Short answer: when you break your fast, say dhahaba ẓ-ẓamaʾu wa-btallati l-ʿurūqu wa-thabata l-ajru in shāʾa llāh: "The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is certain, if Allah wills." It is reported in Sunan Abi Dawud with a chain that hadith scholars grade as hasan (good).
The dua from the Sunnah
ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
dhahaba ẓ-ẓamaʾu wa-btallati l-ʿurūqu wa-thabata l-ajru in shāʾa llāh
The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is certain, if Allah wills.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2357 · graded hasan
Abdullah ibn Umar reported that when the Prophet ﷺ broke his fast he would say these words.1 Notice the tense: the thirst has gone. That is why most scholars say it after the first sip or date, not before.
The other well known dua
Many people learned a different iftar dua as children:
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ
allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa-ʿalā rizqika afṭartu
O Allah, for You I fasted, and with Your provision I break my fast.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2358 · mursal, graded weak
Its chain is mursal: the narrator, Muʿadh ibn Zuhrah, was not a Companion, so a link is missing.2 Its meaning is sound and many scholars allow it as a general dua. If you can learn only one, learn the first.
| Dua | Source | Grade | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| dhahaba ẓ-ẓamaʾu... | Abi Dawud 2357 | Hasan | After you break the fast |
| allāhumma laka ṣumtu... | Abi Dawud 2358 | Weak (mursal) | At iftar |
When to say it
- Break your fast as soon as the sun has set. The Prophet ﷺ said people stay upon good as long as they hurry to break the fast.3
- Say Bismillah and eat or drink.
- Then say dhahaba ẓ-ẓamaʾu...
- Use the moments before iftar for your own duas. The fasting person is among those whose dua is not turned back.4
What to break your fast with
The Sunnah is to break the fast with fresh dates, or dry dates if there are none, or a few sips of water if there are no dates.5 An odd number of dates is often mentioned, but the core of the Sunnah is dates or water.
Get ready for Ramadan 1448
Sehri and iftar times for your city will be on AmalKit before Ramadan starts, around 8 February 2027.
See the toolsFAQ
Do I say the dua before or after eating?
After the first date or sip. The words describe thirst that has already gone.
Is it wrong to say "Allahumma laka sumtu"?
No. Its chain is weak, but its meaning is sound. Many people say both duas.
Can I say the dua in English?
Yes. A dua can be made in any language. Learning the Arabic words of the Sunnah carries the reward of following it closely.
Sources
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2357, Kitab al-Sawm. Graded hasan by al-Daraqutni and al-Albani.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2358, Kitab al-Sawm.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1957; Sahih Muslim 1098.
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi 3598.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2356; Jami' al-Tirmidhi 696.