As-Saum (Fasting)

[alld]

As-Saum (Fasting)
KNOW that fasting has one special attribute which belongs to it alone. That is that Allah assigned it to Himself as in the following hadith:

البخاري

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ اللَّهُ كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلَّا الصِّيَامَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ وَالصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ وَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلَا يَرْفُثْ وَلَا يَصْخَبْ فَإِنْ سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَخُلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ يَفْرَحُهُمَا إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَرِحَ وَإِذَا لَقِيَ رَبَّهُ فَرِحَ بِصَوْمِهِ

Allah's Messenger (sas) said: Allah said: Every deed of the son of Adam is his except for fasting for it is mine and I reward it. And fasting is a protection so whenever one of you is fasting a day, do not argue and do not shout. And if anyone insults you or fights with you, say, "I am a man who is fasting." By the one in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the bad breath of one who is fasting is more pleasing to Allah than the scent of musk. The one who fasts has two pleasures: when he breaks his fast it is a pleasure and when he meets his Lord, he is pleased with his fasting.

البخاري

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الصَّوْمُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَأَكْلَهُ وَشُرْبَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي وَالصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ ...

From Abu Huraira from the Prophet (sas) who said: Allah said: Fasting is mine and I reward it. He left his pleasures, his food and his drink for My sake. And fasting is a protection...

For Allah to call the fast "his" is an honor similar to Allah calling the Kaaba "his" house. Allah said:

الحج

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَنْ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ(26)وَأَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ(27)

{And when We prepared for Ibrahim the place for the House that you should not associate anyone with Me and purify my house for those making tawwaaf, those standing [in prayer] and those bowing and prostrating. (27) And announce to the people the Pilgrimage. They will come to you walking and on every exhausted animal, coming from every deep valley. (27)

What is the meaning of this special status of fasting?

Because it is a hidden, inward act of obedience, unseen by any of Allah's creation and in which ostentation (ri'aa') is not an issue.
Because it represents the overpowering of Allah's enemy. That is because his means is lusts and desires and desires are strengthened by eating and drinking. As long as there exists a fertile ground of these desires, the shayateen will continue to exploit them. Eliminating the desires, reduces the opportunities of shaitaan for mischief.
The Sunan of Fasting
Eating suhoor and doing it late; rushing to break fast and breaking fast with dates.
Generosity is very desireable during Ramadhan as well as doing all manner of good deeds toward others such as giving sadaqa after the example of Allah's Messenger (sas).
Studying of the Qur'an and isolation in the masjid - especially during the last ten days and making extra effort during those ten days. Aisha said:
مسلم
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ أَحْيَا اللَّيْلَ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ وَجَدَّ وَشَدَّ الْمِئْزَرَ
It was the custom of Allah's messenger when the last ten days [of Ramadhan] began to spend the nights in prayer, wake hsi family, exert extra efforts and tighten his waist band.
About the meaning of "tightened his waist band", the scholars mentioned the following:
Staying away from his wives during those days.
An expression to mean the exertion of extra effort. The reason for his (sas) extra effort during those days was the seeking of lailatul-qadr.
Etiquettes of Fasting
There are three levels of fasting: basic fasting, special fasting and extra special fasting.

Fasting in its most basic level means refraining from satisfying the desires for food, drink and sex.

Special fasting adds restraining the eyes, the tongue, the legs, hearing, vision and all of the body parts from sin.

Extra special fasting adds restraining the heart from lowly concerns and the thoughts from everything which distances one from Allah. In short, refraining from everything except Allah Most High.

Among the etiquettes of the special fast are lowering the gaze and guarding the tongue against engaging in any harmful speech of the forbidden or the disliked. Likewise speech which is of no benefit. And protecting all of the body parts in a similar manner. The Prophet (sas) said:

البخاري

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ

From Abu Huraira (ra) who said that Allah's Messenger (sas) said: "Whoever did not desist from speaking falsehood and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to leave his food and his drink.

Also among the etiquettes of fasting is to no fill your stomach when eating at night. You should just eat the appropriate amount (1/3 capacity). The Prophet (sas) said:

الترمذي

عَنْ مِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا مَلَأَ آدَمِيٌّ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنٍ بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أُكُلَاتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِه

From Miqdaam ibn Ma'diy Karib who said, I heard Allah's Messenger (sas) say: "A human never fills any container worse then his stomach. Enough for him is pieces of food which keep his back straight. If you must, then one third for food, one third for drink and one third for your breath.

