Is eating the pre-dawn meal a condition or an obligation for voluntary fasting? And if a man fasts and forgets that he ate the pre-dawn meal, while he is able to complete the fast, does his fast remain valid?
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The questioner : Is eating the pre-dawn meal a condition or an obligation for fasting? And if a man fasts and forgets that he ate the pre-dawn meal, while he is able to complete the fast, does his fast remain valid?
The Shaykh : Eating the pre-dawn meal—rather, eating the *suhur* (pre-dawn meal). Eating the *suhur* with a dammah (vowel) is used because *sahur* with a fathah (vowel) is the name for what one eats for the pre-dawn meal, which is the food, while *suhur* with a dammah is the name for the action, just as we say *tahur* with a fathah is the name for what one purifies oneself with, which is water or earth, and *tuhur* with a dammah is the action, meaning the act of purification.
In any case, we say: Eating the *suhur* for fasting is not obligatory, neither in the obligatory fast nor in the voluntary fast, but it is better, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1692Sahih (Darussalam) or However, he will not receive the reward except from the intention alone, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 1 Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Eating the pre-dawn meal—rather, eating the *suhur* (pre-dawn meal). Eating the *suhur* with a dammah (vowel) is used because *sahur* with a fathah (vowel) is the name for what one eats for the pre-dawn meal, which is the food, while *suhur* with a dammah is the name for the action, just as we say *tahur* with a fathah is the name for what one purifies oneself with, which is water or earth, and *tuhur* with a dammah is the action, meaning the act of purification.
In any case, we say: Eating the *suhur* for fasting is not obligatory, neither in the obligatory fast nor in the voluntary fast, but it is better, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Eat Suhur, for in Suhur there is a blessing.
تسحروا فإن في السحور بركةThere is blessing in the pre-dawn meal
في السحور بركةThe reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات، وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوىThe questioner : May Allah bless you.