Pearls of Prophetic Wisdom “Fasting”

Pearls of Prophetic Wisdom

“Fasting”

Fasting is Obligatory:

Salman of Persia narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) gave a sermon on the last day of Shaban in which he said:

“O men! there has come to you the month of great splendour and bounty; it is the month which contains a night which is preferable to a thousand months. God has prescribed fasting as obligatory during this month and one may stand (in prayers) at night during it to gain merit. Whoever performs in it a deed of virtue voluntarily shall be regarded as if he has performed something which is obligatory and whoever performs something obligatory shall be regarded as if he has performed seventy obligatory deeds. This is the month of patience and Heaven is the reward for patience. This is the month for adopting sympathetic and cooperative attitude; this is the month during which the provision of the believer is increased. Whoever feeds a person who fasts at the time of breaking the fast will have his sins pardoned and will be emancipated from Fire. He shall get equal merit with the person who fasted without any decrease in the merit of the latter.”

Salman says that people asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) what should one do who has nothing to feed the person who fasts, whereupon he replied:

“Even he will gain merit who provides the person who fasts with a mouthful of milk or water or a single date. The one who feeds the person who fasts to his contentment shall have a drink from my Lake (Kauthar) and shall never after feel thirsty until he enters Heaven. The first part of this month is the Mercy of God, the middle of it is God's Pardon and the last of it is emancipation from Fire. Whoever reduces the pressure of work on his servant during this month shall have pardon for his sins and be emancipated from the Hell.”

Kaab bin Ajrah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) asked people to assemble around the pulpit, and when they had assembled, he ascended the pulpit. When he stepped on the first step he said “Amin” ; when he stepped on the second step he again said “Amin” and when he stepped on the third step he said “Amin” for the third time.

People who had assembled there, said; “O Messenger of God! we had never before heard such thing from you.”

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) replied:

“Gabriel has visited me and said: cursed be he who lived through the month of Ramadan and did not obtain God’s pardon for this sins, whereupon I said Amin. When I stepped on the second step, Gabriel said — cursed be he before whom you (the Holy Prophet) are mentioned and he did not bless you — and I said Amin. When I stepped on the third step he said——cursed be he who lived so long that his parents, or one of them, grew old and he denied himself the passage into Heaven by refusing to serve them—whereupon I said Amin again.”

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said: .

“If a person neglects to fast even one single day during Ramadan without proper excuse or illness, it cannot be atoned for even if he continues to fast throughout his life”.

The Merit of Fasting

Abu Masood Ghifari narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“If only people knew what Ramadan is (the merit of fasting during Ramadan) they should wish that the whole year were Ramadan.

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“When the night of Eid-al-Fitr sets in the angels indulge in rejoicing and the Almighty God unveils His Light. He asks the angels: “O angels! what is the reward of a labourer who did all the work which was allotted to him”?

The angels reply:

“His reward is that he should be given full wages”. God then says:

“Be you all witness, I have pardoned them all (the people who fasted during the month).

Amr bin Aaas narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“The prayers of the person who fasts are not rejected."

Atonement for breaking Fast:

Abu Hurairah narrates that while he was in the company of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and some of his friends, a man came to them and said:

“I am lost! O Messenger of God.”

“What is wrong with you?” asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

“I had intercourse with my wife while I was fasting,” he replied.

“Do you have a slave whom you can set free?” he asked.

“No.”

“Can you fast for two months in succession?”, asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

“No”, he replied.

“Do you have enough food to feed sixty destitute?” the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) asked again.

“No,” the man replied.

The Holy Prophet remained silent for some time. In the meanwhile a bag of dates was brought to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), whereupon he asked: “Where is the questioner?”

“Here am I,” said the man.

“Take this and give it in charity”, said the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

“O Messenger of God,” said the man. Should I give it in charity to a person poorer than I am….? By God, there is none between these fields who needs it more than my family.”

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) laughed until his teeth appeared and then he said:

“Feed your family with it.”

Deferment of Fasting:

Aysha, the Mother of the Believers, narrates:

“Hamzah bin Amr Aslami asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) whether he should fast while on a journey — he was accustomed to fast frequently — whereupon the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said that he had the choice either to fast or defer the fasting during the journey.

Jabir bin Abdullah narrates that while the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was on a journey he saw at a certain spot) a large crowd of people gathered around a person who was being protected from the sun.

“What is the matter?” asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

“He is fasting,” they replied.

“It is nothing meritorious to fast while on a journey,” said the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

Sighting the Moon:

Ibn Omar narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“Do not begin to fast until you have seen the moon and do not cease to fast until you have seen the moon. If it is clouded, count the full number of days (thirty days).”

Ibn Abbas narrates that a Bedoin came to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and said that he had seen the moon.

The latter asked him:

“Do you bear testimony that none is worthy of worship except God?”

“Yes,” said the Bedoin.

“Do you witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Messenger of God”? asked the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

“Yes”, he replied.

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) then turned to Bilal and said:

“Proclaim among men that they should begin to fast from tomorrow.”

Training in self-Discipline:

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“One who does not abandon false-hood both in speech and action (should know that) God does not need his abandoning of food or drink.”

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:

“There are a number of persons who observe fasting but they get nothing (in return) except thirst. There are a number of persons who stand (saying prayers at night) but they get nothing (in return) except wakefulness.”

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said: .

“Fasting is a shield as long as it is not cleft.”

“How is it cleft ?” asked those who were present.

“By telling a lie or back-biting,” replied the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).