Question

I have a question regarding to the famous du’a at iftar:

“Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa ‘ala rizq-ika aftarthu”

(Abu Dawud).

How weak is this Hadith? Is it suitable for practice? What is the alternative du’a at Iftar? Jazakallahu khayran

 

Answer

I haven’t seen these exact words in Sunan Abi Dawud or any other primary Hadith source.

The words that are found in the primary sources are as follows:

“Allahumma laka sumtu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu”

Translation: O Allah, I have fasted for you [your sake] and I open my fast with the sustenance that you provided.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 2350 and Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 9837)

This narration is mursal (wherein a Tabi’i attributes the Hadith directly to Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but suitable.

(refer to footnotes of my esteemed Shaykh Muhaddith Muhammad ‘Awwamah on Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 9837)

Other wordings of this du’a do appear in the following very weak narrations:

 – Allahumma laka sumtu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu fataqabbal minni innaka anta Sami’ul ‘Alim

(Al-Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 12720 and Sunan Daraqutni, Hadith: 2280 on the authority of Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas, with a very weak chain. Also recorded in Kitabud Du’a of Tabarani, Hadith: 918 on the authority of Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) with a very weak chain too. This version begins with the word: Bismillah…)

– Allahumma laka sumtu wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu

(Musnadul Harith on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Ali, with a very weak chain; refer: Al-Matalibul ‘Aliyah, Hadith: 1074)

Also refer to footnotes of my esteemd Shaykh Muhaddith Muhammad ‘Awwamah on Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 9837.

Summary

The famous words of this du’a that are recited are as follows:

“Allahumma laka sumtu [wa bika amantu] wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu fa taqabbal minni”

Besides the bracketed part, all of these phrases are found in the different narrations cited above and can be recited.

It seems like someone formulated this combination from the different narrations, although parts are from very weak Hadiths.

Lastly, see here for an alternate du’a at the time of iftar.

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar