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The Trick of the Eyes
Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal [Quran, Ghâfir (40):19]
It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. ‘Abbâs – Allâh be pleased with him – said, explaining this verse:
A man is with a group of people when a woman passes. He shows them that he has lowered his gaze from looking at her. But when he sees they are not paying attention, he looks at her. If he fears they will notice, he lowers his gaze, but Allâh has seen in his heart that he wishes he could see her body (private areas).
Hunâd b. Al-Sarî, Al-Zuhd article 1428.
Hardship and prosperity, obedience and sin
It is reported that Wuhayb b. Al-Ward – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
Verily, when Allâh the Exalted wants to honor a servant of His (for his righteousness), He afflicts him with a reduced means of living, illness in his body and a fearful life (all of which expiate his sins). Until death comes upon him, and he still has some sins, death is made hard upon him because of them, causing him to meet Allâh with no sins against him.
And when a person is of little value to Allâh (because of his disobedience), He makes his body healthy, broadens his means of living and makes him feel safe (the rewards for any good deeds he did are exhausted). Until death comes upon him, and he still has some good deeds, the experience of death is lightened for him because of them, and he meets Allâh with nothing.
Abu Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-’Ilm article 2865.
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.
Umar on obeying the Muslim Ruler
Suwayd b. Ghaflah reports that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – once took him by the hand and said:
O Abû Umayah, by Allâh, I know not if we will meet again after today. Fear and obey Allâh your Lord until the Day of Resurrection, as if you see Him, and obey the ruler (imâm) even if he is a cut-nosed Abyssinian slave: if he beats you, be patient; if he robs you, be patient and if he belittles you, be patient. And if he tells you [to do something] to the detriment of your religion (to sin), say: “I hear and obey, [but] my blood goes before my religion.” Never leave the Main Muslim Body (Al-Jamâ’ah).
Ibn Zanjawayh, Kitâb Al-Amwâl article 30; Ibn Abî Zamanîn, Usûl Al-Sunnah article 205 with a slight variation in wording. Also recorded in other collections.
The Braying Drunkard
Al-’Awâm b. Hawshab (148H) – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
I once came to an area in one part of which was a graveyard. After ‘asr, one of the graves split open and a man with the head of a donkey and the body of a human came up from it and brayed three times, after which the grave closed back up on him. I then saw an old woman weaving fleece or wool, and a woman said, “Do you see that old woman?” I said, “What about her?” She replied, “That is the mother of this [dead] man.” I asked, “What was his story?” She replied, “He used to drink wine, and whenever he would go out his mother would say, ‘O my son, fear Allâh; until when will you keep drinking wine?’ He would reply, ‘You bray like a donkey.’” The woman said, “He then died after ‘asr, so every day after ‘asr the grave opens up and he brays a few times, then the grave closes up on him again.”
Al-Hâfidh Abul-Qâsim Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb article 471.
Shaykh Nâsir Al-Dîn Al-Albânî graded this narration hasan in his edition of Al-Mundhirî’s Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb. See Sahîh Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb hadîth 2517.
Al-Mundhirî quotes Al-Asbahânî as saying:
This [story] was narrated by Abul-’Abbâs Al-Asam in a dictation at Naysâbûr, in the presence of great preservers [of traditions] and people of knowledge, and they did not reject it.
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