(iii) Fasting:

Q.1- What is fasting?

 Fasting is the English translation of the word ‘Saum’. Saum literally means ‘’to
abstain, to refrain, to avoid.’’ In religious terminology it means to abstain from
drinking, eating, smoking, taking medicine. Fasting also includes refraining from
lying, cheating, backbiting, arguing, using foul language etc. It is a month Muslims
focus on developing a relationship with their Creator, Allah.
 Fasting is the 3rd pillar of Islam and it was made compulsory in 2AH. According to
the Holy Quran, fasting has been the universal religious institution. It was made
obligatory on the followers of the other religions too. As the Quran says:
‘’Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you,
so that you may restrain from evil.’’

2-when do Muslims fasts?

 Obligatory fast
Muslims fast in Ramadhan the 9th month of Lunar calendar.
 Voluntary fasts
 6 days of Shawaal
 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th of Moharram.
 13th, 14th and 15th of every Lunar month.
 Every Monday and Thursday
 9th of Zilhajj preferably 1st -9th (not for hajis)

3-Why do Muslims fast? What are the benefits of fasting?

 Individual benefits
o Moral
 Teaches self-control, patience, tolerance will power. It makes
one realize that if ‘’halal’’ things can be avoided, than so can
‘’haram’’ things if one can abstain from unacceptable
behaviour for a month, then the same should be possible for
the rest of the year e.g. no abusing, lying etc. ‘’whoever does
not give up forged speech and evil action, Allah is not in need
of his leaving his food and drink.’’ (Bukhari)
o Spiritual
 To seek Allah’s mercy, forgiveness. ‘’When the month of
Ramadhan starts the gates the gates of heaven are opened and
the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are
chained.’’(Trimadhi, Ibn Majah)
 To attain closeness of Allah
 To attain piety- Taqwa of Allah
  To attain Allah’s reward. ‘’Allah said, All the deeds of
Adam’s son are for them, except fasting which is for me and I
will give the reward for it. The reward of good deed is
multiplied ten times to seven hundred times.’’
o Punctuality and discipline:
o Physical:
 Stomach is rested
 Whole system is cleaned of undesirable material
 Body gets rid of fat, cholesterol and other toxic materials

o Economic:
 Circulation of wealth
 Leads of fair distribution of wealth (zakat)
 Communal or social benefits:
 Bridges gap between the rich and the poor thus
brotherhood developed (zakat is given, food sent to poor
people)
 Universal brotherhood (Muslims all over the world fast
in same way and same time)
 Encourage each other and give support (zakat)
 Discuss each other’s problems and find solution
 Learn Quranic teachings and recitation. (Taraweeh)
 Develop soft corner for the hungry and destitute (by
staying hungry)
 Spirit of equality developed (congregational prayers)
 More family gatherings arranged (iftaris)

4-How do Muslims Fast?

Fasting is carried out during the month of Ramadhan. Fasting starts from the sighting of the
moon of Ramadhan and ends at the sighting of the moon of Shawaal. All adult Muslims
should fast during daylight hours i.e from dawn till dusk, according to prescribed method
given to them by Islam.

They have their breakfast (sehri) before dawn which is called as blessing by the
Holy Prophet (SAW). After that they state formal intention to fast i.e ‘’I intend to keep
tomorrow’s fast of Ramadhan.’’ During fast Muslim abstain from smoking, eating, drinking
and gratifying sexual desires. They should be particularly pious and avoid from indulging in
evil and indecent acts for example quarrelling or abusing. They should avoid hearing, seeing
or doing anything that is obscene. They should remember Allah by visiting mosques for
offering five daily prayers and should also recite the Holy Quran regularly. It is important
that they should live their lives in normal routine, making or asking for no concessions to
lack of food e.g. neither a fasting Muslim should spend the whole day in his bed nor an
employee should ask his employer to reduce his workload or working hours. At the time of
Maghrib prayer i.e sunset Muslims do iftaris and break their fast preferably with a date or
water which is the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and say these words, ‘’O Allah I have
observed the fast for you and I have believed in you and I put my trust in you and broken it
with the provision you have bestowed me with.’’ Then they offer their Maghrib prayers. Then
in the evening after Isha prayers Muslim men go to the mosque to offer the Traweeh prayers,
which can also be offered alone. During Traweeh Muslims listen to the recitation of the Holy
Quran when in congregation and they themselves recite it when they offer their prayers alone.

During the last odd nights of the month Muslims search for laila-tul-Qadar which
is the most blessed night. In this night the Holy Quran was revealed and Prophet (SAW) was
given his Prophethood. Because of this reason, this night has been regarded as better than
thousand months by Quran. On this night of power Muslims should go to the mosque and
pray at night. Muslims even withdraw to mosques (Aitikaf) for the last ten days of Ramadhan
and avoid any contact with world thus showing their dedication and love for Allah so that
they can gain his pleasure and blessings.

Fasting is obligatory for every adult, san, healthy Muslim. Missing out fast without any
genuine reason is a great sin and according to the Holy Prophet (SAW) one cannot
decompensate even if he fasts throughout the rest of his life. However, very old and
terminally sick people are permanently exempted from fasting. They can give fidiya i.e feed a
needy person twice a day or give gain or cash equal to saqa-tul-fitr. Travellers, women during
menstruation and post natal bleeding are exempted from fasting. They have to complete the
number of missed fasts after the month of Ramadhan before the next Ramadhan comes.

