7. Fasting

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «إِذا دخل شهر رَمَضَانُ فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «فُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَسُلْسِلَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الرَّحْمَةِ»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "When Ramadan begins the gates of heaven are opened." A version has, "The gates of paradise are opened, the gates of jahannam are locked, and the devils are chained." Another has, "The gates of mercy are opened." (Bukhari and Muslim).

وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " فِي الْجَنَّةِ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَبْوَابٍ مِنْهَا: بَابٌ يُسَمَّى الرَّيَّانَ لَا يدْخلهُ إِلَّا الصائمون "

Sahl b. Sa'd reported God’s messenger as saying, "In paradise there are eight gates among which is a gate called ar-Rayyan which only those who fast will enter." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. وَمَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. وَمَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ»

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al-qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ: فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ وَلَخُلُوفِ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ وَالصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ وَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلَا يَرْفُثْ وَلَا يصخب وفإن سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِم "

He reported God’s messenger as saying, "Every and when the day of the fast of any of you comes he must not use vile language or raise his voice, and if anyone reviles him or tries to fight with him he should tell him he is fasting.” *This is not from the Qur’an, but is a hadith qudsi, a tradition which gives words spoken by God. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلم يفتح مِنْهَا بَاب الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ: يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أقصر ن وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَابْن مَاجَه وَرَوَاهُ أَحْمد عَن رجل وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيّ هَذَا حَدِيث غَرِيب

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "When the first night of Ramadan comes the devils and the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of hell are locked and not one of them is opened; the gates of paradise are opened and not one of them is locked, and a crier calls, 'You who desire what is good, come forward, and you who desire evil refrain.' Some are freed from hell by God, and that happens every night." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from a man. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition.

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " أتاكم رمضان شهر مبارك فرض الله عليكم صيامه تفتح فيه أبواب السماء وتغلق فيه أبواب الجحيم وتغل فيه مردة الشياطين لله فيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر من حرم خيرها فقد حرم " . رواه أحمد والنسائي

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Ramadan, a blessed month, has come to you during which God has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of al-Jahim are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it God has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed suffered deprivation." Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " الصِّيَامُ وَالْقُرْآنُ يَشْفَعَانِ لِلْعَبْدِ يَقُولُ الصِّيَامُ: أَيْ رَبِّ إِنِّي مَنَعْتُهُ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ بِالنَّهَارِ فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ وَيَقُولُ الْقُرْآنُ: مَنَعْتُهُ النُّوْمَ بِاللَّيْلِ فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ فيشفعان ". رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a man. Fasting says, ‘O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an says, ‘I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.’ Then their intercession is accepted." Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

وَعَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: دَخَلَ رَمَضَانُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ هَذَا الشَّهْرَ قَدْ حَضَرَكُمْ وَفِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مَنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ وَلَا يُحْرَمُ خَيْرَهَا إِلَّا كل محروم» . رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه

Anas b. Malik told of God’s messenger saying when Ramadan began, “This month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who are denied prosperity are deprived of it." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَن سلمَان قَالَ: خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ أَظَلَّكُمْ شَهْرٌ عَظِيمٌ مُبَارَكٌ شَهْرٌ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مَنْ أَلْفِ شهر جعل الله تَعَالَى صِيَامَهُ فَرِيضَةً وَقِيَامَ لَيْلِهِ تَطَوُّعًا مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ فِيهِ بخصلة من الْخَيْرِ كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيضَةً فِيمَا سِوَاهُ وَمَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيضَةً فِيهِ كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى سَبْعِينَ فَرِيضَةً فِيمَا سِوَاهُ وَهُوَ شَهْرُ الصَّبْرِ وَالصَّبْر ثَوَابه الْجنَّة وَشهر الْمُوَاسَاة وَشهر يزْدَاد فِيهِ رِزْقُ الْمُؤْمِنِ مَنْ فَطَّرَ فِيهِ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مَغْفِرَةً لِذُنُوبِهِ وَعِتْقَ رَقَبَتِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَكَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ شَيْءٌ» قُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ كلنا يجد مَا نُفَطِّرُ بِهِ الصَّائِمَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يُعْطِي اللَّهُ هَذَا الثَّوَابَ مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا عَلَى مَذْقَةِ لَبَنٍ أَوْ تَمْرَةٍ أَوْ شَرْبَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَمَنْ أَشْبَعَ صَائِمًا سَقَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَوْضِي شَرْبَةً لَا يَظْمَأُ حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ أَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ وَأَوْسَطُهُ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَآخِرُهُ عِتْقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَنْ خَفَّفَ عَنْ مَمْلُوكِهِ فِيهِ غَفَرَ الله لَهُ وَأعْتقهُ من النَّار» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ

Salman al-Farisi told of God’s messenger saying in a sermon which he delivered to them on the last day of Sha'ban, “A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. God has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to God during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer’s provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his sins and save him from hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect.” Some of them remarked to God’s messenger that they did not all have the means to give one who had been fasting something with which to break his fast, and he replied, “God gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink from any tank by God and will not thirst till he enters paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from hell. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, God will forgive him and free him from hell.”

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ أَطْلَقَ كُلَّ أَسِيرٍ وَأَعْطَى كُلَّ سَائِلٍ. رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when the month of Ramadan began God's messenger set every prisoner free and gave to every beggar.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تُزَخْرَفُ لِرَمَضَانَ مِنْ رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ إِلَى حَوْلِ قَابِلٍ» . قَالَ: " فَإِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ يَوْمٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ هَبَّتْ رِيحٌ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ مِنْ وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ عَلَى الْحُورِ الْعِينِ فَيَقُلْنَ: يَا رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ عِبَادِكَ أَزْوَاجًا تَقَرَّ بِهِمْ أَعْيُنُنَا وَتَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُمْ بِنَا ". رَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ الْأَحَادِيثَ الثَّلَاثَةَ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “Paradise is decorated for Ramadan from the beginning of the year till a following year, and when the first day of Ramadan comes a wind under the throne blows some of the leaves of paradise on the maidens with bright large eyes,* and they say, ‘My Lord, appoint us husbands from among Thy servants with whom we shall be happy and who will be happy with us’.” *cf. Qur’an, xliv, 54; lvi, 22. Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'ab al-iman.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «يُغْفَرُ لِأُمَّتِهِ فِي آخِرِ لَيْلَةٍ فِي رَمَضَانَ» . قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَهِيَ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ؟ قَالَ: «لَا وَلَكِنَّ الْعَامِلَ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى أجره إِذا قضى عمله» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد

Abu Huraira said that when the Prophet stated that his people would be granted forgiveness on the last night in Ramadan and was asked whether it was Lailat al-qadr, he replied, “No, but a workman is paid his full wages only when he has finished his work.” Ahmad transmitted it.

عَنْ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوُا الْهِلَالَ وَلَا تُفْطِرُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدِرُوا لَهُ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ: «الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُونَ لَيْلَةً فَلَا تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلَاثِينَ»

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break your fast till you see it; but if the weather is cloudy calculate when it should appear.” In a version he said, “The month consists of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you see it, and if the weather is cloudy wait till thirty days of the previous month have passed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غم عَلَيْكُم فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fast when you see it and break your fast when you see it, and if the weather is cloudy treat Sha‘ban as having thirty days.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَنَا أمة أُميَّة لَا تكْتب وَلَا تحسب الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا» . وَعَقَدَ الْإِبْهَامَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا» . يَعْنِي تَمَامَ الثَّلَاثِينَ يَعْنِي مَرَّةً تِسْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ وَمرَّة ثَلَاثِينَ "

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “We are an unlettered people who can neither write nor count. The month is thus and thus and thus,” drawing in his thumb when he said it the third time.* Then he said, “The month is thus and thus and thus,” meaning a complete thirty days. He meant alternately twenty-nine and thirty. *Spreading out the ten fingers the first two times and nine the third time. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " شَهْرَا عِيدٍ لَا يَنْقُصَانِ: رَمَضَانُ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ "

Abu Bakra reported God’s messenger as saying, “The months of festival, Ramadan and Dhul-hijja, are not defective.”* *The most probable meaning is that, even if these months have only twenty-nine days, they are not on that account to be considered deficient in comparison with a month which has thirty days. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يَتَقَدَّمَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ رَمَضَانَ بِصَوْمِ يَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ رَجُلٌ كَانَ يَصُوم صوما فليصم ذَلِك الْيَوْم»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you must fast one day or two days just before Ramadan, except in the case of a man who has been in the habit of observing a particular fast, for he may fast on that day.”* *If a man is in the habit of fasting on a particular day of the week and one or other of the two days before Ramadan falls on that day, he may observe his usual practice. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا انْتَصَفَ شَعْبَانُ فَلَا تَصُومُوا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "When the middle of Sha'ban comes do not fast." Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أحصوا هِلَال شعْبَان لرمضان» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

He reported God’s messenger as saying, "Calculate on the basis of the new moon of Sha'ban when Ramadan begins." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَن أم سَلمَة قَالَتْ: مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ إِلَّا شَعْبَانَ وَرَمَضَانَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

Umm Salama said she never saw the Prophet fasting two consecutive months, except Sha'ban and Ramadan. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.