It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1923; Muslim, 1095. 

The first time I fasted a whole Ramadan, I was 12, living in Birmingham, UK, Ramadan was in September, Iftar was at 7pm to be exact and I was at school preparing for GCSEs and trying to manage pre-teen hormones and assignments. Sometimes I’d miss Suhoor in favour of sleeping to get through the long days ahead. 

Suhoor is the often ignored sister of Iftar. Most people document their iftar during Ramadan as it’s a space of sharing meals, connecting with friends and rejoicing at the end of a day’s fast. However, with many of us unable to go over to other people’s houses or have iftar at restaurants and gatherings, I’m interested in how we pay attention to other elements of our fasting day.

With quarantine body clocks all over the gaff and many staying up through the night to await Suhoor, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear more stories on what we eat to prepare for a day of fasting. 

Fast forward 11 years from my GCSE days, and it’s my first and hopefully last Ramadan in quarantine due to the COVID-19 worldwide lockdown. Fajr is roughly 4.11 am, I live in London now and I’m obsessed with the power of shared stories and finding out more about worldwide experiences. Plantain is a regular on my breakfast plate and I’ve lowkey become addicted to Smoothie Bowls. The food I put in my body to start a day of fasting during Ramadan is very different now. I’m packing as many nutrients and vitamins in to give me the best day possible. The Hadeeth’s I heard on loop as a child now make more sense.

‘The children of Adam fill no container worse than the way in which they fill their stomachs. Let the children of Adam have a few mouthfuls to strengthen the loins. If possible, one third of the stomach is for food, one third for drink, and one third for ones’ breath.’ (Tirmidhi; An Nasai).

Intentionally waking up for Suhoor and documenting what I eat and the stories my plate or bowl reminds me of, feels like a real blessing when Ramadan is so different this year. It feels distant but the internet can continue to bring food and friends/family into close proximity, hold tight Zoom Iftars and hopefully Suhoors.

This being said, I’ve collaborated with Amaliah to launch #SuhoorStories2020, we want to hear what you guys are chomping on for Suhoor, how you make it, where it comes from, why you eat this at suhoor and the memories attached to certain foods. Caption your Suhoor snaps with stories, hadeeths, quotes, duas, dialogue, poetry.. whatever way you’d like to express the image. If you’re feeling super creative share a recipe with us.

We’re using this online campaign to encourage storytelling this Ramadan through TikTok recipes and food photography too. I want us to get talking about what we’re eating, how and why during this holy month in 2020. Think Humans of New York meets Insta food blog. Send your stories directly to contibute@amaliah.com or join the conversation on Twitter or Instagram using #SuhoorStories2020, and if you’re a TikToker send us a step by step recipe of your Suhoor meal with the hashtag #SuhoorStories2020.

“My name is Sahra–Isha and one of my favourite suhoor meals is Roouy. It is a Gambian porridge made out of millet flour and originates from the Mandinka tribe in West Africa. Roouy is a meal that I would make with my grandmother on a Sunday afternoon or as a light porridge during Ramadan. It is also one of our forms of bonding as she is constantly helping me perfect forming the balls, InshAllah one day I will make them as perfect as her. Roouy really takes me back to the times that I’ve visited Gambia and reminds me of how much I miss friends and family. Such a simple porridge that is filled with so many memories 🧡”

I can’t wait to see the creativity that you all come up with and the conversations about Suhoor we will have. Let’s share some joy and spread some light on the part of Ramadan I don’t think we speak enough about.

May Allah accept all your fasts and make this Ramadan one of ease for you all insha’allah. Ameeeeen.

Aliyah Hasinah x