Are there specific supplications for breaking the fast and for the pre-dawn meal?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Are there any specific supplications reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for breaking the fast and for the pre-dawn meal?
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
As for the pre-dawn meal, I do not know of any specific supplications for it, but there are general supplications for eating and drinking in all circumstances, such as saying the name of Allah when eating or drinking, and such as praising Allah when one finishes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ibn Abi Salamah, who was his foster son:Bulugh al-Maram 8:98 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) reported that Riyad as-Salihin 1396.
As for what some of the common people do when they finish their pre-dawn meal, saying, “O Allah, I intend to fast until night,” this is a religious innovation, because verbalizing the intention in all acts of worship is an innovation. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said, or that he used to say, when performing an act of worship, “I intend to do such and such.” He did not say when performing ablution, “I intend to perform ablution,” nor when praying, “I intend to pray,” nor when fasting, “I intend to fast.” This is because the place of the intention is the heart, for the intention is the purpose of a thing with the resolve to do it. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) knows what is in the heart of the servant, as Allah the Exalted said:[Qaf 50:16-18].
As for the supplication when breaking the fast, there are hadiths reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this, among them:Sunan Abi Dawud 2357Hasan (Al-Albani). And if a person supplicates with something else when breaking his fast, asking for whatever he desires, such as forgiveness, mercy, acceptance, and the like, that is good, because the supplication of the fasting person when he breaks his fast is free to be answered, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
As for the pre-dawn meal, I do not know of any specific supplications for it, but there are general supplications for eating and drinking in all circumstances, such as saying the name of Allah when eating or drinking, and such as praising Allah when one finishes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ibn Abi Salamah, who was his foster son:
Dear child, mention Allah's Name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is next to you.
يا غلام! سمِّ الله، وكل بيمينك، وكل مما يليكAllah is pleased with His slave who says: 'Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' when he takes a morsel of food and drinks a draught of water.
أن الله تعالى يرضى عن العبد يأكل الأكلة فيحمده عليها، ويشرب الشربة فيحمده عليهاAs for what some of the common people do when they finish their pre-dawn meal, saying, “O Allah, I intend to fast until night,” this is a religious innovation, because verbalizing the intention in all acts of worship is an innovation. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said, or that he used to say, when performing an act of worship, “I intend to do such and such.” He did not say when performing ablution, “I intend to perform ablution,” nor when praying, “I intend to pray,” nor when fasting, “I intend to fast.” This is because the place of the intention is the heart, for the intention is the purpose of a thing with the resolve to do it. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) knows what is in the heart of the servant, as Allah the Exalted said:
(16) And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (17) When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. (18) Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ * إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ * مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌAs for the supplication when breaking the fast, there are hadiths reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this, among them: