Fasting is one of the most exalted worship in Islam, and considered a mean of nearness to Allah. It purifies the soul and behaves the manners. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a man. Fasting says, ‘O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an says, ‘I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.’ Then their intercession is accepted.” ِAllah made fasting as a shield like of any one in battle. Allah the Exalted and Majestic said: that every act of the son of Adam is for him, except As-Siyam (the fasting) which is (exclusively) for Him, and He will reward him for it. The reward of fasting is unrestricted, Every [good] deed a son of Adam does will be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward, with the exception of fasting. It is done for the sake of Allah and Allah gives a reward for it. As it revolves around abandoning the passion and food for His Sake. The types of fasting in Islam are five: obligatory (wajib), forbidden (muharram), encouraged (mustahabb), disliked (makruh) and permissible (mubah). The obligatory fasting is Ramadan‘s fasting and fasting the missed days of Ramadan.
Fasting Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam that Muslim’s reality as a servant of Allah shall not be completed until this pillar is correctly done. Allah said in Surah Al-Baqarah:183, ”O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. A limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] – a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess – it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.” (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ. أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ). Fasting Ramadan was made obligatory in the second year of Hijrah, it is obligatory upon every Muslim, adult (i.e., has reached puberty) and sane. It abstaining from food and drink from dawn (fajr) to sunset (maghrib) when the adhan is called with a specific intention. Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al-qadr [Night of Decree] in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven.”
Known that all the deeds must be preceded by an intention, as deeds are to be judged only by intentions, it means the fasting of Ramadan must be preceded by intention. Fuqaha (jurist) had a different opinions in this topic of when to set your intentions of fasting the month of Ramadan. For the Shafiaah (related to Al Emam Al-Shafi’i), the intention of fasting must be renewed every night starting from Maghreb to the Fajir, whilst Al-Malikiah (related to Imam Malik) said that one intention at the beginning of the month of Ramadan is enough to cover the whole month.
sunnah of fasting
Suhoor. Suhoor is a pre-dawn meal, Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Take a meal a little before dawn, for there is a blessing in taking a meal at that time.” Iftar. It is the meal of breaking the fasting. It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The people will remain upon goodness so long as they hasten to break the fast. Hasten to break the fast, for the Jews delay it.” Whoever has dried dates, then let him break the fast with that, and whoever does not, then let him break the fast with water, for indeed water is purifying. The prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) recommended us to eat in moderation for healthy reasons and also to be able to pray Taraweeh (Taraweeh means ‘rest’ and ‘relaxation’. This prayer, which is prayed after Isha Salah in Ramadan, is called this because people usually take a break between every four rakats as the prayers are lengthy). Dua. It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin ‘As that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When the fasting person breaks his fast, his supplication is not turned back.” Also, Ibn Abi Mulaikah said: “When he broke his fast, I heard ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr say: ‘O Allah! I ask You by Your Mercy, which encompasses all things, to forgive me.’
The invalidators of fasting
1- Sexual intercourse
2- Eating
3- Drinking
4- Ejaculation of semen with desire
5- Intentional vomiting
6- Blood coming out (of the body) by means of cupping
7- Blood coming out during menstrual and post-partum periods
