The Ruling on Eating the Pre-Dawn Meal Early and Staying Up Late on the Nights of Ramadan

Question:
The questioner says: Many people advance the pre-dawn meal (suhur) because they stay up late and fear missing it. Does advancing the pre-dawn meal for these people contradict the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Answer:
Yes, this contradicts the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); it contradicts His saying, the Exalted: Allah has made the pre-dawn meal a time before the dawn appears, ending when the dawn appears. So the one who eats the pre-dawn meal from the middle of the night is eating before the time for the pre-dawn meal. This is one aspect where he has contradicted the Sunnah. The other aspect is that the common outcome is that he sleeps through the Fajr prayer; he sleeps through the Fajr prayer and does not pray with the congregation, or he does not pray within its time. The prayer is more emphasized than fasting. The prayer is the second pillar of the pillars of Islam, and fasting is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam. So the prayer is more emphasized. How can he neglect it, not pray with the congregation, or delay the prayer beyond its time and not pray until after the sun has risen? In doing so, he has deprived himself of much good. In fact, he has committed a forbidden act by delaying the prayer beyond its time, as well as abandoning the congregational prayer.
And a person should not stay up late. Why should he stay up late? He should not stay up late, not even for reciting the Qur'an or for the night prayer. He should not stay up all night; rather, he should sleep. He should sleep part of the night, take his rest, and take his share of sleep. He should not stay up. If he stays up for worship, he will not have any reward in it unless the staying up is limited to the end of the night or the beginning of the night. But he should sleep and take his share of sleep. As for staying up for most of the night for no benefit, but rather for harm, such as gossip, watching channels, series, and dramas, and other things, and laughter and idleness, this is sinful, a waste of obligatory duties, and a commission of forbidden acts. So the Muslim should be aware of this matter. Yes.