanation of one fact explains the other.
Some of the Sahabah understood this verse in a different sense. They thought it was a literal thread. One of them put two threads, black and white, under the pillow or tied them to his leg, and he continued to eat until he could not distinguish between white and black. This happened because at the beginning Allah revealed a verse without the word “dawn”, and then (some scholars say that this happened a year later) a verse was revealed with the word “dawn”. Then they understood what was meant by the white and black thread.
Bukhari (1917) and Muslim (1091) reported that Sahl ibn Sad said: "Ayat was sent down, and the word “dawn” was not there. When people wanted to fast, one of them tied a white and black thread to his leg, and they continued to eat until they distinguished one thread from the other. Then Allah sent down the word “dawn” and they understood that it meant night and day.”

The Sahaba understood according to the outer meaning as they understood it, and then the word "dawn" was revealed and they understood the true meaning.

Bukhari (1916) reported that Adiy ibn Hatim said: "When the words “Eat and drink until you can tell the difference between the white thread of dawn and the black one.” were sent down, I took a black thread and a white thread and put them under my pillow, and I looked at them at night, but I could not distinguish them. The next day I went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about this. He said: "It's the darkness of the night and the light of the day".

Among the rules that were revealed with this verse was the rule that if a person is not sure about the dawn, then he can continue to eat and drink until he is sure, because Allah said: “Eat and drink until you can tell the difference between the white thread of dawn and the black one.”

Abdur-Razzaq reported that Ibn Abbas said: “Allah has given you permission to eat and drink as long as you are unsure.”(Al-Hafiz said that isnad is sahih.)

Ibn Abi Shaybah reported that Abu Duha said: “A man asked Ibn Abbas about suhur, and Ibn Abbas said: “Eat until you are sure, until the uncertainty passes.”

Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen said in Sharh al Mumti (6:247):

“If a person does not fast, and he is not sure whether dawn has come, then his fast is valid, because Allah said:“From now on, enter into intimacy with them and strive for what Allah has prescribed for you. Eat and drink until you can distinguish the white thread of dawn from the black one, and then fast until nightfall. Do not have intimacy with them while you are in the mosques. These are the limits of Allah. Don't go near them. This is how Allah explains His signs to people, so perhaps they will be afraid.”

http://www.islamqa.com/ar/ref/50120

“Imsak” or completing suhoor some time before azan (20 minutes, etc.) is an innovation The statement that the cessation of eating and drinking, in order to avoid error, should be before dawn, for example, ten minutes, is innovation (bid'ah)

. Some schedules even have a separate line in which “imsak” is written (i.e., the time to stop eating and drinking) and a separate column for the beginning of morning prayer - this has no basis. Sheikh Albani said:

“Food becomes prohibited from the beginning of the time of Fajr prayer. There is no gap of time between these two things (i.e. the beginning of the fast and the beginning of the time of prayer). There is no abstinence from food and drink a quarter of an hour, more or less than this, before the start of the Fajr prayer time. Absolutely not. Because prayer becomes prescribed when the true dawn appears, and food becomes forbidden for the fasting person when the true dawn appears. Therefore, there is no gap between these two matters, and what’s more, it contradicts authentic hadiths.”

("Sunnahs that are neglected in the month of Ramadan")

These hadiths will be given below.

What should a person do if he hears the adhan while eating? Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“If one of you hears the call (adhan) to prayer and a dish (of food) is in the hand of one of you, then he should not put it down until he has finished eating from it.”

(Abu Daud 1/549, Ahmad 2/423, al-Hakim 1/426, al-Bayhaqi 4/218, ad-Darakutni 2/165. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by Imam al-Hakim, Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyya and Sheikh al- Albani. See “as-Silsila as-sahiha” 1394.)

This hadith indicates that the so-called time of refusal to eat (imsak), which is set 15-20 minutes before morning prayer, out of fear of eating until the onset of adhan, is an innovation. (See “Tamamul-minna” 418.) “Once, when they were called to prayer, Umar had a glass in his hand, and he asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “Should I finish this, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: "Yes, finish it"”. (Ibn Jarir at-Tabari 3017. The isnad of the hadith is good.)

