Dua for breaking the fast (iftar): text, transliteration and meaning

The authentic dua of iftar is Dhahaba adh-dhama'u, wabtallatil 'uruqu, wa thabatal ajru in sha Allah: "The thirst is gone, the veins are moistened and the reward is certain, if Allah wills". It is reported by Abu Dawud (hadith no. 2357) and graded hasan. The page gives it in Arabic, transliteration and English, with a video.

When breaking the fast, one first says Bismillah, as before any meal, then eats or drinks. The sense of the dua ("the thirst is gone") shows that it is said after the first sips or the first dates. The moment of iftar is also a good time for personal supplication: according to a hadith reported by Ibn Majah, the fasting person has a dua that is answered at the breaking of the fast, though scholars differ over its authenticity.

Dhahaba adh-dhama'u means "the thirst is gone"; wabtallatil 'uruqu, "the veins are moistened"; and wa thabatal ajru in sha Allah, "and the reward is certain, if Allah wills". The formula expresses gratitude to Allah for the ease granted in completing the fast, and recalls that the reward for the effort comes from Him alone.

The formula Allahumma laka sumtu wa ala rizqika aftartu is very widespread, but many hadith specialists consider its chain of transmission weak. The dua Dhahaba adh-dhama'u, better established, is therefore preferred. Nothing prevents you, however, from adding personal supplications in your own language at the moment of iftar.

The Sunnah is to break the fast with fresh dates, failing that with dried dates, and failing that with a few sips of water, according to a hadith of Anas reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi. It is also recommended to break the fast as soon as Maghrib enters, without delay: check the exact time of sunset with the prayer times for your city. Discover also the dua of the last 10 nights.