Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Is a specific supplication established for breaking fast? Should the fasting person repeat after the muezzin or should he continue with breaking his fast? الذكر عند الإفطار

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.   Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.   As to what follows:       This issue has two parts: The first part: concerns the question: was a supplication for breaking fast transmitted authentically?. There is no transmitted supplication for breaking fast which was transmitted authentically except what was related by at-Tirmithi from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) broke his fast he would say: ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ “Thirst has gone, the arteries are moist, and the reward is sure, if Allah wills.” [Abu Dawood (2357)] This is what has been established from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This narration was transmitted with a successive chain of transmitters which links back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) (i.e., a marfoo’ narration) and it was also transmitted by a chain which stops at Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The marfoo’ narration is authentic and it is the best narration transmitted from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding supplications for breaking the fast.   As for what has been transmitted that the fasting person says, at the time of breaking fast:   اللهم لك صمنا وعلى رزقك أفطرنا “O Allah we have fasted for your sake and we break our fast with your sustenance”,  [Abu Dawud (2358]) and so on; all that has not been transmitted by authentic chains and it has no supporting evidence to strengthen it. What is apparent is that there is flexibility in the issue. If a person supplicates with what was transmitted in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar, or if he supplicates with other supplications which he wishes then there is no restriction on that.   As for the issue of comparison between breaking fast and repeating what the muezzin says; there is no contradiction between these issues. Therefore, when the muezzin makes the call to prayer he should break his fast and then say repeat after  the muezzin. That is, he should begin by breaking fast because of the hadeeth that was transmitted in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim (the two Saheehs) from the hadeeths of Sahl ibn Sa’d who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast.” [Al-Bukhari (1957), Muslim (1098)]. This shows the virtues of hastening to break the fast. When does this virtue start? That is when does the hastening which is recommended and leads to the attainment of righteousness start? It starts when it is ascertained or when it is highly probable that the sun has set. I say, “Probability comes into play when a person has no means of ascertaining”.   At that point it is recommended for the fasting person to hasten in breaking his fast by eating a date or drinking water. There is no problem if while doing so a person repeats what the muezzin says, and combines between two good deeds: combining between obeying what was transmitted in the hadeeth of Aboo Sa’eed in Saheeh Muslim that “When you hear the call (to prayer), repeat what the muezzin pronounces” [al-Bukhari (611),Muslim (383)] and the hadeeth of Sahl ibn Sa’d which states “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast.” Hastening in breaking the fast is achieved by one morsel or sip of water, and this means that it is allowed for a person to wait and repeat after the muezzin who takes his time in calling the athaan or one who is fast, and after the athaan he goes back to eat his food. There is flexibility in the issue.