Questions and Answers

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Is throwing lavish iftar parties with sumptuous food part of Islam? Iftar is an Arabic word, which literally means ‘to break’. In the Islamic context, it means to break the fast, to eat and drink in the evening after the daylong fast. Iftar is not simply a matter of having dinner. It has great significance. It is a combination of spiritual and physical food. Iftar should be a simple meal and not a lavish affair. Simplicity saves us from distraction and makes us concentrate on the spiritual aspect of fasting. On the other hand, if the iftar takes the form of a lavish affair, all attention will be focused on the taste and the physical aspects of food, and the spiritual benefits will be lost. These days, organizing iftar parties has become a tradition. But this party should not be like any other party. Such a party should give us an opportunity for spiritual and dawah exchange, turning our individual experiences into a social experience. Does Islam permit lavish iftars and extravagant shopping for Eid? We often see people eating lavishly in the evenings after a full day of fast and shopping for the festival towards the last part of the month. These practices have nothing to do with Islam. I advise that we should not judge Islam in the light of the behaviour of the Muslims but judge the behaviour of the Muslims in the light of Islam. If you wish to know what Islam actually preaches, please refer to the original sources, the Quran and Prophet’s life. After reading them one can see that Islam teaches simplicity. Simplicity in one’s food (and other things) habits will be an integral part of a believer’s life. One of the teachings of the Prophet is ‘simplicity is a part of faith’. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 4118) Extravagance of any kind will not be the way of a true follower of the Prophet.