‎Reason why the Prophet ﷺ would break his fast with fresh dates, or dried dates, or water. ‎Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said: ‎“There is a very subtle reason why the Prophet ﷺ would break his fast with fresh dates, or dried dates, or water, because when one fasts, the stomach becomes devoid of nourishment, so the liver will not find anything in the stomach that it can absorb and send to other parts of the body. Sweetness is the quickest to reach the liver and is what it prefers, especially if it is fresh, so if a person eats fresh dates, they will be absorbed quickly by the liver, which will benefit it and other parts of the body. If fresh dates are not available, then dried dates are the next best thing, because they are sweet and nourishing. If there are no dates available, then a few sips of water will extinguish the flame of the stomach and the heat of fasting, thus preparing the stomach to accept food with ease.” ‎[Zaad al-Ma‘aad 4/287]