Know The Benefits Of Fasting In Islam
1: Creed 2: Manners 3: Character 4: Act of Worship 5: Deeds
- Purification-Make Pure
- The Manners of Relieving
- Wudu–Ablution
- The Adhan & Iqama
- Ghusl–Full Bath
- Tayammum–Dry Ablution
- Masah–pass wet hand over feet
- Menstruation Postnatal Bleeding
- Salat–Namaz-Salat
- Funeral Regulation
Defining Fasting-As-Sawm:
As-Sawm (fasting) linguistically means to abstain. According to religious law it means to abstain form eating, drinking, sexual intercourse with women and other things that break the fast, with the intention of worshipping (Allah) form the first crack of dawn (Fajr) until the setting of the sun (Maghrib).
The History of the Obligation of Fasting:
Allah the Mighty and Majestic made fasting obligatory upon the Ummah (nation, followers) of Muhammad ﷺ just as He made it obligatory upon the nations that preceded it. This is based on Allah the Almighty’s statement:
يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَۙ
O you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you just as it was made obligatory upon those who were before you, so that you may have Taqwa (piety). (2:183)
This (the revelation of this verse) took place on a Monday, during the month of Sha’ban, in the second year after the blessed migration (2 AH).
The virtue of Fasting and its Benefits:
The following Hadiths testify to and affirm the virtue of fasting:
The Prophet’s statement:
«الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ ، كَجُنَّةِ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنَ الْقِتَالِ»
مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، زَحْزَحَ اللَّهُ بِذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ النَّارَ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفًا
Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, Allah will keep his face away form the (Hell) Fire for (the distance of) seventy autumn seasons because of that day. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
«إِنَّ لِلصَّائِمِ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ لَدَعْوَةً مَا تُرَدُّ»
Verily the fasting person has a supplication that will not be rejected when he breads his fast (i.e. at the end of the day. (Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim).
إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَابًا يُقَالُ لَهُ الرَّيَّانُ، يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ الصَّائِمُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ يُقَالُ أَيْنَ الصَّائِمُونَ، فَيَقُومُون لاَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ فَإِذَا دَخَلُوا أُغْلِقَ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ
Verily there is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyan that the people who observes fasting will enter through on the Day of Resurrection, and وnone will entre it other than them. It will be said, ‘Where are the fasting people?’ So they will stand (and enter it) and none will enter through it other than them. Then after they have entered, it will be closed and no one will enter it (after them. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَۙ
From the health benefits of fasting is that it cleanses the intestines and benefits the stomach. It also purifies the body form excesses and deposits, and it lessens the setting of fat and heaviness of the stomach with fat. It is narrated in a Hadith that he ﷺsaid:
«صُومُوا تَصِّحُّوا»
Recommended Fasts:
صَوْم ُيوَمُ عَرَفَةَ يُكَفِّرُ سَنَتَيْنِ مَاضِيَةَ وَمُسْتَقْبِلَةٍ وَصَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يُكَفِّرُ سَنَةً مَاضِيَةً
Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah expiates the sins of two years, the previous year and the forthcoming year. And fasting the Day of ‘Ashura’ expiates the previous year (i.e. its sins).(Muslim)
«وَصَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يُكَفِّرُ سَنَةً مَاضِيَةً »
«فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ »
« مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ »
مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّام. يَعْنِى أَيَّامَ الْعَشْرِ الأول مِنْ ذِي الْـحَجَّةِ
وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ يُخَاطِرُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ من ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ
«شَهْرُ اللهِ الَّذِي تَدْعُونَهُ الْـمُحَرِّمُ»
اِنَّ الْأَعْمَالُ تُعْرَضُ كُلُّ اثْنَيْنِ وَخَمِيس فَيَغْفِرُ اللهُ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ أَوْ لِكُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ اِلَّا الْـمُتَهَاجِرِينَ فَيَقُولُ:أَخِّرْهُمَا
إِنَّ أَحَبَّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَ، وَأَحَبَّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ، كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ، وَكَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا
مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ
Whoever is able to afford it should get married, for verily it helps to keep the gaze lowered and it is safer for the private parts (i.e. against illegal sexual intercourse). And whoever is not able to marry then he must fast, for verily it is a means of cutting off the sexual desires. (Al-Bukhari)