Praise be to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We
seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil
deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides cannot be misled, and whomsoever He
leaves astray cannot be guided. I bear witness that there is no god except
Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Allaah has blessed His slaves by assigning for them certain seasons of
goodness in which hasanaat (rewards for good deeds) are multiplied,
sayyi`aat (bad deeds) are forgiven, people’s statuses are raised and the
hearts of believers turn to their Master. Those who purify themselves
attain success and those who corrupt themselves fail. Allaah has created
His slaves to worship Him, as He says:
“And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except that they
should worship Me (Alone).” [Surah adh‐Dhaariyaat 51:56]
One of the greatest acts of worship is fasting, which Allaah has made
obligatory on His slaves. He () says:
“Observing al‐siyaam (the fast) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may become al‐muttaqoon
(the pious).” [Surah al‐Baqarah 2:183]
Allaah encourages His slaves to fast:
“... And that you fast, is better for you, if only you know.” [Surah
al‐Baqarah 2:184]
He guides them to give thanks to Him for having made fasting obligatory
on them:

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“... that you should magnify Allaah for having guided you so that
you may be grateful to Him.” [Surah al‐Baqarah 2:185]
He has made fasting dear to people and has made it easy for them so that
they do not find it too difficult to give up their habits and what they are
accustomed to. Allaah says:
“...for a fixed number of days...” [Surah al‐Baqarah 2:184]
He has mercy on them and keeps them away from difficulties and harm,
as He says:
“... but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number
(should be made up) from other days...” [Surah al‐Baqarah 2:184]
It is no wonder then that in this month, the hearts of the believers turn to
their Most Merciful Lord, fearing Him above them, and hope to attain His
reward and the great victory [of Paradise].
As the status of this act of worship is so high, it is essential to learn the
ahkaam (rulings) pertaining to this month of fasting so that Muslims will
know what is obligatory in order to do it, what is haraam (forbidden) in
order to avoid it, and what is permissible so that they do not
unnecessarily subject themselves to any hardship by depriving
themselves from it.
This book is a summary of the rulings, etiquette and Sunnah of fasting.
May Allaah make it of benefit to me and my Muslim brothers. Praise be to
Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.

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The Definition of Siyaam (Fasting)

(1) Linguistically, siyaam in Arabic means abstinence. In Islamic
terminology, it means abstaining from things that break the fast, from
dawn until sunset, having first made the intention (niyyah) to do so.

The Ruling concerning Fasting

(2) The Ummah (Islamic nation) is in agreement to the fact that fasting
the month of Ramadan is obligatory, the evidence for which is in the
Qur`aan and Sunnah. Allaah () says:
“O you who believe! Observing al‐sawn (the fasting) is prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may
become al‐muttaqoon (the pious).” [Surah al‐Baqarah 2:183]
The Prophet () said:

“Islam is built on five [pillars]...”1
...among which he mentioned fasting in Ramadan.2
Whoever breaks the fast during Ramadan without a legitimate excuse has
committed a serious major sin, The Prophet () said when describing a
dream that he had seen:
“...until I was at a mountain where I heard loud voices. I asked,
‘What are these voices?’ They said, ‘This is the howling of the
people of Hellfire.’ Then I was taken [to another place], and I saw
people hanging from their hamstrings with the corners of their
mouths torn and dripping with blood. I said, ‘Who are these?’ They
1 Al‐Bukhaari.
2 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, 1/49.

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said, ‘The people who broke their fast before it was the proper time
to do so (i.e., before the time of breaking fast).’ ”3
Al‐Haafidh al‐Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,
“Among the believers it is well‐established that whoever does not fast in
Ramadan without a valid excuse is worse than an adulterer or drunkard;
they doubt whether he is even a Muslim at all, and they regard him as a
heretic and profligate.”
Shaykh al‐Islam [Ibn Taymiyyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If a person does not fast in Ramadan knowing that it is haraam but
making it halaal (permissible) for himself to do so, he must be executed;
and if he does it because he is immoral [but believes it is haraam
(impermissible)], then he must be punished for not fasting.”4

The Virtues of Fasting

(3) The virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the things reported
in authentic (saheeh) ahaadeeth is that Allaah has chosen fasting for
Himself, and He will reward it and multiply the reward without measure,
as He says [in a Hadeeth Qudsi5]:
“Except for fasting which is only for My sake, and I will reward him
for it.”6

3 Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/420.
4 Majmoo’ al‐Fataawaaa, 25/265.
5 Hadeeth Qudsi: a hadeeth which the Prophet () narrates from Allah exactly what He said.
It differs from the Qur`an in that it is not recited, and it differs from a regular hadeeth in that
the words themselves are revealed and not just the meanings.
6 Al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, no. 1904; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/407.

