Fasting

يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَتٍ، فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَّرِيضًا أو عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ، وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ، فَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ، وَأَنْ تَصُوْمُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ، إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ، وَبَيِّنَتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدى وَالْفُرْقَانِ، فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ، وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ، وَلِتُكْبَرُوا اللهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَكُمْ، وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ.

[These are the limits set by God and only they cannot cross them who fear Him; therefore,] Believers! The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was made obligatory upon those before you so that you become fearful of God. These are but a few days; yet if any one among you is ill or on a journey, let him complete this count in other days; and those who have the capacity to feed a needy, they must feed a needy in place of every fast. Then he who does a virtuous deed out of his own desire, it is better for him and if you fast, then this is even better for you if you have understanding. It is the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, as a book replete with guidance for mankind and in the form of extremely manifest arguments which [by their nature] are guidance and also a means of distinguishing right from wrong. Therefore, whoever among you is present in this month, he should observe its fasts. And he who is ill or is on a journey should complete this count in other days. [This concession has been given because] God desires ease for you and does not want to be harsh with you. And [the permission given to travelers and the sick to feed the needy has been withdrawn] so that you can complete the number of fasts [and thus not be deprived of the blessings of fasting] and [for this purpose the month of Ramadan has been fixed] so that [in the form of the Quran] the guidance God has bestowed to you, you glorify God and so that you are grateful to Him. (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183–185)

After prayer and zakat, fasting is the third most important act of worship. In the Arabic language, the word sawm is used for it, which means to refrain from something and to abstain from it. When horses were kept hungry and thirsty for the purpose of training, the Arabs would describe this as their sawm. In the terminology of the Shariah, this word is used, with specific limits and conditions, for refraining from eating, drinking, and marital relations. In the Urdu language, this is called roza (fast). Since human beings also possess a practical, physical existence in this world, when the impulse of worship toward Allah relates to this practical existence, it necessarily includes obedience along with devotion. Fasting is a symbolic expression of this obedience. In it, a servant, in compliance with the command of his Lord and in seeking His pleasure and approval, renders certain permissible things forbidden for himself, thereby becoming a living embodiment of obedience. In this way, he virtually proclaims by the language of his state that nothing is greater than Allah and His command. If, by virtue of the law of nature, something lawful is also declared forbidden for him by Allah, then it befits a servant that he submit to this command without question.

This state of awareness and acknowledgment of Allah’s majesty and greatness, upon reflection, is also the true expression of gratitude to Him. Accordingly, the Quran has, on this very basis, described fasting as magnifying Allah and giving thanks to Him, and has stated that the month of Ramadan has been specified for this purpose: that for the guidance Allah has bestowed upon you in the form of the Quran during this month—containing clear and decisive proofs for the guidance of reason and for distinguishing between truth and falsehood—you should proclaim Allah’s greatness and become grateful to Him:وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ.  This is the very reality of fasting, in view of which it has been said that fasting is for Allah and He Himself will reward it.

That is, when a servant, without any ulterior motive and purely in obedience to Allah’s command, declares even lawful things forbidden for himself, Allah will then recompense him not by measure or calculation, but by His special grace and favor—bestowing such an unbounded reward that the servant will be overwhelmed with joy.

It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Every good deed that the son of Adam performs is rewarded tenfold up to seven hundredfold, but fasting is an exception.” Allah the Exalted says: ’فإنہ لي وأنا أجزي بہ‘—“It is for Me, and I alone will reward it,” because the servant abandons his food, drink, and sexual desires solely for My sake.¹ Accordingly, it is said that for those who fast there are two moments of joy: one when they break their fast, and the other when they meet their Lord.² From this, one can appreciate how extraordinarily significant this act of worship is in the sight of Allah. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

لخلوف فم الصائم أطيب عند الله من ريح المسك.

