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Morals of Fasting
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 10-04-2022

Morals of Fasting 

 

Almighty Allah made fasting an obligation and fasting the month of Ramadan as one of the five great pillars of Islam. He, The Almighty Says (What means): "O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may be God-fearing,"[Al-Baqarah/183].

Undoubtedly, there is a great wisdom, in this life or the next, behind every act of worship prescribed by Almighty Allah. Thus, one of the sublimest impacts for the acts worship is purifying self and elevating it to embrace the highest of ethics whereby an adherent Muslim becomes the noblest in character and this can be noticed in every Islamic ritual and pillar. Eventually, this produces a positive relationship between religion and life; body and soul; this worldly life and the Hereafter as well as society and the individual.

The greatness of fasting following the command of Allah crystalizes through its effects on the self and soul of the fasting Muslim and his/her societal attitude, in addition to realizing the objective stated in the Glorious Quran (so that you may be God-fearing). God-fearing encompasses all meanings of goodness that prevent a person from falling into sins since it disciplines the behavior, develops positive values, and helps one eschew lies and false conduct. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "If one does not eschew lies and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from his food and his drink." {Related by Bukhari}. Since God-fearing requires behaving decently towards people, the Prophet (PBUH) has brought them together. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people". {Related by Atirmithi}.

Allah The Almighty has Favored A man with a high rank and honored him over other creatures, so through fasting, man resembles the state of the angels in terms of not eating, drinking, or breeding. Rather, they, as described by Allah, whereas it (The verse) states (What means): "Proclaim His purity night and day, never slackening." [Al-Anbiyaa`/20]. They also resemble the angels who are described as (What means): "who do not disobey Allah in what He orders them, and do whatever they are ordered to do." [At-Tahrim/6]. In addition, the fasting person who adheres to reciting the Quran during the blessed month of Ramadan is granted the highest ranks of the angels. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards." [Agreed upon].

When Allah Prescribed fasting as means of curbing desires, He, The Most Exalted, Wanted to Raise the fasting person to the highest of ranks on the social, moral, and faith level. Abstaining from food and drink means experiencing the hunger and thirst of the poor and needy, and consequently embodying brotherhood of faith. The evidence on this is that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." [Moslim]. In addition, fasting elevates a Muslim`s faith and grants him/her the attributes of the angels. Allah The Almighty Says [What means]: "And We bestowed dignity on the children of ’Adam." [Al-`Isra`/70].

Food and sex are the shortest way the devil takes to mislead a person. However, when Allah commanded quitting these at this particular time (Ramadan), He meant to be kind to us and teach us how to resist the evil suggestions of the devil.

Fasting also helps stop man`s soul from inciting him to evil; consequently, a person doesn`t transgress the limits set by Allah and avoids the destructive sins, such as envy, arrogance, gossip, backbiting, and showing-off (of good deeds). Rather, a person draws closer to Allah through voluntary acts of worship, acts of obedience, and reciting the Quran. Unfortunately, some Muslims observe fast but harm other Muslims with gossip, backbiting, and violating their honor. The Messenger of Allah said: "There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger." [An-Nasaa`i]. and he (PBUH) said: "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people's lives and wealth are safe." [An-Nasaa`i].

Moreover, the messenger teaches that a Muslim shouldn`t act obscenely and should avoid argument. He, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, 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.' "

Shaddad bin Aus (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came across a man in Al-Baqi' (in Medina) who was having himself cupped in Ramadan., and said to him: "The one who cups and the one who is being cupped have both broken their fast." [Bukhari]. These two have broken their fast by backbiting another man, so their fast is unaccepted by Allah since they have transgressed His limits and violated His prohibitions.

Amongst the morals of fasting is when the heart of the fasting person is hanging between hope and fear. Al-Ahnaf was told: "You are an old man and fasting weakens you." He replied: "I`m preparing myself for a long journey, and observing patience in obeying Allah is easier than observing patience over His punishment."

These are the morals of fasting that a Muslim should be keen on observing. We pray that Allah accept our fasting, supplication, and night prayers. Indeed, He hears and responds. All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is required of one who doubts the number of rakʿāt during prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person doubts the number of rakʿāt he has prayed, he should build upon the lesser number, as that is what he is certain of. He should then perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) before the final salām at the end of the prayer. ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When any one of you is in doubt during his prayer and does not know whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, let him pray one more rakʿah and then perform two prostrations while seated before the salām. If the rakʿah he prayed was a fifth, these two prostrations will make it even; and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations serve as a humiliation for the devil." (Reported by Abū Dāwūd.)
It is stated in al-Muqaddimah al-Ḥaḍramiyyah — one of the foundational texts of the Shāfiʿī school: "If one doubts whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, he is obliged to build upon the lesser number."
However, if such doubt recurs repeatedly and reaches the level of obsessive whispering (waswasah), he should not build upon the lesser number in that case — rather, he should build upon the greater number. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who combines two prayers as an early combination (jam‘ taqdīm), and then arrives at his place of residence during the time of the second prayer — is he obligated to repeat it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Whoever combines Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr while traveling — that is, before he has reached the built-up boundaries of his hometown [upon returning] — his combination (jam‘) of the two prayers remains valid, even if he arrives at his place of residence before the time for the second prayer has actually begun. This is because the combination was already validly completed with its proper conditions fulfilled, and he is not obligated to repeat the second prayer [upon arrival].
A traveler is permitted to make use of the concessions of shortening (qaṣr) and combining (jam‘) prayers once the distance of travel reaches (81 km) or more, provided that his journey is a permissible one, and that he begins shortening and combining only after actually setting out on the journey and passing beyond the built-up limits of the city in which he resides. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on the money saved for marriage?

Zakah is due on the money saved for marriage if it reached the Nissab (minimum amount liable for Zakah), and a whole lunar year had lapsed over possessing it.

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