Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (136) | Chapter on the obligation of fasting during Ramadan

0:00 Riyad al-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:09 Chapter: The Obligation of Fasting Ramadan, the Clarification of its Virtue, and Related Matters.

0:20 Allah the Exalted says:

0:22 “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);” (2:183)

0:30 Up to His saying:

0:32 "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion."

0:42 “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (2:185)

0:46 “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (2:185)

0:53 The verse.

0:55 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

1:01 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

1:05 Allah the Almighty and Majestic says:

1:07 "Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it."

1:15 "Fasting is a shield."

1:17 "So, when it is a day of fasting for any of you, let him not use foul language nor act ignorantly."

1:23 "And if someone insults him or fights him, let him say: 'I am fasting.'"

1:30 "By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad,"

1:33 "The smell of the fasting person's mouth is better in the sight of Allah than the scent of musk."

1:38 "The fasting person has two joys that he experiences:"

1:42 "When he breaks his fast, he rejoices in his breaking of the fast,"

1:45 "And when he meets his Lord, he rejoices in his fasting."

1:49 Agreed upon.

1:52 This is the wording of the narration of al-Bukhari.

1:55 And in a narration by Allah [meaning: in another narration]:

1:57 "He leaves his food, his drink, and his desire for My sake."

2:02 "Fasting is for Me, and I shall reward for it."

2:06 "And a good deed is rewarded tenfold."

2:09 And in a narration by Muslim:

2:12 "Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied,"

2:15 "A good deed is rewarded tenfold,"

2:18 "Up to seven hundred times."

2:20 Allah the Exalted says:

2:23 "Except for fasting,"

2:25 "For it is for Me, and I shall reward for it."

2:28 "He abandons his desire and his food for My sake."

2:32 "The fasting person has two joys:"

2:35 "A joy at the time of breaking his fast,"

2:38 "And a joy at the time of meeting his Lord."

2:41 "And the smell of his mouth is better in the sight of Allah than the scent of musk."

2:47 "A shield,"

2:50 Meaning: a protection from the Fire or from sins.

2:53 "Foul language,"

2:55 Obscene speech.

2:57 "Acting ignorantly,"

2:59 It is quarreling and shouting.

3:01 "The smell of his mouth,"

3:03 Meaning: the change in the odor of the mouth.

3:05 From the benefits of the hadith:

3:10 Allah the Exalted has guaranteed to reward the fasting person for his fasting.

3:15 This is because fasting is an act of worship between the servant and his Lord.

3:20 And what is involved in it of sincerity,

3:23 And responsiveness to Allah, and hardship and fatigue.

3:26 No one knows the extent of its reward except Allah.

3:29 Therefore, every deed has a limited reward,

3:32 Multiplied up to seven hundred times,

3:35 Except for fasting,

3:37 For its reward is without measure.

3:40 Fasting is a protection from the Fire,

3:43 And a protection from the sins that lead to it,

3:47 And a barrier against committing forbidden acts.

3:52 The fasting person trains his soul and disciplines it for obedience,

3:56 And accustoms it to enduring harm,

3:59 Seeking the pleasure of Allah.

4:01 Teaching people to stop at the sacred limits of Allah,

4:05 So that a person does not transgress them.

4:07 The permissibility of informing people of one's act of worship,

4:10 If it results in a benefit or wards off harm.

4:14 Therefore, the statement of the fasting person,

4:17 "I am fasting," is spoken audibly,

4:21 So that the one insulting or fighting may be deterred.

4:25 The smell of the fasting person's mouth will appear before Allah on the Day of Resurrection,

4:29 Better than the scent of musk we know in this world.

4:33 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

4:37 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

4:41 "Whoever spends a pair [of things] in the way of Allah,"

4:45 "Will be called from the gates of Paradise,"

4:48 "'O servant of Allah, this is good.'"

4:51 "So whoever is among the people of prayer,"

4:54 "Will be called from the gate of prayer,"

4:57 "And whoever is among the people of jihad,"

5:00 "Will be called from the gate of jihad,"

5:03 "And whoever is among the people of fasting,"

5:06 "Will be called from the gate of Rayyan,"

5:09 "And whoever is among the people of charity,"

5:13 "Will be called from the gate of charity."

5:16 Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

5:19 "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah,"

5:22 "Is it necessary? Will anyone be called from all those gates?" He said, "Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them." Agreed upon. From the benefits of the hadith: Clarification that Paradise has gates guarded by,

5:42 Angels. Acts of worship are divided among these gates. Among the servants are those who will be called from all these gates. Proof of the virtue of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.

5:58 And on the authority of Sahl Ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said: "Indeed, in Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyan, through which the fasting people will enter on the Day of Resurrection."

6:15 "No one else will enter through it. It will be said: 'Where are the fasting people?' So they will stand up. No one else will enter through it. When they have entered, it will be closed, and no one else will enter through it." Agreed upon.

6:35 Al-Rayyan is a proper name for one of the gates of Paradise, reserved for the entry of the fasting people. Its wording corresponds to its meaning, as it is derived from 'ray' (quenching thirst), which is appropriate for the state of the fasting people.

6:52 He sufficed with mentioning quenching thirst rather than satiation because it implies it, but it is more difficult for the fasting person than hunger. And Allah knows best.

7:05 From the benefits of the hadith: Allah, Glory be to Him, has set aside for the fasting people one of the eight gates of Paradise. When they enter it, it will be closed. Whoever enters through the gate of al-Rayyan will never thirst again.

