Friday 10 Shawwal 1445 - 19 April 2024
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Is Breaking the fast better at home or in the mosque?

Question

Is it better to have iftar in the mosque after praying or better to pray at the mosque then go home to have iftar with your family?

Summary of answer

The sunnah is to hasten to break your fast. You could choose some days to have iftar with your family and some days to have iftar in the mosque with the congregation.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

If what the questioner is referring to is food that is eaten to distinguish between the time of fasting and the time when it is permissible to eat, such as eating dates and drinking water and so on, then it is mustahabb to hasten to do that .

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The people will continue to be fine so long as they hasten to break the fast .” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1957; Muslim, 1098) 

But if what is meant is what people eat after praying (the iftar meal ), then there is nothing narrated concerning that in the Sunnah as far as I know, but each person must weigh up different factors. 

Eating iftar in the mosque with the congregation serves the interest of bringing Muslims together and helping them get to know one another and become friends, reviving the spirit of cooperation and so on. 

Eating iftar with the family at home serves the interest of bringing the family together, discussing family matters, reinforcing the bonds between family members, teaching children the etiquette of eating and conversing, and so on; it increases the love between husband and wife, and between parents and children, and so on. 

What the head of the household must do is strike a balance between these interests. He could choose some days to eat iftar with his family and some days to eat iftar with the congregation in the mosque, whilst noting that his duty to take care of his family and children, teaching them the etiquette and teachings of Islam takes precedence over the nafl action of meeting with friends in the mosque, because he can meet them at Tarawih prayers or in a general gathering and so on.

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Islam Q&A