By Shaykh ‘Abdullāh ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān

Introduction to the Seventh Printing

All praise is due to Allāh the Lord of all creation. May Salāh and Salām
be upon our Prophet Muḥammad - the Seal of the Messengers - and
upon his Family and his Companions and those who follow them in
goodness until the Day of Judgment.

As for what follows:

This is the seventh printing of my book: Abridgement of the Aḥādīth of

Fasting – Rulings and Etiquettes after the previous publications had
exhausted. I reviewed the book and made some minor editions
especially in the documenting the sources of the aḥādīth.

I ask Allāh  that He causes benefit by this book during this virtuous
month, that He makes it sincerely for His Noble Face and that it is
something with which I draw close to Him in the gardens of bliss. Verily
He is Hearing, Near and Answers those who call on Him.
 Introduction
All praise is due to Allāh the One Who bestows upon His worshippers
seasons of good deeds in order that He may forgive them for their sins
and provide them generously with gifts. He has made successful whom
He wills so that they take advantage of these seasons and they obey
Him and fear Him, and He has met with disappointment whom He wills
so they waste His command and disobey Him. I praise Him and I thank
Him. He completed for us our Religion and perfected for us His Favor
and He chose for us the Religion of al-Islām. He legislated for us
righteous actions, and He gave us the ability to perform them, and
designated a reward for them. I testify that there is none worthy of
worship except Allāh Alone Who has no partners, and I testify that
Muḥammad is His worshipper and His Messenger - may the Ṣalāh and
Salām of Allāh be upon him, upon his Family and his Companions and
upon whoever follows them in goodness.

As for what follows:

This is a collection of the rulings of fasting and its manners. I wrote it as

an explanation to some aḥādīth which I gathered in this subject and I
observed the following matters when writing it:

Firstly: I was keen to be brief and I wanted the most correct opinion in
the issue while staying far away from the issues in which there is a
difference of opinion or arguing the different evidences except where
it was necessary to do so. I took this approach because I wanted to
make it easy and practical for reading it in the masjid upon the
congregation especially after Ṣalāt-ul-‘Asr, as it has become a practice
of the Imāms here with us in Saudi Arabia; and according to my limited
familiarity I have not found a beneficial book that the Imām can read
during Ramaḍān just like he would read Riyāḍ-uṣ-Ṣāliḥīn or other than
it.
Secondly: I did not reference the source of every issue so that I would
not be lengthy in the footnotes of the book; rather I only referenced
specific issues or traditions.

Thirdly: I documented the sources of the aḥādīth. If the ḥadīth was in

the two Ṣaḥīḥs, or in one of them, I sufficed with that and I did not
mention other than that for the most part. As for if it was in other than
them then I referenced that to the four Sunan mostly. Occasionally I
increased upon that as I referenced the statements that were narrated
from the Ṣaḥābah and the Tābi’īn according to what I came across.

Before closing I want to bring to the attention of the Imāms of the

masājid - may Allāh grant them success - that it is not befitting to be
constant upon reading ḥadīth after Ṣalāt-ul-‘Asr so that the people do
not get bored, and so that after having a break from that they will
return to listening with energy and enthusiasm.

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd  said: “The Prophet  used to pay attention

when he gave the exhortation on certain days, making sure that we
had the energy for them, disliking boredom for us.”1

The rule concerning that is determined by necessity along with

observing the energy of the people. Likewise, it is not befitting to rush
to speak after giving the salāms from the ṣalāh fearing that the people
will leave out. Rather he should wait some time allowing for the people
to finish their dhikr, because the dhikr is more important and so that
they would be able to achieve complete listening and benefit from
what you are saying after finishing their dhikr. Whoever stays in order
to listen then this is sufficient.

As for the statement that talking after ‘Asr is an innovation then this is
not correct, rather it is from the issue of giving the exhortation.
However, it is not befitting to be continuous in this matter. Also, it
does not matter whether the exhortation is something written or is not

1
Reported by al-Bukhārī (68)
written. In addition, there is nothing to prohibit from repeating an
exhortation according to the different occasions that the people are in
need of and explaining to them the rulings; such as the month of
Ramaḍān and the ten days of Dhul-Ḥijjah. The Prophet  gave three or
four speeches during his farewell pilgrimage.

