Suhur or Sheree (Pre-Dawn Meal or Early morning meal during the Islamic month of Ramadan):

Standard rule for calculating the timings for Sheree and Iftaree:

For those people who don't have access to Ramadan Calendar, please follow this. From your local Newspaper get the timings of "Sunrise" and "Sunset".

The time for Morning (Fajr) Prayer/ "Subh Sadiq" is "Sunrise" minus one hour and fifteen minutes (1:15).

The time to stop eating Saheree is "Sunrise" minus one hour and twenty-five minutes (1:25). Or just ten minutes before the Morning Prayer.

The time for Maghrib Prayer is "Sunset" plus ten minutes. Hence eat Iftaree, immediately after finishing your Maghrib Prayer.

Suhur (Pre-Dawn Meal): Suhur is not a condition for fasting; it is Sunnat-e-Moakada. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) partook of suhur and encouraged others to do it. He (pbuh) said: "Take suhur, for verily there is a blessing in suhur."

Hence always take Saheree food, even if very little or just a sip of water. Because it distinguishes us from other religions.

Suhur is a sunnah and to delay it is also a sunnah. This is what will strengthen the fasting Muslim, and would lessen the hardship of fasting. It would also lessen the time period of thirst and hunger.

Since Islam is based on easiness and has come with rules that make the acts of worship easy for people, a Muslim is advised to delay the suhur and hasten the iftar (breaking the fast). So it is a sunnah for the fasting Muslim to get up for suhur and have something to eat, even if he or she would take a small edible thing like a date or a sip of water. If he or she does this, he or she would have done fulfilled the sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Dua mentioned in "Misbah" and "Iqbal", for the time of Saher (Dawn).

supplication

YAA MAFZA-E'E I'NDA KURBATEE WA YAA GHAWTHEE I'NDA SHIDDATEE ILAYKA FAZIA TU WA BIKASTAGHATH-TU WA BIKA LUD'TU LAA ALOOD'U BI-SIWAAKA WA LAA AT'LUBUL FARAJA ILLAA MINKA FA-AGHITHNEE WA FARRIJ A'NNEE YAA MAN YAQBALULYASEER WA YAA-FOO A'NIL KATHEER IQBAL MINNIL YASEERA WAA'-FU A'NNIL KATHEER INNAKA ANTAL GHAFOORUR RAH'EEM ALLAAHUMMA INNEE AS-ALUKA EEMAANAN TUBAASHIRU BIHEE QALBEE WA YAQEENAN H'ATTAA AA'-LAMA ANNAHU LAN YUS'EEBANEE ILLAA MAA KATABTA LEE WA RAZ'Z'INEE MINAL A'YSHI BIMAA QASAMTA LEE YAA ARH'AMAR RAAH'IMEEN YAA U'DDATEE FEE KURBATEE WA YAA S'AAH'IBEE FEE SHIDDATEE WA YAA WALIYYEE FEE NIA'-MATEE WA YAA GHAAYATEE FEE RAGHBATEE ANTAS SAATIRU A'WRATEE WAL AAMINU ROO-A'TEE WAL MUQEELU A'THRATEE FAGHFIRLEE KHAT'EEE-ATEE YAA ARH'AMAR RAAH'IMEEN

O my Ultimate Sanctuary when troubles surround me! O my Last Hope when difficulties trouble me! Unto Thee I turn to, before Thee I stand to get help, with Thee I take refuge, except Thee there is no refuge; I do not seek joy after sorrow from anyone save Thee, so come to my help and free me from cares O He who accept even the smallest (efforts) but excuses from restrictions, accept whatever little there is and release from hardships frequently, Verily Thou art Oft-forgiving, Merciful. O Allah I ask for the faith which gives joy, satisfaction and confidence to my heart till I am positively aware that I will not have my fill unless it has been approved for me, and happiness will agree with me only whereby justly and fairly distributed, O the Most Merciful. O my "means" in my troubles! O my Companion in my difficulties! O my Guardian in my happiness! O the ultimate of my inclinations! Thou covers up my shortcomings, affords security in the event of crisis end fearful disasters, therefore, overlook my transgressions, O the Most Merciful.
Why forgive others during the Islamic month of Ramadan?

Why forgive others during the Islamic month of RamadanHoly Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: Musa (as), the son of Imran once asked, "Oh my Lord! Who is the most honourable of Your servants? And He replied, the person who forgives even when he is in a position of power." (Baihaqi)

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever wishes that Allah (SWT) may favor him with His blessings and accommodate him in Paradise should refine his morals, behave justly with the people, take pity on orphans, help weak and the helpless and be humble before Allah who has created him."

You know what I'm referring to - those times when you get into an argument(s) with a family member, friend, boss, employee, coworker, classmate, teacher or whoever. You know your facts are right or that you've been wronged with an insulting remark, sarcastic comment or rudeness.

And so, you choose to hold a grudge. After all, you've got a right to. Nobody should be treated this way. Why should you forgive? You're not the one who started this. You're not the one who doesn't have the facts straight.

True. You may be right. You may be in that position of power mentioned in the Hadith above. But forgiving others, apart from positively affecting our health (less stress) and our minds (one less negative thing to focus on), is a necessary step to closeness to Allah (SWT).

How can we move up the ladder of spiritual development when we hold bitterness and anger towards another person? While we may have been in the right, is it worth sacrificing our energy on a grudge instead of on growth?

Is there not something strange about asking for God's forgiveness of our sins while withholding our forgiveness from someone who has hurt us?

We cannot expect for Allah's forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Forgiving each other, even forgiving one's enemies is one of the most important Islamic teachings. Allah (SWT) says in Holy Quran: And those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever they are angry they forgive. (al-Shura 42:37)

One of the distinguishing features of Ramadan is forgiveness. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) explained in one Hadith that Ramadan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from the Hellfire. This makes it a great time to ask Allah (SWT) for His Forgiveness. It's also a wonderful time to open our hearts and cleanse them of grudges and bitterness by forgiving others.

Let us use these remaining days of forgiveness this Ramadan to open our hearts to those who have wronged us and forgive them as we beg Allah (SWT) to forgive us.

Please forgive me; if I have wronged you, I am no angel!

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong". Mahatma Gandhi