Sheikh Albani said: “Indeed, there is an authentic hadith narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, indicating the relief provided by Islam, considered one of the principles of Islam that Muslims are proud of, especially regarding the issue of fasting. Since Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, has indicated in the verses regarding fasting: “Allah desires ease for you, not difficulty.”(Al-Baqarah 2:185)

From this relief is his, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: “If one of you hears the call to prayer and the dish is in the hand of one of you, then he should not put it down until he has satisfied his need from it (i.e., until he has finished eating).”

"If one of you hears the call to prayer and the dish" ,dishes with a product, be it milk, other drink, water, something that a person can take as suhoor, and he hears the adhan, then he should not say: “Now food is prohibited by the adhan.” For anyone who hears the adhan and has not yet satisfied his need for food and drink, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has legalized food for him. He said clearly, in clear Arabic: “If one of you hears the call to prayer and a dish is in the hand of one of you, then he should not put it down until he has satisfied his need from it.”

The Sheikh also said: “It is condemned by fiqh and contrary to the Sunnah that people say: “If a person hears the second azan and there is food in his mouth, he should spit it out.” This is excessive severity, extremeness and excess (gulyuu) in religion, from which Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, warned us, who said: “Beware of excess (gulyuu) in religion, for those who came before you were destroyed by excess in religion.” (an-Nasai 2/49, Ibn Majah 2/242. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by al-Hakim, az-Zahabi, an-Nawawi, Ibn Taymiyyah.)

“Food becomes prohibited from the beginning of the time of Fajr prayer. There is no gap of time between these two things (i.e. the beginning of the fast and the beginning of the time of prayer). There is no abstinence from food and drink a quarter of an hour, more or less than this, before the start of the Fajr prayer time. Absolutely not. Because prayer becomes prescribed when the true dawn appears, and food becomes forbidden for the fasting person when the true dawn appears. Therefore, there is no gap between these two matters, and what’s more, it contradicts authentic hadiths.”

The ruling of one who ate food during or shortly after Adhan

Question: The Almighty said: “And eat and drink until, at the coming of dawn, you can distinguish the white thread from the black thread.” What is the judgment regarding one who has completed his suhoor and drank water during the adhan or a quarter of an hour after the call to morning prayer?
Answer: If the person mentioned in the question knew that this happened before dawn, then compensation is not required from him. In the same case, if he knew that dawn had already arrived, then compensation is necessary. If a person did not know whether he ate and drank before or after dawn, then no compensation is required from him, since the main thing is the presence of darkness. Be that as it may, every believer is obliged to protect his fast and take the necessary precautions, that is, to refrain from breaking his fast after hearing the call to morning prayer. In this case, one can break the fast only when the believer knows that the call to prayer sounded before dawn.
(Standing Committee, “Religious and legal solutions to issues (fatwas) relating to fasting”)

Judgment on the fast of one who ate food during the call to prayer

Question: What is the judgment of Shariah on the fast of one who heard the call to morning prayer, but continued to eat and drink?
Answer: The duty of every believer is to abstain from breaking the fast, that is, from eating, drinking and other things, after he sees the dawn, for fasting is an obligatory religious injunction, be it fasting in the month of Ramadan, votive or expiatory fasting, because Allah, Great and Mighty, said: “And eat and drink until you can, at the coming of dawn, distinguish the white thread from the black thread. “Then fast until nightfall.”

If a person hears the adhan, knowing that it is a call to morning prayer, then he should abstain from eating and anything that breaks his fast. When the muezzin called for prayer before dawn, then a person is not forbidden to eat and drink until dawn comes. If a person does not know for sure whether the muezzin called for prayer before dawn or after it, then it is safer and safer for him to abstain after hearing the call to prayer. There is no harm in a person drinking or eating something during adhan if he does not know about dawn.

It is known that residents of cities where there are many electric lights are not able to visually determine the onset of dawn accurately. In this case, it will be more reliable for a city dweller to be guided by the adhan and special calendars, which indicate the time of dawn by hours and minutes. Thus, a person will act in accordance with the advance of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “Postpone what you doubt until the time when you no longer doubt it.” He also said: “He who is afraid of doubts is pure before his religion and conscience.” And all success belongs to Allah.
(Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, “Religious and legal solutions to issues (fatwas) related to fasting”)

If a fasting person drinks after the call to morning prayer, is his fast valid?

