The Reality of Fasting, What the Fasting Person Abstains From, and Some of Its Manners and Rulings
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What a person fasts from: Is it from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, and the things that break the fast?
Yes.
This is the physical fast, which every person is capable of, but the true fast is to fast from the prohibitions of Allah,As He, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: [al-Baqarah: 183] This is the wisdom: that a person should fear his Lord, not that he should leave off food, drink, and sexual intercourse. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained this by saying: (Whoever does not abandon speaking falsehood and acting upon it, and ignorance, then Allah has no need of his abandoning his food and drink) So it is confirmed for the fasting person to avoid prohibitions more than others; he should not backbite anyone, nor lie, nor spread talebearing, nor cheat in buying and selling, nor deal in riba (usury or interest), nor curse his parents. The important thing is to avoid all prohibitions and not be negligent with obligations. It is amazing that some people fast but do not pray, either they do not pray at all, or they do not pray in congregation. As for the one who does not pray at all, his fast is rejected because he is a disbeliever, and no act of worship is accepted from him. As for the one who does not pray in congregation, he is sinful, disobedient to Allah and His Messenger, and his fast is deficient. The most important thing in fasting is the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) — I ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to help us with that.
As for what one fasts from in terms of physical matters, it is eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, and the rest of the things that break the fast,because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Baqarah: 187] It is obligatory for a person, from the time the dawn becomes clear to him, to abstain until the sun sets,And all the things that break the fast are limited: Eating and drinking, sexual intercourse, and the emission of semen through desire by masturbation, kissing, or otherwise, and vomiting intentionally, and drawing blood by cupping, and the exit of menstrual blood and post-natal bleeding. These are the things that break the fast.And yet one does not break the fast except with conditions: The first condition: that the person be aware of the time and aware that this is a thing that breaks the fast,Meaning: One must have knowledge of two things: the time, meaning: he knows that it is daytime.
And the second: Aware that this thing breaks the fast.
The second condition: That he be mindful,Meaning: Not forgetful.
The third condition: That he intend the thing that breaks the fast.
So for consideration: That he be knowledgeable,And the opposite of the knowledgeable: The ignorant person: if a person does one of the things that break the fast while he thinks it does not break the fast, then he owes nothing. For example, if he cups and blood appears, and he thinks that does not break the fast,So we say: His fast is valid.
And likewise the one ignorant of the time: if he ate and drank, and then when he went out of his house he found that people had prayed the Fajr prayer, then he owes nothing because he was ignorant of the time. And this happens often; some people do not wake up until after the dawn has appeared, so they think the dawn has not appeared, and they eat and drink.And like that: If he was in the desert and the sky was cloudy and there was no call to prayer around him, and he thought the sun had set so he broke his fast, and then the sun appeared from behind the clouds, his fast is valid. Because this incident occurred in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); they broke their fast on a cloudy day thinking the sun had set, and then the sun appeared after they had broken their fast, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to make it up.
And the reason for that is: That they were ignorant of the time, thinking that the night had entered.
And the opposite of mindfulness is forgetfulness, so if a person eats or drinks while forgetting that he is fasting, his fast is complete.By the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): [al-Baqarah: 286] ,And the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever forgets while he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink) .
The third condition: That he be willing and intending the act. If he is not willing, his fast is valid. If a person gargles and during the gargling water goes down into his stomach without intention, his fast is valid because he did not intend it. And likewise, if he has a wet dream while sleeping, his fast is valid because it is without his choice. All of this is from the blessings of Allah upon His servants and His making things easy for them.And for this reason, He the Exalted said in the verse of fasting: [al-Baqarah: 185] .
Yes.
This is the physical fast, which every person is capable of, but the true fast is to fast from the prohibitions of Allah,As He, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَAs for what one fasts from in terms of physical matters, it is eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, and the rest of the things that break the fast,because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until the sunset.
فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِAnd the second: Aware that this thing breaks the fast.
The second condition: That he be mindful,Meaning: Not forgetful.
The third condition: That he intend the thing that breaks the fast.
So for consideration: That he be knowledgeable,And the opposite of the knowledgeable: The ignorant person: if a person does one of the things that break the fast while he thinks it does not break the fast, then he owes nothing. For example, if he cups and blood appears, and he thinks that does not break the fast,So we say: His fast is valid.
And likewise the one ignorant of the time: if he ate and drank, and then when he went out of his house he found that people had prayed the Fajr prayer, then he owes nothing because he was ignorant of the time. And this happens often; some people do not wake up until after the dawn has appeared, so they think the dawn has not appeared, and they eat and drink.And like that: If he was in the desert and the sky was cloudy and there was no call to prayer around him, and he thought the sun had set so he broke his fast, and then the sun appeared from behind the clouds, his fast is valid. Because this incident occurred in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); they broke their fast on a cloudy day thinking the sun had set, and then the sun appeared after they had broken their fast, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to make it up.
And the reason for that is: That they were ignorant of the time, thinking that the night had entered.
And the opposite of mindfulness is forgetfulness, so if a person eats or drinks while forgetting that he is fasting, his fast is complete.By the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاThe third condition: That he be willing and intending the act. If he is not willing, his fast is valid. If a person gargles and during the gargling water goes down into his stomach without intention, his fast is valid because he did not intend it. And likewise, if he has a wet dream while sleeping, his fast is valid because it is without his choice. All of this is from the blessings of Allah upon His servants and His making things easy for them.And for this reason, He the Exalted said in the verse of fasting: