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Sunna's |
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Fasting (Siyam)
Introduction. Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. Ibn Omar- may God be pleased with them- said: the prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « Islam is based on five pillars: The two Shahadat (to say: there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger, offering prayers, fulfilling Zakat (legal alms), fasting during the whole month of Ramadan and making pilgrimage for the one who is able ». Allah the Great mentioned the sacred month of Ramadan by its name in His saying: « The month of Ramadan is that in which the Koran was revealed as a guidance for people, in it clear signs of guidance and the Criterion. Therefore, whoever of you witnesses this month, it is obligatory on him to fast it…». [Surat Al Baqara/The Heifer, from the verse 185]. This verse glorifies and shows the importance of the month of Ramadan, in it the noble Koran was revealed and it was ordained in the second Hegerian year. Allah the Great said: « O you who believe! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, that you may be pious ». [Surat Al Baqara/ The Heifer, 183].
First: Its benefits. 1- Abi Hurayra-may God be pleased with him- said: The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « Fasting is a shield. So, if a person observes fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell twice, I am fasting. By Him in Whose hands my soul is, the smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will pleased with his fasting ». [Reported by Al Boukhari and Muslim]. 2- Abi Hurayra said: The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « All the deeds of people are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it ». [Reported by Al Boukhari and Muslim]. A- There is no dissimilation in fasting. The prophet-may peace be upon him-said: « No dissimilation in fasting ». B- Allah the Great is the only one who knows the amount of reward of fasting and doubles its benefits. Imam El Qurtubi said: It means that the amount of reward of all the deeds are known, and it is doubled from ten to seven hundred perpetually, except fasting, it is God who gives its reward without limits. C- « Fasting is for Me »…………… D- « It is for Me »: No one is worshiped by fasting except God as opposed to prayer, circumbulation and invocation. 3- Abd Allah Ibn Omar-may God be pleased with them said: The prophet-may peace be upon him-said: « Fasting and Koran intercede for the believer with God. Fasting would say: O my Lord! I prevented food and longing for him, so, accept his intercession on behalf of me, and the Koran would say: O my Lord! I prevented sleep for him all the night, so, accept his intercession on behalf of me, then, their intercession will be accepted ». [Reported by Ahmed]. 4- Sahl Ibn Saâd-may God be pleased with them-said: The prophet-may peace be upon him-said: « There is a gate in paradise called Er Rayan, and those who observe fast will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except will enter through it. It will be said: Where are those who used to observe fast? They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entrance, the gate will closed and no one else will enter through it ». [Reported by Al Boukhari and Muslim]. 5- Abi Hurayra-may God be pleased with him-said: The prophet-may peace be upon him-said: « When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the Heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the Satans are chained». 6- The prophet-may peace be upon him-said: « It is a month which its beginning is a mercy, its middle is a condonation (forgiveness) and its end is manumission from fire ».
Second: The objectives of fasting. 1- Faith objectives. Allah the Great said: « O you who believe! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, that you may be pious ». [Surat Al Baqara/ The Heifer, 183]. Fasting is a means and a way to devoutness, and latter is a way to adore (love) God. Allah the Great said: «…Surely God loves the pious ». [Surat El Imran/The Family of Imran, from the verse 76]. 2- Educative objectives. Fasting purifies and educates the self through: ¨ Freeing it from the customary. ¨ Bridling the desires. ¨ Strengthening will and determination. ¨ Accustoming the self to patience in order to perform devotions and to restrain from sins . 3- The fasting person feels and notices the boons of God and perceives their value, for he is forbidden to enjoy them during his fasting. Therefore, he thanks God to have bestowed them or him. Allah the create said: «…If you are grateful I shall increase My favours upon you …». [Surat Ibrahim/Abraham, from the verse 07]. He also said : «…but God will reward the grateful ». [Surat Al-Imran/The Family of Imran, from the verse 144]. 4- Organizing the lives of the Muslims: fasting determines the time of Iftar (time of breaking the fast ) and the time of Suhur (the last meal before day break during Ramadan ). 5- Nearing the relation between people and reuniting the families. 6- Social objectives: the fasting person perceives the sufferings of the poor. He helps them and gives charity to them. In the month of Ramadan, the stingy and the generous are in liberality. 7- Health objectives: The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « fast and you will be healthy». Fasting is a prevention and a cure. In fact, this is what the studies and the modern medicine affirmed.
Conclusions. 1- The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven». 2- The prophet also said: « And whoever stood for the prayer in the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven». This is the night in which Allah the Great said: «The Night of Al Qadr is better than one thousand months». [Al Qadr/The Night of Ascent, from the verse 03]. The worship of God in this night equals the worship of 83 years . 3- Hastening the break of fast and delaying Suhur. The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « People continue to be well as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast and delay Suhur». [Agreed on from the saying of Sahl bun saâd]. The prophet also said: « Take Suhur as there is a blessing in it». [Agreed on from Anas bun malik]. 4- Being infallible of chatter (loquacity), lie, backbiting, blaspheming, angry, sexual relations and foolishness. The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « fasting is a shield. So, a person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and imprudently …». It was reported that Abdu Allah bnu Amru bnu Al-Ass asked the prophet -may peace be upon him and said: « what rescues me from Allah’s anger?. The prophet answered: « Do not be angry». [Reported by Ahmed in his Musnad]. 5- The necessity of breaking the fast for the one who has legal pretense and he will be rewarded with the will of God. 6- Avoiding doubt. The fasting person should not doubt his fasting . He should continue his fast and he has to fast the days in which he broke the fast after Ramadan. The Fiqh rule stipulates that certainty can not be ceased by doubt . 7- Avoiding speculation, the rise in prices and the speedy profit. 8- The fasting person must not exceed at food. Allah the Great said: «…And eat and drink, but do not be excessive, surely God does not love the excessive». [Surat Al Araf/The Heights, from the verse 31]. 9- Feeding a fast person is a praiseworthy deed. The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « He who feeds a fasting person in Ramadan from a legal gain, the Angles pray for him during the nights of Ramadan and Gabriel will shake hands with him in the Night of Al Qadr, and the one with whom Gabriel shake hands became a tenderhearted and his tears multiply». 10- It is preferable to better exploit this sacred month of Ramadan by fasting on its days and praying in its nights, reciting the Koran, glorifying and invoking Allah, increasing prayers and invocations in the last ten days of Ramadan, and performing the Umra ( minor Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca) for the able ones, for it equals Hajj (great pilgrimage). 11- The voluntary fasting (Siyam At Tatawu’). ¨ Six days of Shawal (the ninth month of the Hegirian year). The prophet-may peace be upon him- said: « The one who fasts the whole month of Ramadan, then he added six days of Shawal, it is as if he fasted during one year». ¨ The day of Arafat for the non pilgrim ( it is a day where pilgrims stand at the mountain of Arafat). The sins of the previous and the following years of the one who fast this day will be forgiven. ¨ The White days: They are the 13th, 14th and the 15th days of each lunar month. ¨ Every Monday and Thursday. They are the days in where human deeds are exposed to the Lord of the two worlds. ¨ To fast more in Chaâban ( the eighth month of the lunar year) and in the four Hurum months ( they are Du Al Qiîda, Du Al Hijja, Muharam and Rajab]. ¨ To fast day by day. It is the fast that is preferred and liked by the Almighty Allah, it is the fast of the prophet Dawud- may peace be upon him. |
