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Keeping in view the great reward and great blessings of Fasting, make
arrangement for observing fasts with full zeal and complete earnestness.
No other form of worship can serve as an alternative to Fasting. For
this reason, God made Fasting obligatory for very Ummmah ( Followers of
a Prophet).
God affirms:
Ya-ayyuhalladhina
Amanu kutiba 'alaikumusiyamu kama kutiba 'alalladhina min qablikum
la'allakum tattaqun.
" O ye who believe !
Prescribed for you is fasting, as it was prescribed for those before you
so that you may become God-fearing".
Observe all fasts of Ramadan
with full care and miss any fast save in case of severe illness or on the
ground of some religious excuse.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) observed:
" Anyone who
misses a single fast during Ramadan except in case of severe illness or on
ground of religious excuse cannot make amends for this offence by keeping
fasts on all the remaining days of life."
Keep yourself busy in your daily
occupation and be active and cheerful in work so as to avoid hypocrisy and
false appearances during fasting. Do not show weakness or lethargy in
your behavior during the fast.
Hadrat Abu Huraira ( God be pleased with him) remarked:
" When a man observes fasts he ought to annoint himself
with oil as usual so that the effects of fasting do not show off".
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Make your best efforts to avoid all forms of evil during the fast,
because the very objective of the fast is to purge the life of man of
all evil and make it righteous.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed:
" Fast serves as a shield.
When any of you is in a state of fasting, he should take care not to utter
any evil speech by his tongue or to start an affray. In case someone
starts railing at him or is inclined to start a fight with him, the man
who is fasting should reflect that he is in a state of fasting ( how can
he reciprocate offensive
language) (Bukhari Muslim)
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Covet the great reward for fasting as reported in the Traditions.
Offer a prayer to God especially near the hour of Iftar ( Breaking the
fast). " O God ! Be gracious to accept my fast and grant
me that favour and reward which you have promised".
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed:
"Those who observe fasts will enter Paradise through a special
gateway. The name of this gate is ' Riyyan'.
When the entire number of all those who observe fasts have gone in, the
gate will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter it
afterwards".
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Bear the hardship of the fast in good cheer. Do not degrade the
sanctity of the fast by complaining of the pangs of hunger or thirst or
weakness.
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If you are unable to observe fast during a journey or because of severe
illness, you can forgo it, but atone for it on other days.
The Holy Qur'an affirms:
Waman kana maridan au
'ala safarin fa 'id datum min ayyamin ukhara.
(2.185)
" But whosoever among you is sick or on a journey ( he
is required to observe fast instead of these days) the same number of the
other days."
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Avoid bask-biting an evil eye strictly during the fast.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has observed :
" The person who keeps fast is in fact offering devotion of God from
morning till evening unless, of course, he backbites against someone.
When he indulges in backbiting, his fast in broken ."
(Ad-Dailmi)
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Earn a lawful living. No devotion of the body fed on illicit
earning is admissible.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed:
" The body fed on illicit earning is a proper fuel for
Hell-Fire."
( Bukhari)
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Do eat ' Sahri ' meal. This alleviates the hardship of fasting as
well as safeguards against weakness and lethargy.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has observed :
" Do eat the ' Sahri
' meal, for the eating of ' Sahri ' meal entails blessing."
(Bukhari)
Moreover, the Holy
Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has observed:
" Eating of ' Sahri ' meal entails
blessing. Take a few draughts of water, if nothing else. The
angels of God send peace and blessing upon those who eat the ' Sahri '
meal.(
Ahmad)
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Do not delay in ending the fast after sunset, for the main objective
of fasting is to inculcate the spirit of submission rather then
abstinence from food and drink.
The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has observed :
" the Muslims will remain in good condition if they hasten to Iftar ( meal taken at sunset to end the fast."
( Bukhari)
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Say this prayer at the time of Iftar:
Allahumma laka sumtu wa'ala rizqika aftartu.
" O Allah ! it is for thee that I observe fast and it is
with Thine blessing that I break it."
After ending the fast, say
this prayer:
Dhahab-az-zam'u wabtallatil
'uruqu wa thabat-al ajra insha Allah.
" No more was the thirst, moistened were the veins and teward
becom due. If the Lord so Willed."
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When you perform Iftar (ending the fast) at the house of somebody else,
say this prater:
Aftara '
indakum-us-sa' imuna wa akala taamakum-ul-abraru wa sallat 'alaikum-ul-mala'ikatu.
"
May it please God that the fasting people may perform Iftar at your house
and pious people may enjoy the hospitality of food provided by you ! May
the angels invoke blessings upon you by their prayers !".
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Do arrange Iftar parties. This act entails a high reward.
The prophet of God( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has
observed:
" any man who supplies meal to a fasting person to perform Iftar, God shell pardin has sins in reward for this act and grant him
salvation for Hell-Fire. The man who supplies meal for Iftar to a
fasting person will receive an equal reward with him. The reward of the
fasting person will not, however, be curtailed." The people
submitted: " O Prophet of God( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon
you) ! When shall all of us find the wherewithal to make provision for the
Iftar of a fasting person and to feed him. "
The Holy prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him)
has observed:
" It is enough to feed a fasting person at Iftar with a date ot
some quantity of milk or even supply him as single draught of water for Iftar."
