The Ruling on the Hadith: "When the Iftar Meal Is Served..."

Question:
A message from one of the brother listeners in the Arab Republic of Egypt asks and says: Please inform us of the authenticity of this hadith: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said a hadith meaning: "When the iftar meal is served and the 'Isha' prayer is due, begin with the iftar before the 'Isha' prayer." Is this specific to the 'Isha' prayer, or does it apply by analogy to the other prayers? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
The hadith is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and is not specific to 'Isha'; it applies to Maghrib, 'Asr, and the others. In another wording: , and in another hadith he (peace and blessings be upon him) says: . This is general, and Muslim narrated it in his Sahih. So if food is served at the time of Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha, or Fajr, the recommended practice (sunnah) is to begin with it; because if he stands to pray while food is served, his heart becomes distracted and he does not perform the prayer as it should be, due to the distraction that occurs in the heart when food is present. So the recommended practice is to begin with it, eat what he needs, and then pray, even if the mu'adhdhin has called the adhan, even if the prayer time has entered, and even if the iqamah has been called. This is not a laxity regarding prayer nor a belittling of its status; no, rather this is an exaltation of its status; because if he comes to it with his heart preoccupied, he will not be humble in it as he should. And Allah says, Exalted is He: [Al-Mu'minun: 1-2]. But if he comes to it after having taken what he needs of food, he comes to it with his heart focused, and he performs it with humility and presence, and this is more beneficial for him in this world and the Hereafter, and more perfect for his prayer. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.