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The Fasting Person and the Love of Allah
Author : Dr. Mufti Sa`eid Farhan
Date Added : 31-01-2024

The Fasting Person and the Love of Allah

 

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is considered the master of months, and its nights are among the best nights of the year. Allah, in His wisdom, has distinguished Ramadan with divine virtues and blessings that are evident to everyone. In Ramadan, there is the Night of Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr), known as the Night of Power, which is the night the Quran was revealed. Additionally, Ramadan is the month of fasting, one of the pillars of Islam. It is a month of piety, blessing, and mercy, among other virtues highlighted by the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "The master of the months is Ramadan." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi).

 

Just as Allah, the Most High, has distinguished Ramadan with divine blessings, the fasting person also receives additional heavenly gifts. The fasting individual is granted the honor of entering through the gate of Ar-Rayyan on the Day of Judgment, a privilege exclusive to them. Furthermore, their breath is described as more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The fasting person is rewarded by Allah, the Almighty, for their fasting with abundant grace and blessings as He wills.

 

The greatest divine gift to the fasting person remains the love of Allah Almighty. The fasting person engages in an act of worship that is not observed by others as he refrains from consuming food and drink. This abstention makes him a vigilant guardian over himself, holding himself accountable. He worships Allah as if He sees him, embodying the concept of excellence (ihsan). The Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, defined ihsan in a well-known hadith: "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you." (Reported by Al-Bukhari). As a result, the fasting person enters into a state of goodness, in line with the Quranic statement: "Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good" (Al-Baqarah: 195).

 

The fasting person is patient in enduring the hardship of fasting, leaving food and drink for the sake of Allah and exercising patience in doing so. It was narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih that Sa'id bin al-Musayyib reported from Salman that the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) addressed the people on the last day of Sha'ban and said: "O people, a great month has approached you, a blessed month. In it, there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting in it obligatory, and standing (in prayer) at night voluntary. Whoever draws near to Allah with a good deed in it will be like one who performs an obligatory act in any other time. Whoever performs an obligatory act in it will be like one who performs seventy obligatory acts in any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise" (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah).

Abu Hatim said, "The gratitude of the one who provides for the fasting person is to feed the Muslim and then not to disobey his Creator, strengthen him, and complete his gratitude by performing acts of obedience with his limbs. This is because the fasting person associates patience with his act of avoiding prohibitions. Similarly, the one providing for him should show gratitude that approximates or matches this patience. It is the act of refraining from prohibitions" [Sahih Ibn Hibban (Vol. 2/P. 18)].

 

The fasting person thus embodies the saying of Allah, the Most High: "And Allah loves the patient" [Al-Emran, 146].

 

The ultimate goal of fasting is to attain Taqwa (piety), as mentioned by Allah in the Quran: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous (achieve Taqwa)" [Al-Baqarah, 183].

 

As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: "(Fasting is a shield)" [Reported by An-Nasai and others]. The meaning of fasting being a shield is that it protects the worshiper from indecency, sins, and wrongdoing. All of these aspects are encompassed in the concept of Taqwa (piety), which requires the worshiper to establish a shield between themselves and the disobedience of Allah. The result is the entry of the fasting person into the category of those whom Allah loves, as mentioned in the verse: "Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves" [At-Tawbah, 222].

 

Indeed, fasting serves not only to purify the body for worship but also purifies the heart from grudges, envy, and all forms of sins. Through fasting, a person elevates themselves above responding to insults and wrongs with anything other than, "I am a person who is fasting." This spiritual purification of the soul undoubtedly leads to the fulfillment of Allah's love, as mentioned in the verse: "And Allah loves those who purify themselves" [At-Tawbah, 108].

 

The ultimate outcome for the fasting person is to attain the love of Allah, the Most Mighty and Majestic. This is the pinnacle of success, as there is no greater achievement for a Muslim. By fasting during these designated days, one fulfills their utmost hopes and aspirations. When Allah, in His sublime love, is on your side, is there anything that can harm you thereafter?

 

In conclusion, this is just a brief overview of the virtues of the month of the Quran, Ramadan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Sharia on unregistered marriage in Jordan?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Aishah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whichever woman married without the permission of her Wali her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid. If he entered into her, then the Mahr is for her in lieu of what he enjoyed from her private part. If they disagree, then the Sultan is the Wali for one who has no Wali." [At-Tirmithi, Hadith No.1102]. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: "There is no marriage without a guardian and two honorable witnesses." Related in [Al-Mo`jam Al-Basit for At-Tabarani, pp.6366]. Registration of the marriage contract at Islamic court is necessary for the preservation of rights and failing to do so is punishable by Jordanian Law. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best

Is it permissible for a woman who is in her confinement to fast upon seeing blood signs that are neither black, nor red ?

Brownish, reddish, and yellowish discharges are all considered confinement until there is no colored discharge which marks the end of confinement. Moreover, the aforesaid woman is prohibited from fasting until she attains ritual purity. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on making up for missed fasting after the second half of Sha`ban (the month before Ramadhaan)?

One is obliged to make up for missed fasting before the start of next Ramadhaan, and regardless of offering it during the first, or the second half of Shab`an. This is because the prohibition mentioned in the Hadith is for offering absolute voluntary fasting in the second half of Sha`ban. And Allah Knows Best.

I`m a mother of three orphans. Is it permissible for me to spend on myself from their salary, such as buying a Jilbab*?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
It is permissible to take a reasonable amount that is equal to your services to them. However, it is better that you don`t. The evidence on this is that Almighty Allah Says (What means): "Make trial of orphans until they reach the age of marriage; if then ye find sound judgment in them, release their property to them; but consume it not wastefully, nor in haste against their growing up. If the guardian is well-off, Let him claim no remuneration, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable. When ye release their property to them, take witnesses in their presence: But all-sufficient is God in taking account." [An-Nisa`/6]. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
 
* A full-length outer garment, traditionally covering the head and hands, worn in public by some Muslim women.