7:23 And on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "There is no servant who fasts a day in the way of Allah, except that Allah will distance his face from the Fire by that day for seventy autumns." Agreed upon.

7:46 "Autumn," meaning: a year.

7:50 From the benefits of the hadith: Encouragement to perform voluntary fasting. Clarification of the virtue of voluntary fasting that is intended for the sake of Allah.

8:02 Whoever is not weakened by fasting from performing jihad, he should fast to combine the two virtues. Specifying 'autumn' is because autumn is the most pleasant of seasons, as fruits are harvested in it.

8:19 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." Agreed upon.

8:38 "Out of faith and seeking reward,"

8:40 Meaning: believing in its obligation and desiring its reward, with a willing soul, neither hating its fasting, nor finding its standing in prayer burdensome, nor finding its days long.

8:56 From the benefits of the hadith: Clarification of the virtue of Ramadan and its high status, and that it is the month of fasting. Whoever fasts it, his errors and sins will be forgiven, even if they were like the foam of the sea.

9:13 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained." Agreed upon.

9:34 "Chained," meaning: bound with shackles, which are fetters. It has the same meaning as being put in chains.

9:43 From the benefits of the hadith: In the month of Ramadan, the gates of Paradise are opened, and in the month of Ramadan, the gates of Hell are closed; this is due to the decrease in evils and sins.

9:59 In the month of Ramadan, evil decreases on earth, such that the devils are chained and the rebellious jinn are bound with chains, fetters, and shackles.

10:11 So they are unable to corrupt people as they were able to do in other months.

10:17 The opening of the gates of Paradise, the closing of the gates of Hell, and the chaining of the rebellious jinn occur on the first night of the month of Ramadan.

10:29 There is no excuse for the seeker of evil, because the causes of evil have been restrained or reduced. So, no one is deprived of goodness in the month of goodness except the one who is truly deprived.

10:41 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

10:48 "Fast when you see it [the crescent] and break your fast when you see it. If it is obscured from you, then complete the count of Sha'ban as thirty days."

10:59 Agreed upon, and this is the wording of al-Bukhari.

11:03 And in a narration by Muslim: "If it is obscured from you, then fast for thirty days."

11:12 From the benefits of the hadith:

11:15 Fasting is linked to the physical sighting of the crescent moon.

11:19 And it is not permissible to fast based on astronomical calculations or the like.

11:24 Likewise, breaking the fast is by visual observation.

11:28 If clouds obscure the sighting, it is necessary to complete Sha'ban as thirty days.

11:37 Chapter: Generosity, Doing Good, and Increasing Good Deeds in the Month of Ramadan.

11:43 And increasing that in the last ten days of it.

11:49 On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

11:53 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the most generous of people.

11:58 And he was at his most generous in Ramadan when Jibril would meet him.

12:05 And Jibril would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Qur'an with him.

12:12 So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when Jibril met him,

12:18 Was more generous with goodness than the sent wind.

12:22 Agreed upon.

12:25 "The sent wind,"

12:27 Meaning: the continuous wind whose blowing is constant and whose benefit is widespread.

12:34 From the benefits of the hadith:

12:36 Clarification of the generosity of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the breadth of his kindness.

12:42 Especially in Ramadan, for it is the month of acts of worship and the season of good deeds.

12:49 Jibril, peace be upon him, used to study the Qur'an with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

12:55 The time for that was the month of Ramadan.

12:58 And in it is the correspondence of the study with the time of revelation.

13:03 It is appropriate for the student of knowledge and the scholars to study knowledge among themselves,

13:09 So that it is not forgotten and is learned from them.

13:13 Encouragement to be generous at all times.

13:16 And it is recommended to increase it when meeting with righteous people and in the month of Ramadan.

13:25 And on the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

13:28 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when the ten [last days] entered,

13:33 Would stay awake at night, wake his family, and tighten his waist-wrapper.

13:39 Agreed upon.

13:44 Chapter: Prohibition of Preceding Ramadan with Fasting After the Middle of Sha'ban.

13:49 Except for someone who connects it to what came before it,

13:52 Or it coincides with a habit of his.

13:55 Such as if it were his habit to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and it coincided with that.

14:01 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

14:04 From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

14:08 "None of you should precede Ramadan by fasting a day or two,"

14:14 "Unless it is a man who used to fast his [regular] fast,"

14:18 "Then let him fast that day."

14:21 Agreed upon.

14:24 From the benefits of the hadith:

14:27 That it is forbidden to welcome Ramadan by fasting a day before it with the intention of precaution for Ramadan.

14:34 Exception for one who is accustomed to fasting,

14:37 And that fast coincided with the day of doubt.

14:42 And on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

14:46 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

14:50 "Do not fast before Ramadan."

14:53 "Fast when you see it,"

14:55 "And break your fast when you see it."

14:58 "If a cloud obscures it from you,"

15:00 "Then complete thirty days."

15:04 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

15:06 "Ghayayah,"

15:07 It is the cloud.

15:10 And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

15:13 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

15:17 "When half of Sha'ban remains,"

15:20 "Do not fast."

15:23 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

15:26 From the benefits of the hadith:

15:28 It is disliked to perform voluntary fasting after the middle of Sha'ban for someone who is weakened by fasting.

15:34 If it is the day of doubt, it is forbidden to fast.

15:40 And on the authority of Abu al-Yaqzan 'Ammar Ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

15:46 "Whoever fasts the day about which there is doubt,"

15:49 "Has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

15:54 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.

15:58 Riyad al-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (136) | Chapter on the obligation of fasting during Ramadan

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