FASTING

 

 

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the Pillars of Islam, and thus one of the most important acts of worship. By fasting — whether during Ramadan or other times — a Muslim draws closer to his Lord by abandoning the things he enjoys, such as food, drink and sexual intercourse. This makes the sincerity of his faith and his devotion to Allah (God) all the more evident. The believer knows that Allah will love him when he is ready to abandon worldly comforts for Allah’s sake.

 

Allah tells us in the Qur’an that fasting was prescribed for those before us (i.e., the Jews and Christians) and that by fasting we gain taqwa, which can be called the care taken by a person to do everything Allah has commanded and to keep away from everything He has forbidden. Fasting helps prevent many sins and is a shield with which the Muslim protects himself from Hell-fire.

 

Fasting is more than abstaining from food and drink. It also means to abstain from any falsehood in speech and action, from any ignorant and indecent speech, and from arguing and fighting. Therefore, fasting helps to develop good behavior.

 

Fasting also inculcates a sense of brotherhood and solidarity, as a Muslim feels and experiences what his needy and hungry brothers feel. Moreover, Ramadan is a month of giving charity and sharing meals to break the fast together.

 

A Muslim is encouraged to read the entire Qur’an during Ramadan and to perform extra salah (ritual Prayers) at night. Thus Ramadan becomes a blessed month of physical and spiritual renewal through fasting and worship.

 

Introduction to Ramadan

 

Fasting the lunar month of Ramadan is such an important Pillar of Islam that Muslims believe that if one dies without having made up the missed fasts, the guardian (or heir) must make them up, for they are a debt owed to Allah.

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

Muslims believe that the influence of the devils on the believers who obey Allah is diminished. Muhammad said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

Month of the Qur’an

 

Muslims believe that the first verses of the Qur’an (Surat Al-`Alaq 96:1-5) were revealed in the month of Ramadan while Muhammad was in spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira outside of Makkah. Years later when the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory, the Angel Jibreel used to sit with Muhammad every day during Ramadan so that the latter could recite all that had been revealed so far of the Qur’an. In his final year, the Prophet recited the entire Qur’an twice in Ramadan.

 

Muslims continue the tradition of reading the entire Qur’an at least once during Ramadan. In Muslim countries, it is not at all unusual in this month to see many people reading the Qur’an while riding the bus or metro to and from work. Others find time early in the morning, late at night, or at intervals throughout the day.

 

Many others read or recite the Qur’an during Tarawih Prayers, which are held only during Ramadan, or in private late night Prayers called Tahajjud.

 

Muslims who cannot yet read Arabic well, spend some time each day listening to a tape or CD of the Qur’an being recited. Muslims consider Ramadan to be a good time to get into the habit of reading at least some of the Qur’an or its translation every day, and if they haven’t read either of them cover to cover, Ramadan is the time to do it.

 

Other Acts of Worship

 

 

In addition to reading the Qur’an, Muslims try to spend more time in dhikr (remembrance of Allah) during this month and make an effort to perform Tarawih Prayer, preferably in congregation. Muslims also sometimes perform the late night Prayer called Tahajjud. They may do this before or after eating the pre-dawn meal, just before the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer.

 

Ramadan is also a favorite time for `Umrah - a visit to the Ka`bah in Makkah. When performed in Ramadan, `Umrah takes the same reward as Hajj (but it does not replace the obligatory Hajj).

 

How Muslims Fast

 

 

 

Ramadan is also the month of charity and generosity 

 

 

 

According to Muslims, fasting means abstaining not only from food and drink, but also from sexual intercourse, lying, arguing, and back-biting. While fasting, Muslims must be careful to restrain their tongues, temper, and even their gaze. Ramadan is the time for Muslims to learn to control themselves and to develop their spiritual side.

 

Basically, Muslims try to have a pre-dawn meal, known as sahur, before they begin fasting. The fast lasts from dawn to sunset. As soon as the sun has set, Muslims break their fast without delay. Generally, Muslims may break their fast with a small amount of food — the sunnah is to do so with an odd number of dates — and then perform the Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer before eating a full meal.

 

For more information on the rules of fasting, including who is exempted, see The Meaning and Rules of Fasting.

 

Charity in Ramadan

 

Ramadan is also the month of charity. Muhammad said, “…Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise . It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah)

 

Ibn `Abbas, one of Muhammad’s Companions, narrated: “The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Jibreel visited him, and Jibreel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to recite the Holy Qur'an to Jibreel, and when Jibreel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

Thus Muslims should try to give generously in Ramadan, both sadaqah (optional charity) and zakat al-mal (obligatory charity). Sadaqah does not only have to be money. It can also be a good deed—such as helping another person—done for the sake of Allah and without expecting any reward from the person. Most Muslims pay their zakah during Ramadan because the reward is so much greater in that month.

