IFTAR INVOKES THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER

It is reported that the Prophet of Islam used to say at the time of iftar, ‘Thirst has been quenched, and hunger is no more, and God willing, God will bless us with His reward.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 2357)

 

This shows that iftar invokes the spirit of prayer. It gives us an opportunity to say, ‘O God, I have fulfilled my duty and now I hope You will not deprive me of Your higher blessings.’ During the fast, the pangs of hunger and thirst make a man feel vulnerable and he turns towards God with renewed zeal. He cries out, ‘God, I have obeyed Your one command, there are many I could not. I kept one day’s fast, but I failed on several other occasions. I seek Your special blessings.’

When a sincere prayer like this is uttered, God turns His special attention to it, and the rewards are boundless. Man prays in this world and the reward is given in the world Hereafter. But fasting is an exception for which a taste of the reward is given in this world itself. Iftar gives a glimpse of the boundless rewards that await man in the world Hereafter.