With that I ask Allāh the Most High that He makes this work of mine
righteous and sincerely for His Face and that He causes a benefit by it.
Indeed, He is the One Who Hears and is Near.
The first hadith regarding the obligation of fasting and
something from its wisdom.
On the authority of Abdullah ibn Omar that the prophet said Islam is
built upon five; the testimony that there is nothing worthy of worship
except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and
establishing the salah, giving the Zaakah, pilgrimage to the house and
fasting Ramadan. This hadith is agreed upon. In the hadith is the
evidence for the obligation of fasting Ramadan, and that it is from the
pillars of Islam and its great foundations. Allah obligated it upon His
slaves due to its tremendous wisdom and dazzling secrets. Does who
know them, know them and does who are ignorant of them are
ignorant of them.
1-from the wisdom of Fasting and its secrets is that its is the worship of
Allah the Most High. That the worshiper gets close to His Lord with it
by leaving that what he loves, and he desires in obedience to His Lord,
and in fallowing in His command, and with that truthfulness of his
Imaan becomes apparent. And the completion of his worship of Allah
and his strength of his love for Him, and his desire of what he has with
him, because he knows that the pleasure of His master is in leaving his
desires. So, he puts forward the pleasure of His Master over his whims.
Do to this then indeed many from the believers if they were beaten or
arrested in order to break their fast a day from Ramadan without
having the excuse then they would not do so.
2-From the wisdom of fasting is that is a reason for Taqwah and
purifying the soul with obedience to Allah in what He has ordered and
quitting what He has prohibited.
The Most High, He said; “O you who believe fasting is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for does before you in order that you may
achieve Taqwah, and Taqwah, it gathers the good of this life and the
good of the hereafter, and every fruit from the fruits of fasting are a
resolute of this Taqwah.
3-Also from the wisdoms of fasting is controlling oneself from the
desires and weaning oneself from what one was accustom to and
tightening the ways of shaytan has over the worshiper and tightening
the ways of food and drink. And so the influence of shaytan weakens
and the disobedience reduces.
4-From the wisdom of fasting is that the heart becomes clean and it
becomes free for contemplation and dhiker, because reaching for the
desires harden its heart, and epicures from the truth, and fasting
preserves for the heart and the limbs their health and their strength.
5-From the wisdoms of fasting is being aver of the favorites of Allah
upon the worshiper of having satisfaction in good condition when you
remember by fasting those who are hungry from the poor and the
desuetude. So, he thanks his Lord and he feals the pain of his needy
brothers and favorites or bounties their worth is not known except by
losing them.
6-Also from the wisdom of fasting is what is a consequence of it from
the health benefit that a person archives by reducing his food and the
preservation of the health of the body and arranging the times of the
meals and reliving the digestive system for a specific period and Allah
is the one whom we seek help. In general the wisdoms of fasting are
tremendous and its benefits are many and Allah has arranged for it
from a tremendous reward and a great reward, that if the fasting
person relisted them he would be over come with joy, and he would
wish that the whole year was Ramadan. And Allah knows best.
Oh, Allah grant us success to fallowing guidance and keep us away
from the ways of distraction and misery, and provide us with
understanding of our religion, and death upon the Sunnah of the seal
of the prophets. And to forgive us and our parents, and all of the
Muslims.
The second hadith regarding fasting in Islamic legislation.
On the authority of Abo Hurairah who said that the Messenger of Allah
said: “Every action of the child of Adam is multiplied. The good deed by
ten times up until seven hundred times.” Allah, He said; ‘except for
fasting, for it is for me and I will reward for it. He left his desires and
food for my sake…until the end of the hadith.’ This hadith is agreed
upon.
This hadith indicates the meaning of legislated fasting, which is
withholding or abstaining from food, drink, and desires out of the
worship of Allah and responding to His command, and hasaning to His
pleasure. Due to His statement for ‘My sake’, and in another narration,
he abandons his food and his drink and his desires for My sake. The
meaning of desires is sexual interest intercourse and it is possible the
meaning is all desires. In an narration of Ibn Huzaimah it says; ‘He
leaves food for My sake and he leaves drink for My sake and he leaves
his pleasures for My sake and he leaves his wife for My sake.’
The noble Qur’an has indicated that the time of fasting in His
statement Most High which means; ”And eat and drink until the white
thread becomes apparent from the black thread of down. And then
complete fasting until the night.”
So, Allah the Most High allowed eating and drinking until the rise of the
down, and then He ordered with completing the fast until the night.
This is the meaning of abandoning the food and drink during this time.
That which is between the rise of down and the night. And the
meaning of eating and drinking is the reaching for food or drink in to
the stomach by way of the mouth or the nose, regardless of the type of
food or drink. As for medical injection which are given to the sick
person through the veins or muscles and could be for medicine or it
could be for the nutrition. Then it is a point of attention between the
people of knowledge, so from them are does who have the opinion
that it breaks the fast unrestrictedly and from them are does who give
details in the matter.
If the fasting person were to delay it till the night, then that is safer
due to his statement s.a.w. “Leave that which makes you doubt for
which does not make you doubt” and his statement “ So whoever
guards against desires then he has freed himself from blame in his
religion and his honor” and whoever has a requirement or a need from
something from these injections them mostly he is sick and it is
permissible for him to break his fast.
As for vaccinations then what is apparent is that they do not break-
fast, because they do not provide nutritious, rather they consume
what is in the stomach. The fasting person does not break his fast by
using the medicine for asthma or shortness of breath which is a smoky
gas according to what is apparent from the two statements of the
people of knowledge. Because it evaporates and it does not reach into
the stomach rather into the lungs by the way of the whim pipes.
So, it is not eating nor drinking, even if enfotraites and some of it
reaches into the stomach for it has little effect in it, and its comparison
is the madmada wa siwak, the rinsing the mouth when making wudu
and using the siwak as a clear analogy. He also does not break his fast
by applying kohol or eyedrops even if he found the taste of that in his
trout or he did not find it. As for nose drops then they do break fast if
they reach the stomach or the trout, because the nose is an outlet
which reaches into the stomach. Due to the hadith of Laqit ibn Sabira
which is Marfou exadurate when taking water into the nose except for
the one who is fasting.
Oh Allah give us understanding I our religion and provide us with an
action according to it and stead -fastness upon it , and make easy for
us that which is easy and move us away from that which is difficult for
us, and forgive us in the next life and this one and our parents and all
of the Muslims.
The third hadith regarding some of the virtues of fasting.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the messenger of Allah said:
”Every action of the a child of Adam is multiplied, the good deeds are
ten times their likes up until seven hundred times. Allah said; “except
for fasting for verily it is for me, and I will reward for it. He left his
desires and his food for My sake. For the fasting person are two times
of happiness. A time of happiness when he breaks his fast and the time
of happiness when he meats His Lord. The breath of the fasting person
is sweeter with Allah then the smell of Misk.” This hadith is agreed
upon.
Th hadith is the evidence for the virtue of fasting and the great status it
has with Allah the Most High, and there it has come in this hadith four
from these tremendous virtues.
The first is that does who fast are paid in full their reward without any
reckoning. For the actions all of them are multiplied ten times up until
seven hundred times except for fasting. For its multiplication is not
restricted to this number, rather Allah will multiply it many times over.
Because fasting is from patience and Allah indeed, He said; ‘only does
who are patient will receive the reward in full without reckoning’. Al-
Uhzaee rahimuhuAllah he said: “It is not weight for them nor
measured rather it is scooped up for them in handfuls”
Secondly that Allah the Most High attributed fasting to Himself or He
connected fasting to Himself as suppose to the rest of the actions, and
this and Allah knows best is because it takes up all of the day. So, you
find the fasting person losing his desires. His soul is urning for them,
especially during the days of summer due to their length and extremity
of their heat, and as well because fasting is a secret between the
worshipper and His Lord. No one is aware of it except Allah the Most
High. It is a hidden action. The creation does not see it and showing off
does not enter into it.
Thirdly that the fasting person when he meets His Lord he will be
happy with his fast, and that is when he will see his reward and his
gain, and the arrangement of the reward that he has for it due to the
acceptance of his fast which Allah granted him success to do. As for his
happiness when he breaks his fast then its due to the completion of his
worship and its soundness from those matters which break it or
violated it, and his achieving what he was prohibited from that which is
agreement with his nature and this is a praise worthy happiness,
because it is the happiness due to the obedience of Allah and
completion of the fast which is promised for it in a abundance reward.
Fourthly that the scent of the mouth of the fasting person is sweeter
with Allah than the smell of Misk, and this sweetness will be on the day
of Judgment, because is the time in which the rewards for deeds will
be made apparent.
Due to narration ‘sweeter with Allah on the day of Judgment’, and this
smell even if it is disliked in the noses of the people in this life yet is
sweeter with Allah then the smell of Misk, due to it being developed
because of the obedience to Allah the Most High. And from the virtues
of fasting is that it is a reason for the forgiveness of sins and an
expiation of evil deeds.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the messenger of Allah said:
”Whoever fasts Ramadan having Imaan and Ihtisab, then he will be
forgiven for his sins what came before.” This hadith is agreed upon.
