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Except for Fasting
Author : Dr. Zuhaar Riyallat
Date Added : 24-09-2024

In the Qudsi Hadith, Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied: a good deed is multiplied tenfold up to seven hundred times, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I will reward it. He leaves his desires and his food for My sake..." [Moslim].

In this hadith, Allah excludes fasting from the deeds that have a fixed reward. All deeds are multiplied: a good deed by ten times, up to seven hundred times, except fasting. Allah multiplies its reward without any specific limit.

It is understood that the fasting referred to here is the fasting that Allah has commanded, not merely refraining from food and drink, as is the case with many people's fasting. However, why did Allah single out fasting from all other deeds with this special distinction when He Said (What means): "Except for fasting; it is for Me, and I will reward it"?

If we reflect on the reality of fasting and the difference between it and other acts of worship, we can deduce some of the wisdoms for which Allah granted the fasting person this great virtue. Among these wisdoms are:

First: Fasting is a secret between the servant and his Lord, known only by Allah. A person may show off in their prayer or other acts of worship because they are visible actions, but they cannot show off in fasting — meaning, they cannot display it to people for recognition and praise. It has been narrated: "Fasting has no show-off" [Al-Bayhaqi in "Shu'ab Al-Iman"]. Fasting consists of two elements: refraining from food, drink, and other desires, and an intention held in the heart, which only Allah Knows. Therefore, it is fitting that the matter of fasting remains between the servant and his Lord, and that Allah singles it out by attributing it to Himself, unlike other deeds.

Second: Fasting is the only act of worship in which a person abandons all their desires for the sake of Allah. For example, when a person enters the state of Ihram (Ritual consecration) for Hajj or Umrah, they only give up some desires, like intimacy and beautification, while other desires, like food and drink, remain permissible. Similarly, when a person gives Zakat (Alms) or charity, they only give up the desire for wealth.

Nevertheless, in fasting, as mentioned in the previous hadith: "He leaves his desires and his food for My sake." This phrase explains the reason behind fasting's unique reward — the fasting person leaves multiple desires, and the reward for abandoning each one is known only to Allah.

It may be argued that prayer also involves leaving all desires, just like fasting. However, the difference lies in the duration — prayer lasts only a few minutes, so the person does not suffer the deprivation of food and drink, whereas fasting lasts the entire day.

Third: It is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "Fasting is half of patience" [Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as sound]. Patience is of three types: patience in performing acts of worship, patience in refraining from what Allah has forbidden, and patience in enduring trials.

All three types of patience come together in fasting: patience in performing an act of worship, patience in abstaining from forbidden desires, and patience in enduring the hunger and thirst that occur during fasting. Thus, fasting encompasses all forms of patience. Allah Says (What means): "Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without measure" [Az-Zumar/10]. One meaning of "without measure" is an immense reward, which is attained through fasting.

Fourth: Fasting is a training ground for preparing a person for the future. When one enters this school of fasting, their intention is to be righteous and committed in the present and the future. The fasting person holds two intentions: one for the present moment and one for future commitment. Therefore, they deserve the reward for both their current fasting and their future resolve. This resolve and intention are known only to Allah, and their sincerity can only be judged by Him. Thus, the reward for them is from Allah alone.

Fifth: Fasting links the lawful and unlawful to time. What was permissible yesterday becomes forbidden during the day, and what was forbidden a few moments ago becomes lawful with the call to Maghrib (Sunset) prayer. This demonstrates the ultimate submission and obedience to Allah.

The fasting person refrains from their desires during the day out of obedience to Allah, and they hasten to them at night, also out of obedience. They abstain and return to their desires only in response to Allah's command. They are obedient in both states. For such a person, it is hoped that they will be among those who are told (What means): "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in days past" [Al-Haqqah/24].

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the correct point at which to raise the hands when standing up for the third rak‘ah (after the middle tashahhud)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Raising the hands while saying the takbīr [when rising for the third rak‘ah] is a recommended sunnah, and omitting it does not affect the validity of the prayer. The proper time for this is after rising from the middle tashahhud, once one has fully stood up.
It is stated in I‘ānat aṭ-Ṭālibīn (Vol.1/P.158): "His statement, 'and rising from the first tashahhud' — meaning, this manner [of raising the hands] is also a sunnah when he rises from the first tashahhud, that is, when he stands upright from it.
Consider [the question]: when precisely does the raising of the hands begin? Is it at the very start of rising from the first tashahhud, or after he has reached the minimum position of rukū‘ [i.e., once fully upright]? The apparent, [correct] view is the latter — even though the outward wording [of the text] might suggest the former — because at the very start of his rising, he is still relying on both hands [to push himself up, and therefore cannot yet raise them]."
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 53): "If his prayer extends beyond two rak‘ahs, he sits after them in the iftirāsh position, recites the tashahhud, and sends blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ alone, without [mentioning] his family [at this point]. He then stands while saying the takbīr, supporting himself with his hands; and once he has stood upright, he raises them level with his shoulders." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible for the wife to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) of her money to her poor husband?

Yes, it is permissible for the wife to give from the Zakah of her money to her poor husband. And Allah Knows Best.

Is "Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm" a verse (āyah) of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The basmalah ("Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm") is, without question, a verse (āyah) of the Noble Qur'an, and according to the Shāfi‘ī school, it constitutes a verse of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah itself. Al-Fātiḥah is a pillar of the prayer, and it consists of seven verses, of which the basmalah is one. The prayer is not valid without reciting it, nor if any of the Fātiḥah's verses, letters, or shaddahs (consonant doublings) are omitted or altered.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm (Vol.1/p.202), from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "The basmalah is a complete verse of it [i.e., of al-Fātiḥah] in practice — and it suffices, for this to be established, that there be strong probability (ẓann), especially given that this has come very close to certainty (yaqīn), due to the consensus (ijmā‘) of the Companions on its inclusion in the muṣ-ḥaf [the written text of the Qur'an] in its script, despite their extreme diligence in excluding from it anything that did not genuinely belong to it — to the point that they even [carefully regulated] its diacritical dots and vowel markings." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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