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From Etiquettes of Fasting
Author : Mufti Yusuf Abu Hussein
Date Added : 12-03-2024

From Etiquettes of Fasting

 

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.

 

Here comes the month of divine generosity and heavenly blessings, here comes the month of Ramadan, the month of goodness and benevolence. How beautiful is its appearance, and how magnificent is its arrival! In it, good deeds are multiplied, sins and mistakes are forgiven, and prayers are answered. It is a station for purifying souls from blameworthy traits and urging them towards obedience. Therefore, a wise and discerning person should not miss out on this month. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced! Whoever lives to see Ramadan and does not have his sins forgiven..." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad).

 

In this article, we will discuss some of the etiquettes a fasting person should adhere to:

 

1-Eagerness for Suhoor and Delaying it: The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of having Suhoor (pre-dawn meal during Ramadan) and delaying it until shortly before Fajr. He said, "Partake in Suhoor, for indeed there is a blessing in it." [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim]. He also said, "The Suhoor meal is blessed, so do not neglect it even if one of you just takes a gulp of water. Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who have Suhoor." [Reported by Imam Ahmad].

 

2-Refraining from Forbidden Speech: During fasting, it's crucial to abstain from prohibited speech such as backbiting, gossip, and lying. Fasting is an act of worship ordained to purify the soul and habituate it to goodness. Ramadan serves as a school whose aim is to graduate the fasting person as righteous, which is the ultimate goal of fasting. Allah says in the Quran, "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-." (Al-Baqarah, 183). The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said, " Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions and does not abandon foolishness, Allah is not in need of his leaving food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his FASTING)." (Related by al-Bukhari). He also said, "Fasting is a protection for you, so when you are fasting, do not behave obscenely or foolishly, and if any one argues with you or abuses you, say, 'I am fasting. I am fasting." (Related by al-Bukhari).

 

3-Showing kindness to fasting people and offering them Iftar: The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said, " Whoever provides the food for a fasting person to break his fast with, then for him is the same reward as his (the fasting person's), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person." (Related by al-Tirmidhi & Ahmad).

 

4-Increasing charity and generosity in the month of Ramadan: The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people, and his generosity would peak during the month of Ramadan. Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the most generous of the men; and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril visited him every night and recited the Qur'an to him. During this period, the generosity of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) waxed faster than the rain bearing wind. [Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

 

5-Recitation of the Quran: Ramadan is the month of the Quran, during which it was revealed. Allah says in the Quran: " Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong)." (Al-Baqarah, 185). Therefore, Muslims should increase their recitation and reflection upon the verses of the Quran, especially during Ramadan.

 

6-Iʿtikaf and Qiyaam during Ramadan, including Taraweeh prayers: It was narrated that the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands (in prayer) in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." [Related by al-Bukhari & Muslim]. Additionally, it was his practice during the last ten nights of Ramadan to exert himself in worship, awaken his family, and tighten his waist belt (i.e., devote himself to worship). [Related by al-Bukhari & Muslim].

 

7-Performing Umrah during Ramadan: It is highly recommended to perform Umrah during the month of Ramadan. The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: "Umrah performed in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj." (Reported by al-Bukhari).

 

8-Hastening the Iftar: The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: "The people will continue to prosper as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast."* *This refers to each day during Ramadan, and recommends that the fast should be broken as early as that may lawfully be done. (Related by Bukhari & Muslim).

 

9-Avoiding ignorant and foolish behavior, and forgiving: The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: " When any one of you is observing Saum (fasting) on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise the voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say: 'I am observing fast." (Reported by al-Bukhari).

 

10-Reflecting on the blessing of fasting: It is important for the fasting person to recognize the blessing of Allah upon him by granting him the ability and ease to fast. Many people are deprived of fasting due to various reasons such as death before reaching the age of fasting, physical incapacity, or turning away from it (fasting) due to misguidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on a Friday sermon in which the khaṭīb did not explicitly exhort the congregation to be conscious of Allah (taqwā) in both sermons, but sufficed with commanding them to obey Allah and refrain from disobeying Him?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
For the Friday sermon (khuṭbat al-Jumʿah) to be valid, certain essential pillars (arkān) must be fulfilled. Among these is the exhortation to be conscious of Allah (waṣiyyah bi-taqwā Allāh), which must be present in both sermons. Alongside this pillar, the praising of Allah (ḥamdallah) and the sending of blessings upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are equally required.
Shaykh al-Islām Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "These three are pillars in each of the two sermons, because each sermon is independent and separate from the other." [Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj,Vol.4/P.447]
It is not a condition that the exhortation be expressed in any specific wording, nor is it required that the word "taqwā" itself be used — such as saying "I exhort you to be conscious of Allah." Rather, this pillar is fulfilled by any expression that contains a command to obey Allah the Almighty and to abstain from what He has prohibited.
Imām al-Khaṭīb al-Sharbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "The third pillar is the exhortation to taqwā... The specific wording of this exhortation is not required, according to the most correct view, because the purpose is admonition and the urging of obedience to Allah the Almighty. Therefore, any expression that conveys admonition suffices — whether long or short — such as: 'Obey Allah and be ever mindful of Him.'" [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj,Vol.1/P.550]
Accordingly, what the khaṭīb has done — by commanding obedience to Allah and forbidding disobedience to Him in both sermons — is valid and sufficient. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible for a woman to sit with her brothers-in-law?

It is impermissible for a woman to sit with her brothers-in-law, and it is also impermissible for a person to have a Khulwa (seclusion) with his sister-in-law.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

If someone regularly fasts the six days of Shawwal, are they obligated to fast them every year?

A person is not obligated to fast the six days of Shawwal every year, even if they have made it a habit. However, someone who regularly performs a good deed should not abandon it as long as they are able.

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