Worship - Fasting
Rulings
·
Fasting is abstaining from eating,
drinking and sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset, with a
specific intention.[1]
·
Fasting is a great blessing from
Allah as well as its spiritual, social and health benefits.
· Fasting in Ramadan is a pillar of
Islam and it is obligatory. It is mandatory on every sane, adult Muslim. ·
The reward for any righteous deed in
Ramadan is more than in any other month such as night voluntary prayers and
invoking Allah, recitation of the Qur’an, charity, I`tikaf (retiring to a
mosque for devotion during the last ten days of Ramadan), waiting for and
celebrating Laylat ul-Qadr , and performing `Umrah.
·
Ramadan is ascertained with the
sight of the Hilal (crescent) or the completion of thirty days of the month of
Sha`ban. The fast ends with the birth of the crescent of the month of Shawwal.[3]
·
Breaking the fast is permissible for
travelers, patients, women having their monthly period, pregnant and nursing
women, and these days can be made up for at a later time.
·
An elderly person who is unable to
fast as well as patients suffering from incurable diseases are also allowed to
break their fast, and can feed an indigent person for every day that they did
not fast.[4]
·
It is obligatory for women having
their monthly period, or post-natal bleeding to break their fast, and make up
these days by fasting later on. · It is recommended for those fasting to break their fast promptly and defer the daybreak meal as much as possible, say the known supplication when breaking the fast, and begin the meal with dates or water. · It is permissible during fasting to use medicine which does not reach the stomach through the throat, eat, drink, and have lawful sexual intercourse during the period from sunset to dawn.
·
Fasting is still valid if one eats
or drinks by mistake, has wet dreams, or has major ritual impurity (Janabah) at
night. · It is offensive during the fast to lie, make trouble, rinse one’s mouth excessively, or expose oneself to whatever stimulates lust.
·
What nullifies the fast are:
a) Intentionally allowing
food to travel through the mouth or nose to the stomach.
b) Ejaculation of semen
because of a lustful act without intercourse. c) Sexual intercourse and intentional eating or drinking; each of them obliges, besides making up for the day, freeing a person in bondage, or fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people an average meal.[8]
Evidence from Qur'an and Sunnah
The obligation of fasting:
Allah says:
]يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ
كُتِبَ
عَلَيْكُمُ
الصِّيَامُ
كَمَا كُتِبَ
عَلَى
الَّذِينَ
مِن
قَبْلِكُمْ
لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَتَّقُونَ
This
means: “You who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun
(the pious).” (2, Al-Baqarah: 183)
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“Islam is raised on five
(pillars):
The testification that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is His
bondsman and Messenger, the establishment of prayers, the payment of Zakah,
performance of pilgrimage to the House of Allah
(Ka`bah),
and fasting during Ramadan.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The grace of fasting:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the Way of Allah,
Allah will remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire
(of Hell)
to the extent of seventy years' distance.”
(Reported
by An-Nasa`i)
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“In Paradise, there
is a gate which is called Ar-Rayyan through which only the observers of fast
will enter on the Day of Resurrection. None else will enter along with them.
It will be proclaimed: ‘Where are the observers of fast who should be
admitted into it?’ And when the last of them will enter, it will be closed
and no one will enter it.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said:
“Fasting
is a protection against sins.”
(Reported
by Abu Dawud) The Prophet (SAWS) said, "A fasting person has a nonrejected supplication when he breaks his fast." [Ibn Majah]
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“The five
(daily)
prayers and from one Friday prayer to the next, and from Ramadan to (next)
Ramadan, there is expiation for the sins committed in between
(their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.”
(Reported by Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“Whosoever fasts
during the month of Ramadan because of faith and seeking reward from Allah,
his past sins will be forgiven.”
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“When
there comes the month of Ramadan, the gates of mercy are opened, and the
gates of Hell are locked and the devils are chained.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“If
one provides something to the faster for breaking the fast, he earns the
same reward as the one who was fasting without decreasing in any way the
reward of the latter.”
Ibn
`Abbas (may Allah
be pleased with him) narrated:
“Allah's
Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was the
most generous during Ramadan. Gabriel used to meet him every night and he
recited the Holy Qur’an to him. During this period, the generosity of the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was faster than the ever blowing wind.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim(
Night
voluntary prayers and invocation of Allah:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“He who performs
the optional prayer during Ramadan out of faith and hoping to earn a reward,
his past sins will be pardoned.”
