Iftar

What it is

During Ramadan the day turns around two meals. Suhur comes before dawn; from then until sunset nothing is eaten or drunk, and iftar is what ends that stretch. Most tables open with dates and water, a habit taken from the Prophet Muhammad, though nobody is obliged to follow it, and three dates are common. Many people say a short dua as they eat, giving thanks that thirst has passed. Feeding another person at iftar counts as sadaqah, charity, and Muslims believe the Prophet practised it and that it earns great reward.

Origins and history

The custom reaches back to the Prophet Muhammad, who broke his fast in 7th-century Arabia with food and water. Muslims have copied that example ever since. In the Islamic Golden Age, wealthy patrons hosted large meals during Ramadan to encourage charity and to hold the community together, and the practice travelled with Muslim populations into many countries. The shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad has provided iftar for 332 years, one of the biggest such meals anywhere. In 2023 UNESCO recognised the meal as intangible cultural heritage.

Around the world

Names and customs change with the map. In Brunei the meal is sungkai, taken at a village mosque where residents cook a buffet; a drum called the beduk announces it, and in Bandar Seri Begawan cannons are fired across the business district. Indonesians call it buka puasa, queue at Ramadan food stalls and listen for the same drum. Malaysians say berbuka puasa, buy from street markets called Bazaar Ramadhan, and return after Taraweeh for a light supper, moreh. Maldivians call it roadha villun, and mosques there hand out dates and juice. In Nigeria, Hausa speakers say buda-baki and Yoruba speakers isinu.

Food and drink

What reaches the table depends on the region. Afghans begin with shorwa and steamed dumplings, then rice with carrots and raisins. In Bangladesh fried snacks such as piyaju and beguni are eaten before the sweets, with borhani or sherbet to drink. Indonesians buy kolak, cendol and iced fruit drinks from the streets. Iranians take a small plate first, tea with zulbia, then a full Persian dinner. Haleem fills the tables of Hyderabad, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu serve a rice porridge called nonbu kanji, cooked for hours with meat and vegetables. In Morocco, harira and chebakia are the usual pair.

Today and change

Outside the home, iftar has become a public occasion. Hotels and restaurants in Malaysia and the Maldives sell special iftar packages, and big Pakistani cities advertise iftar deals on restaurant boards. Mosques and charities keep the older side of the custom alive by feeding anyone who turns up, and Indonesian families sometimes invite groups of orphans to eat with them. Muslims hold that providing someone else's iftar brings reward, which is why so much of it is given away. Even in places strained by poverty or conflict, the meal stays a point of thanks and contact.

How Iftar is kept

Preparations may start three hours before sunset, at home and at roadside stalls. When the Maghrib call sounds, in some places after a drum, siren or cannon, the fast ends. Dates and water are taken first, then snacks and drinks, then the larger dishes. Families, neighbours and guests eat together, and mosques or charities set out food for those who come alone. Maghrib prayer follows the first bites, with eating often continuing afterwards. Later many return to the mosque for Isha and Taraweeh, and in Malaysia a light supper, moreh, is served in the grounds.

When and where

Iftar is kept every evening of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is closed at sunset, at the time of the Maghrib call to prayer. The daily cycle then begins again before dawn with suhur, so the pattern of fasting by day and eating after dark repeats through the whole month.

It is kept wherever Muslims live: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, the Maldives, Morocco and Nigeria among many others. Communal meals at mosques are common, and the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad seats around 12,000 people each night of Ramadan.

What Iftar means

Iftar closes a day of obedience and opens a shared table. Muslims read the meal as gratitude, reflection and connection: the hunger is real, and so is the company. Feeding someone else is understood as sadaqah, charity, and the Prophet Muhammad is said to have fed others in this way. The table also binds people together, since family, neighbour and stranger eat from the same spread. A short dua at the first dates gives thanks that thirst has gone and the reward is assured.

On the table

Flavours: Chilli

Days Iftar is marked

Questions people ask about Iftar

See also

SamovarA heated urn that brews tea for a slow, sociable pour, from Russia to Iran and KashmirKopitiamA neighbourhood coffee shop where Southeast Asians share meals, drinks and newsCaffè sospesoAn anonymous gift of a paid cup of coffee for a stranger in needArmudu tea glassA pear-shaped glass used in Azerbaijan to serve and drink black tea.

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Iftar/Eftari/Iftar/Iftor and its socio-cultural traditionsUNESCO, Heritage listing
• 5 questions everyone asks about RamadanAl Jazeera, Article
• Chawkbazar: The original iftar market in DhakaThe Daily Star, Article
• Iftar/Eftari/Iftar/Iftor and its socio-cultural traditionsUNESCO, Article
• 5 questions everyone asks about RamadanAl Jazeera, Article
• Chawkbazar: The original iftar market in DhakaThe Daily Star, Article

• Iftar on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.