Question: If a fasting person drank after hearing the call to morning prayer, will his fast be valid?
Answer: If a fasting person drank after hearing the muezzin’s call for morning prayer, and dawn was obvious, then the fasting person has no right to eat or drink after that. When the muezzin calls for morning prayer before the fasting person sees the morning, he can eat and drink until he sees the dawn, since Allah Almighty said: “So, from now on it is permissible for you to lie down with them and seek what Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until, at dawn, you can distinguish the white thread from the black thread.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Bilal announces the coming of night, so eat and drink until you hear the adhan of Ibn Umm Maktoum. Verily, he does not call until the dawn has risen.” Based on this, muezzins should very carefully determine the time of proclamation of the adhan for morning prayer. They should not announce the call until they are personally convinced of the onset of dawn or determine this by an accurate clock. This is necessary in order not to disturb people ahead of time, not to forbid them from what Allah has permitted for them, and also so that they do not perform morning prayer ahead of time, for therein lies danger.

(Muhammad bin Salih Al Uthaymeen, “Religious and legal solutions to issues (fatwas) related to fasting”)

Health Tips

1. Do not eat: fatty and fried foods; products with excess sugar content!
2. Avoid: overeating during Suhoor; drink too much during suhoor (because of this, mineral salts necessary to maintain tone throughout the day are removed from the body)!
3. Eat during suhoor: complex carbohydrates, so that food takes longer to digest and you do not feel hungry during the day; dates are an excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium; almonds are a source of proteins and fibrous substance with low fat content; Bananas are a source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

(“Tips for fasting people to stay healthy during the month of Ramadan”, Dr. Farouk Hafiji, Islamic Medical Association)

During the holy month of Ramadan, your diet should not differ much from usual and be as simple as possible.

The Holy Quran says: "...Eat and drink until you begin to distinguish a white thread from a black one [until the dividing line between the coming day and the departing night appears on the horizon] at dawn. And then fast until night [until sunset, abstaining from eating and drinking and intimate relationships with your spouse]..."(Holy Quran, 2:187).

Eating during Suhoor

The morning meal (suhoor) is done by the fasting person before adhan. Suhur is certainly very important for the fasting person and is an important injunction and mercy of the Almighty for Muslims. In the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (S) it is said: “Complete suhoor with at least a sip of water,” and also “The beautiful suhoor of a believer is dates.”

Suhur allows the body to get the necessary energy to work effectively during the first half of the day. This leads to the fact that in the second half of the day the energy needed by the body is extracted due to the breakdown of carbohydrates and some fats, but does not affect protein metabolism, so metabolic processes in the body are not affected at all.

Doctors recommend eating complex carbohydrates during Suhoor - bread made from whole sprouted grains or wholemeal flour, cereal dishes, fresh vegetable salad and dried fruits. Complex carbohydrates take a long time to digest in the body and therefore provide the body with energy for at least 8-12 hours. You can add some protein to them in the form of meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Proteins also take a long time to digest (about 8 hours) and are important especially during high physical activity, but a large amount of them can overload the liver, which already works hard during fasting. Dates are an excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium; almonds are a source of protein and fiber with low fat content; Bananas are a source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. However, you should avoid overeating and drinking too much during Suhoor (due to this, mineral salts necessary for maintaining tone during the day are removed from the body).

During Suhoor, it is better to give up coffee completely (or consume it in minimal quantities). The most beneficial will be drinks made from fermented milk products with added herbs, a small amount of salt and herbs. After consuming them, thirst arises later and is not so acute.

Time to break the fast - iftar

Iftar begins immediately after sunset and before evening prayers. In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “When one of you breaks his fast, let him break his fast with dates, and if he does not find dates, let him break his fast with water, for truly it purifies.”

Theologians advise that before the evening prayer one should take a very small amount of food and only after the prayer can one sit down at the festively laid table. According to doctors, dates eaten after adhan instantly saturate the blood with glucose. When drinking water, everything is even simpler - the brain reacts to the heaviness in the stomach and also slows down the appetite.

