Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tirmidhi:696Muḥammad b. Rāfiʿ > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > Thābit > Anas b. Mālik

"The Messenger of Allah would break the fast with fresh dates before performing Salat. If there were no fresh dates then (he would break the fast) with dried dates, and if there were no dried dates then he would take a few sips of water."  

الترمذي:٦٩٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُفْطِرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَتُمَيْرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تُمَيْرَاتٌ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُفْطِرُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ عَلَى تَمَرَاتٍ وَفِي الصَّيْفِ عَلَى الْمَاءِ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Bayhaqī

Recommendation to break the fast with rutab (rutabah) dates

abudawud:2356Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > Thābit al-Bunānī > Anas b. Mālik

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with some rutabah dates; but if there were no rutabah dates, he had a few fully ripened dates, and if there were no fully ripened dates, he took some mouthfuls of water.  

أبو داود:٢٣٥٦حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُفْطِرُ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَعَلَى تَمَرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ  

ahmad:12676ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > Thābit al-Bunānī > Anas b. Mālik

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2356)   

أحمد:١٢٦٧٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُفْطِرُ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَتَمَرَاتٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ تَمَرَاتٌ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ  

hakim:1576ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal from my father > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > Thābit al-Bunānī > Anas b. Mālik

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2356)  

الحاكم:١٥٧٦أَخْبَرْنَاهُ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْقَطِيعِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ثنا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ أَخْبَرَنِي ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُفْطِرُ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٍ فَعَلَى تَمَرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ تَمَرَاتٍ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ»  

bayhaqi:8131Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb al-Faqīh Bi-al-Ṭṭābirān > Abū Bakr Aḥmad b. Ibrāhīm al-Ismāʿīlī Bijurjān > al-Ḥaḍramī > Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > Thābit > Anas

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with dates. If dates were not available, he would break his fast with some sips of water. Abu Dawood narrated this from Ahmad ibn Hanbal.  

البيهقي:٨١٣١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْفَقِيهُ بِالطَّابِرَانِ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيُّ بِجُرْجَانَ ثنا الْحَضْرَمِيُّ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أنبأ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُفْطِرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ فَتَمَرَاتٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ حَثَا حَثَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