Iftar

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A 2005 iftar in Cairo
Iftar serving for fasting people in the Imam Reza shrine
A 2016 iftar buffet in a hotel in Riyadh
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Iftar (

Arabic: إفطار, romanized: ifṭār) is the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of adhan (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer
.

This is their second meal of the day; the daily fast during Ramadan begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of suhur and continues during the daylight hours, ending with sunset with the evening meal of iftar.

In 2023 UNESCO added iftar to its list of

Intangible Cultural Heritage.[1]

Description

Iftar is one of the religious observances of

Islamic prophet, Muhammad, who broke his fast in this manner, but this is not mandatory. Muslims believe that feeding someone iftar as a form of Sadaqah/Zakat/charity is very rewarding and that such was practised by Muhammad [3][4]

Some Hadith also state that Muhammad used to read the following dua at iftar:[5]

Dhahaba al-zama’ wa abtalat al-‘urooq wa thabat al-ajr Insha’Allah – "Thirst has gone, the veins are moist, and the reward is assured, if Allah wills."

Around the world

Afghanistan

In

manto (seasoned, minced meat wrapped in pasta), kabuli palaw (rice with lentils, raisins, carrots, and lamb), shorm beray, bolani (fried or baked flat bread with a vegetable filling), and rice
, as well as other dishes. Afghans also have an extensive range of sweet dishes and desserts.

Bangladesh

Common iftar items of Bangladesh
Iftar food items in Chowk Bazaar of Dhaka

In

Bengali sweets, Roasted chickpeas and different types of fruits such as watermelon, apple, banana, papaya, pear, mango and pineapple. Bengalis break their fast with all their friends and family and eat together in a banquet with their array of food; however, savoury items are eaten before the sweet.[6]

Drinks such as lemon

Taraweeh prayers where 20 rakats are performed to finish one Juz'
of the Quran.

Brunei

In

local delicacies
are sold more than other times of the year.

India

Different types of food items on Ifter plate

In

taraweeh
prayers.

In

vadai
. Muslims in the area of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh serve the aforementioned rice porridge, here called Ganji, with boondhi in it during Iftar.

Vegetarians break their fast with a dish called surkumba, which is prepared from milk, and this is particularly popular in certain parts of

pakodas
etc.

Indonesia

Jackfruit kolak, one of various iftar desserts in Indonesia

In Indonesia iftar is called "buka puasa" or takjil, which means "to open the fast". Markets sell various foods for iftar, including the date, which is popular, as well as unique Indonesian sweet food and drink such as kolak, es kelapa muda, es buah, es campur, cendol or dawet, etc. Most of them are only found easily in Ramadan. Iftar is usually begun by eating these sweets, as inspired by the Prophet's Sunnah of eating dates.

Maghrib time is traditionally marked by the Bedug, a traditional big Indonesian drum. After Asr prayers, traditional markets will begin to open. The food stalls generally sell many kinds of items that are specifically for "iftar". Traffic jams often occur leading up to Maghrib time. Sometimes people invite groups of orphans to eat with them. After Iftar and maghrib prayer which is usually done at the homes, people go to the mosque for Isha'a and Tarawih prayers, which in Indonesia, is often accompanied by a short sermon known as "ceramah" before the Tarawih prayer commence.

Iran

An example of Iranian Iftar table. Dinner will be served later.
An example of Iranian public Iftar

In Iran, neighbourhood iftar feasts are not customary; the (larger and more festive) meal is usually shared among family.

Ash Reshteh, Halim, Shami Lapeh, Noon (bread usually lavash or barbari) and paneer with greens and fresh herbs.[10] One of the biggest iftar meals in the world takes place in Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad city every year, with some 12 thousand people attending every night.[citation needed
]

Malaysia

Bandung, the most common drink during Iftar in Malaysia

In

rice congee
) after Asar prayers.

Most Muslims will usually have a special supper after performing their tarawih prayers called moreh (pronounced Malay pronunciation: [moˈreh]). The light meal, taking place in mosque and prayer hall grounds, consists of local traditional snacks and hot tea.

In shopping malls and public venues in Malaysia, the time of iftar is indicated by radios announcing the call to Maghrib prayers.