 

It is obligatory for every Muslim to pay a small amount of zakat al-fitr before the end of Ramadan. This money is collected and given to the poorest of the poor so that they may also enjoy the festivities on `Eid Al-Fitr.

 

And because of the great reward for feeding a fasting person, in many places iftar (the break-fast meal at sunset) is served in mosques, with the food donated or brought by individuals to share pot-luck style. In some Muslim countries, tables are set up on the sidewalks or outside of mosques to serve iftar to the poor and others. Such traditions also build a sense of brotherhood and community.

 

Families and friends also like to share iftar. However, sometimes this generosity is exaggerated so that Ramadan becomes a month of lavish tables and overeating.

 

This goes against the spirit of Ramadan and should be avoided. (See also: Distinguishing Culture from Religion in Ramadan)

 

The Last Third

 

Muslims also believe that the last ten days of Ramadan are the holiest of all, and try to make even greater efforts at that time to increase their worship. The holiest night of all, Laylat Al-Qadr, falls on one of the odd numbered nights of the last ten days.

 

`Eid Al-Fitr

 

The public celebration at the end of Ramadan, on the first day of the month of Shawwal, is called `Eid Al-Fitr. After sunset on the 29th of Ramadan, Muslims wait for the announcement of whether the new moon has been sighted, which means that Ramadan is finished and the next day is `Eid. In that case, there are no Tarawih Prayers that night. If the moon has not been sighted, then there is one more day of fasting and the Tarawih Prayers are performed.

 

The `Eid is celebrated with public Prayers and a sermon, often followed by some form of halal (lawful) celebration such as games for the children or sweets shared by everyone. It is a happy day for all. Although `Eid Al-Fitr lasts only one day, in Muslim countries, schools, offices, and shops are often closed for two or three days.

 

It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

 

If any of the days of fasting were missed, they must be made up before the next Ramadan. Muslims generally should try to make them up as soon as possible because any days that are missed are considered as a debt to Allah. Muslims believe that if someone dies without having made up the fasts, the guardian or heir should fast the remaining days.

 

For Muslims, it is a sunnah to fast six days during the month of Shawwal, the lunar month immediately following Ramadan. Muslims believe that if a Muslim fasts all of Ramadan and then fasts any six days in Shawwal, the reward will be as if he or she has fasted the whole year. Many Muslims do take advantage of this mercy from Allah.

 

 

The Meaning and Rules of Fasting

 

 

What is Fasting?

 

 

A crescent moon seen in the background of a minaret of a Japanese mosque

 

Fasting is called sawm in the Qur’an. The word sawm literally means “to abstain”. In Surat Maryam, Allah tells that Mary the mother of Jesus said (“I have vowed a fast (sawm) for the sake of the Merciful, so today I shall not speak to anyone.”) (Maryam 19:26) The meaning is “I have vowed to abstain from speaking to anyone today.” According to Shari ‘ah, the word sawm means to abstain from all those things that are forbidden during fasting from the break of dawn to the sunset, and to do this with the intention of fasting.

 

Purpose of Fasting

 

The Qur’an says what means, (O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who were before you, in order that you may learn taqwa (piety)) (Al-Baqarah 2:183).

 

Taqwa is a very important spiritual and ethical term of the Qur’an. It is the sum total of all Islamic spirituality and ethics. It is a quality in a believer’s life that keeps him/her aware of Allah all the time. A person who has taqwa loves to do good and to avoid evil for the sake of Allah. Taqwa is piety, righteousness and consciousness of Allah. Taqwa requires patience and perseverance. Fasting teaches patience, and with patience one can rise to the high position of taqwa.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that fasting is a shield. It protects a person from sin and lustful desires. When the disciples of Jesus asked him how to cast the evil spirits away, he is reported to have said, “But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21).

 

According to Imam Al-Ghazali (d. 1111 C.E.), fasting produces a semblance of divine quality of samadiyyah (freedom from want) in a human being. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (d. 1350 C.E.), viewed fasting as a means of releasing the human spirit from the clutches of desire, thus allowing moderation to prevail in the carnal self. Imam Shah Waliullah Dahlawi (d. 1762 C.E.) viewed fasting as a means of weakening the bestial and reinforcing the angelic elements in human beings. Maulana Mawdudi (d. 1979 C.E.) emphasized that fasting for a full month every year trains a person individually, and the Muslim community as a whole, in piety and self restraint.