“The odor from the mouth of a fasting person is more pleasing to Allah than the fragrance of musk.” (Sahih Bukhari, No. 1894)

He also said:

إن في الجنة بابا، يقال له الريان، يدخل منه الصائمون يوم القيمة، لا يدخل منه أحد غيرهم، يقال: أين الصائمون؟ . فيقومون لا يدخل منه أحد غيرهم، فإذا دخلوا أغلق فلم يدخل منه أحد

“In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyan. On the Day of Resurrection, those who fasted will enter through it, and none other than them will enter through it. It will be announced: ‘Where are those who fasted?’ They will stand up, and none other than them will enter through it. When they have entered, it will be closed, and no one will enter through it thereafter.” (Sahih Bukhari, No. 1896)

The ultimate perfection of this act of worship, as explained in the Shariah, is that a person, while in a state of fasting, imposes some additional restrictions upon himself and, withdrawing from others, sits in a mosque for several days to devote himself as much as possible to the worship of Allah. In technical terminology, this is called iʿtikaf.³ Although it has not been made obligatory like the fasts of Ramadan, it holds great importance from the perspective of self-purification. Through the combination of fasting, prayer, and the recitation of the Quran, the special quality that is produced—described metaphorically as “amekhtan ba badah-yi safi gulab ra”—and the state of detachment, seclusion, and exclusive turning to Allah that descends upon the soul, enable the true objective of fasting to be realized at the highest level. For this reason, during the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (PBUH) would observe iʿtikaf ⁴every year in his mosque and devote his days and nights to supplication and intimate communion with Allah, to bowing and prostration, and to the recitation of the Quran. Sayyidah ʿA’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates:

كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا دخل العشر شد مئزره وأحيا ليله وأيقظ أهله.

“When the last ten days (of Ramadan) would begin, the Prophet (PBUH) would tighten his waistcloth, spend the night in worship, and awaken his family (for worship).” (Sahih Bukhari, No. 2024)

This act of worship of fasting has been made obligatory for Muslims in the month of Ramadan. There is no doubt that the inclinations of the lower self never completely disappear and that the temptations of this world always remain present. However, the Prophet (PBUH) has explained that in this month Allah Almighty bestows a special grace: He completely blocks all the avenues through which the devils mislead people. He said that when Ramadan arrives, the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.⁵ Consequently, during this month every person has the opportunity—if he so wishes—to strive for goodness and success for himself without any external hindrance. Its reward, as stated in the narrations, is that a person’s sins are forgiven. This is the general Quranic principle regarding repentance and self-reform. Nevertheless, with specific reference to Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gave people glad tidings in these words:

من صام رمضان إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه

“Whoever fasts in Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven.” (Sahih Bukhari, No. 2009)

من قام رمضان إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه .

“Whoever stands (in prayer) during the nights of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven.” (Sahih Bukhari, No. 37)

The same has been said regarding standing in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr.⁶ This is the night of the revelation of the Quran, and Allah Almighty has stated that the angels and the Trustworthy Spirit descend in it with permission concerning every matter. Therefore, because it is distinguished by the execution of momentous affairs, the mercies, blessings, and opportunities for nearness to Allah that are attained in this single night cannot be achieved even in thousands of nights. For this reason, it has been declared:لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ (The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months).⁷ The Prophet (PBUH) said that it should be sought in the last ten days of Ramadan, particularly on its odd nights.⁸

What is the significance of fixing specific days and times for acts of worship? Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi has explained this in his commentary Tadabbur-e-Quran as follows:

…Just as in this material world there is consideration for crops, seasons, and times, so too in the spiritual realm there is consideration for them. Just as there are specific seasons and months for sowing particular things—if you sow in them, they flourish and bear fruit, and if you ignore these seasons and months, even the longest possible duration of other months cannot substitute for them—in the same way, in the spiritual realm there are specific seasons and specific times and days fixed for particular works. If those works are carried out in those designated times and days, they produce the desired results; but if those days and times are neglected, then even the greatest possible amount of other days and times cannot properly take their place. Understand this through an example: there is a specific day for Friday, a specific month for fasting, specific months and specific days for Hajj, and a fixed day for standing at ʿArafah. With all these days and times Allah Almighty has prescribed great acts of worship whose reward and recompense have no limit or end. However, all their blessings manifest in their true form only when they are performed with precise observance of those very days and times. If that is not done, then the blessing inherent in them is lost. (9/468)

THE HISTORY OF FASTING

Like prayer, the history of fasting is extremely ancient. In the verses of Surah al-Baqarah cited above, the Quran states that fasting has been prescribed for Muslims in the same manner as it was prescribed for earlier communities. Thus, it is a historical fact that, as an important act of spiritual discipline and self-training, the concept of fasting has existed in all religions.

