What prayer marks the time to break the fast?

Maghrib is the prayer that marks the time to break the fast during Ramadan.

Muslims fast from dawn, beginning around the time of Fajr, until sunset, when Maghrib begins. The meal or drink used to end the fast is called iftar. In many communities, people break the fast immediately at sunset—often with dates and water—then perform the Maghrib prayer before eating a larger meal.

Maghrib is the fourth of Islam’s five daily obligatory prayers. Its time begins just after the sun has set and lasts until twilight fades, although Muslims generally perform it soon after sunset. The exact clock time changes daily and depends on location and season.

A common mix-up is treating iftar as the name of a prayer. Iftar is the act or meal of ending the fast; Maghrib is the sunset prayer associated with that moment. Some communities may follow slightly different timing calculations, but the sunset connection remains the key idea.