Supplications Before Iftar

It is important to note that there is no specific invocation established in the Sunnah or the Holy Quran that dictates a prayer to be recited before breaking the fast. However, individuals can call upon Allah – the Almighty – in any manner they desire using their own words. Below are some suggested supplications:

Traditionally Accepted Supplications from the Sunnah

There are several prayers that one may recite before iftar, some of which are supported by the Hadith literature. These include:

(O Allah, I ask You by Your mercy that encompasses all things, to forgive my sins).
(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, old age, and greed. I also seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave and from the trials of life and death).
(O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, in Your pardon from Your punishment, and I beseech You not to hold me accountable for my praises of You – You are as You have praised Yourself).
(O Allah, I take refuge in You from knowledge that is of no benefit, from a heart that lacks humility, from a supplication that is not heard, and from a soul that is never satisfied. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from these four afflictions).
(O Allah, I ask You for all good, both immediate and delayed, what I know of it and what I do not. I seek refuge in You from all evil, both immediate and delayed, what I know of it and what I do not. O Allah, I implore You for the best of what Your servant and Prophet has asked of You).
(I also seek refuge in You from the worst of what Your servant and Prophet sought refuge from. O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and for all that brings me closer to it, in word and deed, and I seek refuge in You from the Fire and all that brings me closer to it, in word and deed. Grant that every decree You make for me is for my best).
(O Allah, with Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, let me live as long as You know life is good for me, and let me pass away when You know death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You for Your fear in secrecy and in public; I ask You for sincere words in contentment and anger; I ask You for moderation in wealth and poverty; and I ask You for an everlasting delight).
(I seek from You a pleasing sight that never ends, contentment with Your decrees, the coolness of living after death, and the joy of beholding Your face and yearning for Your meeting, without any harm that misleads or trials that lead astray. O Allah, adorn us with the beauty of faith and make us guides who are rightly guided).
(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Fire and its punishment, from the trial of the grave and its torment, from the evil of the trial of wealth, and from the evil of the trial of poverty. I seek refuge in You from the trial of the false Messiah. O Allah, cleanse my sins with the water of snow and hail).
(And purify my heart from sins as You have cleansed a white garment from dirt; distance me from my sins as You have distanced the east from the west. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from laziness, old age, sin, and debt).

Diverse Non-Traditional Supplications

A Muslim may ask Allah – the Almighty – whatever is on their heart, even if it is in their own wording. Here are a number of personal supplications that can be recited before iftar:

O Allah, forgive my parents, grant them a life of happiness, a death like martyrs, and raise them with the prophets.
O Allah, fill our hearts with happiness and tranquility, and make us among Your happiest servants.
O Allah, grant me the ability to be dutiful to my parents and assist me in pleasing them for as long as I live.
O Allah, fulfill our hopes in ways that please You, answer our prayers, and have mercy on our weaknesses.
O Allah, grant us healing and forgiveness, and make us amongst Your chosen people. Endow us with every good in this life and the next.
O Allah, make our wishes a reality and protect us with Your care, O best of Protectors.
O Allah, let us love faith and cling to the Quran, and make us among the people of the mosques.
O Allah, fill our hearts with Your love and the love of Your religion, guide us, and keep us steadfast on the right path, far from sins.
O Allah, grant us from the provisions of this life and the hereafter, and do not make us beholden to any of Your creation. Enrich us by Your grace and generosity.
O Allah, heal our hearts and rectify our state and situations, and keep away from us all that harms us.
O Allah, bless us with abundant sustenance and grant us blessings in what You have provided us.
O Allah, alleviate our concerns regarding the affairs of this world and the hereafter. Please do not leave any sin unforgiven, nor any worry unresolved.
O Allah, make us happy and fill our hearts with comfort and joy.
O Allah, accept our supplications, heal our sick, forgive us, and free us from our faults.

Invocation at Iftar

The Messenger of Allah – may peace be upon him – taught his noble companions a supplication to recite at the time of iftar, which is evidenced in the hadith narrated by Marwan bin Salim. He stated: “I saw Ibn Umar holding onto his beard and trimming what exceeded his palm. He said, ‘When the Messenger of Allah – may peace be upon him – broke his fast, he used to say: ‘The thirst has gone, the veins are moist, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills.'”