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‐ Fasting has no equal7, and the du‘aa (supplication) of the fasting person
will not be refused.8
‐ The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast,
and one when he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting9.
‐ Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment and will say,
“O Lord, I prevented him from his food and physical desires during
the day, so let me intercede for him.”10
‐ The smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved
to Allaah than the scent of musk.11
‐ Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from
the Fire.12
‐ Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will distance him
from the Fire a distance of seventy years from the Fire.13
‐ Whoever fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allaah, if that is the last
day of his life, he will enter Paradise.14
‐ “In Paradise there is a gate called al‐Rayyaan through which those
who fast will enter, and no one will enter through it except them;
when they have entered it will be locked, and no‐one else will enter
through it.”15
7 Al‐Nasaa`i, 4/165; Saheeh at‐Targheeb, 1/413.
8 Reported by al‐Bayhaqi, 3/345; al‐Silsilat al‐Saheehah, 1797.
9 Reported by Muslim, 2/807.
10 Reported by Ahmad, 2/174. Al‐Haythami classed its isnaad as hasan in al‐Majma’, 3/181.
See also Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/411.
11 Muslim, 2/807.
12 Reported by Ahmad, 2/402; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/411; Saheeh al‐Jaami’, 3880.
13 Reported by Muslim, 2/808.
14 Reported by Ahmad, 5/391; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/412.
15 Al‐Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1797.

‐ Ramadan is a pillar of Islam, the Qur`aan was revealed in this month,
and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months.
‐ “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the
gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.”16
‐ Fasting Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months.17
‐ “Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of (Allah’s)
reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” 18
‐ With the breaking of every fast, Allaah will choose people to free from
Hellfire.19

The Benefits of Fasting

(4) There is much wisdom and numerous benefits in fasting which relate
to the taqwaa Allah mentioned in the aayah (verse):
“...that you may become al‐muttaqoon (the pious).” [Surah al‐
Baqarah 2:183]
The interpretation of this aayah is that if a person refrains from halaal
things hoping to gain the pleasure of Allaah and out of fear of His
punishment, it will be easier for him to refrain from doing haraam things.
When a person’s stomach is empty and he is hungry, many of his other
faculties are kept from feeling hunger or desires; but when his stomach is
satisfied, his tongue, eyes, hands and private parts start to feel hunger.

16 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, no. 3277.
17 See Musnad Ahmad, 5/280; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/421.
18 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, Fath, no. 37.
19 Reported by Ahmad, 5/256; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/419.

Fasting leads to the defeat of Shaytaan; it controls desires and protects
one’s faculties.
When the fasting person feels the pangs of hunger, he experiences how
the poor feel, thus he feels compassion towards them and gives them
something to ward off their hunger. Hearing about them is not the same
as sharing their suffering, just as a rider does not understand the hardship
of walking until he gets down and walks.
Fasting trains the person to avoid desires and to keep away from sin; it
helps a person to overcome his own nature and to wean himself away
from bad habits. It also trains a person to get used to being organized and
punctual, which will solve the problem that many people have of being
disorganized, if only they realized.
Fasting is also a demonstration of the unity of the Muslims, as the
Ummah (Islamic nation) fasts and breaks its fast all at the same time.
Fasting also provides a great opportunity for those who are calling others
to Allaah. In this month many people come to the mosque for the first
time, and also those who have not been to the mosque for a long time, and
their hearts are open, so we must make the most of this opportunity by
preaching in a gentle manner, teaching appropriate lessons and speaking
beneficial words, whilst also cooperating in righteousness and good
deeds. The teacher should not be so preoccupied with others though that
he forgets his own soul and becomes like a candle that lights the way for
others while it is itself consumed.

