Muslims have been fasting for days now and everyone looks forward to gathering with family in the evening to share the moment of Iftar. What does this word that punctuates the days of fasting mean? What are the obligations surrounding it and what should be said in accordance with the Sunnah, but above all how can we nourish ourselves properly during the breaking of the fast without exceeding the limits of Allah? That is what we look at in this article.
Iftar definition
The Iftar is the fast-breaking meal that Muslims take at the moment of the call to the Maghrib prayer (sunset).
The word Iftar is also found in the various colloquial Arabic languages in the form of “ftour”. It usually refers to breakfast, and it is in the sense of the first meal taken since daybreak that it should be understood in the context of Ramadan.
Indeed, from dawn until sunset, the one who fasts refrains from drinking, from eating, but also from having intimate relations, in obedience to his Creator who revealed this obligation. He thus seeks the Forgiveness of Allah and a Purification coming from Him, all while awaiting the reward.
Yet the way most of us break the fast looks more like a king's feast than an expiation of sins.
How can we break the fast in a healthy way?
This is a question many people ask themselves every year, and so do we. If our relationship with food were not flawed, each of us to a different degree, this question would not need to be asked. And if you are among those who eat healthily, both in everyday life and during Ramadan... then all the better. Your participation in the comments to add your ideas is even most welcome!
The fact remains that the majority of those who fast need a certain amount of introspection in order to make Ramadan and Iftar the ideal moment to take themselves in hand.
Take a closer look at these few verses of the Holy Quran and let us start again:
-"O people! Of what exists on the earth, eat what is lawful and pure; and do not follow the footsteps of the Devil, for he is truly, to you, a sworn enemy. Surah 2 Verse 168
- Those who believe and do good works, Allah will make them enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow. And those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as the cattle eat; and the Fire will be their dwelling place.
These verses are powerful because they bring together the essence of what our Iftar should be: a meal that is lawful, pure and without excess. In other words, we believe in Allah and should therefore not eat as animals eat.
Allah, to Him the Glory and the Majesty, addresses Muslims in these verses with the terms “people” and “children of Adam”, as if to remind us that we all descend from our father Adam, peace be upon him, and that He has filled us with His Blessings by granting us faith. This is the manner often used in the Quran to set us straight, to give us instructions.
The Quran is a Message for the whole of humanity, and Allah calls Muslims to conform to greater wisdom regarding food in the verses above by asking them to eat only what is:
- “halalan” lawful, therefore slaughtered in a manner conforming to Muslim rites and not among the foods forbidden by Allah in the Quran and by our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in the Sunnah.
- “tayyiban” pure, therefore of a healthy nature for the physical, mental and spiritual health of the believers
As for those who eat like animals... they are disbelievers!
But how exactly do cattle eat?
Are they not eating at will, without restriction of time or portion? Or do they have a program for their Iftar? Do they follow the Sunnah?
No, they follow their instinct and eat endlessly.
From there, we can question the way in which we eat and drink, and during Ramadan of all times.
There is, in many of us, an obvious gap between our relationship with food and our intention to draw closer to Allah when we read the Word of Allah in full awareness. How can we rush to the table at the moment of breaking the fast when we have spent the day trying to tame our body and resist small cravings and other physical needs... in search of the Satisfaction of Allah?
Since Ramadan is an intensive training to learn to master one's body and soul for the rest of the year, we might as well make our Iftar the best time of the year to rebalance the way we eat!
So how can we have an Iftar that does not destroy our efforts in seeking the Satisfaction of Allah during our day of fasting?
What does it look like in practice?
1)
Follow the example of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, at the moment of breaking the fast and seek thereby the reward of Allah:
- pronounce the appropriate supplications for the breaking of the fast and multiply other supplications at that moment, for it is among those in which supplications are most likely to be answered.
اللهم لك صمت وعلى رزقك أفطرت
“O Allah, it is for You that I have fasted and it is with Your provision that I have broken my fast.”
ذَهَـبَ الظَّمَـأُ، وَابْتَلَّـتِ العُـروق، وَثَبَـتَ الأجْـرُ إِنْ شـاءَ الله
"The thirst is gone, the veins are quenched, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills."
- do not rush at the food at mealtime after having controlled oneself all day. We are meant to educate our soul throughout the month
- prefer to break the fast with dates and water
- pray Maghrib immediately after having broken the fast instead of lingering long at the table. The meal can be taken after the prayer without being too heavy either, to avoid drowsiness during Tarawih, the night prayers.
2)
Preserve the spirit of Ramadan at the moment of Iftar by avoiding distractions that harm our communication with our loved ones and our spirituality, which is meant to grow during this month. Indeed, to experience a healthy Ramadan while remaining convivial, let us, right from Iftar, put a stop to certain bad habits that pollute the meal in general. Some rules at the moment of Iftar and of the meal, such as:
- no TV
- no social media or phone calls
- not too many social invitations
Each person, at their own pace, can add ideas for challenges to make Iftar healthier, in small steps each year, so as not to rush anyone. Little by little it will be
- no sweets or overly sugary dessert at the moment of Iftar
- :no more fizzy drinks
- no more ice-cold drinks
The goal is not to make everyone feel deprivation. The whole point is to set the intention to draw closer to Allah with these actions.
3)
Favor a healthy dinner after the prayer rather than a feast
Many families feel obliged to cook culinary dishes that please the palate more than they benefit health. Often under pressure from the children, women often find themselves trying to satisfy everyone, or following the diet suited to each person, which often leads them (on top of a lot of work!) to feel guilty.
While they seek the means to obtain the reward of Allah for having prepared the meal of those who fast, a feeling of inner conflict arises between their desire to do less in order to be able to focus more on their acts of worship, and their desire to satisfy their husbands and their loved ones. The best thing would perhaps be:
- to give beforehand a reminder about the value and the obligations of Ramadan as well as its merits, in order to try to come together around a good understanding of what Iftar represents
- to have consulted them before the arrival of Ramadan in order to try to head off last-minute whims and everyone's cravings, and to make everyone understand that Ramadan is there to make us increase in faith, not in weight. And thus to avoid excess as much as possible
- why not go so far as to prepare the month's menus with the children and the family, in order to avoid wasting time thinking and spending hours in the kitchen. Not only will this avoid neglecting one's Quran reading program, but it will also help make everyone aware of the healthy foods to introduce into the meals rather than imposing them at the last minute.
May Allah allow us to understand the value of Ramadan and of Iftar so as to benefit from all the merits of fasting and the night prayers. May He grant us His Forgiveness and make us increase in piety. Amin
Comment on and share this article in order to multiply the hasanat around you during this holy month and allow as many people as possible to learn the supplications of Iftar and its rules.