If you become full at the beginning of the night, you will derive little benefit from the rest of the night. Likewise if you fill yourself at suhoor, you will be of no use to yourself until around dhuhr. That is because lots of food causes laziness and slowness. The intention of fasting can be negated by overeating. Fasting means tasting "the sweetness of hunger" and leaving that which you desire.



As for voluntary fasting, its blessing is especially in certain "honored" days for this purpose. Some of these days come around every year like six days of Shawwal, the day of Arafat (for those NOT on the Hajj), Ashooraa (10th Muharram), the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and the month of Muharram. Others come around each month such as the three "bright days" (13, 14 and 15 of the lunar month). Still others come around each week such as Tuesday and Thursday.

The best possible voluntary fast is the "fast of Daud" (AS), who used to fast one day and break fast the next. There are three meanings to this:

The self is given its share on the day of eating and it fulfills its worship of Allah of the day of fasting. So this combines what is for the self and what is upon it and in that is justice and balance.
The day of eating is a day of giving thanks (shukr) while the day of fasting is a day of patience (sabr) and so this brings together the two halves of belief: patience and thanks.
That it is the most difficult form of fasting to complete because just when it get used to one condition, it is taken to the other.
There should be balance in your fasting and other acts of worship:

البخاري

سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنِّي أَسْرُدُ الصَّوْمَ وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ فَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ وَإِمَّا لَقِيتُهُ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلَا تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَقُمْ وَنَمْ فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا وَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ وَأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا قَالَ إِنِّي لَأَقْوَى لِذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام قَالَ وَكَيْفَ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى قَالَ مَنْ لِي بِهَذِهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ لَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ ذَكَرَ صِيَامَ الْأَبَدِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ مَرَّتَيْنِ

Each individual should know his/her level and not go beyond it. Ibn Masood used not to fast very much and he said that when he fasted he became weak in prayer and that he chose prayer over fasting. Others reported that when they fasted a lot they became weak in reading Qur'an and so they chose to do little voluntary fasting and more reciting of the Qur'an. Each individual should be most knowledgeable of his condition and what is best for him.

Ibn Abdul-Barr reports in his book "At-Tamheed":

Al-'Umary Al-Aaabid wrote to Malik urging him to practice isolation and seeking to meet with him regarding knowledge. Malik wrote back to him: "Allah has divided good deeds just as He divided wealth and sustenance. So, while one man may have been given much in the area of paryer he may have been given less in the area of fasting. Another may have been given much in the area of giving charity but less in fasting. Still another may have been given much in the area of jihad but less in the area of prayer. Spreading knowledge and teaching it is one of the best acts of righteousness and I am content with that which Allah has granted me in that regard. I don't believe that that which I am involved in is any less than that which you are involved in and I hope that both of us are upon good and righteousness. It is obligatory upon each of use to be content with that which Allah has apportioned to use. Peace.

[muslim_sis]

jazakallah for that !!
(post more inshallah)

[Na'eemah]

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127: )

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet 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.)"

[alld]

The benefits of fasting

There is much wisdom and many benefits in fasting, which have to do with the taqwa mentioned by Allaah in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“… that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:183]The interpretation of this is that if a person refrains from halaal things hoping to earn the pleasure of Allaah and out of fear of His punishment, it will be easier for him to refrain from doing haraam things.

If a person’s stomach is hungry, this will keep many of his other faculties from feeling hunger or desires; but if his stomach is satisfied, his tongue, eye, hand and private parts will start to feel hungry. Fasting leads to the defeat of Shaytaan; it controls desires and protects one’s faculties.

When the fasting person feels the pangs of hunger, he experiences how the poor feel, so he has compassion towards them and gives them something to ward off their hunger. Hearing about them is not the same as sharing their suffering, just as a rider does not understand the hardship of walking unless he gets down and walks.

Fasting trains the will to avoid desires and keep away from sin; it helps a person to overcome his own nature and to wean himself away from his habits. It also trains a person to get used to being organized and punctual, which will solve the problem that many people have of being disorganized, if only they realized.

