We had Suhūr (pre-dawn meal) with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and then he stood for prayer. I said: How long was the time between Adhān and Suhūr? He said: The time it takes to recite fifty verses

Chapter: Interval between the Sahur and Salat-ul-Fajr

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari 1921

حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ

كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَ الأَذَانِ وَالسَّحُورِ قَالَ قَدْرُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً‏.‏

Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

We had Suhūr (pre-dawn meal) with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and then he stood for prayer. I said: How long was the time between Adhān and Suhūr? He said: The time it takes to recite fifty verses.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 1921, 575), At-Tirmidhi (No. 703), An-Nasa’i (No. 2155, 2156), Ibn Majah (No. 1694), Ahmad (No. 20603, 20630, 20633, 20634, 20650, 20682) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1633).

Explanation

Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had Suhūr with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and then he stood for the Fajr prayer. Anas said to Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him): How much time was there between the Adhān and the completion of Suhūr? Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The time it takes to recite fifty medium-length verses, neither long nor short, and neither recited quickly nor slowly.

Lessons

It is preferable to delay Suhūr until just before dawn because delaying it brings greater benefit to the body and provides it with more energy throughout the day.
The Companions' keenness on getting together with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to learn from him.
The Prophet's kind treatment of his Companions as he used to eat with them.
The time of Imsāk (abstaining from fast invalidators) is the rise of dawn.
His statement: "How long was the time between Adhān and Suhūr," i.e., between Suhūr and Iqāmah (the second call to prayer), as he said in the other Hadīth: "How long was the time between their completion of their Suhūr and their entrance into prayer", and the Hadīths explain one another.
Al-Muhallab said: It indicates the estimation of time based on physical activities. The Arabs used to estimate time by activities, such as saying: "the time it takes to milk a sheep" or "the time it takes to slaughter a camel." Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) shifted from that to measuring time by recitation, indicating that this time was the time of worship through recitation. If they had measured it by something other than an activity, he would have said, for example: "the time it takes to walk a certain distance" or "one-third of a fifth of an hour.".
Ibn Abi Jamrah said: He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to consider what was easier for his Ummah and act accordingly. If he did not eat Suhūr, they would follow his example, which would be difficult for some. If he ate Suhūr in the middle of the night, it would also be challenging for those who are overcome by sleep, potentially leading them to miss Fajr or requiring them to struggle to stay awake.

Explanation in Arabic

تَسَحَّرَ بعضُ الصحابة رضي الله عنهم مع النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قام صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى صلاة الفجر.

فقال أنس لزيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه: كم كان مِقدار الوقت بين الأذان والانتهاء من السحور؟

فقال زيد رضي الله عنه: مقدار قراءة خمسين آية متوسطة، لا طويلة ولا قصيرة، ولا قراءة سريعة ولا بطيئة.

أفضلية تأخير السحور إلى قبيل الفجر؛ لأنه إذا أخَّر كانت منفعة البدن منه أعظم وكان نفعه له في اليوم أكثر.
حرص الصحابة بالاجتماع بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليتعلَّموا منه.
حسن عشرة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأصحابه، حيث كان يأكل معهم.
وقت الإمساك هو طلوع الفجر.
قوله: "كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَ الأَذَانِ وَالسَّحُورِ"، المراد بين السحور والإقامة؛ لقوله في الحديث الأخر: "كم بين فراغهما من سحورهما ودخولهما في الصلاة"، والأحاديث يفسر بعضها بعضًا.
قال المُهَلّب: فيه تقدير الأوقات بأعمال البدن، وكانت العرب تُقَدِّر الأوقات بالأعمال كقولهم: قَدْرَ حَلْبِ شاة، وقَدْر نَحْرِ جَزُور، فَعَدَلَ زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه عن ذلك إلى التقدير بالقراءة؛ إشارة إلى أن ذلك الوقت كان وقت العبادة بالتلاوة، ولو كانوا يُقَدِّرون بغير العمل لقال مثلًا: قَدْر دَرَجة، أو ثُلُث خُمُس ساعة.
قال ابن أبي جمرة: كان صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنظر ما هو الأَرْفَق بأمته فيفعله؛ لأنه لو لم يَتَسَحَّر لاتّبعوه فيَشقّ على بعضهم، ولو تَسَحَّرَ في جوف الليل لشق أيضًا على بعضهم ممن يَغْلِب عليه النوم فقد يُفضي إلى ترك الصبح أو يحتاج إلى المجاهدة بالسَّهَر.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْلُهُ : ( حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ ) هُوَ الدَّسْتُوَائِيُّ. قَوْلُهُ : ( عَنْ أَنَسٍ ) سَبَقَ فِي الْمَوَاقِيتِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ " قُلْت لِأَنَسٍ ". قَوْلُهُ : ( قُلْتُ كَمْ ) هُوَ مَقُولُ أَنَسٍ , وَالْمَقُولُ لَهُ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ , وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ بَيَانُ ذَلِكَ فِي الْمَوَاقِيتِ وَأَنَّ قَتَادَةَ أَيْضًا سَأَلَ أَنَسًا عَنْ ذَلِكَ , وَرَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ أَيْضًا عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هَارُونَ عَنْ هَمَّامٍ وَفِيهِ أَنَّ أَنَسًا قَالَ " قُلْتُ لِزَيْدٍ " قَوْلُهُ : ( قَالَ قَدْرُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً ) أَيْ مُتَوَسِّطَةً لَا طَوِيلَةً وَلَا قَصِيرَةً لَا سَرِيعَةً وَلَا بَطِيئَةً , وَقَدْرُ بِالرَّفْعِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ خَبَرُ الْمُبْتَدَأِ , وَيَجُوزُ النَّصْبُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ خ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 1921

Other versions

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 575

Zaid bin Thabit said, "We took the "Suhur" (the meal taken before dawn while fasting is observed) with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then stood up for the (morning) prayer." I asked him how long the interval between the two (Suhur and prayer) was. He replied, 'The interval between the two was just sufficient…

، تَسَحَّرُوا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كَمْ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ قَدْرُ خَمْسِينَ أَوْ سِتِّينَ ـ يَعْنِي آيَةً

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Authentic Jami' at-Tirmidhi 703

Zaid bin Thabit said: "We ate Sahar with the Messenger of Allah, then we stood for the Salat." I (Anas) said: "How long was that?" He said: "About the lengthy of fifty Ayahs."

تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمْ كَانَ قَدْرُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قَدْرُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً ‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Authentic Sunan an-Nasa'i 2155

"How long was there between them?" He said: "As long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses."

تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كَمْ كَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ الرَّجُلُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Differing grades Sunan an-Nasa'i 2156

"We had Sahur with the Messenger of Allah then we went to pray." I (one of the narrators) said: "It is claimed that Anas said: 'How long was there between them?' He said: 'As long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses."

تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ زُعِمَ أَنَّ أَنَسًا الْقَائِلُ مَا كَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ الرَّجُلُ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Differing grades Sunan Ibn Majah 1694

“We ate Suhur with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then we got up to perform prayer.” I said: “How long was there between the two?” He said: “As long as it takes to recite fifty verses.”

تَسَحَّرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ثُمَّ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كَمْ بَيْنَهُمَا؟ قَالَ: قَدْرُ قِرَاءَةِ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 20603