Fasting and Its Rulings

Author: Shaykh Abu Haatim Usaamah Ibn ‘Abdil-Lateef Al-Qoosee

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma'eel Alarcon

Published: Monday 3rd August, 2015



Some Authentic Ahaadeeth About Fasting

Some authentic ahaadeeth on the virtue of fasting in Ramadaan and other times:

Allaah says:

“Every good deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting, for it is for Me and I will reward it.” [A qudsee hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“By the One in whose Hand the soul of Muhammad is in, the breath that comes out of the mouth of the one fasting is better to Allaah than the scent of musk. There are two times of joy for the person who fasts: When he breaks his fast, he is happy because he broke his fast, and when he meets his Lord, he is happy because of his fast.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“Indeed there is a door in Paradise called Ar-Rayyaan. On the Day of Judgement, those who fast will enter through it, and no one else besides them will enter in through it. It will be said: ‘Where are those who fasted?’ So they will stand up. No one else will enter in through it besides them. So when they have entered it, it will close and no one else will enter in through it after them.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“When the month of Ramadaan comes in, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of the Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“Whoever fasts Ramadaan with faith and seeking reward, he will have his previous sins forgiven.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) was asked about fasting on the Day of 'Arafah, so he said:

“Doing that expiates sins committed in the past year and the following year.” [Reported by Muslim]


And he was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora, so he said:

“It expiates sins committed in the previous year.” [Reported by Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“The five daily prayers; one Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer; and (fasting) Ramadaan to the next Ramadaan expiate the sins that occur in between them, so long as the major sins are avoided.” [Reported by Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“There is not a servant (of Allaah) that fasts a day in the way of Allaah, except that Allaah removes his face from the fire by the distance of seventy years because of that.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“The most excellent (month for) fasting after Ramadaan is Allaah's month of Muharram. And the most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer (i.e. Tahajjud).” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“Making 'Umrah in Ramadaan is equal to making Hajj – or making Hajj with me.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) did not observe fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’baan. [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“Fasting three days [1] in every month is like fasting the whole year.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


“The Prophet used to aspire to fast on Monday and Thursday.” [Reported by At-Tirmidhee with an authentic chain]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“The most beloved fast to Allaah is the fast of (Prophet) Dawood – he would fast one day and not fast the next day.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


When the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) came to Madeenah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora, so he asked them:

“What is this day, which you are fasting?”


They replied: “This is a great day – the day in which Allaah rescued Moses and his people (from their enemy), and in which Pharaoh and his people were drowned. So Moses fasted on this day out of gratefulness, so we fast on it (also). The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“We have more right and claim to Moses than you.”


So the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) fasted that day and he ordered (the Muslims) to fast (on that day also). [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

'Aa'ishah (رضي الله عنها) reported:

“I said: 'O Messenger of Allaah! What if I knew which night Lailat-ul-Qadr was, what should I say in it?' He said:

'Say: O Allaah, You are All-Pardoning, and You love to forgive, so forgive me.' ” (Allaahhumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa 'afu ‘annee).'” [Reported by At-Tirmithee and others with an authentic chain]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“Fasting, prayer, giving charity and enjoining good and forbidding evil absolve the trials a man faces with his family, his money, his children and his neighbor.” [Reported by Muslim]


The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

“O young men! Whoever amongst you can afford it, then let him get married. For it is the best means for lowering the gaze (from looking at women), and it is the best means of keeping the private parts chaste (from fornication). But whoever is not able (to marry), then let him observe fasting, for it is a protection.” [2]


Footnotes

[1] In some ahaadeeth, these days are interpreted as being the "white days", and they are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth day in every month. They are called “white days” because their nights are lighted by the moon at the time of its completed stage (i.e. when there is a full moon). From this, we can realize the mistake of the general people in their applying the term "white" to the six recommended days of fasting in Shawaal.

[2] There is an indication in this hadeeth of the forbiddance of masturbating with the hand (a common hidden practice). This is since if it were allowed, the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) would have advised the young men who are not able to get married to do it. And it is not permissible to put off clarifying a matter at the time when a clarification is needed, as is well known. What further confirms its prohibition is the generality of Allaah's saying:

“But whoever seeks beyond that (marriage and what the right hands possess), then those are the transgressors.” [Surah Al-Mu'minoon: 7]


 

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