The civilizations of Nineveh and Babylon are very ancient. At one time, the Assyrian people inhabited these regions, and it was to them that Prophet Jonah (Yunus), peace be upon him, was sent. Initially, these people rejected him, but later they embraced faith. On this occasion, their repentance and turning back to God is described in the Bible, in the Book of Jonah, as follows:

Then the people of Nineveh believed in God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. (3:5–8)

In pre-Islamic Arabia as well, fasting was not an unfamiliar practice. The very existence of the word sawm in their language is sufficient proof that they were fully acquainted with this act of worship. In Al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-ʿArab Qabl al-Islam, Jawad Ali writes:

The reports state that Quraysh used to fast on the Day of Ashura. On that day they would gather, celebrate a festival, and clothe the House of God (the Kabah). Historians explain this by saying that Quraysh, during the period of ignorance, committed a sin whose burden they felt very deeply. They therefore sought to atone for it and designated the fast of the Day of Ashura for themselves. They observed this fast in gratitude to God Almighty for having protected them from the evil consequences of that sin. Reports also state that the Messenger of God (PBUH) used to observe this fast even before prophethood… Another explanation given for this fast is that at one time Quraysh were afflicted by famine, and when God Almighty granted them deliverance from it, they began observing this fast as an expression of gratitude to Him. (6/339–340)

In the religious law of the Jews and Christians as well, fasting is a common act of worship. The Bible mentions their fasts in many places, and in addition to the specific term for fasting, expressions such as “afflicting the soul” and “self-mortification” are also used in some passages.

In Exodus it is stated:

And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for according to these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (34:27–28)

In Leviticus it is stated:

This shall be a statute forever for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. (16:29–31)

In Judges it is stated:

Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to Bethel and sat there before the Lord, and wept until evening. And they fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. (20:26)

In Second Samuel it is stated:

And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. (1:12)

And:

David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. (12:16)

In Nehemiah it is stated:

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (9:1–2)

In Psalms it is stated:

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned to my own bosom. (35:13)

In Jeremiah it is stated:

You go, therefore, and read from the scroll which you have written at my dictation the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people in the Lord’s house on the day of fasting. (36:6)

In Joel it is stated:

The day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it? ‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. (2:11–12)

In Zechariah it is stated:

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah.’ (8:18–19)

In Matthew it is stated:

Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (6:16–18)

In Acts it is stated:

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (13:2–3)

This, then, is the history of fasting. From it, it is clear that, like prayer and zakat, fasting was not something unfamiliar to the immediate addressees of the Quran. They were fully aware of its religious status and of its limits and conditions. Therefore, when the Quran mentioned it, it did not reiterate any of these limits and conditions; rather, it directed them to observe it as an obligatory act of worship in the same manner in which they already knew it—as an ancient command of God and an ancient practice of the prophets, peace be upon them. The Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions observed the fasts of Ramadan in accordance with this understanding even before its formal prescription, and Muslims, generation after generation, have continued to follow the same practice. From this perspective, the primary source of fasting is essentially the consensus of the Muslims and their continuous practical transmission. The Quran did nothing more than declare it obligatory, explain the law of concession for the sick and travelers, and later clarify certain issues when related questions arose.

PURPOSE OF FASTING

The Quran states the purpose of fasting in these verses of Surah Al-Baqarah: that people may become God-fearing. For this, the words used are لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ, that is, so that piety (taqwa) may develop within you. In Quranic terminology, taqwa means that a person lives his day and night within the limits set by Allah Almighty, and deep in his heart remains fearful of the fact that if he ever violates these limits, there will be no one except Allah who can save him from its consequences.

