Islamic Manual

The fasting day: suhur, the three obligations, and iftar

What a fast requires from dawn to sunset, and the recommended way to eat suhur, break the fast at iftar, and use the day well.

A fasting day, plotted against the sun's pathA horizontal diagram of the sun's arc across one day. The sun sits low on the left at true dawn (fajr), where the fast begins and a crossed-out food-and-drink icon appears; a thin band of pre-dawn twilight is shaded just before it. The arc rises to a faint peak at midday (zawal, not a boundary of the fast) and descends to touch the horizon on the right at sunset (maghrib), where the fast ends and a crescent-and-date icon marks iftar. The whole arc between the two labelled points is shaded to show one continuous fast, distinct from the unshaded night either side. No clock times are shown.zawāl, middayTrue dawn (fajr)the fast beginsSunset (maghrib)the fast ends: ifṭār
Your fast runs from true dawn to sunset.

During the whole time from dawn (fajr) until the sun goes down, three things must stop:

The three things you give up while fasting

  1. No eating.
  2. No drinking.
  3. No husband-and-wife closeness (for grown-ups who are married).

There are lovely things to do around your fast, too:

Good habits for suhur and iftar

  1. Eat suhoor (the meal before dawn).It's sunnah and full of blessing: even just a bite of food or a sip of water counts, so try to eat something even if you're not very hungry.
  2. Eat suhoor late, close to dawn, but not so late that dawn actually arrives while you're still eating.
  3. Make your intention to fast the night before.
  4. Break your fast (iftar) the moment you're sure the sun has set; don't wait.
  5. Break your fast with dates if you have them, or water if you don't.
  6. Say the iftar dua before you eat.
  7. Stay away from lying, backbiting, and rude talk all day; it can spoil the reward of your fast.
  8. Do extra prayer and good deeds, especially in the last ten nights of Ramadan; this is a great time for i'tikaf too.
The dua to say before breaking your fast

اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ صُمۡتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنۡتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلٰى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ نَوَيْتُ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ

Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa bika āmantu wa ʿalayka tawakkaltu wa ʿalā rizqika afṭartu wa bi-ṣawmi ghadin min shahri Ramaḍāna nawaytu fa-ghfir lī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhkhart

O Allah, I have fasted for You, I believe in You, I rely on You, and I break my fast with what You have provided. I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan; forgive me what I have done before and what I will do after.

A fasting day, plotted against the sun's pathA horizontal diagram of the sun's arc across one day. The sun sits low on the left at true dawn (fajr), where the fast begins and a crossed-out food-and-drink icon appears; a thin band of pre-dawn twilight is shaded just before it. The arc rises to a faint peak at midday (zawal, not a boundary of the fast) and descends to touch the horizon on the right at sunset (maghrib), where the fast ends and a crescent-and-date icon marks iftar. The whole arc between the two labelled points is shaded to show one continuous fast, distinct from the unshaded night either side. No clock times are shown.zawāl, middayTrue dawn (fajr)the fast beginsSunset (maghrib)the fast ends: ifṭār
The fast runs from the appearance of true dawn to sunset.

There are three obligations of fasting, binding from the appearance of fajr (dawn, the beginning of the twilight) until sunset (when the sun is completely hidden):

Farḍmust do

Refraining from eating, from drinking, and from sexual intercourse, each from fajr until sunset, are the three obligations that constitute the fast itself.

Recommended and preferred acts of fasting
Act Detail
Eating suhoor Sunnah, and richly rewarded in the hadiths; recommended even if not hungry; a single bite or sip suffices.
Delaying suhoor Best eaten just before dawn; delaying it to the point that dawn arrives during the meal is disliked.
Making the intention the night before See the section on the intention and its timing.
Breaking the fast promptly As soon as sunset is confirmed; delaying past sunset until the stars appear is disliked, though on a cloudy day one should not rush before being sure.
Breaking the fast with dates If none are available, break the fast with water.
Reciting the iftar dua before eating See below.
Avoiding sin while fasting Backbiting, lying, swearing and similar behaviour can waste the reward of the fast.
Increasing worship, especially in the last ten nights Night prayer and i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) are particularly recommended then.
The dua recited before breaking the fast

اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ صُمۡتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنۡتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلٰى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ نَوَيْتُ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ

Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa bika āmantu wa ʿalayka tawakkaltu wa ʿalā rizqika afṭartu wa bi-ṣawmi ghadin min shahri Ramaḍāna nawaytu fa-ghfir lī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhkhart

O Allah, I have fasted for You, I believe in You, I rely on You, and I break my fast with what You have provided. I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan; forgive me what I have done before and what I will do after.

A fasting day, plotted against the sun's pathA horizontal diagram of the sun's arc across one day. The sun sits low on the left at true dawn (fajr), where the fast begins and a crossed-out food-and-drink icon appears; a thin band of pre-dawn twilight is shaded just before it. The arc rises to a faint peak at midday (zawal, not a boundary of the fast) and descends to touch the horizon on the right at sunset (maghrib), where the fast ends and a crescent-and-date icon marks iftar. The whole arc between the two labelled points is shaded to show one continuous fast, distinct from the unshaded night either side. No clock times are shown.zawāl, middayTrue dawn (fajr)the fast beginsSunset (maghrib)the fast ends: ifṭār
The fasting day: fajr to maghrib.
Farḍmust do

The three farāʾiḍ of ṣawm are abstention from eating, from drinking, and from sexual intercourse, each running from the appearance of fajr, the onset of true dawn, until sunset, i.e. until the disc of the sun is fully concealed.

Mustaḥabb acts of the fasting day
Act Detail
Suḥūr Sunnah; richly rewarded per the ḥadīth; recommended even without hunger, a mouthful or a sip being sufficient to gain the blessing.
Delaying suḥūr (taʾkhīr) Best taken close to fajr; delaying to the point that fajr intervenes during the meal is makrūh.
Forming the niyyah at night Treated in full under the intention and its timing.
Taʿjīl al-fiṭr (hastening the breaking of the fast) Immediately on confirming sunset; delaying past sunset until the stars appear is makrūh, though on an overcast day one should not break early on mere presumption.
Breaking the fast with dates (tamr) Water substitutes when dates are unavailable.
The duʿāʾ at ifṭār Recited before eating; see below.
Guarding the tongue and limbs Ghībah, lying, and coarse speech during the fast can void its reward even though the fast remains legally valid.
Increased ʿibādah in the last ten nights Qiyām al-layl and iʿtikāf are especially stressed for this period.
The duʿāʾ at ifṭār

اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ صُمۡتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنۡتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلٰى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ نَوَيْتُ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ

Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa bika āmantu wa ʿalayka tawakkaltu wa ʿalā rizqika afṭartu wa bi-ṣawmi ghadin min shahri Ramaḍāna nawaytu fa-ghfir lī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhkhart

O Allah, I have fasted for You, I believe in You, I rely on You, and I break my fast with what You have provided. I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan; forgive me what I have done before and what I will do after.

Terms on this page

suhur iftar

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