What is Sawm (Fasting)?
The Arabic word for fasting is called "sawm" in the Quran. The word sawm literally means "to abstain". Chapter Maryam of the Quran says that Mary the mother of Jesus said "I have vowed a "sawm" (fast) for the sake of the Merciful, so today I shall not speak to anyone." [Quran 19:26]. According to Shariyah, the word sawm means to abstain from all those things that are forbidden during fasting from the break of dawn to the sunset, and to do this with the intention of fasting.
Purpose of Fasting
In chapter 2 verse 183 the Quran says, "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who were before you, in order that you may learn taqwa (piety)".
Taqwa is a very important spiritual and ethical term of the Quran. It is the sum total of all Islamic spirituality and ethics. It is a quality in a believer's life that keeps him or her aware of God all the time. A person who has taqwa loves to do good and avoid evil for the sake of God. Taqwa is piety, righteousness and consciousness of God. Taqwa requires patience and perseverance. Fasting teaches patience, and with patience one can rise to the high position of taqwa.
The Prophet (SA) said that fasting is a shield. It protects a person from sin and lustful desires. When the disciples of Jesus asked him how to cast the evil spirits away, he is reported to have said, "But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:21).
According to Imam Al Ghazali, fasting produces a semblance of divine quality of samadiyyah (freedom from want) in a human being. Imam Ibn Al Qayyim, viewed fasting as a means of releasing the human spirit from the clutches of desire, thus allowing moderation to prevail in the carnal self. Imam Shah Waliullah Dahlawi (d. 1762 C.E.) viewed fasting as a means of weakening the bestial and reinforcing the angelic elements in human beings. Maulana Mawdudi (d. 1979 C.E.) emphasized that fasting for a full month every year trains a person individually, and the Muslim community as a whole, in piety and self restraint.
Fasting Is Obligatory
In the second year of Hijrah, Muslims were commanded to fast in the month of Ramadan every year as mentioned in the verse above [Al-Baqarah 2:183]. The Quran further says "The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran, wherein is guidance for humankind and the clear signs of guidance and distinction. Thus whosoever among you witness the month must fast..." [Al-Baqarah 2:184].
Prophet Muhammad (SA) explained this further in a number of his statements reported in the books of Hadith. It is reported by Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim on the authority of Ibn Umar that the Messenger of God said, "Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god except God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, performing Prayer, paying the zakah, making the pilgrimage to the Sacred House (Hajj), and fasting during the month of Ramadan."
The entire Muslim world is unanimous in the principal of fasting in the month of Ramadan and considers it obligatory upon every person who is physicaly capable (mukallaf).
Rules of Fasting
Who must fast?
Muslims all over the world wait eagerly for Ramadan, as it is a time of increased inner peace and well-being.
Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory upon every adult Muslim, male or female, who has reached puberty, is sane and who is not sick or traveling.
Sickness could be a temporary sickness from which a person expects to be cured soon. Such a person should not fast during the days of his or her sickness, but he or she must fast later after Ramadan to complete the missed days. Those who are sick with incurable illness and expect no better health are also allowed not to fast but they must pay the fidyah, which is giving a day's meals for each fast missed to a needy person. Instead of food for one day one can also give equivalent amount of money to a needy person. Women in their menses and post-natal bleeding are not allowed to fast, but they must make up the fast later after Ramadan. If pregnant women and mothers who are nursing babies can also postpone their fasting to a later time when they are able to do so.
A travel according to the Shariah is any journey that takes you away from your city of residence, a minimum of 48 miles or 80 kilometers. The journey must be for a good cause. One must avoid frivolous travel during Ramadan which causes a person to miss fasting. If possible one should try to change their travel plans during Ramadan to be able to fast and should not travel unless it is necessary. The traveler who misses the fasts of Ramadan must make up those missed days later as soon as possible after Ramadan.
