Fasting
Volume 1: Acts of Worship
Fasting in Islam is defined not merely as a physical state of hunger, but as a "spiritual fortress" established for the training of the soul and the elevation of the spirit. Source texts describe fasting as half of patience and patience as half of faith, thereby showing that fasting constitutes one quarter of faith. The act of fasting has three fundamental levels of depth—avām, khawāṣ, and akhāṣṣ al-khawāṣ—alongside its juridical dimensions such as outward obligatory acts, recommended practices, and penal rulings when the fast is broken. The ultimate purpose of the act of worship is to break desires, narrow the paths of Satan, and purify the heart from everything other than God.
Summary
Fasting in Islam is defined not merely as a physical state of hunger, but as a "spiritual fortress" established for the training of the soul and the elevation of the spirit.
Sections
1. The Spiritual Ranks of Fasting
Fasting is divided into three main categories according to a person's spiritual maturity:
- The Fast of the Common People (avām): Protecting the stomach and the sexual organ from desires—that is, refraining only from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse.
- The Fast of the Elect (khawāṣ): The fast of the righteous. Along with the belly and desires, it includes keeping all limbs—ear, eye, tongue, hand, and foot—away from sins.
- The Fast of the Most Elect (akhāṣṣ al-khawāṣ): The fast of the heart. It means purifying the mind and heart completely from worldly thoughts and shutting out everything other than God. To think of anything other than God and the Hereafter breaks this rank.
2. The Outward Obligations of Fasting
There are six fundamental obligatory acts that must be fulfilled for a fast to be valid:
| Obligation | Explanation | | :--- | :--- | | Sighting the Crescent | The beginning of Ramadan is established by sighting the crescent or by completing Shaʿbān to thirty days. | | Intention | Each day requires a definite intention at night stating that it is the obligatory fast of Ramadan. | | Abstaining from Food and Drink (imsāk) | One must refrain from deliberately taking any food or liquid into the body. Eating by forgetfulness does not break the fast. | | Sexual Intercourse | Refraining from sexual union from dawn until sunset is obligatory. | | Abstaining from Deliberate Emission (istimnā) | Deliberately causing semen to be emitted breaks the fast. | | Vomiting | Deliberate vomiting breaks the fast, whereas vomiting beyond one's control does not harm the fast.
3. Penal Rulings When the Fast Is Broken
When the fast is broken deliberately or with excuse, four types of penalty apply: 1. Make-up (qaḍā): Making up missed days one for one. It is obligatory in cases such as women's special circumstances or travel. 2. Expiation (kaffāra): Applies only when the fast is broken through sexual intercourse (according to the Shāfiʿī school). Freeing a slave; if unable, fasting two consecutive months; if unable, feeding sixty poor people. 3. Compensation (fidya): For those unable to fast due to old age or pregnancy, feeding one poor person for each day. 4. Abstaining (imsāk, as resemblance): For one who breaks the fast in defiance, behaving as though fasting until evening out of respect for the day's sanctity.
4. Struggle Against Satan and the Wisdom of Hunger
The source text emphasizes that Satan approaches a person through desires. Desires are strengthened only through eating and drinking. By leaving the stomach empty through fasting, the "circulatory paths" in the veins through which Satan moves are narrowed. This enables the soul to attain tranquility and the servant to reach a purity by which he may witness God's majesty.
Key concepts
- The science of *muʿāmala*
- Knowledge that must be put into action
Study questions
Why is the reward of fasting given "without measure"?
Because fasting is half of patience, and the verse states that the reward of the patient will be given without account. Moreover, since fasting is an inward (bāṭin) act, it is attributed directly to God.
How many witnesses are sufficient to establish the Ramadan crescent?
Ramadan begins with the word of one upright person. However, two upright witnesses are required for the Shawwāl crescent (Eid).
What breaks *iʿtikāf* and requires it to be begun again?
Leaving the mosque without necessity (such as for ablution or relieving oneself), going out for visiting the sick or funeral prayer, and engaging in sexual intercourse during iʿtikāf.
What is the main lesson drawn from the incident of the two fasting women vomiting in the presence of the Prophet?
The lesson is that fasting with lawful provision yet breaking the fast with unlawful backbiting destroys the essence of fasting and spiritually defiles the person.
What is the ruling on fasting after the second half of Shaʿbān?
According to reports, if one has no established habit, fasting in the last few days in order to meet Ramadan is not regarded as recommended (it is prohibited).
Lecture sections
- Fasting
- The Outward Obligations of Fasting
- The Minimum Conditions of Fasting
- Voluntary Fasts Outside Ramadan