Every evening of the month of Ramadan is a real holiday. To break the fast, you can also put fruits, pastries, dried fruits, etc. on the table. The main thing is not to overdo it. There should not be a lot of food - you need to limit fried and floury foods. Do not eat: fatty and fried foods; foods with excess sugar content. Fried food is harmful to health and its consumption should be limited. Such food causes indigestion, heartburn, and affects weight.

A vegetable and meat-vegetable dish would be optimal. Salads made from fresh vegetables and cereal dishes are healthy. Sweets are possible, but in small quantities. There are many options, and everyone certainly likes something different. Meals should be well-balanced and include foods from each food group, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, bread, grains and dairy products.

Drink as much water and juices as possible between iftar and bedtime to maintain normal fluid levels in your body. Suitable drinks include fresh juices, fruit drinks, compotes, jelly, and tea. Plain plain water is also great.

It is better to exclude so-called “instant foods” from your diet during fasting. These include various types of noodles (with food additives), porridges and soups in bags, sausage... The fact is that this category of products contains inferior carbohydrates and proteins, which are very quickly absorbed by the body.. The feeling of hunger will come in literally 1 -2 hours and will be much stronger than before using this product. In addition, they all contain a large amount of salt, seasonings and substances that help whet the appetite after a short time and develop thirst.

The table during fasting days can be made not only healthy, but also varied and tasty. Of course, every nation has its own special recipes for suhur dishes. And, as a rule, they turn out to be quite suitable for a given area, since over centuries the culture has selected what was best.

Compliance with fasting according to all the rules purifies a Muslim not only spiritually, but also improves health. The human body, tired of systematically eating throughout the year, rests during this month. At the same time, a kind of renewal occurs in our body. Here is what the Prophet Muhammad (S) said about this: “Keep the oruj (fast) and you will become healthier.”

• Features of Ramadan fasting
• Rules and prohibitions
• Schedule of Ramadan months until 2020
• Breaking the Ramadan fast is a punishment

During the holy month of the Muslim calendar, which is called Ramadan in Arabic, or Ramadan in Turkish, Muslims are required to observe strict fasting - limit yourself in drinking, eating and intimacy.

Following the rules of Ramadan, mature people give up their passions. This is how they cleanse themselves of negativity.

The fast ends with the great holiday of Uraza Bayram.

Posting believers test the strength of the human spirit. Compliance with the rules of Ramadan makes a person reflect on his lifestyle and helps determine the main values ​​in life.

During Ramadan, a Muslim must limit yourself not only in food, but also carnal satisfaction of one’s needs, as well as other addictions - for example, smoking. He must learn control yourself and your emotions.

Observing simple fasting rules, every Muslim believer should feel poor and hungry, since the available benefits are often perceived as ordinary.

Swearing is prohibited during Ramadan. There is an opportunity to help the needy, the sick and the poor. Muslims believe that prayers and a month of abstinence will enrich everyone who follows the tenets of Islam.

There are two main requirements of fasting:

1. Follow the rules of fasting sincerely from dawn to dusk
2. Abstain completely from your passions and needs

Here are a few conditions for what a fasting person should be like:

• Over 18 years old
• Muslim
• Not mentally ill
• Physically healthy

There are also those for whom fasting is contraindicated, and they have the right not to observe it. These are minor children, the elderly and pregnant women, as well as those women who are menstruating or experiencing postpartum cleansing.

The fast of Ramadan has several traditions

Let's list the most important ones:

Suhur

Throughout Ramadan Muslims eat their meals early in the morning, before dawn. They believe that Allah will greatly reward such an action.

During traditional suhoor don't overeat, but you should eat enough food. Suhoor gives you strength for the whole day. It helps Muslims to stay sane and not be angry, as hunger often causes anger.

If a believer does not perform suhur, then his day of fasting remains valid, but he will not receive any reward.

Iftar

Iftar is evening meal, which also takes place during fasting. You need to start breaking your fast immediately after sunset, that is after the last day(or the fourth, penultimate prayer of this day). After Iftar comes Isha - Muslim night prayer(the last of the five obligatory daily prayers).