How does fasting produce this taqwa? To understand this, three things should be kept in view:

First, fasting powerfully awakens in a person’s mind the feeling that he is a servant of Allah. As soon as a lock of prohibition is placed on a few basic demands of the self, this sense of servitude begins to emerge and then gradually keeps increasing, until by the time of breaking the fast it encompasses his entire being. From dawn to sunset, not a single morsel of food nor a single drop of water passes down the throat of the fasting person, and he refuses to fulfill every demand of the self purely in obedience to the command of his Lord. When this act of fasting is repeated again and again, this reality sinks into the inner depths of the fasting person’s existence, rather it becomes embedded in his very nature: that he is the servant of one Lord, and that what truly befits him is that in the rest of life’s affairs as well, with submission and acknowledgment, he surrenders himself before the authority of his Master, and in thought and action alike renounce claims of freedom and self-sovereignty. As a result, a person’s faith in God obviously becomes a living faith in every respect, after which he does not merely believe in one God, but in a Being who is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Wise, and قائم بالقسط (established with justice), who is fully aware of everything open and hidden, and from whose obedience he cannot deviate under any circumstances. For producing taqwa, this is the foremost requirement.

Second, fasting also implants deep within the heart and the depths of the soul the awareness that one day a person must present himself before his Lord for accountability. In principle every Muslim believes this, but during fasting—when thirst constricts, hunger torments, and sexual urges demand satisfaction with full force—everyone knows that it is this very sense of accountability that restrains a person from fulfilling the demands of the belly and the private parts. Throughout the entire month of Ramadan, for hours every day, the self keeps guard over these basic demands solely because it has to face its Master one day. To the extent that in intense heat the throat cracks with thirst, cold water is right there, and he could easily drink it, yet he does not; hunger is draining life away, food is present, yet he does not eat; husband and wife are young, privacy is available, they could fulfill their desire, yet they do not. This discipline is no ordinary discipline. Through it, the awareness of accountability before Allah Almighty becomes firmly rooted in the heart and mind. For producing taqwa, if one reflects, this is the second most effective factor.

Third, taqwa requires patience, and fasting trains a person in patience. In fact, for training patience, perhaps there is no better or more effective method than this. What is the reality of the test we face in this world, other than that on one side are the unruly desires of our animal existence, and on the other side is Allah Almighty’s demand that we live within His limits? This requires patience at every step. Truthfulness, honesty, forbearance, tolerance, keeping promises, justice and fairness, forgiveness and overlooking faults, avoidance of evil deeds, abstaining from indecencies, and steadfastness upon the truth—without these qualities taqwa has no meaning, and without patience these qualities, obviously, cannot develop in a person at all.

The purpose of fasting is precisely this taqwa, and for it Allah has appointed the month of Ramadan. We have stated above that Allah Almighty has explained the reason for this by saying that in this month the Quran began to be revealed. What connection does this have with the purpose of fasting? Explaining this, Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes in his tafsir Tadabbur-e-Qur’an:

Anyone who reflects will have no difficulty in understanding this reality that among all the blessings of God, the greatest blessing is intellect, and greater than intellect is the Quran, because even intellect receives true guidance only from the Quran. Were it not so, intellect, even after applying all the telescopes and microscopes of science, would continue to wander in darkness. For this reason, the month in which the world received this blessing deserved to be made a special month for proclaiming God’s greatness and expressing gratitude to Him, so that acknowledgment of the value and greatness of this supreme blessing may always remain alive. For this gratitude and proclamation of greatness, Allah Almighty prescribed the worship of fasting, which is the special act of worship for training that taqwa upon which the establishment and survival of the entire religion and Shariah depend, and for whose possessors alone the Quran was truly revealed as guidance. … Thus, the arrangement of this Quranic wisdom turned out to be that the true benefit of the Wise Quran is exclusive to those who possess the spirit of taqwa, and the special means for training this taqwa is the worship of fasting. For this reason, the Most Kind and Wise Lord specified this very month for fasting in which the Quran was revealed. In other words, it can also be said that the Quran is spring for this world, the month of Ramadan is the season of spring, and the crop that this spring season nurtures is the crop of taqwa. (Tadabbur-e-Qur’an, 1/451)

This purpose is inevitably achieved through fasting, but for this it is necessary that those who fast avoid the flaws which, if they afflict a fast, wipe out all its blessings. Although these flaws are many, some of them are such that every fasting person should remain alert about them.