Maldives

In the Maldives, iftar is known as roadha villun, which means "break fast". As usual, most Muslims break the fast with either dried or fresh dates. There are many exclusive restaurants and hotels providing special iftar and dinner packages for those who want to break the fast outside with the families and friends. All the mosques in the Maldives provide free dates and juice to break fast. At local homes, one will find various cold fruit juices (water melon, mango, passion fruit, pineapple) sweet (boakiba, pudding) and salty shorteats called hedhika (boakiba, bajiya, gulha, masroshi, cutlets), the latter made with mainly fish, curries, roshi and salads made with local greens, chilli, onion and lemon.

Nigeria

Nigeria hosts what is by some way the largest Muslim community in

ọ̀pọ̀tọ́
, etc.

Pakistan

Samosas are a common Iftari snack in Pakistan.

In

samosas[13](minced meat and/or vegetables, wrapped in dough and deep-fried or baked), pakora[14] (sliced vegetables, dipped in batter and deep-fried) with ketchup or chatni, and namak para
(seasoned cracker), besides the staple dates and water.

Other items such as

Laghman soup (noodle soup), locally called Kalli, is an iftar staple in Chitral and parts of Gilgit
.

After iftar, Muslims rush to the mosques to offer

rakat
Muslim prayer during the month of Ramadan). Various television channels also stop their normal telecast and broadcast special Ramadan transmissions, especially at the time of Sehar and Iftar. The whole month of Ramadan is marked in Pakistan as a festive season when people make donations to the poor and give charity. Some organizations and companies also offer free iftar meals to the common people.

Russia

In Russia, Ramadan is observed mostly in Muslim-majority states such as

kurze
and others.

Singapore

In Singapore, iftar is called "buka puasa", meaning "to open the fast" (see the Indonesian section). It is usually accompanied with dates and sweet drinks such as Bandung, Chendol and Air Sirap. Singaporean Muslims usually eat an array of dishes ranging from rice and noodles. Many buy food from bazaars that can be found in different parts of the city state such as in Bugis, Kampong Glam, Geylang Serai and even in populated towns such as Tampines, Jurong East, Jurong West, Clementi and West Coast.

Sri Lanka

samosas, cutlets, rolls, kanjee, falooda
and many more dishes. They eat iftar with the family if possible. Muslims believe that giving to the poor is very rewarding. They eat a date and drink some water to break the fast or to perform iftar. Then they have the prepared meal. Some people like to prepare foods and give to the people performing iftar in the mosques.

Syria

A very large percentage of Syrians are

Knafe, Halawet el Jibn, Baklava
, and much more.

Taiwan

Iftar at Taipei Grand Mosque, Taiwan

Islam is a minority religion in

dates and water.[citation needed
]

Trinidad and Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago, Muslims represent about 6% of the population.[15] Iftar is traditionally performed in the social setting of the Masjid. Various food items showing the mixed ethnic nature of the country are usually available. Fare may include fried rice; roti; curried chicken, goat, and duck; curried channa; and alloo (potato). Depending on the persons presenting the meal, it may even include such non-traditional items as macaroni pie. The meal is usually served with persons sitting at tables with the components of the meal brought to the tables.

Turkey

caliphs
would break the fast
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
with the kandils lit. The lights in this example spell out holiday greetings.

In

Ottoman classical music, Turkish music and Sufi music
.

Most of the Ramadan celebration practices in Turkey have their roots in the traditions of the former Ottoman Empire. At the minarets of mosques, lights called kandil are switched on from sunset to dawn. As soon as the sun sets, a traditional "Ramadan Cannon" is fired from the highest hill in every city as a signal to start eating the iftar.

In

Topkapi Palace the Ottoman sultan-caliphs would break their fast under the gilded bower
.

The

Islamic prophet Muhammad
.

As Ramadan is also the month of almsgiving, many people organise iftar dinners for the poor, students, guests, and foreigners. People can find Turkish food available in most mosques.

Ukraine

In 2023, the president of Ukraine officially started the tradition of iftar.[16] This is due to the fact that the indigenous people of Ukraine are Crimean Tatars—Turkic-speaking Muslims (Crimean Peninsula).[17]

United States and Canada

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu
look at their wristwatches to see if it is officially sunset.