However, these virtues are not for except the person who fasted
sincerely for Allah the Most High from food and drink and sexual
intercourse, and his limbs were kept back from committing sins. For
this is the legislated fasting which has tremendous reward arranged for
it.
The Prophet said; ”Whoever does not leave of false speech or acting
with it or ignorance then Allah is not in need of him leaving his food or
his drink.” Oh Allah protect for us our fasting and make it an
intercessor for us and help us in obedience to You and keep us away
from the paths which lead to disobedience to You, and forgive us and
our parents and all of the Muslims.
The fourth hadith regarding some of the special qualities of
Ramadan.
On the authority of Abo Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah said;
’When the month of Ramadan enters the gates of Jannah are opened,
and the gates of the hellfire are closed, and the shayateen are locked
up.’ This hadith is agreed upon. And in an narration Sahih Muslim the
gates of Mercy are opened.
The hadith is an evidence for the virtue of the month of Ramadan and
that tremendous of its special qualities. For Allah the Most High
preferred it over the rest of the months, and He specified it with what
is not found in other then it. In that it is a caller to righteous actions
and to righteousness and excellence. In this noble month the gates of
Jannah are opened, and the gates of the hellfire are closed, and Allah
knows best is due to the abundance of good in Ramadan and the
increasing of the expectance for the reasons of forgiveness and
pleasure.
Evil is decreased in the earth when the rebellious shayateen are locked
up with chains and shockless because the Muslims are busy with
fasting, reciting Qura’an, and the remembrance of Allah, and every
action from the actions of righteousness and every statement from the
statements of good.
This explains to us the secret of the return of many from disobedience
and their repentance to Allah the Most High and their diligence upon
obedience and their attendance of the masajid and this preferred
month.
The chained shaytan might harm, but this is less and weaker than what
could appear outside of Ramadan and this is according to the
perfection of the fasting or its shortcomings. So, whoever has fast is
perfect and complete and he has guarded the conditions of fasting in
its manners, and shaytan it’s pushed away in a way that he is not
pushed away from the one who’s fasting is incomplete. It is not
necessary that because they are locked up that there will not be any
evil or disobedience, because there are other reasons besides the
shayateen, like filthy souls or unpleasant customs or the shayateen of
the people or it could mean that does who are chained are the
rebellious shayateen as we find it in some of the narrations, so the
effect of those who are not rebellious remains and the knowledge is
with Allah the Most High.
Therefore it is upon the Muslim that he rush to perform good deeds
and types of acts of obedience organizing his time benefiting from the
seasons of worship and acts of obedience and it is upon him to be
wear with every type of caution from spending the nights of Ramadan
in playing and amusement so that he might be awake and active during
the day.
If staying awake at night and playing and amusement is prohibited in
other then Ramadan than it is even more so during Ramadan,
especially remaining awake at night with musical instruments and
entertainment or in empty gatherings which there harms are more
then there benefit, and even greater than that is increasing in sleep
during the daytime rather possibly sleeping through the obligatory
salah and Allah knows best.
Oh Allah wake us from our headless sleep, and grant us success to
prepare before transitioning to the next life, and grant us and inspire
us to take advantage of time especially the times of relaxation and
forgive us Oh Allah and our parents and all of the Muslims.
The fifth hadith regarding praying at night during Ramadan.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah who said; “I hear the Messenger of
Allah saying ‘Whoever stands in prayer at night in Ramadan having
Imaan and Ihtisab his previous since will be forgiven for him’ this
hadith is agreed upon.’
This hadith is the evidence for the virtue of standing in prayer at night
in Ramadan and that it is from the reasons for forgiveness of the sins.
Whoever prays Tarawee as it is befitting for him than he indeed stood
the month of Ramadan. The forgiveness is conditional on his statement
‘having Imaan and Ihtisab’. The meaning of having Imaan is believing in
the promise of Allah and in the virtue of standing in prayer and the
trumendensns of the reward that is with Allah the Most Hight. The
meaning of Ihtisab is that he is hoping or expecting the reward that is
with Allah the Most High and he has no other intention such us
showing of or similar to that.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah who said; ‘The Messenger of Allah
used to encourage to with standing in prayer in Ramadan without
firmly ordering them, and then he said; whoever stands in prayer in
Ramadan having Imaan and Ihtisab his previous since are forgiven for
him’.
Therefore, it is upon the Muslim that he be diligent upon salat-ul-
Tarawee along with the Imaam and he is not negligent in anything
from it and he does not turn away before the Imaam does even if he
increases upon eleven or thirteen rekah. Due to the statement of the
Prophet ‘whoever stood with the Imaam until he turns away it is
written for him standing in prayer the entire night.’ The meaning of