Fasting According to the Sunnah
1 - Take sahur (pre-dawn meal). It is Sunnah and there is a great reward and blessing in taking sahur. The best time for sahur is the last half hour before dawn or the time for Fajr prayer.
2 - Take iftar (break-fast) immediately after sunset. Shariah considers sunset when the disk of the sun goes below the horizon and disappears completely.
3 - During the fast, abstain from all false talks and deeds. Do not quarrel, have disputes, indulge in arguments, use bad words, or do anything that is forbidden. You should try to discipline yourself morally and ethically, besides gaining physical training and discipline. You should also not make a show of your fasting by talking too much about it, or by showing dry lips and a hungry stomach, or by showing a bad temper. The fasting person must be a pleasant person with good spirits and good cheer.
4 - During the fast, do acts of charity and goodness to others and increase your worship and reading of the Quran. Every one should try to read the whole Quran at least once during the month of Ramadan.
Things That Invalidate the Fast
You must avoid doing anything that may render your fast invalid. Things that invalidate the fast and require qadaa' (making up for these days) are the following:
1 - Eating, drinking or smoking deliberately, including taking any non-nourishing items by mouth or nose.
2 - Deliberately causing yourself to vomit.
3 - The beginning of menstrual or post-childbirth bleeding even in the last moment before sunset.
4 - Sexual intercourse or other sexual contact (or masturbation) that results in ejaculation (in men) or vaginal secretions (orgasm) in women.
5 - Eating, drinking, smoking or having sexual intercourse after Fajr (dawn) on the mistaken assumption that it is not Fajr time yet. Similarly, engaging in these acts before Maghrib (sunset) on the mistaken assumption that it is already Maghrib time.
Sexual intercourse during fasting is forbidden. Those who engage in it must make both qadaa' (make up the fasts) and kaffarah (expiation by fasting for 60 days after Ramadan or by feeding 60 poor people for each day of fast broken in this way). According to Imam Abu Hanifah, eating and/or drinking deliberately during fast also entail the same qadaa' and kaffarah.
Things That Do Not Invalidate Fasting
Using a miswak to clean your teeth does not invalidate fasting
During fast, the following things are permissible:
1 - Taking a bath or shower. If water is swallowed involuntarily it will not invalidate the fast. According to most of the jurists, swimming is also allowed in fasting, but one should avoid diving, because that will cause the water to go from the mouth or nose into the stomach.
2 - Using perfumes, wearing contact lenses or using eye drops.
3 - Taking injections or having a blood test.
4 - Using miswak (tooth-stick) or toothbrush (even with tooth paste) and rinsing the mouth or nostrils with water, provided it is not overdone (so as to avoid swallowing water).
5 - Eating, drinking or smoking unintentionally, i.e., forgetting that one was fasting. But one must stop as soon as one remembers and should continue one's fast.
6 - Sleeping during the daytime and having a wet-dream does not break one's fast. Also, if one has intercourse during the night and was not able to make ghusl (bathe) before dawn, he or she can begin fast and make ghusl later. Women whose menstruation stops during the night may begin fasting even if they have not made ghusl yet. In all these cases, bathing (ghusl) is necessary but fast is valid even without bathing.
7 - Kissing between husband and wife is allowed in fasting, but one should try to avoid it so that one may not do anything further that is forbidden during the fast.
Requirements for Fasting to Be Valid
There are basically two main components of fasting:
1 - The intention (niyyah) for fasting. One should make a sincere intention to fast for the sake of God every day before dawn. The intention need not be in words, but must be with the sincerity of the heart and mind. Some jurists are of the opinion that the intention can be made once only for the whole month and does not have to be repeated every day. It is, however, better to make intention every day to take full benefit of fasting.
2 - Abstaining from dawn to dusk from everything that invalidates fasting as mentioned above.
