Hosting Iftari in masjid

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
1

I know this is not exactly a “household” topic but I am not sure where else to post it.

I want people who have arranged or hosted iftari in their masjid to share their experience.

  1. Did you share with another family or were you the only host family?
  2. Who prepared the food? you or did you ask for help?
  3. What was the number of people you hosted?
  4. What is a usual per person expense?

any other info?

This thread will be very helpful for the people who never hosted iftari but want to host and dont know if they would be able to handle that (logistics and expense wise)

2

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

1- I shared with other families.
2- It was catered by restaurant.
3- In our mosque, more than 100/150 people come.
4- I really dont know, becuase three or four families pitch in and collected more than $1600

at our mosqu, friday, saturday and sundy is booked by many families to host iftar and dinner and it usually cost $1600. cost depend when you cater with different restaurant.

3

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

$1600 for 100/150 (avg 125) makes about 13 dollars per person. Not bad I must say.

Would you mind sharing a typical menu?

Plus how did you distribute Iftar/Dinner? In boxes? or was it banquet style

4

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

Can I move this thread to culture ?

5

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

UZ, yes, go ahead.

6

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

iftari is very simple (roh afza, pakoray, date, cholay, and sometime fruit chaat)
dinner (rice, salan, roti, sweet dish)

menu is entirely depend on the host(desi, middle eastern, bangladeshi, etc.)

no, we dont distribute in boxes, it is kind of line in front of food table and some volunteer put the food in plate.

mashaAllah we have enough space and community center and big parking lot.. :)

7

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

Great info STA. thanks for sharing my friend.

8

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

  1. Did you share with another family or were you the only host family?

We were the only host family.

  1. Who prepared the food? you or did you ask for help?

My husband and I did.. we made matar palao, channay ka salan, tandori chicken, salad, naan, for dessert, we had cake!

At our masjid, iftar starts with dates/ rooh afza/ otehr drinks that people usually bring for everyone, then maghrib followed by a simple dinner of 1 rice dish, 1 meat/chicken dish, 1 vegetable/lentil, salad and naan! Everyday the host changes, the menu remains the same! Some people bring desserts in small quantities for everyone to enjoy.

  1. What was the number of people you hosted?

50-60 people

  1. What is a usual per person expense?

I dont remember the expense but the quantity was something like this.. rice- 8 cups/2 packs frozen peas, channay- 8 pounds, tandor chicken 100 leg pieces, naan I think we got 5 turkish flat breads (the big round ones and cut them into small pieces)

any other info?

It took us about three days to shop, clean, marinate, cook, etc.. we made chanay ka salan a day before, had alll the chicken marinated and ready to go in the oven at 11:00am on the day of hosting the iftar, started making rice around 3:00pm, and gos some the pre cut salad, cherry tomotoes and tossed them all together at the end.. one with the salad dressing, one without!

and I know at our masjid, if someone wants to donate it's usually $200/iftar and then this auntie cooks on their behalf for about 50-60 people!

Hope this helps.

9

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

10 families at my masjid hosted an iftar and dinner for 225 dollars per family. Food was catered by a local Chinese restaurant which got the meat from a local halal meat shop. Catering was ordered for 300 people, this Chinese guy makes plenty of food and lots of dishes.

10

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

  1. Did you share with another family or were you the only host family?

Our families (mama, sister, sister's MIL)

  1. Who prepared the food? you or did you ask for help?

We cooked the food ourselves. We prep for a week beforehand (peeling, cutting, grinding masalas)

Last year's menu was:

Iftaar
Dates
Pakoray
Dahi phulki
Watermelon and canteloupe
Cholay chaat
Dinner
Channa daal-gosht
Aloo baingan ki tarkari
Naan
Chilau (plain rice with pilau masala)
Pasta (for kids)
Egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches
Achaar

  1. What was the number of people you hosted?

250 people

  1. What is a usual per person expense?

It cost about $1,000 ($4/person) for the food, plus the cost of booking the masjid which is how the masjid collects funds for their overhead expenses and masjid fund.

any other info?

Mama shops sales and by cooking ourselves, it cuts down on costs.

We serve buffet style and if things look disorganized, then volunteers will serve the food.

Given that our family has hosted iftaars and majalises for the last 30+ years and for up to 500 people, it's not easy (we're exhausted for the week afterwards), but we know what to do and it's fairly routine for us.

11

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

Our masjid used to do it simple.
For iftar they had dates, rooh afza or some other drink and one iftar item like chanay or dahi phulki and when people read namaz after that they had dinner which is one rice dish may be a mattar pulao, chicken salan , one vegetable with naan and for desert cake or kheer.

12

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

:crying: why did I read GTG and Sehrysh’s reply in the middle of my roza ..

I am coming to Toronto .., bas keh diya …

13

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

we will hold you to this…

14

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

You promise to serve me the above mentioned and I will be there ..

Ok now back to the topic ..

What GTG and Sehrysh shared is amazing cause they hosted and prepared by themselves. That is amazing, considering that people who are preparing are fasting themselves.

Sehrysh's expense was very impressive. only $4 per person and that much food.

15

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

  1. Did you share with another family or were you the only host family? Usually one person/family will sponsor the iftaar/dinner

  2. Who prepared the food? you or did you ask for help? You could make it yourself, or you can give the money (I think around $500 - not sure) and the masjid can provide/cater the food

  3. What was the number of people you hosted? Mostly depends on the night. Usually Friday and Weekends have the most people attending for Iftaar. You are encouraged to invite your own family and friends as well. Could be from 75 people to a couple of hundred.

  4. What is a usual per person expense? not sure.

16

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

I think to offer aftari in our local mosque every year but its like a big one so around 150-200 ppl easily gather for aftari/dinner. Also the management prefers the food to be brought from some restaurant rather than prepared at home which is difficult as well. So the entire amount becomes way out of the pocket if I do on my own.
This year again, I'll try to host it by myself or otherwise will try to get a hold of some other families to share it with.

17

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

Try it lot of people get interested in sponsoring an iftar+dinner.

18

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

my grandad hosts a couple each Ramadhan and who ever wants to chip in from the family i.e. khalas/mamoo, we do. He arranges everything including pre-made samosas (which get fried at home), fruit i.e. bananas, Milk with some pink syrup in it (not rooh afza), somethjing sweet i.e cakes (a couple of times my mums made them at home in 100s, either fairy cake or large ones and cut them in pieces), dates, water etc. I think thats it but i havent seen the preps for some years now so might be forgetting something ..

They usually get some caterers to prepare meal when dinner is served too which i think is mostly on weekends and last 10 nights.. My nani ami says she used to cook entire dinner on her own for years and years couple of times each ramadhan but due to age and health now, she can't.

19

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

Btw, I just had a aftar yesterday at a mosque which was relatively small in size with barely 30-40 ppl in total.

During Aftar, we were provided some fruit-chat, khajoor and a glass sharbat.
For dinner after namaz, the host had brought one tray each for Rice and Chicken curry. But it really fall short and most ppl were left out hungry in the end. That was quite insufficient.

I met another lady from my town which has the masjid with 150-200 ppl in aftar daily as mentioned above. She proudly told me that they dont even turn on the "choolha" at home, rather they attend every day in masjid and also bring some leftover at home and others do the same as well. Now this is something. :)

20

Re: Hosting Iftari in masjid

now that is really something ..