Dua for breaking the fast: Arabic, transliteration and translation

What supplication should be recited when breaking the fast?

At the end of a day of fasting, the Sunnah reports a supplication said by the Prophet ﷺ when he broke his fast. This dua for breaking the fast recalls three concrete realities: thirst disappears, the body is rehydrated, and the believer hopes that the reward for the fast is established with Allah.

The best-established wording is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Transliteration:
Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’u, wabtallati l-‘urūqu, wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh.

Translation:
The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is established, if Allah wills.

This supplication is reported in Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 2357.

Iftar dua in Arabic, transliteration and English

This is the wording to learn first:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Transliteration:
Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’u, wabtallati l-‘urūqu, wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh.

Meaning:
The thirst has disappeared, the veins have been rehydrated, and the reward is established, if Allah wills.

The hadith is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما. The Abu Dawud version is graded hasan in the reference consulted.

The wording is particularly suited to iftar: it describes the physical relief that has just occurred while immediately connecting it with the reward hoped for from Allah.

What does “Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’” mean?

“Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’”

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ

Dhahaba means “has gone”, and aẓ-ẓama’ means thirst.

After several hours without drinking, the fasting person directly experiences this first meaning: the thirst that accompanied the fast disappears with iftar.

“Wabtallati l-‘urūq”

وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ

The expression means that the veins or vessels have become moistened. It concretely evokes the body being rehydrated after the day of fasting.

“Wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh”

وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Al-ajr means reward. The fasting person hopes that Allah accepts the act of worship and grants the promised reward.

The words in shā’ Allāh — “if Allah wills” — remind the believer not to claim the reward as something owed, but to worship and hope for acceptance from Allah.

When should the dua for breaking the fast be recited?

The hadith of Ibn ‘Umar indicates that the Prophet ﷺ said this wording when he had broken his fast.

Its content confirms this: “the thirst has gone” and “the veins have been moistened” describe what logically happens once the fasting person has begun to drink or eat.

It is therefore useful to distinguish:

• personal supplications that may be made before iftar;
• the formula Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’..., connected with the breaking itself.

This avoids turning all of the fasting person’s supplications into one supposedly “obligatory dua before drinking”.

Should the dua be said before or after the first sip?

The hadith wording — “when he broke his fast” — and the words of the dua naturally indicate the moment of breaking or immediately after beginning to drink or eat.

The text says:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ

“The thirst has gone.”

There is therefore no basis for thinking the fast would be invalid if a person drinks before reciting this supplication. The dua is not a condition for the validity of iftar.

The fast ends when its legal time ends and the fasting person eats or drinks. The supplication accompanies the breaking as a Sunnah and remembrance of Allah.

Is “Allahumma laka sumtu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu” authentic?

Another formula is extremely widespread at iftar:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ

Transliteration:
Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ‘alā rizqika afṭartu.

Translation:
O Allah, for You I have fasted, and with Your provision I break my fast.

This wording is reported by Abu Dawud, no. 2358. However, the report is transmitted in mursal form and the version consulted grades it weak.

It should therefore not be presented as having exactly the same strength as:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

For someone wishing to memorize first the wording supported by the stronger evidence, Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’... is the better choice.

Is the formula “Allahumma laka sumtu” forbidden?

A weak report does not automatically mean that the meaning of its words is bad or forbidden.

Telling Allah that one fasted for Him and breaks the fast with provision He granted carries a sound meaning. The caution is to avoid stating without qualification that “this is the authentic dua the Prophet ﷺ obligatorily recited at every iftar”.

In educational content, it is better to distinguish the levels of transmission clearly so the reader knows which wording rests on the strongest evidence.

Should the fast be broken as soon as the sun sets?

Yes. The Sunnah encourages not deliberately delaying iftar once the sun has set.

Sahl ibn Sa‘d رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught that people will remain upon goodness as long as they hasten to break the fast.

This hadith is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1957.

The point is not to break the fast before its time, but not to add an unnecessary delay that was not prescribed.

For more on times, invalidators and practical rules, see our guide to Ramadan fasting rules and prohibitions.

What did the Prophet ﷺ break his fast with?

A tradition narrated from Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه states that the Prophet ﷺ broke his fast with fresh dates before praying; if unavailable, with dried dates; and if he had none, with a few sips of water.

This practice shows the simplicity of the Prophetic iftar.

There is no need to prepare a large meal before actually breaking the fast. A few dates or water are enough to end it, and the meal may follow afterwards.

Is it obligatory to break the fast with a date?

No. Breaking the fast with dates is a recommended practice reported from the Prophet ﷺ, but not having dates does not prevent a valid iftar.

Water is sufficient, as is another lawful food if necessary.

A Sunnah should not be turned into a condition of validity. Someone who breaks the fast with water because no dates are available has indeed broken the fast.

Can personal duas be made just before iftar?

Yes. The period of fasting and the moments before breaking it are a natural opportunity to increase supplication.

