Ramadhan is known for its colorful plates where we find a little of everything but there’s a single small fruit that crowns them all; the date. It is an important fruit across all the Arabs and Muslim world but in Ramadhan, it gains more significance for it is the commencement of the iftar; breaking the fasting.
But how did it gain this reputation? Well .. There are two sides to the story, the scientific and the historic.
“The sugar in dates keeps your energy levels high, and its high fiber content also makes you feel full for a longer time, which is why it is commonly eaten during both iftar and suhoor.”
Although this might sound convenient, there’s more to the story than that especially if we considered the fact that this info wasn’t probably known back when this fruit started to become famous in Ramadhan.
Prophet Muhammed came with a message of equality between all humans despite their origin or their wealth. To convey this message, he brought the tradition of having the same fruit on iftar in all houses and places. Prophet Muhammed selected dates to be the commencement of iftar because it was not expensive and it was easy to get.
“Break your fasting with dates for it is a blessing.”