Fasting · When the moment comes
Break your fast with dates
- The practice
- Break your fast with a few fresh dates; if you have none, dried dates; if none, a few sips of water. Do it before praying Maghrib.
- When
- At iftar on a fasting day
- In daily life
- Keep a box of dates in the kitchen, your bag or the car's glovebox, so they're ready when Maghrib comes in, even if it catches you in traffic. If you've run out, a few sips of water will do.
The source
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُفْطِرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَتُمَيْرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تُمَيْرَاتٌ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ " .
“Anas bin Malik narrated:"The Messenger of Allah would break the fast with fresh dates before performing Salat. If there were no fresh dates then (he would break the fast) with dried dates, and if there were no dried dates then he would take a few sips of water”Narrated by Anas bin MalikJami at-Tirmidhi 696 (sahih, al-Albani)
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →Arabic: ara-tirmidhi · Translation: translator not named in the edition (eng-tirmidhi), from the eng-tirmidhi edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.
Part of: Perfect Your Ramadan
More Sunnahs like this
Eat suhoor before you fastBefore Fajr on a day you will fastHave suhur close to FajrBefore Fajr on a fasting dayLeave false speech while fastingThrough a fasting dayWhen provoked, say 'I am fasting'When someone provokes you on a fasting dayBreak your fast as soon as the sun setsAt Maghrib on a fasting dayGive someone their iftarOn a day someone around you is fasting
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Get early accessSources: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and narrations of Jami at-Tirmidhi graded sahih or hasan sahih by al-Albani.