Fasting is also a demonstration of the unity of the Muslims, as the ummah fasts and breaks its fast at the same time.

Fasting also provides a great opportunity for those who are calling others to Allaah. In this month many people come to the mosque who are coming for the first time, or who have not been to the mosque for a long time, and their hearts are open, so we must make the most of this opportunity by preaching in a gentle manner, teaching appropriate lessons and speaking beneficial words, whilst co-operating in righteousness and good deeds. The dai’yah should not be so preoccupied with others that he forgets his own soul and becomes like a wick that lights the way for others while it is itself consumed.

[alld]

The spirit of fasting in Islam
By Afif A Tabbarah



;IN Arabic "fasting" means abstinence from doing something. According to religious scholars, it is an abstinence from food, drink and sexual intercourse, carried out from dawn till sunset, for gaining Allah's Content.

The principles of fasting are set in the Holy Qur'an as follows: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self*restraint. Fast for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it, (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will - it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down The Qur'an as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (on the confirmed sight of the new moon) in that month should spend it in fasting; and if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intendeth every facility for you; He doth not want to put you to difficulties. (He wanteth you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful (II: 183*185).

In "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you," Allah explains that fasting is not new among the Holy Laws; it was ordained to previous peoples as well. This doubtlessly soothes the heart, facilitates the acceptance of fasting, and sweeps away the feeling of vexation, because Muslims are not the only people requested to fast.

After this, Allah adds "that ye may (learn) self*restraint," and this is the purpose of fasting. People are commanded to adopt fasting as a means to protect themselves against wicked and evil motives. Fasting safeguards the person as an individual, and the society as a whole. It protects the person from turning into a beast living according to the Law of the Jungle; it also protects society by preparing the devout individual to work for the general welfare, thus living as a human being with other human beings, not as a wild beast with other human beings.

To this effect, the Prophet (peace be upon him) confirms: "Fasting is a shelter. When one of you is fasting, let him not behave in an obscene or foolish manner. If someone intends to fight against him or scold him, let him just say: I am fasting! I am fasting!"

Fasting is a shelter in the sense that·the faster knows his fasting is carried out in order to avoid the evil of his animal nature. When he proclaims, I am fasting! he is fully aware that he says it under the effect of his human, not animal nature.

When he safeguards himself against the evils of his animal nature, and his society against his own evil, he gains Allah's Content, and thus takes his stand among the righteous.

"That ye may," here, bears the sense of preparation and readiness. The way fasting prepares the spirits of fasters for the devotion of Allah, is manifested in many aspects, the most important of which is the following. As a personal affair, fasting is left to the conviction of the faster himself, with none assuming the role of guardian over him except Allah.

When the faster obeys Allah's Commandments by rejecting the appeals of his desires that come to his mind during fasting, or when he trains himself to be patient every time he is tempted by delights and desires, out of feeling that Allah watches him and knows all the secrets of his heart - when he keeps on this for a full month (Ramadan), out of this continuous heed accompanying his activities he certainly will attain the gift of Allah's Watch over him, as well as his own fear of the Lord. He will try to avoid the shameful situation of Allah's finding him where he is prohibited to be. Allah's Watch over him enables him to carry out all deeds of goodness, and keeps him away from evil. He then would not cheat, ill treat or do injustice to others; nor would he spread corruption among people.

However, the mere abstinence from food and drink is not the real meaning of fasting that Allah enjoined on the righteous. The Prophet (pbuh) declares: "Allah does not accept the fasting of those who do not restrain themselves from telling falsehood or from doing false deeds."

The basic truth of fasting in Islam springs from Allah's Watch over the faster, as well as the latter's carrying out of his fast for the cause of none but Allah. To this effect, the Prophet explains: "Allah will forgive all the sins of those who fast during Ramadan out of true belief and in anticipation of Allah's Reward in the Hereafter."

In the same way, fasting prepares the spirits of fasters for the devotion of Allah, in the sense that fasting moderates the violence of their instinctive desires, the source of all sins. Along this vein, the Prophet (pbuh) declares: "O ye young people! Those of you who can afford marriage, let them marry, for it confines eyes to modesty and protects the wombs (of women) from evil intentions. Those of you who cannot do this, let them fast because fasting breaks off their lusts."