We should make sure that we eat and drink something at suhoor (the time
before dawn), and that we delay it until just before the adhaan of Fajr. The
Prophet () said:
“Have suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing (barakah).”20
“Suhoor is blessed food, and it involves being different from the
people of the Book. What a good suhoor for the believer is dates.”21
One should not delay iftaar (breakfast after dusk), because the Prophet
() said:
“The people remain upon goodness so long as they do not delay
iftaar.” 22
A person should break his fast in the manner described in the hadeeth
narrated by Anas ():
“The Prophet () used to break his fast with fresh dates before
praying; if fresh dates were not available, he would eat (dried)
dates; if dried dates were not available, he would have a few sips of
water.”23
After iftaar, it is Sunnah to recite the words reported in the hadeeth
narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both), according
to which the Prophet (), when he broke his fast, would say:
“Dhahaba adh‐dhama ́, wabtallat il‐‘urooq, wa thabat al‐ajru in shaa
Allaah (The thirst has gone, the veins are flowing again, and the
reward is confirmed, in shaa Allaah).”24

20 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, Fat’h, 4/139.
21 Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 2345; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/448.
22 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, Fat’h, 4/198.
23 Reported by al‐Tirmidhi, 3/79 and others. He said it is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth. Classed as
saheeh in al‐Irwaa ́, no. 922.
24 Reported by Abu Dawood, 2/765; its isnaad was classed as hasan by al‐Daaraqutni, 2/185.

Keeping away from sin, because the Prophet () said:
“When any of you is fasting, let him not commit any sin...” 25
The Prophet () said:
“Whoever does not stop speaking falsehood and acting in
accordance with it, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food
and drink.” (Al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, no. 1903)
The fasting person should avoid all kinds of haraam actions, such as
backbiting, obscenity and lying, otherwise his reward may all be lost. The
Prophet () said:
“It may be that a fasting person gets nothing from his fast except
hunger.”26
Among the things that can destroy one’s hasanaat (good deeds) and cause
sayi`aat (bad deeds) to be recorded is allowing oneself to be distracted by
quiz‐shows, soap operas, movies and sports matches, idle gatherings,
hanging about in the streets with evil people and time‐wasters, driving
around for no purpose, and crowding the streets and sidewalks. The
month of tahajjud, dhikr and worship for many people becomes a month
in which they sleep during the day – so as to avoid feeling hunger – and
spend their nights in entertainment and indulging in their desires. This
further causes them to miss their prayers and the opportunity to pray
them in congregation. Some people even greet this month with feelings of
annoyance, thinking only of the pleasures they will miss out on. In
Ramadan, some people even travel to the lands of the disbelievers to
enjoy a holiday! Even the mosques are not free from such evils, as women
also attend wearing makeup and perfume. Even the Sacred House of
Allaah (Ka’bah) is not free of these ills. Some people make this month a
season for begging, even though they are not in need. Some entertain
themselves with dangerous fireworks and the like, and some of them
25 Reported by al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, no. 1904.
26 Reported by Ibn Maajah, 1/539; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/453.

waste their time in the markets, wandering around the shops, or having
new clothes stitched and following fashions. Some shop owners introduce
new products and new styles in their stores during the last ten days of the
month, thus keeping people away from earning rewards and hasanaat.
A person should not allow himself to be provoked, because the Prophet
() said:
“If someone fights him or insults him, he should say, ‘I am fasting, I
am fasting.’ ”27
One reason for this is to remind himself, and the other reason is to remind
the one who is provoking him. But anyone who looks at the conduct of
many of those who fast will see something quite different. It is essential to
exercise self‐control and be calm, but we see the opposite among the crazy
drivers who speed up when they hear the adhaan for Maghrib.
A person should not overeat, because the Prophet () said:
“The son of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach.”28
The wise person lives not to eat, but rather, eats to live. The best type of
food is that which is there to be used, not that which is there to be served.
People indulge in making all kinds of food (during Ramadan) and
treating food preparation as a virtual art form, and thus housewives and
servants spend all their time on making food. This keeps them away from
worship, and people spend far more on food during Ramadan than they
ordinarily do. Thus the month becomes the month of indigestion, obesity
and gastric illness in which people eat like gluttons and drink like thirsty
camels. When they stand to pray Taraaweeh (the night prayer in
Ramadan) they do so reluctantly, and some of them leave after the first
two rak‘ahs.

 A summary of the rulings, etiquette and Sunnah of fasting.