Blessing of Iftar
Virtues of Iftar
The Arabic word for breaking-or iftar-is essentially the time of sunset, maghrib, when we open up, break, or end our fast for the day. This could be a time to look ahead with pleasure at eating and drinking once more after the accumulation of heat during the day; the hunger and thirst, previously suppressed, can now be properly appeased.
It is a time when we go back to our spirits and understand why all those things that we normally consider as life’s necessities are there, besides getting back to worldly pursuits.
It is Sunnah to open the fast with dates or/and water, but at iftar, on some of these days some of the people overindulge in a variety of delicious dishes and foods.
Anas Bin Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated that Allah’s Apostle – Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him – would always break his fast before he prayed with fresh dates. If he could not find fresh dates, then he would use dried dates. And if he couldn’t find those either, then he took a few swallows of water.
Iftar should be viewed as an avenue to great rewards. For this reason, some people attend the congregation iftar in the mosques where they take food to be shared among other worshippers. It is also said that Allah forgives anyone who assists others to break their fast due to his mercy and charity during iftar.
The Prophet-peace and blessings of Allah be upon him-said, “Whosoever feeds a fasting person will get a reward like his, without nothing being reduced from the reward of the one who is fasting.” (Tirmidhi Hadith)
When the Companions – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them – said: “Not all of us find that with which to feed a fasting person,” the Messenger of Allah – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him – replied: “God gives this reward to whoever breaks the fast of another even with a sip of milk, a date, or a drink of water.”
Whoever will give one who has kept his fast water to drink would get a drink from the fountain of Allah.
Saving oneself from going into somebody’s house to drink that water is to have the drink from Allah’s fountain whose spring is next to heaven; whoever will drink from it will ne’er feel thirsty again. So even the easiest act of charity – offering a glass of water to someone – holds tremendous rewards in this world and the hereafter.
Du’a
The Iftar should be made at Maghrib, right at the beginning of the adhan. Because we would be in a very weak state for not having taken anything for food or water, there is this temptation to rush into eating. In fact, that is a great time at a very good juncture to reflect for Allah and recite a special dua before breaking the fast.
It is not Farz or compulsory to recite the dua of iftar or “roza kholne ki dua,” but it is a practice of the followers in order to send the Sunnah. One will not commit a sin, but it might land a person with extra blessings from ALLAH.
The special dua for Iftar is: “اللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّي لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ” (Oh Allah, I fasted for You and I believe in You, and I break my fast with Your sustenance).
Blessing of iftar
Iftar means the evening meal taken after the breaking of fast during the holy month of Ramadhan. However, saying the dua for Iftar is not compulsive, though it is recommended because that may lead to more sawaab from ALLAH. The act is considered “Mustahib,” recommended, because that follows the Sunnah. First and foremost, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is reported to have recited a similar dua for breaking fast. It is reported to have come via Abu Dawood from Mu’aadh ibn Zuhrah.
That is to say, the du’a of iftar is Sunnah and not a wajib command. Whoever recites it before breaking his fast may be bestowed with blessings by Allah.
Iftar is an Arabic word meaning ‘to break’ and is the completion of the daily fast during Ramadan at sunset, or Maghrib. This event provides the aspect of expectation whereby the needs of both food and thirst can be repressed throughout the day with a promise for their needs to be met. It actually even passes other needs because, during Iftar, spiritual awareness is built upon with an understanding of the true meaning of such sacrifice in short.
Although people break their fast during iftar by eating generally heavy dishes, but Sunnah says that a person must break his fast with dates and water. Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam used to begin eating dates when he broke his fast; it is the sunnah, and if no dates are present, then he would take dried dates, and if they are also inaccessible, then he broke his fast by drinking a glass of water.
Iftar is a time of great blessing, and it is regarded with great potential where acts of charity and giving are especially encouraged. Iftars carried out in mosques, with food shared by a large group of people, are especially meritorious. The Prophet said there is a great reward for one who provides a fasting person with food to break his fast, adding that the feeder will gain the same reward as the one fasting without lessening the reward of the one fasting.
The special quality of collective iftars is the earning of unlimited blessings; it is here that Allah will forgive those who help other beings in breaking the solemnity of fasting. Offering food during iftar is considered by one and all to be an act of compassion and generosity.
The Prophet pointed out that whoever has fed a fasting person, even with a sip of milk or a date or a drink of water, he gets a similar reward as the one who fasts. By observing that giving water to the person who observed his fast results in a reward, the donor will get a drink from Allah’s fountain and be relieved from thirst.
Importance
The Prophet said, “Du’a at the time of iftar is accepted and never refused,” again highlighting the great time it is to make supplication, as one has just completed his act of worship and can get anything prayed for then and there.
That is a weak and meek moment for the fasting individual in front of Allah, drawing a person spiritually close to Allah. In that state, which is the weakest state of a person, prayers are believed to hold special weight and are more likely to be accepted.
Beyond personal spirituality, iftar also enshrines and celebrates a shared sense of understanding and appreciation. Fasting installs a sense of fraternity with the most downtrodden-the victims of famine, starvation, and malnourishment. All this togetherness fosters a deeper relationship not only with Allah but also with all the other human fellows across the world.
This transformative experience of iftar in itself can instill the act of sadaqah, yet it is another highly important form of worship. In a way, viewing get-breaking blessing might further push and inspire people to extend their hands to the less fortunate and ensure that others also have a piece of life’s most basic necessities. It basically shows cognizance of privileges taken for granted and dedication toward making amends by supporting the challenged.
Iftar thus basically provides the multi-utility opportunity-time for individual spiritual uplift through prayer, time for sympathetic kinship in a group, and stimulus for acts of charity that go to promote the welfare of others.
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