What not to eat during Ramadan - all the rules and prohibitions

What to eat during Suhoor:

• Doctors recommend eating complex carbohydrates in the morning - cereal dishes, sprouted grain bread, vegetable salad. Complex carbohydrates provide the body with energy, despite the fact that they take a long time to digest.
• Also suitable are dried fruits - dates, nuts - almonds and fruits - bananas.

What not to eat during Suhoor

• Avoid protein foods. It takes a long time to digest, but it loads the liver, which works without interruption during fasting
• Don't drink coffee
• You should not eat fried, smoked or fatty foods in the morning. They will cause extra stress on the liver and kidneys
• Avoid eating fish during Suhoor. You'll want to drink afterwards

What can you eat during Iftar?

• Meat and vegetable dish
• Cereal dishes
• A small amount of sweetness. You can replace them with dates or fruits
• Drink more water. You can also drink juice, fruit drink, compote, tea, jelly

What not to eat in the evening after adhan

• Fatty and fried foods. It will harm your health - cause heartburn and put on extra pounds.
• Exclude from food instant food– various cereals in bags or noodles. You won’t get full of them and literally after an hour or two you’ll want to have another meal, reports 1rre. In addition, such products will increase your appetite even more, as they contain salt and other spices.
• Can't eat sausages and sausages. It is better to exclude them from your diet during Ramadan fasting. Sausages affect the kidneys and liver, satisfy hunger for only a few hours, and can also develop thirst.

Despite the prohibitions and strict rules, there are benefits from fasting:

• Refusal of carnal passions
  A person must understand that he is not a slave to his body. Fasting is a serious reason to give up intimacy. Only by abstaining from sin can a person preserve his purity of soul.
• Self improvement
  By observing fasting, a believer is more attentive to himself. He gives birth to new character traits, such as humility, tolerance, obedience. Feeling poverty and deprivation, he becomes more resilient, gets rid of fear, begins to believe more and more and learns what was previously hidden.
• Gratitude
  Having gone through refusing food, a Muslim becomes closer to his Creator. He realizes that the innumerable benefits that Allah sends are given to man for a reason. The believer gains a sense of gratitude for the gifts sent.
• An opportunity to experience mercy
  Fasting reminds people of the poor, and also encourages them to be merciful and help those in need. Having gone through this test, the believer remembers kindness and humanity, as well as the fact that everyone is equal before God.
• Economy
  Fasting teaches people to be economical, limit themselves and curb their desires.
• Improves health
  The benefit to a person's physical health is manifested in the fact that the digestive system rests. Within a month, the intestines are completely cleansed of waste, toxins and harmful substances.

Holy Ramadan schedule until 2020 - when does Ramadan fasting begin and end?

IN 2015 Ramadan fasting begins on June 18 and ends on July 17.

Here are the following dates for holy Ramadan:

2016– from June 6 to July 5.
2017– from May 26 to June 25.
2018– from May 17 to June 16.
2019– from May 6 to June 5.
2020– from April 23 to May 22.

Violation of the Ramadan fast - actions that interrupt the Muslim fast of Ramadan, and punishments

It is worth noting that the rules of Ramadan fasting apply only during the daytime. Some actions performed during fasting are considered prohibited.

Actions that interrupt Muslim Ramadan include:

• Special or intentional meal
• Unspoken intention to fast
• Masturbation or sexual intercourse
• Smoking
• Spontaneous vomiting
• Administration of rectal or vaginal medications

However are lenient towards similar actions. Despite their similarities, they don't break the fast.

They include:

• Unintentional meal
• Administering medications using injections
• Kisses
• Caresses, if they do not lead to ejaculation
• Teeth cleaning
• Blood donation
• Period
• Involuntary vomiting
• Failure to perform prayers

Punishments for those who break the Ramadan fast:

Those who unintentionally broke the fast due to illness, must perform the missed day of fasting on any other day.

For sexual intercourse committed during daylight hours, the believer is obliged to defend another 60 days of fasting, or to feed 60 needy people.

If Skipping fast is permitted by Shariah , it is necessary to perform repentance.

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad, members of his family and all his companions!

