Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would break his fast before praying with fresh dates; if fresh dates were unavailable, then with dried dates; and if dried dates were unavailable, he would take a few sips of water.” (1)

Question: If a person has honey and water, which should he take first: water or honey?

The answer is that he should take the water first, because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “If he cannot find any, then with water, for it is purifying.” If he finds neither water nor any other drink or food, he should intend in his heart to break his fast, and that suffices.

Some common people say: “If you cannot find anything, suck your finger.” This has no basis.

Others say: “Wet your headcloth, then suck it,” claiming that when you wet it, the saliva leaves the mouth, and when you then suck it, you bring something from outside the mouth into it. This too has no basis.

Rather, we say: if the sun has set and you have nothing with which to break your fast, then intend in your heart to break your fast. Indeed, some scholars said that the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him, “When night approaches from this direction, day departs from that direction, and the sun has set, then the fast has been broken”