SUḤŪR — The Last Third of the Night

bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

⸻

O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad,
the Opener of what was closed,
the Seal of what came before,
the Helper of the Truth by the Truth,
and the Guide to Your straight path.
And upon his family,
according to his immense worth and the greatness of his rank.

Allah تعالى said:

“Say: If you truly love Allah, then follow me;
Allah will love you and forgive your sins.
For Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, 3:31)

Words of our master Shaykh Aḥmad Tijānī (may Allah sanctify his precious secret)

“Every opening, every light, and every spiritual elevation
are attained only through sincere following of the Beloved ﷺ.”

⸻

SUḤŪR — The Last Third of the Night

The Table of the Body and the Table of the Souls

O you who seek Allah…

Do you know that suḥūr is not merely a meal?

Suḥūr is the time of the last third of the night.
It is a moment chosen by Allah, a moment when the doors of mercy open and hearts are able to draw near.

It is an invitation.
A divine invitation repeated every night.

The body has its right.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

“Take the pre-dawn meal (sahûr), for indeed there is blessing in suḥūr.”
(Al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

A few dates, a little water, a morsel taken with the intention of following the Beloved ﷺ become light and blessing.

He ﷺ also said:

“How excellent are dates as suḥūr for the believer.”

But those who are people of nearness know that behind the nourishment of the body lies another nourishment… more subtle… more elevated…

The nourishment of the soul.

Allah describes the righteous at the time of suḥūr, saying:

“And in the last hours of the night, they would seek forgiveness.”
(Qur’an 51:18)

For the time of suḥūr corresponds to the last third of the night, the moment when divine closeness manifests in a particular way.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and He says:
Who calls upon Me that I may answer him?
Who asks of Me that I may give him?
Who seeks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?”
(Al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

Behold the divine tenderness…

The King of kings calls His servants while they sleep.

Some rise to eat…
The ones brought near rise to be nourished.

For there are two tables at suḥūr:

One table for bodies,
One table for hearts.

— The table of bodies contains food and water.
— The table of hearts contains:

Istighfār…
Presence…
Humility…
Poverty before Allah…

Suḥūr is the hour of eaters for the body
and the hour of seekers of forgiveness for the heart.

Blessed is the one who eats with his mouth and weeps with his heart.

Blessed is the one who nourishes his body for the day and nourishes his soul for eternity.

For sometimes a single Astaghfirullāh uttered with sincerity opens doors that years of effort do not open.

The people of knowledge have said:

Whoever is deprived of istighfār at the time of suḥūr is deprived of an immense treasure.

O servant of Allah…

If you rise to eat, do not deprive yourself of the encounter.

For your Lord calls you:

“Who seeks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?”

And what a loss for the one who hears the call… and does not respond.

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A Word to the Hearts of the Disciples

The suḥūr of ordinary people is nourishment.
The suḥūr of seekers is worship.
The suḥūr of those brought near is encounter.

Whoever rises to eat receives blessing.
Whoever rises to seek forgiveness receives mercy.
Whoever rises for Allah receives Allah.

Do not be among those who take the food and forget the Giver.
Be among those who find the Giver before finishing the morsel.

For the people of Allah have understood a secret:

Whoever is awake at suḥūr for Allah will not sleep in his grave.

⸻

The poor servant in Allah and disciple of Shaykh Aḥmad Tijānī
(may Allah sanctify his precious secret),
Mohammed El Mansour El Mohieddine Tidjani