‘until the Imaam turns away’ is him finishing the prayer, not the
turning away of the first Imaam if they prayed with more then one
Imaam. It is not anything except few numbered nights that the
intelligent person takes advantage of before they go away.
Abo Dawud said; ‘It was said to Ahmed and I was listening ‘Do you
delay the Qiyam meaning Taraweeh until the last part of the night? He
said ‘No’. The Sunnah of the Muslims is more beloved to me.
If a person desires that he prays what is written for him at the time of
staying up, then he does not perform Witr another time at the end of
its salah, rather his Witr with his Imaam in salat-ul-Taraweeh in the
beginning part of the night is sufficient for him.
Due to what is mentioned in the hadith of Talq ibn Ali who said that
the Messenger of Allah said; There are not two Witrs in one night”.
As for the hadith of Ibn Omar from the Prophet who sad; ‘Make the
last part of your salah at night Witr then it is understood for the one
who prays in the last part of the night, and he did not pray Witr in the
first part, and the command here is carried upon the meaning of
recommendation and not upon an obligation.
It is not necessary to seal the salah in the last part of the night with
Witr. With the evidence that the Prophet prayed after his Witr in the
last part of the night. When the person praying gives selams from Witr
he says “Subhanel Malik al Qudus” three times and he raises his voice
with the third one due to that being mentioned from the Prophet and
Allah knows best.
Oh Allah awaken our hearts from the sleep of long hopes, and remind
us of the closeness of traveling back to You, and the closeness of our
appointed return, and straiten our hearts upon Imaan and grant us
succsess to rights actions and forgive us and our parents and all of the
Muslims.
The sixth hadith regarding the virtue of reciting the Qur’an and its
manners.
On the authority of Abu Umama that the Prophet he said; “Read the
Quran for verily it will come on the Day of Judgment as an intercessor
for its companion.” Narrated by Muslim
The hadith is evidence for the virtue of the reciting the Qur’an and its
greatness with reward with Allah the Most High, and that it is an
intercessor for its companion on the Day of Judgment for entering into
Jannah.
On the authority of the Awas ibn Saman who said; I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying; ”The Qur’an will be broth on the Day of
Judgment along with its people who used to act according to it
preceding it will be Surah al-Baqarah and Al-Imran. The Messenger of
Allah struck three examples for them two that we don’t forget
afterwards, that I haven’t forgotten them yet, he said ‘as if they are
two clouds or two black shades between them a light -as if they are
two flocks of birds in rows arguing for their companion.’
So it is befitting for the fasting person to increase in his recitation of
the Qur’an in these blessed days and noble nights. Indeed in the
recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan has a special merit that is not in
other months.
So, the person should take advantage of the nobleness of the time in
this month in which Qur’an was sent down, and the recitation of the
Qur’an in the nights of the Ramadan has special merit.
Indeed, the night is cut off from business and important matters are
gathered and the heart and the tong ae prepared for the
contemplation, and Allah is One whom help is sot. Al-Hafith Ibn Rajab
said; ‘What is mentioned from the prohibition of the reciting the
Qur’an in less then three is only for the one persisting that, as for the
preferred times such as the month of Ramadan and especially the
nights in which Laylat-ul-Qader is sot or in preferred places such as
Makkah from the one who enters in other then its people then it is
recommended to increase in them from the recitation of the Qur’an
taking advantage of the virtue of the time and place. And this is the
statement of Ahmed and Ishaq and other then them from the Imaams,
and the actions of other then them is in evidance for that as has
proceeded its mention. Upon the reader is that he holds the manners
of recitation which it is accumbent upon him to beautify himself with
from them are sincerity of intention of Allah the Most High recitation
upon purity and using the siwak, because that is from the glorifying
and magnifying the speech of Allah. And upon him is to pronounce the
Qur’an and whoever suffice with just looking then this is not reciting,
and he does not obtain the reward of recitation. Also upon his is to
cantaplay on what he reads, because that is from the requested goals.
From the manners of the recitation is that the one reading prostrates if
he passes by and ayah of Sajdah, and this is done upon the Wudū no
matter where he is., and he does not read so loudly that he hams
others around him.
Due to what is mentioned in a hadith of Abu Saieed al-Khudri who said;
“The Prophet made Itiqaf in a masjid and he heard them reciting loudly
with recitation so he undid his concealment that he was in and he said;
‘Oh each of you in a secret conversation with His Lord, so do not harm
one another, and do not rise your voices over one one other in
recitation (Salah).’ And Allah knows best.
Oh Allah make the tremendous Qur’an spring of our hearts, and the
light of our chests, and the removal of our sadness and the lifting of
the removal of our grief, and our guide to You, and to the gardens of
bliss. Oh Allah remind us of it what we forget, and teach us what we
are ignorant of and provide us with its recitation according to what You
love and are please with, and forgive us Oh Allah and our parents and
all of the Muslims.