 

Fasting Is Obligatory

 

In the second year of Hijrah, Muslims were commanded to fast in the month of Ramadan every year. The Qur’an says what means (O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who were before you, in order that you may learn taqwa (piety)) (Al-Baqarah 2:183) and (The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Qur’an, wherein is guidance for mankind and the clear signs of guidance and distinction. Thus whosoever among you witness the month must fast...) (Al-Baqarah 2:184).

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) explained this further in a number of his statements reported in the books of Hadith. It is reported by Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah said, “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing Prayer, paying the zakah, making the pilgrimage to the Sacred House (Hajj), and fasting the month of Ramadan.”

 

The Muslim Ummah is unanimous that fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory upon every person who is capable (mukallaf).

 

Rules of Fasting

 

A) Who must fast?

 

 

 

Muslims all over the world wait eagerly for Ramadan, as it is a time of increased inner peace and well-being

 

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory upon every Muslim, male or female, who is adult (i.e., has reached puberty) and sane and who is not sick or on a journey.

 

Sickness could be a temporary sickness from which a person expects to be cured soon. Such a person is allowed not to fast during the days of his/her sickness, but he/she must fast later after Ramadan to complete the missed days. Those who are sick with incurable illness and expect no better health are also allowed not to fast but they must pay the fidyah, which is giving a day’s meals for each fast missed to a needy person. One can also give instead the money for meals to a needy person. Women in their menses and post-natal bleeding are not allowed to fast, but they must make up later after Ramadan. If pregnant women and mothers who are nursing babies find it difficult to fast, they can also postpone their fasting to a later time when they are in a better condition.

 

A journey according to the Shari‘ah is any journey that takes you away from your city of residence, a minimum of 48 miles or 80 kilometers. The journey must be for a good cause. It is a sin to travel in Ramadan in order to avoid fasting. A Muslim should try to change his/her plans during Ramadan to be able to fast and should not travel unless it is necessary. The traveler who misses the fasts of Ramadan must make up those missed days later as soon as possible after Ramadan.

 

B) Fasting According to the Sunnah

 

1)  Take sahur (pre-dawn meal). It is Sunnah and there is a great reward and blessing in taking sahur. The best time for sahur is the last half hour before dawn or the time for Fajr prayer.

 

2)  Take iftar (break-fast) immediately after sunset. Shari ‘ah considers sunset when the disk of the sun goes below the horizon and disappears completely.

 

3)  During the fast, abstain from all false talks and deeds. Do not quarrel, have disputes, indulge in arguments, use bad words, or do anything that is forbidden. You should try to discipline yourself morally and ethically, besides gaining physical training and discipline. You should also not make a show of your fasting by talking too much about it, or by showing dry lips and a hungry stomach, or by showing a bad temper. The fasting person must be a pleasant person with good spirits and good cheer.

 

4)  During the fast, do acts of charity and goodness to others and increase your worship and reading of the Qur’an. Every Muslim should try to read the whole Qur’an at least once during the month of Ramadan.

 

C) Things That Invalidate the Fast

 

You must avoid doing anything that may render your fast invalid. Things that invalidate the fast and require qadaa’ (making up for these days) are the following:

 

1)  Eating, drinking or smoking deliberately, including taking any non-nourishing items by mouth, nose or anus.

 

2)  Deliberately causing yourself to vomit.

 

3)  The beginning of menstrual or post-childbirth bleeding even in the last moment before sunset.

 

4)  Sexual intercourse or other sexual contact (or masturbation) that results in ejaculation (in men) or vaginal secretions (orgasm) in women.

 

5)  Eating, drinking, smoking or having sexual intercourse after Fajr (dawn) on the mistaken assumption that it is not Fajr time yet. Similarly, engaging in these acts before Maghrib (sunset) on the mistaken assumption that it is already Maghrib time.

 

Sexual intercourse during fasting is forbidden and is a great sin. Those who engage in it must make both qadaa’ (make up the fasts) and kaffarah (expiation by fasting for 60 days after Ramadan or by feeding 60 poor people for each day of fast broken in this way). According to Imam Abu Hanifah, eating and/or drinking deliberately during fast also entail the same qadaa’ and kaffarah.

