When fasting, my spouse and I get touchy and quarrel just before iftar. How do we avoid this?

Admit that hunger and tiredness wear patience thin, then plan that most sensitive time together. Tension usually peaks just before iftar, when the kitchen is busy and the children are restless. Divide the tasks early: one prepares the food, the other looks after the children and sets the table. Postpone serious discussions until after Tarawih, when you have eaten and your bodies are calmer. Agree on a short signal, for example ‘I'm fasting,’ as a sign that each of you must stop before words go too far. The God-conscious are described as those “who restrain their anger and pardon people” (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:134). A fast that guards the tongue means more than a fast that only holds back hunger. See emotional communication.