What is the du'a for breaking the fast?

The du'a

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ، وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُDhahaba al-zama'u wabtallat al-'uruq, wa thabata al-ajr in sha' Allah."The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills."— Sunan Abu Dawud 2357, from Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه

What the words mean

Each phrase marks a stage of what the fasting person has just passed through. "The thirst has gone" names the relief itself — the body's need that the fast created is now answered. "The veins are moistened" goes further than the feeling of drinking: it describes the water reaching the body's channels, the dryness of the fast undone from within. And "the reward is confirmed" turns the moment outward, from the body to the account with Allah — the hunger and thirst were not wasted, and the worshipper states that hope as a settled fact, then softens it with in sha' Allah, since no one pronounces on their own reward with certainty.

When to say it

The wording places it after the fast is broken, not before. The Prophet ﷺ said it "when he broke his fast" — that is, once the food or drink has been taken and the thirst is actually gone. This is why the du'a speaks in the past tense throughout: it describes a state that has already come about.

A second wording, and its weakness

A narration in Sunan Abu Dawud (2358) gives another phrasing:

"Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu"— Sunan Abu Dawud 2358

This one is graded da'if (weak), and a weak narration is not used to establish a ruling or a fixed practice. The du'a above from Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه is the one the scholars cite and the one to hold to.

Key takeaways

• The du'a for breaking the fast is "Dhahaba al-zama'u wabtallat al-'uruq, wa thabata al-ajr in sha' Allah," reported in Sunan Abu Dawud 2357 and graded hasan.
• Say it after you have broken the fast, since its words describe the thirst as already gone.
• The alternative wording "Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu" (Abu Dawud 2358) is weak and is not relied upon.
• The du'a is a statement of gratitude and hope, not a condition for the fast's validity — the fast is complete with the act of breaking it at the proper time.

And Allah knows best.