What every Muslim should know about Fasting!

Fasting in Ramadan is fard (obligatory) for every Muslim who is mature and sane, because Allah (SWT) commands;

“So every one of you who is present during that month (Ramadan) should spend it in fasting.” (2:185).

It is not allowed for the woman who has just had a baby and is impure from that nor the woman during her monthly period to fast until they become clean from that and then they are obliged to make up the fasts they missed.

Aisha said, “During the period we have been ordered to make up the fasting but not the prayer.”

* The duty of fasting is not compulsory for those who are not mature. Ibn Abbas narrated, “Whoever becomes old and is not able to fast in Ramadan should donate for every day missed one mudd (which is 544 grams) of grain.” Ibn Umar said “If I become too weak to fast I feed (someone) one mudd for every day missed.” Anas narrated that he became weak one year before he died so he gave away one mudd every day.

If someone is not able to fast because he is sick and it can lead him to more sickness from which he cannot not recover, at that time he is allowed to miss his fast because that is a hardship.

“He has chosen you and has not laid upon you in the deen any hardship.” (22:78)

When he has recovered he is obliged to make up for those days missed

“And if any of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp (he should) in compensation either fast or feed the poor, or offer sacr-ifice.” (2:196)

“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 ransom the feeding of one that is indigent.” (2:184)

• Whoever begins fasting and then becomes sick is allowed to break his fast. And whoever is travelling, and is travelling over the equivalent of 80 km, it is up to him to fast or not.

It was narrated by Aisha that Hamza ibn Amr al-Asslami said,

“O Rasulullah ! Is there any fast for the traveller?”

Muhammad (Pbuh) replied. “If you like fast and if you like do not fast.”

Thus, it does not matter if fasting is difficult or otherwise during travelling, but it is much better for the one who does not find it difficult to fast;

“But who so does good of his own accord it is better for him; and that you fast is better for you if you did but know.”

(2:184)

It is better for whoever finds it difficult to fast whilst travelling to miss his fast because Jabir bin Abdullah said,

“Rasulullah saw a man he had been put in the shade and saw a crowd of people around him (in the course of a journey). He said, Fasting while on a journey is not part of righteousness”.

It is allowed for the woman who is pregnant or the one who is breast-feeding to miss their own fast and they are obliged to make it up later. They can do this if they fear for themselves, their children or even if they have no such fear whatsoever.

The evidence for this is that both Sahih Muslim and Bukhari narrated that Anas bin Malik al-ka’bi said that Muhammad (Pbuh) said,

“Allah (SWT) relieved the traveller from fasting and part of the prayer, and the pregnant woman and the suckling woman from fasting.”

This hadith did not mention any restriction about permitting missing the fast but he mentioned a general rule for pregnant and suckling women only because they are in that condition. They are obliged to make up the fasts they have missed as it becomes like a loan on their necks which they should pay back.

• It is not allowed to fast in Ramadan except by making an intention,because Muhammad (Pbuh) said that all actions are judged by intention. The intention is obligatory for every day, because fasting each day is a daily worship which begins with the start of fajr (dawn) and ends with maghrib (sunset). It is not allowed to fast in Ramadan or any other obligatory fast by making the intention during the day of that fast, but it should be a premeditated intention from that night. When one makes the intention, it should be specified that one wants to fast specifically for Ramadan though this is not necessary to spell it out because it is sufficient to intend it in your heart.“And eat and drink until you see the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears.”
  (2:187) It is forbidden while fasting to eat or to drink or to allow any water to enter the body via the mouth, nose or ear.

• Permitted to you on the night of the fast is the approach to your wives.”
  (2:187)The above is an indication that it is not allowed during the day. If he did intercourse with penetration and ejaculated or not his fast is broken, if he did intercourse outside without penetrating and he ejaculated his fast is finished, and if he approached his wife without penetrating and without ejaculating his fast would continue. Umar said, “I kissed while I was fasting, I then said, O Rasulullah! I have done a big deed; I kissed while I was fasting. He said, “What do think if you reins your mouth with water while you are fasting?” I said to him, “There is no harm in it.” Thus he made analogy between kissing and rinsing the water in the mouth for wudu. But if the water arrives in the body then it will break the fast, so approaching one’s wife without entering her and without ejaculating is similar and will not break the fast.

• If anyone vomits deliberately then his fast is broken because it is narrated by Abu Hurairah that Muhammad (Pbuh) said, “Whoever vomits deliberately has to make up for fast. And whoever vomits naturally does not have to make it up.” The scholars understood from this hadith that whoever vomits intentionally should make up one day but whoever did so involuntarily should continue his fast so long as he did not swallow back any of the vomit.

• If anyone eats intentionally, forgetting it is a day of Ramadan, he need not make up his day nor need he pay atonement (Kaffara). (This is the opinion of the Hanbali and Shafi schools. For the Maliki and Hanafi schools, whoever eats intentionally during Ramadan should make up the fast and pay kaffara). Abu Hurairah narrated that Muhammad (Pbuh) said, “Whoever forgets and eats during the month of Ramadan, he does neither need to make up his fast nor is he required to pay kaffarah (atonement).”

• (This is the opinion of the Hanbali and Shafi’i schools.) Whoever eats intentionally during Ramadan should make up the fast and pay kaffara). Bukhari also recorded “Whoever forgets any fast and eats or drinks should continue his fast because Allah is the one who feeds him.” If a fasting man eats or did intercourse and thinks the dawn has not risen or he thinks the sunset is upon him when it was not, his fasting would not be counted and he would have to make it up.

• Narrated by Hisham ibn Urwah from Fatimah from Asma, “We broke our fast in Rasulullah’s time on a cloudy day and we discovered that sun had not set, so Rasulullah ordered the people to make up the day.”

• (Hisham said it must be done. Whoever breaks his fast during Ramadan without any excuse, but not the one who made intercourse, he is obliged to make up the fast because he Rasulullah (SAW) said in the previous hadith, “whoever vomits intentionally should make up his fast,” and the other hadith spoke of the loan of Allah being paid.)

• And whoever breaks his fast by intercourse without any excuse he is obliged to make up his fast and pay kaffarah (atonement) because Rasulullah (Pbuh) ordered the one who made intercourse with his wife during Ramadan to make up his fast and to pay kaffarah and because Abu Hurairah narrated, A man came to Rasulullah (Pbuh) and said, “I am undone!” He asked him, “What has happened to you?” He said, “I did intercourse with my wife in Ramadan (while I was fasting).” He said, “Can you set a slave free?” He said, “No.” He again asked, “Can you fast for two consecutive months?” He said, “No.” He asked, “Can you provide food for sixty poor people?” He said, “No.” He said, “sit down.” Then a huge basket containing dates was brought to Rasulullah (Pbuh). He said to him, give it as sadaqah (alms).” He said, “O Rasulullah! There is no poorer family than mine between the two lava plains of (Madina). Rasulullah (Pbuh) laughed so that his canine teeth became visible, and said, “give it to your family to eat.” And that is the kaffarah which should be paid by any who intentionally breaks his fast by intercourse.

• It is recommended to have suhur (a pre-dawn meal) for the fast. It was narrated by Anas that Rasulullah (SAW) said,“Make suhur. One suhur is reward (barakah).”

  And it is recommended for the one who is fasting to break his fast with dates or if he does not find this then by water.