OBLIGATION OF FASTING
Fasting is a form of worship which has been made obligatory by Allah Subhana Tala on His slaves and its objective is to gain “Taqwa” – Allah Conciousness, righteousness.
“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”
(Quran 2: 183)
SIGNIFICANCE OF FASTING
Fasting is only for the sake of Allah and its reward is from Allah
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it. (Bukhari)
Two Pleasures for a fasting person
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said: “There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.”(Bukhari)
Allah loves the smell from the mouth of a fasting person
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” (Bukhari)
Ar-Raiyan is a special gate of Paradise exclusively for those who fast
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it.”(Bukhari)
Sincere Fasting and Night Prayers erases all past sins
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said: “Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)
Gates of Paradise are opened ,Gates of Hell are closed and devils are chained
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed, and the devils are chained.”(Bukhari)
Superiority of Ramadan and Dhul-Hijjah
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “The two months of ‘Id i.e. Ramadan and Dhul-Hijja, do not decrease (in superiority).” (Bukhari)
MANNERS OF FASTING
Eating before fajr (sehri) is a recommended sunnah
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “Take Sehri, as there is blessing in it.” (Bukhari)
Fasting person should not misbehave or fight
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fast should avoid sexual relations with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” (Bukhari)
The Fasting person should not lie or commit evil deeds
The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)” (Bukhari)
COMMANDMENTS OF FASTING
- The word “saum” is used for fasting in Arabic and its literal meaning is “to stop” or “to bring to a halt”. Thus it means to stop oneself from things which break the fast from dawn to dusk.
- Fasting is obligatory on every adult, sane Muslim who has the ability to fast.
- It is important to make the intention of obligatory (fard) fast before Fajr time.( Abu Dawood)
- Eating Sehri (pre-dawn breakfast) is a sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam and has blessings in it.( Agreed upon)
- If the Fajr Adhaan starts while you are eating sehri, instead of leaving what you were eating, you should quickly eat it.( Abu Dawood)
- Eating Iftar ( eating at maghrib time to break fast) should not be delayed and should be eaten as soon as the sun sets (Maghrib time) which is a sunnah of our Prophet.(Agreed Upon)
- The one who offers and provides iftari to a fasting person, gets the reward equivalent to a fast.
- Using siwaak while fasting is proven from the sunnah. ( Sahih Bukhari)
- Applying kohl in the eyes does not break the fast.(Bukhari)
- If nose drops are used while fasting and if they reach the throat or the stomach, then the fast is broken. (Bukhari)
- Due to extreme heat, the fasting person is allowed to take a shower and rinse his mouth with water.(Abu Dawood)
- While fasting it is not allowed to sniff the water too high in the nose that there may be danger that the water might reach the throat.(Tirmizi)
- Nakseer (nose bleeding), istehada (bleeding of a woman in between her regular periods) and similar such blood does not break the fast. Only bleeding due to haiz or nifaas ( menstruation and post partum/post natal bleeding) breaks the fast no matter at what time it starts during the day. (Bukhari)
- Vomiting unintentionally does not break the fast, however if someone vomits deliberately then this does break the fast.( Abu Dawood)
- If the need arises, the food can be tasted (for salt etc), but it should be tasted by placing it at the edge of the tongue. But utmost care should be taken that it should not reach the throat.( Bukhari)
- An injection that does not nourish and its purpose is not to provide energy or nourishment but it is only used as a medicine, then such an injection is allowed while fasting. However if the injection is the type that provides nourishment to sustain the body without food and drink then such an injection breaks the fast.
- Eating out of forgetfulness does not break the fast. But as soon as a the person realizes that he/she was fasting, then the food in the mouth should be immediately spitted out. (Bukhari)
- A person who intentionally eats or drinks something while fasting, then he should sincerely repent and make up for the fast.
- There is no harm in swallowing the saliva while fasting.(Bukhari)
- The blood that comes out of the teeth does not harm the fast however the blood should not be swallowed.
- A fasting person is allowed to smell and wear fragrance.
- A person, who due to extreme old age or an incurable disease is unable to fast, then he should feed one poor person in exchange for every day of missed fast.(Darqutni)
- A person who was ill but then later regains health and does not make up for the missed fasts and dies, then his inheritors have to make up for his missed fasts.(Agreed upon)
- If it is difficult or dangerous for the health of the mother and child then pregnant and breast feeding women can leave the fasts, however they have to necessarily make up for the missed fasts later on.( Agreed upon)
- It is better for a traveler to leave the fast, however there is also no harm if the traveler fasts while on a journey because sometimes Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam observed fasting while traveling and sometimes he would leave fasting while traveling. Both are acceptable.
- While fasting in Ramadan, if a husband forcefully has intercourse with his wife then this would not break the fast of the wife and she does not have to make up for it. However the husband is guilty of sin and he has to repent and make up for the fast by freeing a slave and if that is not possible then he has to fast continuously for two months and if that too is not possible then he has to feed sixty needy people. ( Agreed upon)
- A lustful thought which leads to ejaculation of semen (mani) does not break the fast. However ejaculation of semen due to any other intentional activity or intimacy or due to watching immodest things breaks the fast.
- Wet dreams, while sleeping does not invalidate the fast as this happens unintentionally.
- Discharge of Mathi – prostatic fluid while fasting does not break the fast.( Mathi is the fluid discharged due to lustful arousal before semen is ejaculated)
- It is a sunnah to recite the Quran and to revise it in Ramadan. ( Agreed Upon)
- Giving charity generously in the month of Ramadan is the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam.(Agreed Upon)
- Taraweeh is a nafil (voluntary) prayer which is also called Tahajjud or Qayam ul Lail. The masnoon rakaat of taraweeh is 8, however since it is a nafil prayer the number of rakaat can be increased or decreased.(Agreed Upon)
- In the last ten days of Ramadan, encouraging your family to perform worship is the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam.(Agreed Upon)
- A person who is unable to benefit from the most blessed night of the year lailatul Qadr is a loser.(Ibn Majah)
- Lailatul Qadr should be searched in the last ten odd nights of Ramadan.(Bukhari)
- Sitting in seclusion- Itekaf in the Masjid during Ramadan is an obligatory sunnah which is obligatory on the Muslim community (Sunnat e Mokada Kafaya) and its duration is ten days. ( Agreed Upon)
- Women should also sit in Itekaf. (Muslim)
- Backbiting, lying, fighting, abusing, profanities and arguing corrupts the fast. (Bukhari)
- Cracking dirty jokes, obscene vulgar actions, immoral behavior and conversations on vulgar topics are all forbidden in the state of fasting. (Ibn Khuzaima) (such things are forbidden even under normal conditions but such deeds while fasting corrupts the fast.)
- Charity of fitr (Sadqa e Fitr) is obligatory (fard) on every individual. It is not necessary to be sahib e istatat to give sadqa e fitr. Sadqa e fitr should be given before the eid prayer. (Ahmed)
- Missed fasts of Ramadan should be kept any time before the start of the next Ramadan.(Agreed Upon)
- Keeping six fasts in Shawwal is highly recommended after Ramadan.(Muslim)