Adab (Etiquettes) of fasting
Fasting is also more than just abstaining from eating, drinking and sexual relations. It is a process that should help you to discipline yourself and enable your mind to be in control of your body. This will help you to become a better Muslim and ultimately closer to Allah. A person who is fasting should try to avoid all sins – both minor and major. Of course, sins should always be avoided, but it is especially important during Ramadan, if more than just hunger and thirst are to be the result of this blessed month.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
“Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, a person observing fasting should avoid sexual relations and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) added, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), ‘He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.”
(Sahih Muslim Volume 3, Book 31, Number 118)
Suhoor and Iftar
Suhoor is the meal taken before the beginning of the fast in the morning before the Fajr prayer. It is recommended to delay Suhoor to the latest time possible, close to dawn, as long as eating does not continue past the beginning of the time for the Fajr prayer. Scholars advocate to abstain from eating several minutes before Fajr time to allow the mouth to clear of any food remnants. This meal was emphasised as important by the Prophet (peace be upon him), due to its blessings. It does not invalidate your fast if you miss Suhoor.
Iftar is food that is taken to break the fast, and it is done at the beginning of the time for the Maghrib (sunset) prayer. It is strongly recommended to eat something as soon as the time for the prayer starts (at sunset). It is Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him) to eat an odd number of dates and/or to drink water at this time, before praying the Maghrib prayer. But any food or drink that is Halal is acceptable. Missing or delaying this meal does not invalidate the fast, but it is strongly disliked to do so. It is also recommended to provide Iftar for other fasting people and to eat with them if you are able to.
Good deeds in Ramadan
Good deeds in Ramadan are multiplied in reward many times over. As mentioned in the above Hadith (a report about the Prophet, peace be upon him), the fast is for Allah alone. Most people have time during their day when no-one can see them, when no-one would know if they ate or not; however whatever they do is witnessed in full by Allah.
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise.”
He (peace be upon him) used to give more in charity in Ramadan than any other month and gave the most during the last ten days. It is recommended to be extra generous to your family in Ramadan and to be good to relatives and neighbours.
It is a good time to read more Qur’an and to increase your Dhikr (remembrance of Allah. This can be done in a number of ways, such as reciting the Qur’an, reflecting upon the meaning of the Qur’an and Allah’s Names, Attributes and creation, reading supplications and performing optional prayers).
It is important to not overburden yourself with extra deeds. Thirty days is a long time and it is useful to plan ahead and think about your limits. The best advice is to try and slowly increase your extra deeds as the month goes on, so by the end you achieve the target you set yourself. It is too easy to get carried away at the beginning and ‘burn out’ before the end.
You should refrain from lying and backbiting whilst fasting, and this is emphasized.
Kissing is also disliked, and it becomes unlawful if it is possible that it may lead to ejaculation or sexual intercourse.
Tarawih
Tarawih is a voluntary prayer that is performed every night after the Isha prayer in mosques during Ramadan. It is not an obligation to attend a mosque to perform it, as it can also be performed at home. Most mosques try to complete one Juz’ (one 30th) of the Qur’an every night, so by the end of Ramadan they aim to have completed a recitation of the whole Book. It is prayed in slightly different ways from mosque to mosque, some pray 23 Rak`ahs (units of prayer, i.e. 20 Rak`ahs of prayer + 3 Rak`ahs of Witr) and others 11 Rak`ahs (8 Rak`ahs + 3 Rak`ahs of Witr), but is always done in sets of two Rak’ahs, ends in a odd number and usually lasts about an hour.
Many Muslims place a lot of emphasis on attending this prayer to the point it may be perceived as an obligation, but that is not the case, it is completely optional; although highly recommended.
The Night of Power
The Night of Power (Laylat-ul-Qadr in Arabic) is the night on which Allah sent down the Qur’an in its entirety to the lowest heaven and it is also the night when the first revelations were received by the Prophet (peace be upon him) from the angel Jibra’il (Gabriel, peace be upon him).
No-one knows the exact date, but many believe that it is the 27th night. Others believe it is one of odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, others one of the even nights, some believe it can be any night of Ramadan and others believe it changes year to year.