One of these flaws is that people turn Ramadan into a month of pleasures and delicacies. They think that whatever is spent in this month will not be taken into account by Allah. Consequently, for such people, even if they eat and drink, it becomes a month of indulgence and enjoyment. Instead of training the self, they make it a month of nurturing it, and they spend their mornings to evenings merely in preparations for iftar. As long as they are fasting, they keep thinking about what kinds of foods they will now use to fill the void created in their stomachs by a whole day of hunger and thirst. The result is that, in the first place, they gain nothing from fasting, and even if they gain something, they lose it right there.

The way to avoid this flaw is that a person should certainly eat and drink to maintain the strength needed for work, but should not make it the purpose of life. Whatever comes without special arrangement, he should eat it while thanking Allah. Whatever the household places on the table, even if it does not appeal to the heart, he should not become upset over it. If Allah has blessed him with wealth, then instead of nurturing his own self, he should spend it on helping the poor and the needy and feeding them. This will certainly increase the blessings of his fast. This is also the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) in the matter of spending. Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas relates that the Prophet was the most generous of people even in normal circumstances, but in Ramadan he would become, as it were, the embodiment of generosity and benevolence.⁹

The second flaw is that since hunger and thirst create a certain sharpness in temperament, some people, instead of making fasting a means of reform, turn it into an excuse for provocation. They pounce on their wives, children, and those who work under them over trivial matters, say whatever comes to their mouths, and if matters escalate, unleash a barrage of abuses; and in some situations they do not even refrain from beating their subordinates. After this, they console themselves by saying that this sort of thing happens in fasting.

The remedy for this, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has explained, is that instead of using fasting as an excuse for agitation on such occasions, a person should use it like a shield against it, and whenever a situation of provocation arises, he should immediately remember that he is fasting. He said: fasting is a shield; therefore, when one of you is fasting, he should neither speak indecently nor behave ignorantly. Then if someone abuses him or wants to fight, he should say: I am fasting; my brother, I am fasting.¹⁰ Thus, the reality is that if a fasting person adopts this method of self-reminder at every occasion of anger and provocation, he will gradually see that he has gained such control over the satan of his self that it rarely succeeds in causing him to fall. This sense of victory over Satan will create a feeling of tranquility and superiority in his heart, and this very reminder of fasting will become a means of his reform. Then he will show anger only where it is appropriate; it will no longer be possible for anyone to provoke him at all times and without reason.

The third flaw is that many people, when they leave eating, drinking, and other such interests during fasting, seek compensation for this deprivation in those interests which, in their view, do not affect the fast, rather help pass the time. They will fast and play cards, read novels and short stories, listen to songs and ghazals, watch films, sit with friends and chat, and if they do not do all this, then they will get entangled in backbiting and satire of someone. When the stomach is empty in fasting, a person, in any case, finds great pleasure in eating the flesh of his brothers. The result is that sometimes they get engaged in these activities from the morning and then withdraw from them only with the call of the muezzin.

One remedy for this flaw is that a person should regard silence as an etiquette of fasting and try, as much as possible, to put a lock on his tongue at least in the matter of speaking nonsense and spreading falsehoods. The Prophet (PBUH) said that the one who does not give up lying and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to give up his eating and drinking.¹¹

The second remedy is that in whatever time is left free from necessary tasks, a person should study the Quran and Hadith and try to understand the religion. He should take advantage of this opportunity of fasting and memorize some portion of the Quran and the supplications taught by the Prophet (PBUH). In this way, he will be saved from those pastimes during fasting, and later this very store will serve him in keeping the remembrance of Allah alive in his heart.

The fourth flaw is that sometimes a person fasts not for Allah, but to avoid the reproach of his family and acquaintances, and at times he bears this hardship to maintain the appearance of piety among people. This, too, does not allow the fast to remain a true fast.

The remedy for this is that a person should always keep the importance of fasting clear before his own self and counsel it that when you are already giving up eating, drinking, and other pleasures, then why not give them up for Allah alone? Along with this, he should also keep voluntary fasts from time to time outside Ramadan and try to conceal them as much as possible. It is hoped that through this, these obligatory fasts too will someday become purely for Allah alone.

