The Book of Fasting: A Hanafi Guide to Siyām Based on Qur'an, Sunnah, and Classical Sources

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© Light Publishing 2025

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani and other early Hanafi jurists

The Book of Fasting

ISBN 978-1-915570-50-5

www.lightpublishing.co.uk

Contents

Chapter 1

The Importance Of Fasting—11

The Virtue Of Fasting—12

The Objectives Of Fasting—13

Chapter 2

Sighting the Moon—15

Consideration Of Difference In Location—17

Astronomical Calculations—18

The Size Of The Crescent—18

The Day Of Doubt—18

Follow The Jama’ah—19

Chapter 3

A DESCRIPTION OF FASTING—20

The Fards In Fasting—20

The Sunnahs Of Fasting—23

Reading the qur’an—26

Refraining from sins and vain pursuits—27

Chapter 4

Types of Fasting—28

The fasting of Ramadan—28

The virtues of the month of Ramadan—30

On whom the fasting is obligatory—32

Nafl fast—37

Chapter 5

Days When Fasting IsForbidden Or Disliked—42

Forbidden days—42

Disliked days—43

Chapter 6

What Is AllowedDuring Fasting—47

Eating and drinking foregetfully—47

Tasting the food—47

Getting up in the morning as junubi—47

Kissing—48

Wet dream—49

Applying oil —50

Cooling with water—50

Applying kuhl—50

Injection—51

Cupping—51

Using miswak or toothpaste—51

Chapter 7

What Breaks The Fast—52

What makes both qada’ and kaffarah compulsory?—52

What necessitates qada’ only?—53

Delaying the qada’—56

Separation between qada’ fasts—56

Chapter 8

The Night Of Al-Qadr—57

Seeking the night of al-Qadr—57

Which night is it?—58

Worship during this night—60

Chapter 9

I’tikaf—61

Types of I’tikaf—62

Conditions for the validity of I’tikaf—63

Chapter 1

The Importance Of Fasting

THE WORD FOR fasting in Arabic is sawm. Literally it means ‘abstaining from’. As an Islamic term, sawm means abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Fasting is an effective means for the purification of the soul, for strengthening the discipline of desire and self-control. Like salah and zakah, it has been part of God’s religion from the very beginning. The Qur’an says: O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous .¹ Fasting strengthens one’s fear of Allah, morality and self-control and deepens one’s consciousness of Allah.

The fact that fasting is a means to moral elevation is evident because Allah not only imposes checks upon eating, drinking and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also exhorts His slaves to refrain lies, etc. Abu Hurayrah narrated: The Prophet (s) said, Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.²

During the month of Ramadan the whole atmosphere is permeated with piety and devotion to Allah. There is one extra congregational prayer, Tarawih, offered during the night, in which the Qur’an is recited and Muslims are reminded of the fact that it was during the month of Ramadan that the revelation of the Qur’an commenced. Sadaqah is also given with greater zeal and fervour during this month. In this way, the whole Muslim society is inspired with the love of Allah. Abu Hurayrah reported from Allah’s Messenger (s) as saying: When Ramadan begins, the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are locked, and the devils are chained.³

The Virtue Of Fasting

Since fasting is of such great importance in Islam, The Prophet (s) encouraged believers in many ways to observe both the obligatory and the voluntary fasting. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: Fasting is a shield. Therefore, the person fasting should avoid talking about desire and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him, ‘I am fasting. The Prophet (s) added, By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk. Allah says about the fasting person, ‘He has left his food< drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.⁴

Sahl ibn Sa’d narrated that the Prophet (s) said: There is a gate in Paradise called al-Rayyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, ‘Where are those who used to observe fasts?’ They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry, the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it. ⁵

Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Whoever gives two kinds (of things or property) in charity for Allah’s Cause, will be called from the gates of Paradise and will be addressed, ‘O slaves of Allah here is prosperity’. So, whoever was amongst the people who used to offer their prayers, will be called from the gate of the prayer; and whoever was amongst the people who used to participate in jihad, will be called from the gate of jihad, and whoever was amongst those who used to observe fasts, will be called from the gate of al-Rayyan; whoever was amongst those who used to give in charity, will be called from the gate of charity. Abu Bakr said: Let my parents be sacrificed for you, O Allah’s Apostle. No distress or need will befall him who will be called from those gates. Will there be any one who will be called from all these gates?’ The Prophet (s) replied: ‘Yes, and I hope you will be among them’.’’⁶

The Objectives Of Fasting

The purpose of fasting has been described by Allah Himself. Allah, Exalted is He, says: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous". ⁷ Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Fasting is a shield. So,