Suhur(Pre-dawn food)

Importance and virtues of suhoor

Every Muslim should observe Suhoor during the last part of the night with the intention of fasting. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Eat before dawn, for in suhoor there is grace”. al-Bukhari 1923, Muslim 1095.
Regarding the merits of performing suhoor, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah and His angels bless those who perform Suhoor.”. Ahmad 3/12. Sheikh al-Albani called the hadith good.
Suhur is also the difference between the fast of Muslims and the fast of Christians and Jews. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, the difference between our fast and the fast of the people of the book is suhur" Muslim 2/770.
The importance of suhur is spoken of in many authentic hadiths. From Ibn ‘Amr, Abu Sa’id and Anas (may Allah be pleased with them) it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “ Make suhoor with at least a sip of water.". Ahmad, Abu Ya'la, Ibn Hibban. The hadith is authentic. See Sahih al-Jami' 2945.
Truly, there is goodness in Suhoor, so do not abandon it." Ahmad 11003. The hadith is good. See Sahih al-Jami' 3683.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: “ The best suhoor for a believer is dates." Abu Daoud. The hadith is authentic. See “Sahih at-targib” 1/448.

Suhoor time

The time of Suhoor begins shortly before dawn. If a person eats a few hours before dawn or before going to bed, then it is not called suhoor. See “al-Mausu’atul-fiqhiyya” 3/269.
It is advisable to postpone suhoor until the last part of the night, until morning prayer. Ibn 'Abbas said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “We prophets were ordered to break our fast early and perform suhoor later.”" Ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani, ad-Diya. The hadith is authentic. See “al-Silsila al-sahiha” 4/376.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two types of dawn: dawn, at which it is forbidden to eat and it is allowed to perform morning prayer, and dawn, at which it is forbidden to perform morning prayer, but it is allowed to eat.” Ibn Khuzayma, al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by Imam Ibn Khuzaima, al-Hakim and Sheikh al-Albani. See “al-Silsilya al-sahiha” 693.
A person can eat until he is sure that it is beginning to get light. Allah Almighty said: “Eat and drink until you can distinguish the white thread of dawn from the black one” (al-Baqarah 2: 187).
Ibn Abbas said: “ Allah has permitted you to eat and drink until your doubts disappear (regarding the dawn).”‘Abdu-Rrazzak, hafiz Ibn Hajar called the isnad reliable See “Fathul-Bari” 4/135.
Sheikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah shared the same opinion. See “Majmu'ul-Fataawa” 29/263.
The statement that the cessation of eating and drinking, in order to avoid mistakes, should be before dawn, for example, ten minutes, is an innovation (bid'ah). Some schedules even have a separate line in which “imsak” is written (i.e., the time to stop eating and drinking) and a separate column for the beginning of morning prayer - this has no basis, and moreover, contradicts reliable hadiths. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If one of you hears the call (adhan) to prayer and a dish (of food) is in the hand of one of you, then he should not put it down until he has finished eating from it.”. Abu Daud 1/549, Ahmad 2/423, al-Hakim 1/426, al-Bayhaqi 4/218, ad-Darakutni 2/165. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by Imam al-Hakim, Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Sheikh al-Albani. See “al-Silsila al-sahiha” 1394.
This hadith indicates that the so-called time of refusal to eat (imsak), which is set 15-20 minutes before morning prayer, out of fear of eating until the onset of adhan, is an innovation. See “Tamamul-minna” 418.
This hadith is confirmed by many reliable traditions. Abu Umama said: “Once, when they were called to prayer, Umar had a glass in his hand, and he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Should I finish this, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: "Yes, finish it"". Ibn Jarir at-Tabari 3017. The isnad of the hadith is good.
Abu Zubair said: “I asked Jabir, what should a person do who wants to fast and has a glass of drink in his hand during the call? He said: “We also mentioned the same case to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he said: “Let him drink.”" Ahmad 3/348. Hafiz al-Haythami called the isnad of the hadith good. See “Majmu'u-Zzawaid” 3/153.
Sheikh al-Albani said: “In the hadith, the words: “If any of you hears the call (adhan) to prayer,” the second adhan is meant. This is not the first adhan that has been incorrectly called the adhan of not eating (imsak). We must know that there is no basis in the Sunnah for calling the first adhan the adhan of refusal (imsak).”.
It is narrated from the words of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once said: “The call to prayer proclaimed by Bilal at night should in no case prevent you from eating before dawn, for he pronounces the words of the adhan to distract those who are awake among you and to awaken those who are sleeping, and not to announce the arrival of the time for morning prayer.”. al-Bukhari 621, Muslim 2/768.
Another version of the hadith says: “Therefore, eat and drink until the Adhan is proclaimed by Ibn Umm Maktoum.”. Ibn Umm Maktoum proclaimed the second azan, which meant that food from that moment became forbidden, and that it was now time for the morning (fajr) prayer. But, nevertheless, the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made an exception, saying: “If one of you hears the call (adhan) to prayer and the dish is in the hand of one of you, then he should not put it down until he has finished eating from it.”
Sheikh al-Albani also said: “It is condemned by fiqh and contrary to the Sunnah that people say: “If a person hears the second azan and there is food in his mouth, he should spit it out.” This is excessive severity, extremeness and excess (gulyuu) in religion, from which Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned us, who said: “Beware of excess (gulyuu) in religion, for those who came before you were destroyed by excess in religion". an-Nasai 2/49, Ibn Majah 2/242. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by al-Hakim, al-Dhahabi, an-Nawawi, and Ibn Taymiyyah.
Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Truly, Allah Almighty loves when His reliefs are accepted, just as He does not love when His prohibitions are transgressed.”. Ahmad 2/108, Ibn Hibban 2742, al-Qada'i 1078. The hadith is authentic. See “Sahih at-targhib” 1059.

