Why eat an odd number of dates?

In Islam, especially during Ramadan, people are encouraged to eat an odd number of dates. If you have ever wondered why people eat an odd number of dates rather than an even number, you are in the right place! Find out more in this article. 

Why eat an odd number of dates?

It is natural to wonder why people eat 1, 3, 5 dates and so on, and where this practice comes from. It appears that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to break his fast with 3 dates. 

As the following hadith states: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked to break his fast by eating three dates or something that had not been touched by fire.” (Narrated by Abu Ya’la, 3305)

However, the respected Shaykh al-Albani classified this hadith as weak in his work ad-Da’ifa.

The respected Shaykh al-Uthaymin was also asked why people should eat an odd number of dates.

Here is his answer: 

“It is not obligatory, and in fact it is not the Sunnah, to break the fast with an odd number, three or five or seven or nine, except on the day of Eid al-Fitr. It is established that the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family) would not go out for prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten a few dates, an odd number of them. Apart from that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deliberately seek to eat an odd number of dates.” (Fatawa Nur ‘ala ad-Darb, 11/2)

This shows that breaking the fast with an odd number of dates is not a confirmed Sunnah. There is also the hadith about Ajwa dates , which specifies eating seven. However, some scholars say that this applies only to Ajwa dates.

With that in mind, let’s look at why eating an odd number of dates is still a recommended practice.

Why is eating an odd number of dates beneficial? 

Because it is good to do things in odd numbers. There is considerable evidence on this subject, including the following:

According to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Witr prayer and then said: “O people of the Quran! Perform Witr, for Allah is One and He loves what is odd.” (Narrated by an-Nasa’i in his Sunan, no. 1675, and authenticated by Shaykh al-Albani in his review of Sunan an-Nasa’i) 

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) was asked:

Should we do all permissible things, such as drinking coffee and so on, in odd numbers, or does this apply only to things about which a text has been narrated?

The Shaykh’s answer can be summarized as follows: “All words and actions should be in odd numbers. This is the Sunnah.”

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr (may Allah preserve him) was asked:

Will we be rewarded for doing things in odd numbers as an act of devotion when eating, drinking and so on?

He replied: “Yes, we will be rewarded for doing this as an act of devotion. So, if a person eats dates, they should eat one, or three or seven, an odd number, because Allah loves what is odd.”

Conclusion

In short, eating an odd number of dates is not obligatory. However, it remains strongly recommended because Allah loves what is odd.