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Umar’s Instructions on the First Night of Ramadan
It is reported that on the first night of Ramadân, ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – would pray Maghrib, then say (to the people):
Sit down. Then he would give a small address: Verily the fasting of this month has been made a duty upon you, and standing in night prayer has not been made a duty upon you, but those amongst you who can stand in prayer should do so, for it is from the extra good deeds about which Allâh told us: so whoever cannot stand in prayer, let him sleep on his bed.
And beware of saying: I will fast if so and so fasts and I will stand in night prayer if so and so stands in prayer. Whoever fasts or stands in night prayer, he must make this for Allâh. And you should know that you are in prayer as long as you are waiting for a prayer.
Minimize any vain or false speech in the houses of Allâh (mosques; he said this two or three times). Let none of you fast a few days before the month (in order to avoid missing the beginning of the month; he said this three times). And do not fast until you see [the crescent of the new month] unless it is overcast. If it is overcast, count [the previous month] as 30 days. Then do not break your fasts until you see the night upon the mountain (i.e. you are sure the sun has set).
‘Abd Al-Razzâq Al-San’ânî, Al-Musannaf article 7748.
Sinning while fasting [does it break the fast?]
It is reported that ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
Fasting does not mean keeping away from only food and drink, it also means keeping away from lying, falsehood, inanity and swearing [by Allâh without need].
It is reported that Ibrâhîm Al-Nakha’î – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
They used to say: lying breaks the fast.
It is reported that Mujâhid – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
There are two practices, if a person can keep himself from them, his fast will be secured for him: backbiting and lying.
It is related that Abul-’Âliyah – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
The fasting person is in a state of worship as long as he does not backbite. [1]
It is reported that Hafsah bint Sîrîn – Allâh have mercy on her – said:
Fasting is a shield as long as one does not tear it, and tearing it is when you backbite. [2]
It is reported that Anas b. Mâlik – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
If the fasting person backbites, his fast is broken. [3]
Notes
Explaining the meaning of sins breaking the fast, Shaykh Al-Islâm Ibn Taymîyah – Allâh have mercy on him – states: [4]
It is related from some of the Salaf that backbiting, tale carrying and the likes break the fast, and it is mentioned as one opinion in the madhab of Imâm Ahmad. The final word on this issue is that Allâh the Exalted commanded people to fast in order to achieve piety (taqwâ), and Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace of Allâh be upon him – stated:
Whoever does not leave off false speech and acting by it; then Allâh is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink.
So if the fasting person does not achieve piety, he has not achieved what is intended through fasting, and so the reward of [his] fast will decrease in accordance [with how much he has gone against the intended goal, i.e. commensurate with his sins].
Righteous deeds have two intended goals: gaining reward and avoiding punishment. If a person fasts while also doing forbidden things, like backbiting, carrying tales between people or consuming what is forbidden and so on, he loses the reward.
Thus, when the imams say [backbiting etc.] does not break the fast, it means that the person who sins is not punished in the way a person who openly breaks his fast would be punished.
And those who said it does break the fast in the sense that the person has not achieved the intended goal behind fasting, or in the sense that he has lost the reward for fasting, then this statement is in agreement with the position of the imams.
One who says it breaks the fast in the sense that the person is to be punished for leaving [the fast], then he is in contradiction to the imams.
Conclusion
A person who disobeys Allâh while fasting hasn’t truly grasped the intent behind fasting. The real goal is to achieve piety and obedience of Allâh through the abandonment of food, drink and sin. Although a person who backbites, lies or does other sins is not considered to have physically broken his fast, he loses the reward of fasting and in this sense he has broken his fast.
Allâh knows best.
[1] Ibn Abî Al-Shaybah, Al-Musannaf articles 8975, 8980, 8981 and 8982.
[2] ‘Abd Al-Razzâq Al-San’ânî, Al-Musannaf articles 8975.
[3] Hunâd b. Al-Saree, Al-Zuhd article 1204.
[4] Badr Al-Dîn Al-Ba’lî. Mukhtasar Al-Fatâwâ Al-Masrîyah pp288, 289. 1st edn. 1418H. Dâr Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmîyah. Beirut, Lebanon.
The Sunnah v. what people do
It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Al-Hasan used to often sit with Rabî’ah. One day they were revising and studying various practices from the Sunnah when a man in the gathering said, “[But] this is not what is practiced [by the people].” ‘Abdullah said, “So if the ignorant become so numerous that they become the rulers and judges, will they then be a proof over the Sunnah?” Rabî’ah said, “I bear witness that these are the words of the sons of the Prophets.”
Al-Khatîb Al-Baghdâdî, Al-Faqîh wa Al-Mutafaqqih article 384
Do you have to make up fasts consecutively? [Fiqh of Fasting]
Ibn ‘Abbâs and Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with them – said, “There is no harm in making up [fasts of] Ramadân separately from one another.”
‘Abd Al-Razzâq, Al-Musannaf 4:243; Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf article 9114; Al-Dâraqutnî, Al-Sunan 2:193.
Abû ‘Ubaydah b. Al-Jarrâh – Allâh be pleased with him – said, when asked about making up missed fasts of Ramadân separately, “Allâh did not legislate upon you the breaking of the fast, and then cause hardship on you when making it up, so count the days [you excusably missed] and fast them as you wish.”
Ibn Abî Shaybah, op. cit. article 9133.
Anas b. Mâlik – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “If you wish, make up [missed fasts of] Ramadân consecutively, or if you wish, make them up separately.”
Ibid. article 9115.
Breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets [Sunnah of Fasting]
Sa’îd b. Al-Musayyib reports from his father, “I was once sitting with ‘Umar when a group of people arrived from Al-Shâm. ‘Umar enquired about them and how they were; he asked, ‘Do the people of Al-Shâm hasten to break the fast.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ [‘Umar] said, ‘They will not cease to remain upon good as long as they do this, and do not wait for the stars [to come out] as the people of Irâq do.’”
‘Abd Al-Razzâq Al-San’ânî, Al-Musannaf 4:225.
‘Amr b. Maymûn Al-Awdî reports, “The Companions of Muhammad – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to be the quickest to break the fast and the slowest in taking the pre-dawn meal.”
Ibid. p226.
Ibn Al-Musayyib also reports that ‘Umar wrote to the commanders of the various regions, ‘Do not be of the procrastinators when breaking the fast, and nor of those who wait for the stars before they start praying [al-maghrib].’
Ibid. p225.
Mûsâ b. Anas reports that Anas [ibn Mâlik] used to have his slave-girl go to the top of his house, instructing her, ‘When the horizon becomes even (evenly lit, marking sunset), tell me.’
Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf 2:430.
Abû Al-Tiyâh Al-Daba’î reports that “he used to break fast with Ibn ‘Abbâs during Ramadân. When evening approached he would send a girl from his household to the roof [to look out], and when the sun set he would make the call to prayer (adhân). He would eat with us, and when he had finished, the call for the commencement of prayer {iqâmah) would be given, and he would pray, and we would pray with him.”
Ibid. p429.
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