Do I have to stop eating when I hear the adhan at Suhoor?

by Umm Hana

If you are eating when you hear the adhan or the time for suhoor has ended, finish what you have in your mouth.
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“When one of you hears the call to prayer while eating the pre-fasting meal and his vessel is in his hand, let him not put it down until he fulfills his needs from it.” ( Sunan Abi Dawud)
This does not mean that you continue to finish off what is in your plate past the adhan. If you did not finish it, save it for later.
Scholars have interpreted this hadith to apply to the time of the Prophet (peace be on him), when people could not always hear the Adhan, so there was some doubt when exactly it had been called.
Also, the muezzin used to call the adhan before Fajr, so there was some time between the adhan and the actual time of Fajr to finish what was in your mouth.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (6/333):
We mentioned that whoever breaks dawn and has food in it (his mouth), let him spit it out and complete his fast.
Clearly, it is better to finish eating before the adhan is called and not eat beyond the adhan. Try your best to avoid eating during the adhan but if you have something in your mouth you may swallow it.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim

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