Recommended Acts of Fasting

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that people will remain in a good state as long as they hasten to break their fast, after verifying the sunset, out of compliance with the Sunnah and not crossing its boundaries.

1. An-Nawawi said: It contains encouragement to hasten the break of fast after verifying the sunset. Its meaning is that the affairs of the Ummah will remain orderly, and they will be in a good state as long as they uphold this Sunnah. If they delay it, this will be a sign of corruption that they may fall into.
2. The goodness among people persists due to their adherence to the Sunnah, while the corruption of affairs is related to the deviation from the Sunnah.
3. Opposing the People of the Book and the heretic innovators who delay the break of the fast.
4. Ibn Hajar said: This clarifies the legal cause in this regard. Al-Muhallab said: The rationale behind this is to ensure that the day will not be extended at the expense of the night, and because it is more convenient for the fasting person and provides him with greater strength for worship. Scholars have agreed that this applies when the sunset is confirmed by sighting or by the testimony of two just witnesses, and also by the testimony of one just witness, according to the more preferred opinion.
5. Ibn Hajar said: Note: Among the evil innovations that have emerged in this time is the second Adhān (call to prayer) that is made about one-third of an hour before dawn during Ramadan, and extinguishing the lights that serve as a signal for prohibiting eating and drinking for those who intend to fast. Those who introduced this claimed it was for caution in worship, but only a few people know about it. This has led them to the point where they do not call to prayer until after sunset, supposedly to extend the time. Consequently, they delayed breaking the fast and hastened the Suhūr (pre-dawn meal), thus contradicting the Sunnah. As a result, goodness has diminished among them, and evil has increased, and Allah is the One to be sought for help.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 36) (1957). صحيح مسلم (2/ 771) (1098). تيسير العلام، لعبد الله البسام (ص335). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الإحكام، لابن عثيمين (3/ 442). خلاصة الكلام على عمدة الأحكام، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص155).

Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had Suhūr with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and then he stood for the Fajr prayer. Anas said to Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him): How much time was there between the Adhān and the completion of Suhūr? Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The time it takes to recite fifty medium-length verses, neither long nor short, and neither recited quickly nor slowly.

1. It is preferable to delay Suhūr until just before dawn because delaying it brings greater benefit to the body and provides it with more energy throughout the day.
2. The Companions' keenness on getting together with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to learn from him.
3. The Prophet's kind treatment of his Companions as he used to eat with them.
4. The time of Imsāk (abstaining from fast invalidators) is the rise of dawn.
5. His statement: "How long was the time between Adhān and Suhūr,"  i.e., between Suhūr and Iqāmah (the second call to prayer), as he said in the other Hadīth: "How long was the time between their completion of their Suhūr and their entrance into prayer", and the Hadīths explain one another.
6. Al-Muhallab said: It indicates the estimation of time based on physical activities. The Arabs used to estimate time by activities, such as saying: "the time it takes to milk a sheep" or "the time it takes to slaughter a camel." Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) shifted from that to measuring time by recitation, indicating that this time was the time of worship through recitation. If they had measured it by something other than an activity, he would have said, for example: "the time it takes to walk a certain distance" or "one-third of a fifth of an hour.".
7. Ibn Abi Jamrah said: He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to consider what was easier for his Ummah and act accordingly. If he did not eat Suhūr, they would follow his example, which would be difficult for some. If he ate Suhūr in the middle of the night, it would also be challenging for those who are overcome by sleep, potentially leading them to miss Fajr or requiring them to struggle to stay awake.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 29) (1921). صحيح مسلم (2/ 771) (1097). تيسير العلام، لعبد الله البسام (ص318). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (3/ 418). خلاصة الكلام على عمدة الأحكام، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص147).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged Sahūr, which is eating in the last part of the night in preparation for fasting, because it contains (blessing), i.e., a great deal of goodness in terms of recompense and reward, waking up in the last part of the night for supplication, gaining strength for fasting, being energized for it, and reducing its hardship.

1. Having Sahūr is recommended and represents compliance with the Shariah command.
2. Ibn Hajar said in "Fat'h Al-Bāri": "The blessing in Sahūr is attained in multiple ways: following the Sunnah, differing from the People of the Book, gaining strength for worship, increasing energy, warding off bad morals that hunger might provoke, providing the opportunity for the charity to those who ask or who join in eating, fostering Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplication during a time likely for supplications to be answered, and allowing the opportunity to renew the intention for fasting for those who may have forgotten to do so before sleeping.
3. The good teaching approach of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he couples the ruling with the relevant rationale to reassure the listener and make the sublimity of the Shariah known.
4. Ibn Hajar said: Sahūr is fulfilled with the least amount of food or drink that a person consumes.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 29) (1923). صحيح مسلم (2/ 770) (1095). تيسير العلام، لعبد الله البسام (ص317). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الإحكام، لابن عثيمين (3/ 416).

Abu ‘Atiyyah and Masrūq asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who was right among two of the Companions of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); the one who hastened to perform the Maghrib prayer and break the fast when the time comes, or the one who delayed the Maghrib prayer and breaking the fast. ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked who was the one who would hasten to perform the Maghrib prayer and break the fast. The answer was ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him). Then she noted that this – hastening to pray the Maghrib and break the fast – is what the Messenger of Allah used to do. Thus, this is a practical Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings upon him) which shows that it is better to hasten to break the fast.

شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين، نشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، الطبعة: 1426هـ. رياض الصالحين، للنووي، تحقيق: ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير - بيروت، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ - 2007م. صحيح مسلم, ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي, دار إحياء التراث العربي, بيروت. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك النجدي، تحقيق: عبد العزيز آل حمد, دار العاصمة, الطبعة الأولى، 1423هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، لحمد بن ناصر العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا - الطبعة الأولى، 1430هـ.

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the difference between the Muslim fasting and the fasting of the Jews and the Christians is the Suhūr, a pre-dawn meal eaten by Muslims, but not by the People of the Book. Muslims are recommended to have this meal so as to be different from the Jews and the Christians, and to comply with the Sunnah, and also to obtain the good and blessing contained therein, as related in the Hadīths. The People of the Book start their fasting at midnight, and so they eat until this time, not before dawn. Muslims are required under Shariah to act differently from non-Muslims.

- شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين، نشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، الطبعة: 1426ه. - رياض الصالحين، للنووي، تحقيق: ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير - بيروت، الطبعة الأولى، 1428ه- 2007م. - صحيح مسلم, ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي, دار إحياء التراث العربي, بيروت. - نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين, مؤسسة الرسالة, الطبعة الرابعة عشر, 1407ه. - كنوز رياض الصالحين، نشر: دار كنوز إشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى، 1430ه - 2009م. - بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415ه. - المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، للنووي، دار إحياء التراث العربي - بيروت، الطبعة الثانية، 1392.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to break his fast by eating fresh dates before the Maghrib prayer. However, when fresh dates were not available, he would have dried dates; and if there were no dried dates, he would drink a few sips of water. Having dates or water before eating is suitable because the stomach of a fasting person is empty, so he does not start with rich food as this may harm him.

سنن الترمذي، للإمام محمد بن عيسى الترمذي، تحقيق أحمد شاكر وآخرين، مكتبة الحلبي - مصر، الطبعة الثانية، 1388هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير - دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. سلسلة الأحاديث الصحيحة، للشيخ محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، مكتبة المعارف - الرياض، 1415هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير، تأليف عبدالرؤوف المناوي، دار الحديث - القاهرة. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة - بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ. سنن أبي داود, أبو داود سليمان بن الأشعث السِّجِسْتاني, المحقق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد, المكتبة العصرية، صيدا – بيروت. مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط - عادل مرشد، وآخرون، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى، 1421هـ - 2001م. فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير, زين الدين محمد المدعو علي بن زين العابدين, الناشر: المكتبة التجارية الكبرى - مصر, الطبعة الأولى، 1356. زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد, ابن قيم الجوزية, الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، بيروت - مكتبة المنار الإسلامية، الكويت, الطبعة: السابعة والعشرون, 1415هـ - 1994م.

This Hadīth shows the virtue of feeding fasting people. It encourages and recommends doing so by promising those who do so a reward similar to that of the fasting person without diminishing the latter's reward. This, indeed, is one of Allah's favors upon His slaves, for it encourages cooperation in goodness and righteousness and creates love and solidarity among Muslims. The apparent meaning of the Hadīth implies that giving even a single date to a fasting person is sufficient to attain the same reward as him. Therefore, we should be keen on feeding those who are fasting to the best of our ability, especially if they are poor and needy or if they do not have anyone to prepare food for them.

- الجامع الصحيح –وهو سنن الترمذي-؛ للإمام محمد بن عيسى الترمذي، تحقيق أحمد شاكر وآخرين، مكتبة الحلبي-مصر، الطبعة الثانية، 1388هـ. - رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين؛ للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. - سنن ابن ماجه؛ للحافظ محمد بن يزيد القزويني، حققه محمد فؤاد عبدالباقي، دار إحياء الكتب العربية. - شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. - المسند؛ للإمام أحمد بن حنبل، نشر المكتب الإسلامي-بيروت، مصور عن الطبعة الميمنية. - مسند الدارمي –المعروف بـ: سنن الدارمي-؛ للإمام عبدالله بن عبدالرحمن الدارمي، تحقيق حسين سليم، دار المغني-الرياض، الأولى، 1421هـ. - مشكاة المصابيح؛ تأليف محمد بن عبدالله التبريزي، تحقيق محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، المكتب الإسلامي-بيروت، الطبعة الثانية، 1399هـ. - مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط - عادل مرشد، وآخرون، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421هـ - 2001م. - بهجة الناظرين, وهي كالتالي: بهجة الناظرين, سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي ، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م. - دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين, محمد علي بن محمد البكري الصديقي الشافعي, اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا, الناشر: دار المعرفة للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع، بيروت – لبنان, الطبعة: الرابعة، 1425 هـ - 2004 م. - نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين, مصطفى سعيد الخن، مصطفى البغا، محي الدين مستو، علي الشربجي، محمد أمين لطفي, مؤسسة الرسالة, سنة النشر: 1407 – 1987.