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Among the Distinguishing Characteristics of Fasting
Author : Dr. Mufti Sa`eid Farhan
Date Added : 04-06-2025

 

Allah The Almighty created humankind and made them His vicegerents on Earth. He was Pleased with the status of servitude for them, and what an honored status it is! To perfect this status, He, Glorified be He, Ordained acts of worship upon them. Moreover, His Infinite Wisdom, Almighty and Majestic, necessitated that these acts of worship be diverse: some are spiritual (of the heart), some are physical, and some are financial.

Among what Allah The Almighty has Made obligatory is fasting. This great act of worship is distinguished from other acts of worship by many unique characteristics. I will summarize some of these features in the following aspects:

Firstly: Elevated Status Directly Attributed to Allah

Allah, The Exalted and Glorified, elevated the status of fasting by attributing it directly to Himself. Al-Bukhari and others narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) Said (What means): Relating from his Lord, the Exalted and Glorified: "Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting. It is for Me, and I shall Reward for it." This unique distinction was granted only to fasting, even while all other acts of worship are also revered. Due to this, a fasting person possesses a noble soul, high aspirations, and strong resolve in their fast. They know that this fast is for Allah the Almighty, and thus endure every hardship and difficulty to complete their fast in the manner that Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, approves.

Secondly: Regarding the Reward

Allah, The Exalted and Glorified, has also Designated a distinct reward and Reckoning for fasting, different from other acts of worship. Just as Allah, The Exalted and Glorified, Singled out fasting and attributed it to Himself, He likewise Designated an immense reward for it, stating in the Hadith Qudsi (What means): "And I shall Reward for it." The reward is commensurate with The Giver of the reward, Who is Allah, The Exalted and Glorified.

Fasting is also half of patience, as reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the hadith narrated by Ibn Majah and others. Since, Allah, The Exalted and Glorified, Said (What means): "Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." [Az-Zumar/10]. Thus,  fasting person will receive their reward without account. As Al-Imam Al-Ghazali mentioned in "Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din" about fasting: "Its reward has surpassed the law of estimation and calculation." Furthermore, Allah, The Most Glorified, has Designated a special gate in Paradise for those who fast, known as the gate of Ar-Rayyan.

Thirdly: A Worship Hidden from Others

Fasting is a form of worship that only Allah The Almighty is Aware of, making it the furthest removed from Riya' (showing off) and hypocrisy. Just as Allah's Wisdom necessitated that fasting be for Him, The Exalted and Glorified, it also necessitated that the fasting person's own self be with Allah, The Exalted and Glorified, connected to Him in an act of worship that no one else can observe. Allah has Honored fasting by keeping it far from anything that might compromise it, such as Riya', hypocrisy, or seeking reputation. He did this by Making it a hidden act of worship, unseen by people, and its immediate effects unnoticeable to them.

Fourthly: Regarding Sharia Rulings

Fasting differs from other acts of worship in certain Sharia rulings. For instance, the intention (Niyyah) for fasting must precede the act itself, meaning the intention must be made a period of time—even if brief—before the fast begins. In contrast, for most other acts of worship, the intention must be concurrent with the act, and it is not valid if the intention precedes the action.

Fifthly: A Worship of Abstinence and Concurrence with Other Acts

Despite its high rank and immense reward, fasting is primarily an act of abstinence (Tark) rather than an active deed (Fi'l). This grants fasting an additional advantage: the ability to combine it with other acts of worship. A fasting person can pray, recite the Quran, and engage in other good deeds simultaneously. By doing so, they perform multiple acts of worship at once, all of which contribute to their benefit, elevating their reward and status.

We ask Allah, The Magnificent, Lord of the Noble Throne, to Bless us in Ramadan and to Help us increase in reward and recompense therein. Indeed, He is The Guardian of that and The One Capable of it. And all Perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is the one offering the sacrifice liable if its meat spoils?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon our Master the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the meat (of the sacrifice) spoils due to the negligence of the one offering the sacrifice in preserving it, or due to improper storage, then he is liable to compensate for the portion due to the poor (which is estimated as half a kilogram of meat). If the sacrifice was a vowed (mandatory) one, then he is liable for all of it.
 
However, if he was not negligent, then there is no liability upon him, because its ruling is the ruling of a trust (like an item left in someone's care). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr in cash?

The default ruling is that Zakat al-Fitr should be given as the staple food of the land. In Jordan, for example, the staple food is wheat or rice, and the amount of Zakat al-Fitr is 2,500 grams per person. It is easy to give this amount of rice to the poor and needy, and this is the correct ruling according to all Islamic schools of thought.
However, Hanafi scholars have permitted giving Zakat al-Fitr as monetary value, considering it more beneficial for the poor and easier for the giver.

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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