`A’ishah (may Allah
be pleased with her) narrated:
“When
the (last) ten (nights of Ramadan) would come, the Prophet (peace be upon
him) would spend the night in worshipping, awaken his family (to perform
acts of worship), and tighten Al-Mi’zar (loin cloth) (this is a metaphor
of doing one’s best, or of refraining from sexual intercourse.).” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The recitation of Qur’an:
`Abdullah Ibn `Amr (may
Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
“The
fast and the Qur’an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the
Day of Resurrection. The fast will say, ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his
food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an
will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for
him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.”
(Reported
by Ahmad)
Retiring
in a mosque:
`Abdullah ibn
`Umar narrated that:
“Allah's Apostle used to practice
I`tikaf in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.”
(Reported
by Al-Bukhari)
Performing
`Umrah in Ramadan:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“Performing
`Umrah during Ramadan is equal to performing Hajj (or is equal to performing
Hajj with me).”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari
and Muslim)
Ascertaining the beginning of Ramadan:
Allah says:
]فَمَن شَهِدَ
مِنكُمُ
الشَّهْرَ
فَلْيَصُمْهُ
This
means: “So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the
month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts)
that month.” (2, Al-Baqarah: 185)
Allah’s Messenger
(peace be upon him) said:
“Fast when you see the new moon
and break it on sighting it
(the new moon of shawwal),
but if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number (thirty).”
(Reported
by Muslim)
Licenses of breaking the fast:
Allah says:
]فَمَن
كَانَ
مِنكُم
مَّرِيضًا
أَوْ عَلَى
سَفَرٍ
فَعِدَّةٌ
مِّنْ
أَيَّامٍ
أُخَرَ
وَعَلَى
الَّذِين
يُطِيقُونَهُ
فِدْيَةٌ
طَعَامُ
مِسْكِينٍ
This
means: “But if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should
be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty,
(e.g. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a
Miskin (poor person) (for every day).” (2, Al-Baqarah: 184)
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri
(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
“We
went out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
during Ramadan. Some of us observed the fast and some of us broke it.
Neither the observer of the fast had any grudge against one who broke it,
nor the breaker of the fast had
any
grudge against one who had fasted. They knew that he who had strength enough
(to bear its rigor) fasted and that was good, and they also found that he
who felt weak (and could not bear the burden) broke it, and that was also
good.” Ibn-`Abbas explaining the verse; (meaning) "For those who can do it (with hard-ship) is a ransom," he said, “This was a concession granted to the aged man and woman; they were allowed to leave the fast and instead feed an indigent person for each day; (and a concession) to pregnant and nursing woman when they apprehended harm (to themselves)." [Abu-Dawud]
Redemption
instead of others:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“If
a person dies and fasting is due on him, his heir should fast on his
behalf.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Ibn
`Abbas (may Allah
be pleased with him) narrated:
The Sunnahs of fasting:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“My
people will continue doing good deeds as long as they hasten in breaking the
fast.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari
and Muslim)
Anas (may Allah be
pleased with him) narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) used to break his fast before offering prayers with some fresh
dates, but if there were no fresh dates, he would
have a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates he would sip water.”
(Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Mu`adh Ibn Zuhrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger
(peace be upon him) said:
“The
limit between our fast and that of the People of the Book is taking predawn
meal.” (Reported by Muslim)
Allah's Messenger
(peace be upon him) said:
“Take a predawn
meal because there is a blessing in it.”
Zayd Ibn Thabit (may
Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
“We
took the Suhur with the Prophet. Then he stood for the prayer. Anas asked,
‘What was the interval between the Suhur and the Adhan?’ I replied,
‘The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Qur'an.’”
Acts permissible during observing fasting:
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said:
“If
anyone eats or drinks forgetfully while observing fast, he should complete
his fast, for it is only Allah Who has fed him and given him drink.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Acts offensive during observing fasting:
The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said:
“And sniff your
nose, but be careful when you are fasting.”
Nullifiers of fasting:
The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said:
“But if he vomits
intentionally, he must make atonement.”
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah
be pleased with him) narrated:
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