Can Muslims eat at night during Ramadan?

The fast is a daytime fast

Many people think Muslims go without food for the whole month. In reality, Ramadan fasting is a daily fast. Each evening at sunset you break it, and the night is open for meals, water and family time. The Quran explicitly allows it.

In the very first years of Islam, there were stricter rules about eating after sleeping. This verse made things easier and confirmed that the whole night is permitted, including marital relations.

The two main meals

• Iftar: the meal at sunset that breaks the fast. The sunnah is to break it quickly, ideally with dates and water. The Prophet ﷺ said people will remain upon good as long as they hasten to break the fast (Sahih al-Bukhari 1957). See What is iftar and how do I break my fast?
• Suhoor: the pre-dawn meal. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Take suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1923). It is best eaten shortly before dawn. See What is suhoor and what should I eat?

You are free to eat in between too: a late snack after taraweeh, a cup of tea, a glass of water before bed. There's no limit on how many times you eat at night.

When exactly does the night end?

Eating stops at true dawn (the start of Fajr time), not at sunrise. Many prayer timetables list an "imsak" time about 10 minutes before Fajr as a safety margin, but the actual cut-off is Fajr itself. Check a reliable local timetable, especially in summer when nights are short in Europe.

Don't overdo it

Being allowed to eat at night doesn't mean feasting until you feel ill. Heavy, greasy iftars make you sluggish for prayer and can cause poor sleep. Many people find it helps to:

• Break the fast lightly, pray Maghrib, then eat the main meal.
• Drink water steadily through the evening.
• Choose slow-release food at suhoor: oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, fruit.

Slept through the alarm? Your fast is still valid without suhoor. See What if I sleep through suhoor?