5- What nullifies a fast?

 Eating, drinking, smoking.

 Indulging any of the physical and moral restrictions intentionally
 Mouthful vomiting intentionally
 Injecting medicine directly into nose, ear, stomach, brain or wound.
 Swallow blood from gums of teeth
 Entering water while gargling
 Leave a pebble more than a gram in your mouth
 Allows intravenous nutritional injections
 If the fast is broken before sunset by mistake

6-What are harmless actions during fast?

 Use of scent
 Antimony
 Oil
 Miswak/toothbrush
 Vomiting unintentionally
 Bathing
7-What are the undesirable acts during fast?

 Tasting of anything with tongue

 Swallow spit again and again
 Backbiting, lying, cheating, abusing, gossiping
 Chewing anything continuously

8-What are the days on which fasting is prohibited?

 fast on the days of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha

 during Ayyam-e-Tashriqi i.e 11th, 12th and 13th of Zilhajj
 fast continuously without a break

9-Who should fast?

 Fasting is compulsory on every adult, sane, healthy male and female Muslims

10-Who can end his fast?

 A person may end his fast by eating or drinking if there is any danger to his life.

11-Who is exempted from fast?

The followings groups of people should not fast

 Women who are menstruating

 Women who are experiencing post natal bleeding
 All ill person who’s condition may get worse if he fasts.

The following groups of people may choose not to fast if they wish:

 A pregnant women
 A women who breast feed his child
 On jehd
It is obligatory for all these people to keep the count of the missed fasts and make up
the missed days after Ramadhan before the next Ramadhan comes.
 An old or weak person or permanently sick person (should give fidiya i.e such a
person must feed a needy person twice a day the quality of food which he eats
himself for each missed fast, or give grain or cash equal to Sadqa-tul-fitr.)

12-What if someone leaves a fast intentionally?

If someone does not fast without a reason, he will sinful. The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘’A
person who abandons one fast of Ramadhan without a genuine reason or illness cannot
recompense it even he fasts throughout the rest of his life’’ (Tirmadhi, Ahmad)
13-Can anything to done to make up for lost or nullified fasts?

Qaza fast for each lost fast after Ramadhan.

14-What is the expiration (kuffarah) for breaking a fast intentionally?

In addition to qaza fast, the person shall have to pay kuffarah for the every fast thus broken.

 He shall have to fast sixty day continuously even if one single fast is missed, he shall
have to start again to complete the number of sixty fasts at one stretch. If it is a
female than the period of her menstruation shall not be treated as a break.
 Feed sixty poor people twice a day.
 Give grain or cash equal to Sadqa-tul-fitr to sixty person.

15-What are Traweeh prayers?

Traweeh prayers are offered in month of Ramadhan. Men should perform it in the
congregation while women can say it at home. The Prophet (SAW) Traweeh in a
congregation with the Muslims, but discontinued since he feared that it would be made
obligatory. It was during Umar (RA) caliphate that it was prayed behind one Imam. The
numbers of rakaats are twenty but eight can also be prayed.

Arrangements are normally made in every mosque to recite the whole of Quran during the
traweehs of the month. One juz (part) is recited in twenty rakaats of traweeh each night. The
entire Quran is competed by the 27th of Ramadhan.

16-What is Itikaf?

Another Ibadah of Ramadhan is Itikaf. It is the practice of spending the last ten days and
nights in the mosque for the remembrance of Allah and giving up of all worldly occupation.
A person does not go out of the mosque only under some special circumstances e.g., to escort
the wife back home.

The Prophet (saw) invariably use to sit for Itikaf in his mosque. The minimum duration of
Itikaf is one day and night. Itikaf is Sunnah Moakaddah Al-kafiyah, if no one in the locality
sits for Itikaf all shall blame worthy, but even if one performs this religious obligation than
the duty shall be deemed to have been performed by all. Itikaf begins after Maghrib and ends
after Maghrib prayers.

17-Why and how do Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr after the month of Ramadhan?

Eid-ul-Fitr the celebration after Ramadhan, is an expression of gratitude to Allah for the
blessings of the Quran, our Prophet (SAW), the religion Islam and thanksgiving that Allah
gave us the opportunity to keep the fast and earn blessings of this month. It is preferred to
take bath, perfume oneself and put one’s best cloths. The festivity commences with Muslim
giving charity to poor, next all the Muslims in neighbourhood celebrate Eid collectively by
coming together at mosque or to large field to offer the Eid prayer. After the prayer they greet
and congratulate one another for having observed the month of Ramadhan. Eid is three day
public holiday during which Muslims socialize, entertain guests, elders give eidi or gifts to
young ones, exchange sweets and thank Allah for the blessings he has bestowed on them,
recreation, amusement and singing if these stay within the moral bounds, are permissible.

18- What is Sadqa-tul-fitr?

This obligatory charity is an act of worship on the completion of the month of Ramadhan. It
is obligatory on all Muslims on whom Zakat is compulsory.