“Eat the pre-dawn meal, for there is blessing in the pre-dawn meal.” Does the command imply obligation?

The questioner : The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) Does this command imply obligation?

The Shaykh : It appears to be obligatory, because when the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibited continuous fasting, he mentioned a phrase that indicates this, indicating that this command is for obligation. He prohibited continuous fasting and then said , permitting the omission of the breaking of the fast, and permitting the continuation of the daytime fast into the night, but regarding the pre-dawn meal, he did not permit anything other than the necessity of the pre-dawn meal. First, the apparent meaning of the command is obligation. Second, this hadith that prohibited continuous fasting means it is not permissible, meaning the hadith indicates that it is not permissible to continue fasting from the night into the day after breaking the fast, if one is able to wake up and get up for the pre-dawn meal, because he permitted the opposite, which is continuing the daytime fast into the night, and not continuing the night fast into the day. For this reason, we see that if one is able to eat the pre-dawn meal, it is also necessary, as mentioned in some hadiths, even if it is just sips of water. “Eat the pre-dawn meal, even if it is just sips of water,” so it is necessary. As for a man who is overcome by sleep and does not eat the pre-dawn meal, the pre-dawn meal is not more significant in the Shari'ah than the prayer that he must perform at its time. The issue is, therefore, for the one who is able to eat the pre-dawn meal but does not, even if it is just sips of water...