Question: Are there any supporting hadith for breaking the fast with dates or water? If not, then a person who breaks their fast with dates will not receive a greater reward than the one who uses other than dates. Afeeduna barakAllaahu feekum.

Answer: The hadith that is mentioned about breaking the fast with dates or water is the hadith of ‘Aishah. She said thatthe Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to break fast with rutab – fresh dates and if he didn’t find rutabaat then he broke his fast on tamaraat which is ripe dates and if he didn’t find rutab or tamr then he took some water and then went for prayer.

[1] And there is a hadith where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned about dates that “it is the best food that a person eats”

[2] and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said about Suhoor (morning meal before fasting): نعم سحور المؤمن التمر“The best sahoor for the believer is date”.[3] And he also mentioned dates in another hadith where he said: بيت ليس فيها تمر أهله جياع“The house which does not have dates, the people who are living in it are hungry”[4] This is even if they have food. Why? Because date is rich, it is the richest food Allaah تعالى gave to mankind. That is why Allaah تعالى guided Maryam عليها السلام when she delivered ‘Eesa to shake the palm tree although she could not shake it, but Allaah تعالى wanted her to give a means by which the dates would fall down, Allaah made the dates come down for her. And Allaah تعالى said to her:فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا{So eat (from the dates) and drink (from the water) and be glad…} [Maryam 19:26] Also when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did tahneek – tahneek is to take some dates, chew it, and then take it (the chewed bits) and put it in the mouth of the newborn baby – when he صلى الله عليه وسلم put it in the mouth of one of the children of the Ansaar the boy immediately sucked it and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said the children of al-Ansaar love dates, because Madinah is the land of dates.

[5] So there ahaadeeth concerning dates. But what is the reward? To my knowledge – I don’t say there are no ahaadeeth because if there are (such ahaadeeth) I will be lying, I say to my knowledge, there are no ahaadeeth which mention the reward of breaking fasting with dates or water. However, this is the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and medically, I was going through research from Muslim doctors and they said that the best thing for the liver is fresh dates, if not then ripe dates and if not then water. This is (after breaking fast) so you give the liver some time to absorb the sugar (from the dates) which is the best sugar ever found, and then it (the liver) starts functioning normally. This time is the time that you go pray and come back. This is the Sunnah of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, but if one wants to break the fast with chocolate or a piece of cake or fruit or whatever food it’s up to him, it is not a sin, but he would have lost the benefit in this life of this blessed food – the date fruit, the tamr; and he would have lost the reward of following the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And Allaah knows best.

Answered by: Shaykh Mohammad al-Malki

Title of Lecture: Ramadaan 1427 = 2006

Date of the Lecture: Saturday, October 14th, 2006

Listen to Lecture: Click Here

Read the Transcribed Lecture: Click Here

[1] Reported in Abu Daawūd 2/306 (#2356) with the following wording, Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله says Hasan-Saheeh. However, note that this narration is related from Anas ibn Maalik and not `Aishah. كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يفطر على رطبات قبل أن يصليفإن لم تكن

رطبات فعلى تمرات فإن لم تكن حسا حسوات من ماء [2] Reference Pending

[3] Reported in Sunan Abi Daawūd Vol.1 Kitaab as-Siyaam (#2345). Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله says with a Saheeh isnaad.

[4] Shaykh al-Albaani رحمه الله says Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami` (#2844) with the following wording:

بيت لا تمر فيه جياع أهله [5] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Aadaab (#2144). Note that this narration does not mention Madinah. ذهبت بعبدالله بن أبي طلحة الأنصاري إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليهوسلم حين ولد. ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في عباءة يهنأ بعيرا له. فقال (هل معكتمر؟) فقلت: نعم. فناولته تمرات. فألقاهن في فيه. فلاكهن. ثم فغر فا الصبي فمجه فيفيه. فجعل الصبي يتلمظه. فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (حب الأنصار التمر) وسماه عبدالله