What the Fasting Person Should Be Like
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The fasting person should have a fast that is both physical and spiritual. The physical fast is from the things that break the fast, and the spiritual fast is from what is forbidden. He should refrain from what is forbidden while he is fasting, and he should perform the obligatory acts, for this is the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: [al-Baqarah: 183] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up speaking falsehood and acting upon it, and ignorance, then Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.”
Many people today, and before today, fast the physical fast but do not fast the spiritual fast. You find one who is fasting, but he does not refrain from the forbidden things he used to do while he was not fasting. He backbites people, curses them, and encroaches upon them by consuming wealth and violating rights, and the like of that. This person has not fasted a spiritual fast.For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you is fasting, let him not speak obscenely or commit open sin,And if someone insults him or curses him, let him say: ‘Indeed, I am a fasting man.’” Meaning: and let him not respond to him,Let him say: “Indeed, I am a fasting man.” If one of them raises his voice at you and curses you, do not respond to him; for if you respond to him, he will increase, and if he increases, you will increase, and then you will remain in a dispute.But if you say: I am fasting.
For you will shame him and make it clear to him that if it were not for the fast, you would have responded to him, and that you did not leave responding to him out of inability, but because you are fasting.
Some people fast the physical fast but do not fast the spiritual fast. You find that when he eats the pre-dawn meal, he sleeps until sunset. Is this a fasting person? He is fasting the fast of a beast from eating and drinking and the rest of the things that break the fast, but he has not fasted the fast of the people of mindfulness of Allah, who fast from what Allah has forbidden. Indeed, I am in doubt about the acceptance of this man’s fast, because he intentionally left the prayer at its time.And some of the scholars said: Whoever leaves one prayer intentionally until its time has passed has committed disbelief and apostasy.
We ask Allah for well-being.
The fasting person should increase in acts of worship: From reading the Qur’an, glorification, saying Allahu Akbar, praise, charity, and other things that bring one closer to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, so that when Ramadan ends, he exits in a state different from what he was in before Ramadan. He exits committed and mindful of his Lord, because he practiced this for a full month. And in this occasion, I call upon our brothers who have been afflicted with smoking: that they should seize the opportunity in Ramadan and refrain from smoking; for they will not smoke during the day, and at night they will be distracted from smoking. If a full month passes for them, then that will affect the harms of smoking that have mixed with their blood and make it easier for them to quit it. So it is an opportunity that should not be missed in reality.
I ask Allah the Exalted for success for everyone in what is good and righteous. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَMany people today, and before today, fast the physical fast but do not fast the spiritual fast. You find one who is fasting, but he does not refrain from the forbidden things he used to do while he was not fasting. He backbites people, curses them, and encroaches upon them by consuming wealth and violating rights, and the like of that. This person has not fasted a spiritual fast.For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you is fasting, let him not speak obscenely or commit open sin,And if someone insults him or curses him, let him say: ‘Indeed, I am a fasting man.’” Meaning: and let him not respond to him,Let him say: “Indeed, I am a fasting man.” If one of them raises his voice at you and curses you, do not respond to him; for if you respond to him, he will increase, and if he increases, you will increase, and then you will remain in a dispute.But if you say: I am fasting.
For you will shame him and make it clear to him that if it were not for the fast, you would have responded to him, and that you did not leave responding to him out of inability, but because you are fasting.
Some people fast the physical fast but do not fast the spiritual fast. You find that when he eats the pre-dawn meal, he sleeps until sunset. Is this a fasting person? He is fasting the fast of a beast from eating and drinking and the rest of the things that break the fast, but he has not fasted the fast of the people of mindfulness of Allah, who fast from what Allah has forbidden. Indeed, I am in doubt about the acceptance of this man’s fast, because he intentionally left the prayer at its time.And some of the scholars said: Whoever leaves one prayer intentionally until its time has passed has committed disbelief and apostasy.
We ask Allah for well-being.
The fasting person should increase in acts of worship: From reading the Qur’an, glorification, saying Allahu Akbar, praise, charity, and other things that bring one closer to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, so that when Ramadan ends, he exits in a state different from what he was in before Ramadan. He exits committed and mindful of his Lord, because he practiced this for a full month. And in this occasion, I call upon our brothers who have been afflicted with smoking: that they should seize the opportunity in Ramadan and refrain from smoking; for they will not smoke during the day, and at night they will be distracted from smoking. If a full month passes for them, then that will affect the harms of smoking that have mixed with their blood and make it easier for them to quit it. So it is an opportunity that should not be missed in reality.
I ask Allah the Exalted for success for everyone in what is good and righteous. Indeed, He is capable of all things.