The voluntary fasts that the Prophet (PBUH) himself observed, or encouraged people to observe for this very purpose, are as follows:

THE FAST OF THE DAY OF ASHURA

Its virtue has been mentioned in the narrations.¹² The Prophet (PBUH) generally observed it;¹³ in fact, before the fasts of Ramadan were prescribed, he would observe this fast compulsorily and would also instruct people to do so, encourage them, and keep an eye on them in this regard.¹⁴ One reason given for this is that Quraysh used to observe this fast,¹⁵ and another is that the Jews used to fast on this day. When the Prophet asked them, they told him that this day held great significance for them: on this day Allah granted deliverance to Moses and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people in the sea. Moses (PBUH) then observed a fast on this day in gratitude. The Prophet said: our relationship with Moses is closer than yours. Accordingly, he himself observed the fast and also directed people to observe it.¹⁶

THE FAST OF THE DAY OF ‘ARAFAH

The virtue of this day is known to every Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that if a fast is observed on this day, it is expected that Allah will forgive the sins of one year before and one year after it.¹⁷ However, on the occasion of Hajj he did not observe this fast.¹⁸ The reason for this was probably that he did not like to combine it with the hardship of Hajj.

THE FASTS OF SHAWWAL

The virtue of these fasts has also been mentioned in the narrations. The Prophet (PBUH) said that whoever observes the fasts of Ramadan and then follows them immediately with six fasts of Shawwal, it is as though he fasted for a whole lifetime.¹⁹

THREE FASTS EVERY MONTH

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) encouraged these fasts and stated the same thing about them as has been mentioned above regarding the fasts of Shawwal.²⁰ According to a narration of Sayyidah Ayshah, the Prophet himself also observed these fasts. However, no specific days were fixed for them. Whenever he wished, he would observe these fasts at any time during the month.²¹ Some Companions, however, were instructed by him to observe these fasts on the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the lunar month.²²

THE FASTS OF MONDAY AND THURSDAY

The Prophet also observed these fasts. When people asked the reason for this, he said: on Monday and Thursday, people’s deeds are presented.²³ He also said that Monday is the day of my birth and the day on which the Quran was revealed to me.²⁴

THE FASTS OF SHA‘BAN

Apart from Ramadan, this is the month in which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) mostly remained in a state of fasting. Sayyidah Ayshah states that she did not see him observing fasts in any month more than in Sha‘ban.²⁵

Apart from these, people may observe voluntary fasts whenever they wish. Those who desire to fast frequently were instructed by him to follow the practice of David (PBUH), who would fast one day and leave one day.²⁶ However, he did not approve of²⁷ singling out Friday alone for fasting,²⁸ fasting throughout the entire year,²⁹ or fasting on the days of Eid.³⁰

THE LAW OF FASTING

The law of fasting that has always existed in the religion of the prophets (peace be upon them) is the same law according to which Allah Almighty has instructed the Muslims to fast. The Quran states that fasting has been made obligatory upon the believers in the same manner as it was made obligatory upon those before them. It says that these are a limited number of days that have been set aside for this act of worship. It is evident that this has been said by way of reassurance. In other words, the point is that if the blessings of fasting are kept in view, then thirty or twenty-nine days out of twelve months do not constitute a long period; rather, they are only a few days. Therefore, instead of feeling anxious or disheartened, a person should derive full benefit from them.

After this introduction, the ruling of concession is stated. It is said that those who are unable to complete the fasts of Ramadan due to illness or travel should either complete this number by fasting on other days, or compensate for each missed fast by feeding one needy person. This ruling concludes with the words: “Then whoever volunteers good, it is better for him; and that you fast is better for you, if you only knew.” The meaning is that this expiation is the minimum requirement which those who have the ability must fulfill in all circumstances, but if a person feeds more than one needy person or performs some other good deed along with it, that is better for him. Moreover, in Allah’s sight, it is even better that instead of the expiation, a person should complete the fasts on other days.

However, in the subsequent verse that begins with the words “The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed …”, the permission of expiation was withdrawn. Accordingly, the ruling was repeated verbatim, but the words from “and upon those who can afford it …” to “… if you only knew” were omitted. Since fasting on ordinary days after Ramadan is difficult, Allah Almighty did not make it obligatory until people’s dispositions became fully prepared for it. Thus, it was stated that this permission of expiation has been withdrawn so that you complete the number of fasts and do not remain deprived of the goodness and blessings hidden within them.

