When is the Time for Sahur and When Does It End?

When is the Time for Sahur and When Does It End?

Question: When should we have our Sahur, and when exactly should we stop?

Answer by Dr. MAZA:

1. We are encouraged (sunnah) to delay the Sahur. The word Sahur itself refers to the end of the night or the final third of the night. This is mentioned by Allah:

وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

(Meaning: “And in the hours before dawn (Sahur) they would ask for forgiveness.”) — Surah Ali ‘Imran: 17

Having Sahur too early is not encouraged; instead, it is sunnah to have it as late as possible. Zaid bin Thabit narrated:

تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ»، قُلْتُ: كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَ الأَذَانِ وَالسَّحُورِ؟ قَالَ: «قَدْرُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً

“We had Sahur with the Prophet ﷺ, then he stood up for prayer (Subuh).” Anas bin Malik asked him: “How much time was there between the Azan and that Sahur?” Zaid replied: “The time it takes to read 50 verses (of the Quran).” — Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

This Hadith shows how late the Prophet ﷺ had his Sahur. Reading 50 verses takes only a few minutes. That was the time the Prophet ﷺ stopped eating to prepare for prayer.

2. The time for Sahur lasts until the start of Subuh. The idea that fasting must begin ten or twenty minutes before Subuh is not accurate. The Hadith from Zaid above does not mean it is compulsory to stop eating 50 verses before the Azan; it simply describes the practice of the Prophet ﷺ observed by Zaid. As proof, Aisyah r.a. mentioned:

أَنَّ بِلاَلًا كَانَ يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يُؤَذِّنَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُؤَذِّنُ حَتَّى يَطْلُعَ الفَجْرُ

“Indeed, Bilal would call the Azan at night (the first Azan of Subuh, before the time starts). So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Eat and drink until Ibn Ummi Maktum calls the Azan, because he does not call the Azan until the time of Fajar (Subuh) has started.’” — Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

This Hadith shows that during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, there were two calls (Azan) for Subuh. This is still practiced in many parts of the Muslim world, especially in Makkah and Madinah. In Perlis we also practice the same. The first Azan is before the time starts, called by Bilal bin Rabah. The second Azan is by Abdullah ibn Ummi Maktum. The Prophet ﷺ allowed those fasting to continue eating until the second Azan, which is the actual start of Subuh.

3. The Quran itself explains this clearly:

وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ

(Meaning: "And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night], then complete the fast until the night.") — Surah al-Baqarah: 187

Therefore, the final deadline for Sahur is the actual start of Subuh, not several minutes before it. In a narration by Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said:

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ مِنْ سَحُورِكُمْ أَذَانُ بِلَالٍ، وَلَا بَيَاضُ الْأُفُقِ الْمُسْتَطِيلُ هَكَذَا، حَتَّى يَسْتَطِيرَ هَكَذَا

“Do not let the Azan of Bilal deceive you regarding your Sahur, nor the vertical white light in the sky, until the light spreads horizontally (the true Fajar).”

4. Based on the Quran and Hadiths mentioned, the actual time for Imsak (stopping) begins only when Subuh starts, not minutes before. Therefore, if someone wakes up for Sahur and finds that Subuh has not yet started—even if there are only a few minutes left—they can still eat their Sahur until the actual time of Subuh arrives.