On this night many mosques have extra programmes of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and prayer. It is believed that a good deed is rewarded at least 1,000 times more than usual on this night, as Allah states in the Qur’an that it is ‘…better than a thousand months.’ (Surah Al-Qadr 97:3). So it is important to make an effort to perform extra acts of worship on this night.
It is important also to remember that the Islamic day starts at sunset of the night before and not at midnight.
Itikaf (seclusion in the mosque)
`Itikaf is performed by those who are able to, in the last ten days of Ramadan. It is not obligatory, but is recommended and was the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). Many mosques will provide facilities for `Itikaf. This entails staying in the mosque for a minimum of one full day, with the intention of doing it to get closer to Allah. You may of course leave the mosque to go to the bathroom or for other urgent matters. Those in `Itikaf should be engaged in remembrance of Allah (Dhikr), doing extra Salah (prayer), reciting and studying the Qur’an, etc.
`Eid-ul-Fitr
`Eid-ul-Fitr is the festival on the first day of the month after Ramadan (known as Shawwal). It is not permissible to fast on this day. Early in the morning after sunrise, a prayer is performed in the mosques and it is recommended that everyone should attend, men and women (even menstruating women, if the mosque provides a place for them). Everyone should wear their best clean clothes (remaining within the Islamic clothing guidelines) and men should wear perfume. Before attending the prayer it is advised to have Ghusl (a ritual bath) and clean your teeth.
Zakat-ul-Fitr
This is an obligatory charitable payment, which must be paid before the `Eid prayer and is mainly used to feed the poor. Ask at your local mosque for details of how to pay it and how much it is. It varies every year, but it is only a small amount; roughly equivalent to the amount needed to feed a person a normal meal. It has to be paid on behalf of each member of the household, young and old. It should be paid by the man responsible for the household, but if there isn’t a Muslim man responsible for the household, the women have to pay their own Zakat–ul-Fitr.
Advice about food during Ramadan
It is very important to eat a healthy diet during Ramadan that can sustain you. Fasting can be very good for your health if done properly, but eating junk or poor quality food can make the fast harder and be bad for your health. The NHS have issued a booklet containing advice on what to eat and how to stay healthy during Ramadan. This can be found at the following website.
Du`a (supplication) at the time of breaking the fast
The following Du`a is advised to be said just before breaking the fast:
اللّھُمَّ إنّي لكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أفْطَرْتُ
(Allahumma inee laka Sumtu wa bika aamantu wa `alika tawakkaltu wa `alaa rizqika afTartu.)
“Oh Allah, indeed for You I have fasted and in You I have believed and upon You I have relied and with Your provision I have broken my fast”.
Glossary
Adab – manners or etiquette.
Dhikr – Remembrance of Allah. This can be done in a number of ways, such as reciting the Qur’an, reflecting upon the meaning of the Qur’an and Allah’s Names, Attributes and creation, reading supplications and performing optional prayers
`Eid – Festival. There are only two main festivals in the Islamic calendar, the first at the end of Ramadan (which is called `Eid-ul-Fitr) and the second to celebrate the Hajj (which is called `Eid-ul-Adha).
Hadith – Report about the Prophet (peace be upon him), which could be a report about his actions or his words or his tacit approval of something. This is the main source used by scholars to understand the Prophet’s Sunnah (what he did) and it is the second source of knowledge about Islam after the Qur’an.
Imam – Literally: a leader; but commonly referring to someone who is appointed to lead the prayers in the mosque. It is also a term that can be used for anyone leading prayers or a respected scholar.
`Itikaf – seclusion in the mosque
Jibra’il – The angel Gabriel
Laylat-ul-Qadr – The Night of Power
Sahih al-Bukhari – The most reliable collection of Hadith according to the majority of Muslim scholars.
Sahih Muslim – The second most reliable collect of Hadith.
Sawm – Fasting
Tarawih – The prayers done in the mosque after the night prayer during Ramadan (see section 8)