This is the original ruling of fasting. After this, it appears that some questions arose in people’s minds. One of the important questions was whether it was permissible to approach one’s wives during the nights of Ramadan or not. The likely reason for this was that among the Jews, the fast would resume immediately after breaking it, and they did not consider eating, drinking, or approaching their wives during the night of the fast to be permissible. The Muslims assumed that the same law would apply to them as well, but then some of them, while holding this assumption in their hearts, ended up violating it. This was not a good matter, because if a person, according to his own reasoning or assumption, considers something to be a requirement of religion and law, then regardless of whether it is actually a ruling of the Shariah or not, it is not permissible for him to violate it. Accordingly, the Quran described this as betrayal of one’s own conscience and clarified the matter:

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ، هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ، عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ فَالْتَنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوْا مَا كَتَبَ اللهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ، ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى الَّيْلِ، وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَكِفُوْنَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللهِ فَلا تَقْرَبُوْهَا، كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ أَيْتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُوْنَ

“(If you wish to ask, then know that) on the nights of fasting, approaching your wives has been made lawful for you. They are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them. Allah knew that you were betraying yourselves, so He turned to you in mercy and pardoned you. So now approach them without hesitation and seek what Allah has decreed for you, and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread of night. Then complete the fast until nightfall. And do not approach them while you are in retreat in the mosques. These are the limits set by Allah, so do not go near them. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to people so that they may become God-fearing.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187)

After this Quranic clarification, the law of fasting and retreat (i‘tikaf) that emerges is as follows:

Fasting, in the terminology of the Shariah, is abstaining from eating, drinking, and approaching one’s wife with the intention of fasting and purely for the pleasure of Allah.

This abstention is from dawn until the beginning of night; therefore, eating, drinking, and approaching one’s wife during the nights of fasting are entirely permissible.

The month of Ramadan has been specified for fasting; therefore, whoever is present during this month is obligated to fast the entire month.

If a person is unable to complete the fasts of Ramadan due to illness, travel, or some other unavoidable reason, it is obligatory for him to make up for them by fasting on other days and complete the required number.

Fasting is prohibited during the states of menstruation and post-natal bleeding. However, the fasts missed due to these reasons must also be made up later.

The highest level of fasting is i‘tikaf. If Allah grants a person the ability for this, he should, for as many days as possible during the month of fasting, withdraw from worldly engagements and seclude himself in a mosque for the worship of Allah, and not leave the mosque except for unavoidable human needs.

If a person is in i‘tikaf, there is no restriction on eating and drinking during the nights of fasting, but approaching one’s wife is no longer permissible for him. Allah Almighty has prohibited this in the state of i‘tikaf.

This law of fasting is established by the consensus of the Muslims and their continuous practical transmission, and the Quran has also explained it in considerable detail. The explanations provided by the knowledge and practice of the Prophet (PBUH) are presented below in an appropriate order:

1. When the moon is sighted, the month should begin. The Prophet (PBUH) said: the month may be of twenty-nine days; therefore, fast when you see the moon and end the fast when you see it. If the sky is overcast, then complete thirty days of Sha‘ban.³¹

2. One should not fast one or two days before the beginning of Ramadan. The Prophet (PBUH) did not approve of this, except for a person who habitually fasts on that day.³²

3. One should wake up for suhoor. He said: take suhoor, for there is blessing in eating suhoor.³³

4. In fasting, apart from sexual intercourse, all forms of affection with one’s wife are permissible. Sayyidah Ayshah (RA) states that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would kiss and embrace her while he was fasting.³⁴

5. One may fast while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah). According to the same narrator, the Prophet (PBUH) would sometimes keep a fast and perform the ritual bath after dawn.³⁵

6. If a person eats or drinks forgetfully, his fast is not broken. He said: it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink.³⁶

7. It is better to observe i‘tikaf in the second or third ten days of Ramadan, and for the full ten days, unless the month is of twenty-nine days. The narrations show that this was generally the Prophet’s practice.³⁷

8. Intentionally breaking the fast is a major sin. If such a thing occurs, it is better that a person offers expiation for it. The Prophet (PBUH) prescribed for one person the same expiation that the Quran has fixed for zihar. However, it is clear from the narration that when the person expressed inability, the Prophet did not insist upon it.³⁸