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Some Secrets of Fasting
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 24-03-2025

Some Secrets of Fasting

 

The month of Ramadan comes once every year, and there is no doubt that it enjoys a great status. It is one of the five pillars upon which Islam is built. So, what is the secret behind the lofty position that this month holds?

To answer the above question, we must reflect on the meaning of fasting, which is abstaining from things that break the fast from dawn until sunset along with intending to fast. The main things that break the fast are food, drink, and marital relations.

So, is the purpose to make a person suffer by abstaining from what they are accustomed to, such as eating and drinking during the day? The answer is, of course not. Allah, the Most High, is Merciful to His servants; He bestows His mercy and kindness upon them. He does not intend to make them suffer, for He is entirely self-sufficient and not in need of them.

However, abstaining from food and drink during the day in Ramadan carries a number of important messages, the most notable of which are:

Feeling the blessings of Allah: A person does not truly realize the greatness and value of a blessing until they lose it. Through fasting, a person voluntarily experiences the absence of these blessings, which allows them to recognize their worth due to the natural need for them. This, in turn, positively impacts their behavior by fostering respect for the blessing, appreciation for it, and a commitment to preserving it. This reinforces the principle of maintaining wealth in any form and by any means.

Moreover, the feeling of empathy for the poor and the needy, who may have endured long nights of hunger, is strengthened. The fasting person, by experiencing hunger, enters into the emotional state of the hungry poor. This leads the wealthy fasting individual to feel more inclined to help their impoverished brothers and sisters, as they have tasted the hardship of hunger themselves. This reinforces the principle of social solidarity.

It is also clear that abstaining from food and drink during the day in Ramadan strengthens the self-discipline of believers. By refraining from what is permissible, it encourages the self to refrain from what is forbidden. Maintaining the fast, even when one has the ability to eat, trains the soul to exercise self-control, demonstrating the importance of self-monitoring in keeping away from that which Allah has forbidden.

From all that has been discussed, we can see that fasting has a profound philosophy in the life of both the individual and society. Preserving blessings, social solidarity, and self-monitoring are some of the key principles that individuals embody and that hold the community together.

Additionally, when a person experiences hunger, thirst, and an empty stomach, they naturally become more restless and receptive to wisdom. This makes them present in their worship and more closely connected with their Creator, thus making fasting nourishment for the soul.

The fasting person cannot achieve these benefits if they eat to excess. If they overindulge at Iftar and Suhoor, they may suffer from discomfort during the day. In this case, fasting loses its intended meaning, which is something we must be cautious of.

In conclusion, I ask Allah, the Almighty, to accept from us and from you all righteous deeds.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on following the actions of the imam in prayer and how this following is achieved?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The follower (ma'mum) is required to follow his imam in the actions of the prayer. This "following" (mutaba'ah) means that the follower performs each action of the prayer after the imam has begun it but before he has finished it. For example, the follower bows (in ruku') after the imam has reached the position of bowing, then rises after the imam has risen. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The imam is only appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir; and when he bows, then bow; and when he prostrates, then prostrate" (agreed upon, i.e., reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim).
It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (1/505): "Among the conditions of valid congregational prayer (iqtida') is following the imam in the actions of the prayer... meaning that following the imam is obligatory in the physical actions of the prayer, not in its verbal utterances... Complete following (kamal al-mutaba'ah) is achieved when the follower's beginning of an action comes after the imam's beginning of that same action, while the follower's beginning of the action precedes the imam's completion of it" — end of quote, with slight paraphrasing.
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islam on swearing by Allah without intending to take an actual oath?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If someone swears by Allah without intending to take an actual oath, and without the firm resolve to bind themselves to it, then there is no sin or expiation (Kaffarah) required of them. Allah the Exalted says {what means}: 'God will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts; and He is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.' [Al-Baqarah/225]. However, a Muslim should avoid swearing oaths excessively so that their tongue does not become accustomed to it. Allah the Exalted says {what means}: 'And make not God’s (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for God is One Who heareth and knoweth all things.
' [Al-Baqarah/224]. And Allah the Exalted knows best."

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on the prayer of zawal?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended (sunnah) to pray four rakʿāt — either with a single tasleem or as two separate sets of two rakʿāt — immediately following the sun's decline from its zenith (zawāl). This prayer is distinct from the regular Sunnah prayer of Ẓuhr (sunnat al-ẓuhr al-rātibah), as explicitly stated by the Shāfiʿī jurists.
It is mentioned in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj: "The prayer of zawāl is offered after the sun's decline — so were one to perform it before that, it would not count. It consists of two or four rakʿāt and is distinct from the Sunnah of Ẓuhr, as is evident from the fact that it is mentioned separately after the regular Sunnah prayers, and it becomes a make-up prayer (qaḍāʾ) if a long period of time passes by customary reckoning... Al-ʿAlqamī stated: 'Scholars refer to this as the Sunnah of Zawāl, and it is distinct from the four rakʿāt that constitute the Sunnah of Ẓuhr.' Our shaykh said: Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿIrāqī stated that among those who explicitly affirmed its recommendation was al-Ghazālī in al-Iḥyāʾ, in the chapter on devotional litanies, noting that there is no tasleem between them — meaning there is no break between each pair of rakʿāt."
The time of the sun's decline (zawāl) marks the very beginning of the time for the Ẓuhr prayer.
And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on a latecomer who joins the imam during the standing position of the first rakʿah but was unable to complete the recitation of al-Fātiḥah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a latecomer (masbuq) joins the prayer while the imam is standing, he should begin reciting Sūrat al-Fātiḥah immediately, without pausing to recite the opening supplication (duʿāʾ al-istiftāḥ) or the seeking of refuge (taʿawwudh). If the imam bows before he completes al-Fātiḥah, he follows the imam into the bow and leaves whatever remains of al-Fātiḥah — the imam bears it on his behalf.
It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 47): "If a latecomer finds the imam standing and is confident that he has enough time to recite the taʿawwudh and al-Fātiḥah in full, he may do so. If he is uncertain, he should neither recite the opening supplication nor the taʿawwudh, but rather begin directly with al-Fātiḥah. If the imam bows before he completes it, he follows him into the bow — provided he had not already begun the opening supplication or the taʿawwudh. If he had begun either of them, he continues reciting al-Fātiḥah for as long as he spent on them." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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