Supplications before and after meals
The meal, an everyday moment if ever there was one, opens and closes with a formula of gratitude — and breaking the fast, in particular, has one of its own.
ذَهَـبَ الظَّمَـأُ، وَابْتَلَّـتِ العُـروق، وَثَبَـتَ الأجْـرُ إِنْ شـاءَ الله
Dhahaba z-zama'u wa btallati-l-`urûqu wa thabata-l-ajru in shâ'a l-lâhu.
The thirst has gone and the veins are quenched, and reward is confirmed, if Allah wills.
اللّهُـمَّ إِنَّـي أَسْـأَلُـكَ بِرَحْمَـتِكَ الّتي وَسِـعَت كُلَّ شيء، أَنْ تَغْـفِرَ لي
Allâhumma innî as'aluka bi-rahmatika l-lâti wasi`at kulla shay'in an taghfira lî.
O Allah, I ask You by Your mercy which envelopes all things, that You forgive me.
بِسْمِ الله/ بِسْمِ اللهِ في أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِـرِه
Au début du repas : Bismi l-lâhi.
En cas d'oubli : Bismi l-lâhi fî awwalihi wa âkhirihi.
When you are about to eat, you should say:(Bismil-lah.)and if you forget to say it before starting, then you should say (when you remember):In the name of Allah in it’s beginning and end.
اللّهُـمَّ بارِكْ لَنا فيهِ وَأَطْـعِمْنا خَـيْراً مِنْـه/ اللّهُـمَّ بارِكْ لَنا فيهِ وَزِدْنا مِنْه
Allâhumma bârik lanâ fîhi, wa at`imnâ khayran minhu.
Allâhumma bârik lanâ fîhi wa zidnâ minhu.
Whomever Allah feeds, should say:(O Allah, bless it for us and feed us better than it.) and whomever Allah gives milk to drink should say:(O Allah, bless it for usand give us more of it.).
الْحَمْـدُ للهِ الَّذي أَطْعَمَنـي هـذا وَرَزَقَنـيهِ مِنْ غَـيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلا قُوَّة
Al hamdu li-l-lâhi ladhî at`amanî hâdhâ wa razaqanîhi min ghayrin hawlin minnî wa lâ quwwatin.
All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it for me without any might nor power from myself.
الْحَمْـدُ للهِ حَمْـداً كَثـيراً طَيِّـباً مُبـارَكاً فيه، غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ وَلا مُوَدَّعٍ وَلا مُسْتَغْـنىً عَنْـهُ رَبُّـنا
Al hamdu li-l-lâhi hamdan kathîran, tayyiban, mubârakan fîhi, ghayra makfiyyin wa lâ muwadda`in, wa lâ mustaghnan `anhu rabbanâ.
Allah be praised with an abundant beautiful blessed praise, a never-ending praise, a praise which we will never bid farewell to and an indispensable praise, He is our Lord.
Islamobile gathers a fuller collection of supplications and remembrances (adhkar), organised by time of day, with Arabic, transliteration and translation. Free on iPhone.
Download on theApp StoreFrequently asked questions
What do you say before eating?
“In the name of Allah” — and if you forgot at the start, you can say it partway through, adding “at the beginning and at the end.”
What do you say when breaking the fast?
A specific formula is reported for Iftar — see above.