1229/1 - Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Have Suhūr, for indeed there is a blessing in Suhūr.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) There is blessing in Suhūr, most notably compliance with the Prophet’s command, which brings all goodness. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also said: “Eat the meal of Suhūr, for it is the blessed meal.” [Narrated by Ahmad] He also said: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who take Suhūr.” [Narrated by Ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh] Its blessing also includes differing from the fasting of the people of the Scripture, which is one of the greatest objectives of Shariah.
2) Eating Suhūr provides a person with the strength to engage in worship and good deeds during daytime.
1230/2 - Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “We had Suhūr with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and then got up to pray.” It was said: “How long was the time between this and that?” He said: “The duration of reciting 50 verses.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) It is Sunnah to delay Suhūr till shortly before dawn.
2) It urges us to hasten to perform the Fajr prayer and not delay it, once we ascertain that dawn has come.
1231/3 - Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had two Muezzins: Bilāl and Ibn Um Maktūm. He said: “Bilāl calls the Adhān at night; so eat and drink until you hear the Adhān called by Ibn Um Maktūm.” And the gap between their Adhāns was not more than the time spent in one’s descent and the other’s ascent (to the minaret). [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) With the first Adhān, it is still permissible to have Suhūr. Fasting begins with the second Adhān, the Adhān of Fajr.
2) The amount of time between the two Adhāns is enough for eating and drinking. The words: “... the time spent in one’s descent and the other’s ascent” denote that the interval between the two was short.
It has become common in some countries, like in the Levant, to call the first Adhān "the Adhān of abstention". Due to this erroneous appellation, some people tend to refrain from food and drink upon hearing the first Adhān. However, this contradicts the Sunnah of delaying Suhūr till shortly before the Adhān of Fajr. Also, he who does that abandons the dispensation granted by Allah Almighty to His servants in the following verse: {And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night].} The first Adhān is intended for awakening those who are asleep and notifying those in prayer, and Allah knows best.
1232/4 - ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the people of the Scripture is the Suhūr meal.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) It is required in the Shariah to make distinction between the people of belief and the people of disbelief, i.e. the Jews and Christians.
2) There is blessing in Suhūr, and this includes the distinction it makes between the fasting of Muslims and that of non-Muslims.