The fasting person may ask Allah for:

• acceptance of the fast;
• forgiveness;
• guidance;
• health;
• good offspring;
• ease in affairs;
• good for the family;
• protection from trials.

These requests do not require a precise Arabic formula. A person may call upon Allah in their own words.

Our guide to the best times to make dua explains more broadly how to benefit from such occasions without assigning an unestablished formula to every moment.

Can the iftar dua be made in English?

To apply specifically the supplication reported from the Prophet ﷺ, it is useful to memorize its Arabic text:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

A beginner may temporarily use transliteration while gradually learning the pronunciation.

Personal supplications, however, may be made in English or any other language the person understands.

It is better to understand what one is asking than to repeat long Arabic phrases without knowing their meaning.

What is the difference between iftar, sawm and suhur?

Several Arabic words are frequently used during Ramadan:

• صَوْم — ṣawm: fasting;
• إِفْطَار — ifṭār: breaking the fast;
• سَحُور — suḥūr: the meal eaten before dawn.

Iftar is therefore not the fast itself, but the moment when it ends at sunset.

These terms are part of the Islamic Arabic vocabulary that is useful for understanding lessons, hadiths and texts about Ramadan.

Is the dua for breaking the fast limited to Ramadan?

No. The reported wording concerns breaking a fast and, in meaning, is not limited only to the month of Ramadan.

It may therefore accompany the breaking of a voluntary fast, such as some Monday or Thursday fasts, or other days on which a Muslim fasts voluntarily.

The detailed rules can nevertheless differ between obligatory Ramadan fasting, make-up fasts, expiations and voluntary fasting.

Must one wait until the end of the Maghrib adhan to break the fast?

The fast ends with the actual sunset, not with hearing the final phrase of the adhan.

When the Maghrib adhan is correctly called at sunset, the fasting person may break the fast as soon as the time begins.

There is no rule requiring one to listen to the entire adhan before drinking.

In practice, one should of course make sure that the Maghrib time being used is reliable.

How can the minutes around iftar be organized?

Iftar can easily become hectic: food preparation, phones, conversations, setting the table and waiting for the adhan.

A simple organization helps preserve its spiritual character.

A few minutes before Maghrib, non-essential tasks can be set aside for personal supplications. Once the sun has set, break the fast without unnecessary delay, ideally with something simple, then recite the reported dua.

The meal may then continue without excess so that the Maghrib prayer is not made difficult.

To place iftar within the broader practices of the month, see our complete guide to Ramadan in Islam.

A common mistake: turning iftar into an automatic formula

The dua for breaking the fast is short and easy to memorize. Precisely because of this, it can be recited so quickly that it no longer carries meaning for the person saying it.

Understanding its three ideas preserves its meaning:

• the thirst has disappeared;
• the body receives the water it lacked;
• the believer hopes for Allah’s reward.

Iftar then becomes a moment of gratitude rather than merely the signal that eating is finally allowed.

How can the iftar dua be memorized easily?

Divide the wording into three parts that correspond directly to its meaning:

1. Thirst:

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ

Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’.

2. Rehydration:

وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ

Wabtallati l-‘urūq.

3. Reward:

وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh.

After a few days of Ramadan, associating these words with iftar usually makes memorization easier.

Understand Ramadan beyond supplications

The iftar dua is only one small part of learning about fasting. Ramadan also involves rules concerning intention, the beginning and end of fasting, invalidating acts, exemptions, making up missed days and recommended conduct.

It is therefore better not to build one’s practice only from short posts or lists of supplications.

Al-Dirassa offers online Islamic studies courses for studying acts of worship and their rulings in a structured setting with a teacher.

FAQ about the dua for breaking the fast

What dua should be recited to break the fast?

The wording narrated from Ibn ‘Umar is Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’u, wabtallati l-‘urūqu, wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh. It means: “The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened and the reward is established, if Allah wills.”

What is the iftar dua in Arabic?

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

It is reported in Sunan Abi Dawud 2357.

Is “Allahumma laka sumtu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu” authentic?

The formula is reported by Abu Dawud 2358, but the report is mursal and the version consulted grades it weak. Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’... rests on stronger transmission.

Must the dua be said before drinking?

The hadith says the Prophet ﷺ recited it when he broke his fast. Its meaning — “the thirst has gone” — naturally fits the moment of breaking or immediately after the first sips.

Can the fast be broken without reciting a dua?

Yes. Reciting a specific supplication is not a condition for a valid iftar. It is a Sunnah and a remembrance of Allah.

Must the fast always be broken with dates?

No. Dates are a reported Prophetic practice, but water or another lawful food also breaks the fast.

Hadith references

• Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 2357: Dhahaba aẓ-ẓama’u, wabtallati l-‘urūqu, wa thabata l-ajru in shā’ Allāh.
• Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 2358: Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ‘alā rizqika afṭartu, transmitted mursal and graded weak in the version consulted.
• Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1957: recommendation not to delay breaking the fast unnecessarily.
• Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 2354: breaking the fast with fresh dates, dried dates or water.