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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

Is it permissible to combine Zuhr and Asr prayers for being occupied with a wedding ceremony?

No, it isn`t permissible to combine Zuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha because of being busy with a wedding since the exemption for combining prayers is based on lawful excuses, and this isn`t one of them. And Allah Knows Best.

Is a woman's prayer performed while following an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via the television valid, and does she receive the reward of congregational prayer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Among the conditions for the validity of following an Imam (Iqtida’) is that the Imam and the follower must be in the same location. Therefore, the prayer of one who follows an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via television from a distant location is not valid. However, if the follower is with the Imam in the same mosque, the prayer is valid. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

If a person enters a mosque and finds the congregation in the final tashahhud, which is more virtuous — joining them or waiting for a second congregation to catch the opening takbīr (takbīrat al-iḥrām)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a worshipper finds a congregation that is about to finish its prayer, and he hopes to catch the entire prayer from the beginning with another congregation, it is more virtuous for him to pray with this first congregation and then repeat the prayer with the second one — provided he does not intend to confine himself to a single prayer. If, however, he intends to perform only one prayer, then it is more virtuous for him to wait for the second congregation rather than joining the first, so that he may attain the reward of congregational prayer for every single rakʿah.
Al-Khaṭīb al-Sharbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "If members of a congregation enter the mosque while the imam is in the final tashahhud, al-Qāḍī Ḥusayn held that it is recommended for them to join him in prayer, and that they should not delay in order to form a second congregation. Al-Mutawallī, however, affirmed the opposite view, and al-Qāḍī's own statement elsewhere supports this latter position, which is the relied-upon view. In fact, it is more virtuous for a person who has missed part of the prayer with one congregation, and who hopes to catch another congregation with whom he can attain the entire prayer within its proper time, to delay so that he may catch it in full with them. This applies when he intends to confine himself to a single prayer; otherwise, it is more virtuous for him to pray with the first group and then repeat the prayer with the others." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj,Vol. 3/P.186] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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