Question:
Assalamu‘alaikum SS Datuk Mufti. What is the wisdom of breaking fast with ruthob?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
The wisdom of breaking one’s fast with ruthob (dates which are not fully ripened) is to restore the body’s strength with a sweet fruit which is a source of energy. According to Yusuf Ahmad in his book Mausu’ah al-I’jaz al-Ilmi fi al-Quran wa al-Sunnah al-Mutahhirah (Encyclopaedia of Scientific Miracle in the Quran and Sunnah), dates are a great blessing from Allah SWT for us. It provides the much-needed nutrients to our body and is absorbed quickly and efficiently. The glucose inside dates are easily digested by our organs and is quickly absorbed into the cells of our heart, brain, liver, blood circulatory system, nervous system, and others. Thus, our body is replenished quickly when we eat dates.
Dates are also an ideal food for the human body, for it contains high levels of sugar in the form of glucose and fructose and also contains protein, fat, vitamin A, B2 and C and several important minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and fluorine.
Wallahua’lam.