Iftar(Breaking the fast)

Jabir said: “ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Truly, Allah Almighty and Great has those during every breaking of the fast whom He frees from the Fire, and this happens every night!”"Ibn Majah 1643, Ibn Khuzayma 1883. Sheikh al-Albani called the hadith authentic.

When should you stop fasting?

On the need to hasten to break the fast

Everything said above applies to this section. Also in the hadith from Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) it is said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “ People will not cease to be prosperous as long as they rush to break their fast.” al-Bukhari 1957, Muslim 1092.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion will not cease to be evident as long as people are in a hurry to break their fast, for Jews and Christians are delaying it.”. Abu Dawud an-Nasai, al-Hakim. Hadith is good. See also Sahih al-Jami' 7689.
‘Amr ibn Maymun said: “ The companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were the fastest to break the fast and delay Suhur.”. Abdur-Razaq. Hafiz Ibn Abdul-Barr called the isnad authentic. See also “Fathul-Bari” 4/199.
If a fasting person cannot find anything to break his fast, he should break his fast with intention, and not suck his finger, as some do.

What and how should you break your fast?

Breaking the Sunnah fast begins with fresh or dried dates or water. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you breaks his fast, let him break his fast with dates, and if he does not find dates, let him break his fast with water, for truly it purifies.”. Abu Dawood 2355, at-Tirmidhi 658, Ibn Majah 1699. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by the imams Abu Hatim, ‘Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaima, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, az-Zahabi.
You should break your fast immediately with the call to the evening (magharib) prayer, before performing this prayer, as the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) perform the evening (magharib) prayer while he was fasting without breaking his fast with at least water.”. Abu Ya'la, Ibn Khuzaima. Sheikh al-Albani confirmed the authenticity. See “Sahih at-targhib” 1076.

One should invoke Allah with supplications before breaking the fast.

From ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, the supplication of one who fasts before breaking his fast is not rejected.”. Ibn Majah 1753, al-Hakim 1/422. Hafiz Ibn Hajar, al-Busayri and Ahmad Shakir confirmed the authenticity of the hadith.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said after breaking the fast: “The thirst has gone, and the veins have filled with moisture, and the reward is already waiting, if Allah wills.”. Abu Daoud 2357, al-Bayhaqi 4/239. The authenticity of the hadith was confirmed by Imam ad-Darakutni, al-Hakim, al-Zahabi, al-Albani.

ذهب الظمأ وابتلت العروق وثبت الاجر إن شاء الله

/Zahaba zzama-u uabtalatil-‘uruk, ua sabatal-ajru insha-Allah/.
By the way, this is the only reliable hadith, which indicates the prayer pronounced by the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) before the prayer.

And in conclusion, praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

During Ramadan, many are interested in one question: how to eat so that you feel light throughout the day? Referring to authoritative sources, we tried to answer this question.

