Iftar

Iftar (افطار) 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. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan, and is often done as a community, with Muslim people gathering to break their fast together. The meal is taken just after the call to the Maghrib prayer, which is around sunset. Traditionally three dates are eaten to break the fast, in emulation of the 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 charity is very rewarding and that such was practised by Muhammad. Some Hadith also state that Muhammad used to read the following dua at iftar: 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." Julia Pardoe writing in 1836 of her travels in Stamboul records a Turkish iftar she attended: The room was a perfect square, totally unfurnished, save that in the centre of the floor was spread a carpet, on which stood a wooden frame, about two feet in height, supporting an immense round plated tray, with the edge slightly raised. In the centre of the tray was placed a capacious white basin, filled with a kind of cold bread soup; and around it were ranged a circle of small porcelain saucers, filled with sliced cheese, anchovies, caviare, and sweetmeats of every description: among these were scattered spoons of box-wood, and goblets of pink and white sherbet, whose rose-scented contents perfumed the apartment. The outer range of the tray was covered with fragments of unleavened bread, torn asunder; and portions of the Ramazan cake, a dry, close, sickly kind of paste, glazed with the whites of eggs, and strewed over with aniseeds.