Virtues and Benefits of Fasting

On both the individual and social levels, fasting has many virtues and benefits. Of these we can mention the feeling of sympathy for the poor. When a faster feels hungry he remembers such people who are always hungry, which leads him to sympathise with the poor. After all, man's sense of compassion springs from his feeling of pain, and fasting is a practical means to develop compassion in his spirit. When rich people establish such a feeling for the hungry poor, their inner humane principles attain an effective authority. In this regard, it is reported that Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was the most generous among people, and he was especially generous during Ramadan.

Moreover, fasting establishes equality among the rich and the poor. In a way, it is a compulsory experience of poverty in that it is meant to make all people share an equality, not diversity, of feeling and to sympathise with one another through a collective sense of pain, not through a discord or diversity of desires.

Among the other virtues of fasting is that it moderates the power of habits. With some people, the dictates of habit have reached the extreme of enslavement. If a meal is served late when they are hungry, they lose their temper. The effects of stimulants like coffee, tea or smoking are even stronger on their addicts than those of food.

In fasting there is a sharpening of one's will*power. A German professor once wrote a book on the strengthening of will power, the basis of which he considers to be fasting. In his book, he maintains that fasting is an effective means to establish the control of the spirit over the body, where man lives with a full control over himself, without being a slave to his physical inclinations or needs.

Islam's Mitigation of the Severity of Fasting

Some people may happen to be ill during the month of Ramadan, or just may be on a tiring journey. In this case, Allah's Wisdom necessitates that the severity of fasting be mitigated for these people, and to this effect, Allah instructs: "If any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) from days later (II: 184). People like these may make up for the days on which they break their fast, outside Ramadan when they can afford it. A traveller is allowed to break his fast when he makes a moderate march of a day and a night, which covers around 86km and a half.

In this regard, Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments by saying: "Illness and journey must not be interpreted in an elastic sense: they must be such as to cause real pain or suffering if the fast were observed. For journey, ... some Commentators ... make it ... precise by naming a distance of 16 farsakhs, equivalent to 48 miles. A journey of 8 or 9 miles on foot is more tiring than a similar one by bullock cart. There are various degrees of fatigue in riding a given distance on horseback or by camel or in a comfortable train or by car or by steamer, aeroplane, or airship. In my opinion, the standard must depend on the means of transportation and on the relative resources of the traveller. It is better to determine it in each case according to circumstances."

Then we have Allah's words: "For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent." Such ability with hardship means reaching the utmost a person can stand, and Arabs make this statement only when a person is too weak to do something, so that he suffers a lot in doing it. The people meant in this verse are aged people, ill persons, women suckling their babes, women expecting childbirth, or those whose illness is terminal. Such people may break their fast, and, for every day they break their fast, offer food for a poor person enough to feed a middle*aged man; and thus escape damnation.

Allah then adds, "But he that will give more, of his own free will" - by increasing the prescribed ransom, feeding more than just one poor person for every day he breaks his fast, or combining another fast with the prescribed ransom - "it is better for him;" the benefit and good credit of such a deed will be his, after all.

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgeme(between right and wrong). This part of the verse specifies the period of fasting required of Muslims, the days of Ramadan. The wisdom underlying the choice of this month for this kind of worship, is its being the month in which the Qur'an was revealed.

So every one of you who is present (on the confirmed sight of the new moon) in that month should spend it in fasting. The "new moon" stands for a new month, which is an Arab tradition. Consequently, those who see the new moon themselves or trust its sight by others, have to start their fasting. The coming on of Ramadan is confirmed in one of two ways: 1) either through direct sight of the new moon if the sky is clear; 2) or, if it is cloudy, and in this case the new moon cannot be seen, by counting 30 days for Sha'ban (the month before Ramadan), after which fasting is then started. The Prophet (pbuh) explains the case by saying: "Start your fast when you see (the new moon), and end it up when you see it again. If its sight is concealed to you, count 30 days for Sha'ban."

As for the people of the North Pole and South Pole where nights and days extend to months in some polar regions - such people may estimate their period of fasting in harmony with the temperate area to which the revelation of Islam was sent, like Makkah or Medina. According to some Commentators, this can be better done in relation to the timing of the moderate area nearest to these people