 

D) Things That Do Not Invalidate Fasting

 

 

 

Using a miswak to clean your teeth does not invalidate fasting

 

During fast, the following things are permissible:

 

1)  Taking a bath or shower. If water is swallowed involuntarily it will not invalidate the fast. According to most of the jurists, swimming is also allowed in fasting, but one should avoid diving, because that will cause the water to go from the mouth or nose into the stomach.

 

2)  Using perfumes, wearing contact lenses or using eye drops.

 

3)  Taking injections or having a blood test.

 

4)  Using miswak (tooth-stick) or toothbrush (even with tooth paste) and rinsing the mouth or nostrils with water, provided it is not overdone (so as to avoid swallowing water).

 

5)  Eating, drinking or smoking unintentionally, i.e., forgetting that one was fasting. But one must stop as soon as one remembers and should continue one’s fast.

 

6)  Sleeping during the daytime and having a wet-dream does not break one’s fast. Also, if one has intercourse during the night and was not able to make ghusl (bathe) before dawn, he/she can begin fast and make ghusl later. Women whose menstruation stops during the night may begin fasting even if they have not made ghusl yet. In all these cases, bathing (ghusl) is necessary but fast is valid even without bathing.

 

7)  Kissing between husband and wife is allowed in fasting, but one should try to avoid it so that one may not do anything further that is forbidden during the fast.

 

E) Requirements for Fasting to Be Valid

 

There are basically two main components of fasting:

 

1)  The intention (niyyah) for fasting. One should make a sincere intention to fast for the sake of Allah every day before dawn. The intention need not be in words, but must be with the sincerity of the heart and mind. Some jurists are of the opinion that the intention can be made once only for the whole month and does not have to be repeated every day. It is, however, better to make intention every day to take full benefit of fasting.

 

2)  Abstaining from dawn to dusk from everything that invalidates fasting. This point has been explained in detail in the preceding sections.

 

The Night of Power

Oh, What a Night!

 

[Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees. (That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.] (Surat Al-Qadr 97:1 – 5)

 

 

Muslims seek this night and spend it diligently in devotion

Muslims believe that the month of Ramadan is the holiest month of the year, the month when worshipers are closest to their Creator, and the Night of Power (Laylat Al-Qadr) is the holiest night of Ramadan. Some Islamic scholars have said that the complete Qur’an was sent down from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfoozh) in the night of Al-Qadr to the House of Glory (Bayt Al-`Izzah) in the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to the Prophet Muhammad according to events that took place during his life over a period of twenty-three years.

 

What Laylat Al-Qadr Means

 

The night itself has two meanings. First, it is the night during which destinies are decided. Muslims believe that the revelation of the Qur’an in this night is not merely the revelation of a book, but an event that will change the destiny of the entire world.

 

[Therein [that night] is decreed every matter of ordainments] (Surat Ad-Dukhan 44:4)

 

The other meaning is that this is a night of unique honor, dignity and glory, so much so that it is better than a thousand months. Muslims believe that it was such a blessed night that what was accomplished in it for the well-being of mankind had not been accomplished during a long period of human history.

 

[Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night. Lo! We are ever warning.] (Surat Ad-Dukhan 44:3)

 

According to Muslims, Laylat Al-Qadr is the night when the gates of heaven are wide open and Allah will listen to the lucky ones who encounter it. In Islam there is no intermediary between the creation and the Creator. Whether you live in a stately mansion or in a tent in the middle of the desert, all you need to do is raise your hands towards the sky and ask Him. In your heart you know nobody can take away anything Allah has meant for you or give you anything Allah has denied you.

 

[And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh, I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them bear My call and let them trust in Me in order that they may be led aright.] (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:186)

 

Every day in the life of a Muslim is special if he is mindful of Allah in all that he does. Laylat Al-Qadr is even more so. For Muslims, this one night is better than a thousand months of our life, and worshiping on that one night is better than 84 years of our worship.

 

When Is Laylat Al-Qadr?

 

Muslims believe that the Lord has concealed the exact date of the Night of Power so they would worship Him fervently during the whole month of Ramadan. It was reported that the Prophet Muhammad said, “Seek it on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

What Muslims Do on Laylat Al-Qadr

 

Muslims are encouraged to seek this night and spend it diligently in devotion including performing voluntary salah (ritual Prayer), reciting Qur’an, and supplicating. The Prophet Muhammad said, “He who spends the night in prayers on the Night of Power as a sign of his devotion and seeking rewards from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

 

For Muslims, it is a glorious night in which angels ascend while others descend, with their Lord’s permission, saluting those who worship Allah on that night, and bringing with them a wish of safety and peace.