Iftar meals in the United States and Canada are often held at mosques, households, and Islamic community centres.

On 9 December 1805, President Thomas Jefferson postponed dinner at the White House until sunset to accommodate an envoy from Tunis, an event considered by many to be the first White House iftar.[18]

The first official iftar was held at the White House in 1996, hosted by First Lady Hillary Clinton, and iftar meals were subsequently held annually at the White House and hosted by the U.S. president and the first lady until 2016.[citation needed] President Donald Trump did not host an iftar dinner at the White House in 2017, his first year in office, but resumed the tradition on June 6, 2018, hosting friends and diplomatic staff from many Muslim-majority nations.[19]

Beginning in 1996, the United States Department of State held an annual iftar dinner for local and national community leaders and faith groups as well as foreign policy officials.[20] This practice ceased in 2017, when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declined to host an iftar.[21] The Pentagon continues its tradition of holding an iftar for Muslim members of the U.S. armed forces and special guests from other nations; the first such iftar under the Trump administration was held on 15 June 2017.[22]

The occasion has also been marked in

Jewish synagogues. In 2012, iftar was recognized with events at three synagogues in Chicago, Illinois.[23]

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper extended an invitation to Muslim leaders to break the Ramadan fast with him at the prime minister's residence in 2015. This was the first time the prime minister's office had hosted an iftar.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "UNESCO adds Iftar to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list". United News of Bangladesh. 7 December 2023.
  2. ISBN 9781610694124
    . Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Barr, Sabrina (11 May 2019). "RAMADAN 2019: HOW TO FAST RESPONSIBLY DURING THE MUSLIM HOLY MONTH". independent.co.uk. Independent. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Ramadan 2019: Why is it so important for Muslims?". aljazeera.com. Aljazeera. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  5. ^ Setyorini, Tantri (22 May 2018). "Doa berbuka puasa berikut arti dan kajian dalilnya". Merdeka. merdeka.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Chawkbazar: The original iftar market in Dhaka". 19 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Iftar at Baitul Mukarram Mosque".
  8. ^ "Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News: 'Nonbu Kanji,' a noble thing that paves way for communal harmony". The Hindu. 2009-09-21. Archived from the original on 2009-09-25.
  9. ^ Johnstone, Lindsey; Çongar, Kerem (8 May 2019). "Watch: Iranians prepare for Ramadan amid US sanctions". euronews.com. Euro News. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Persian cuisines for Ramadan". iran-daily.com. Iran Daily. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Iftar buffet culture on rise in twin-cities". Daily Times. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  12. ^ "Pakistani Ramadan Recipes for Iftar (Urdu, English)". The Ramadan Kareem. 29 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Samosas and pakoras remain fan favorites at iftar meals in Pakistan". Arab News PK. 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  14. ^ "Pakora considered most popular Iftar item". The Express Tribune. 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  15. ^ Islam in Trinidad and Tobago
  16. ^ "Зеленський оголосив про започаткування в Україні нової традиції - Іфтару". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  17. ^ Свобода, Радіо (2023-04-07). "В Україні на офіційному рівні започатковують традицію іфтару – президент". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  18. ^ Thomas Jefferson's Iftar, U.S. Department of State, 29 July 2011, archived from the original on 26 December 2013, retrieved 30 March 2022
  19. ^ Kwong, Matt (7 June 2018). "Trump revives annual Iftar dinner tradition, but snubs American Muslims". CBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  20. ^ Remarks at the Annual State Department Iftaar Dinner Hillary Clinton: "Actually, we started in 1996 and held the first Ramadan Eid celebration at the White House."
  21. ^ Torbati, Yeganeh (29 May 2017). "Tillerson declines to host Ramadam event at State Department". Reuters. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  22. ^ Jilani, Zaid (May 30, 2017). "Pentagon Will Be Hosting A Ramadan Iftar Dinner This Year — But White House and State Are AWOL". The Intercept.
  23. ^ "tips berpuasa aktif di Synagogue". Jewish Councils on Urban Affairs. Retrieved 25 July 2012.[permanent dead link]
  24. Huffington Post. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2017 – via The Canadian Press
    .
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