General rules

The first rule of proper nutrition is moderation in food. Often, many people pounce on food after breaking their fast, and with the same pressure they fill their stomachs before the start of fasting. Overeating is harmful both at night and in the morning.

The Prophet Muhammad said: “The worst vessel that can be filled by the son of Adam (man) is his stomach. It is enough for a person to eat as much as is necessary to maintain strength.”

Also, a general rule for both Suhoor and Iftar is to avoid fried, fatty, salty, spicy and too sweet foods. Fried and fatty foods irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines and are difficult to digest. Salty, spicy and sweet foods cause thirst.

What to eat for suhoor?

Many people try to eat at night so as not to get up in the morning for Suhoor. This is very wrong. Because you are missing out on the barakat that is in this diet.

The hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S) says: “Eat before dawn, for in suhur there is grace (barakat).”

The energy from slowly digestible food will last for 8 hours, while from quickly digestible food it will last only 3-4 hours.

It is necessary to focus on cereals, dried fruits, nuts, products containing bran, whole wheat grains, cereals, green legumes, peas, corn, lentils, meat, eggs (preferably only protein), cheese, banana and some vegetables.

It is also useful to eat boiled or stewed chicken breast, creamed wheat soup, protein shake, raisins or dates for suhoor. You can include flaxseed and olive oils in your diet, which will help you preserve essential fatty acids.

It is advisable to drink water 30 minutes before meals. If you drink water while eating, the gastric juice will dilute and the fermentation process will begin. And possibly heartburn due to less stomach acid.

It is not recommended to eat fruits such as grapes, oranges, and apples during Suhoor. They contain large amounts of acids, which make you thirsty throughout the day.

Sample menu for Suhoor:

1) buckwheat with carrot salad and cheese. Carrot salad goes well with nuts.

2) Homemade cottage cheese, sour cream and honey with dried fruits

3) oatmeal or multigrain flakes soaked in water with dates and nuts;

4) homemade soft-boiled eggs and salads, raw bread

5) protein shake with cottage cheese.

6) stewed chicken breast with boiled rice.

You can also make the following cocktail using a blender:

¼ cup washed sunflower seeds, 3 tablespoons soaked sesame seeds, 2 large ripe bananas and 100 ml water. Pass all this through a blender. This thick and sweet energy drink will provide a great boost throughout the day.

What to eat for Iftar?

When breaking your fast, drink enough water before meals to flush out your gastrointestinal tract with clean water. The water must be warm at room temperature. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began his breaking of fast with several dates. The sugar contained in dates gives a person a feeling of fullness, because... it is absorbed into the blood very quickly. The body is in a hypoglycemic state during the day (decreased blood glucose levels). This means that dates are an ideal option for breaking the fast.

After the dates and water, wait about ten minutes, during which time you can read the evening prayer, namaz. After this you can start eating. During this time, the date will be absorbed by the body, and the brain will understand that food has entered the body. And the feeling of hunger will noticeably decrease. You will save yourself from overeating.

If you start breaking the fast immediately with heavy food, meat, flour products, then it will take a lot of time to digest this food until a certain part is processed into glucose, thanks to which a person feels full. Because of this, a person feels imaginary hunger and overfills the stomach with food.

For iftar, it is better to eat foods that are processed quickly. A vegetable dish, meat-vegetable or fish would be optimal. Salads made from fresh vegetables and cereal dishes are healthy. Sweets are possible, but in small quantities.

An excellent cocktail to break the fast is milk with dates. In the morning, you can put 4-5 dates in a glass of milk and put it in the refrigerator. Until the evening, the milk will absorb the date and turn into a delicious drink.

How to avoid dehydration?

We exclude tea, coffee, and soda from our diet. They contain caffeine and various chemical components that remove fluid from the body. For Suhoor, it is recommended to drink a glass of water with a pinch of salt. This will keep you from getting dehydrated as salt retains water.

Water, green and herbal teas best quench your thirst.

Your psychological state also plays an important role during fasting. You should not be afraid of going hungry or dying of thirst. Try to keep yourself busy during the day by doing good deeds, standing up in prayers, reading the Koran, and then you will not notice how the time to break the fast comes.