Violations that some fasting people fall into

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger:

These days, the Muslim nation lives one of the greatest seasons of goodness.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 183].

However, there are some violations which the fasting people fall into which I like to remind people of them in fulfillment to the right of Allah (may He be Exalted) and advising the nation.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and gel nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night." [1]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained in this Hadith that a group of people fast but Allah does not give the reward of the fasting, but their share is hunger and thirst because their bodily organs did not stop the commitment of sins: Eyes are still looking at forbidden things, ears are still hearing forbidden things, and the tongue is still speaking with forbidden things.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allâh)." [Surat Al Isra': 36]. Another group stay up at night for Salah but does not take the reward of worshippers either for losing sincerity in their worship or due to the lack of its agreement to the Prophet's guidance or for other reasons.

Therefore, a fasting person should beware of falling into sins, for the meaning of fasting is not abstaining from food and drink only, but bodily organs' abstention from what Allah has forbidden.

Of these violations: Delaying Salah from its due time. Some fasting people sleep after having the predawn meal and do not wake up except at sunrise, wasting Fajr (Dawn) Prayer, and others sleep before `Asr (Afternoon) Prayer and do not wake up except at sunset, wasting `Asr (Afternoon) Prayer. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "When you have finished As-Salât (the congregational prayer), remember Allâh standing, sitting down, and (lying down) on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform As-Salât (Iqamat-as- Salât). Verily, As-Salât (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours." [Surat An-Nisa': 103].

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever abandons the `Asr Prayer, all his (good) deeds will be annulled."[2]

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers) (hypocrites), * Those who delay their Salât (prayers from their stated fixed times)." [Surat Al Ma`un: 4 - 5].

It was reported in the Hadith of Mus`ab ibn Sa`d who said: "I asked my father saying: O my father, have you seen Allah's Saying: "Those who delay their Salât (prayers from their stated fixed times)." Who of us does not neglect and wish? He said: This is not the meaning, but the meaning is wasting time until time passes."[3]

In such people Allah (may He be Exalted) revealed: "Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salât (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell." [Surat Maryam: 59].

Of which is lagging behind congregational Salah. Some fasting people perform Salah in its due times, but they do not offer Salah in congregation. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "When you (O Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him) are among them, and lead them in As-Salât (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salât (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which have not yet prayed, and let them pray with you taking all the precautions and bearing arms. Those who disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage, to attack you in a single rush, but there is no sin on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill, but take every precaution for yourselves. Verily, Allâh has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers." [Surat An-Nisa': 102].

In this Ayah, Allah ordained the congregational Salah of fear in the state of war, so it is more obligatory in the state of peace.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The most difficult and the hardest prayers for the hypocrites are the `Isha' (prayer) and the Fajr (prayer). Had they known what is (the reward of) them, they would have come to attend them even if they had to crawl. I was thinking of ordering the Iqamah for Salah, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would set out with men carrying bundles of firewood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses down around them." [4]

Of these violations is staying awake long hours before satellite channels which spread its evils and poisons in different ways where they broadcast programs that spread doubts in Muslims' religion, showing the greatness of infidels, and admiring with their civilization, broadcasting low-standard series, songs, and pornography.

Some fasting people are afflicted by smoking, may Allah guide them, so instead of breaking their fast by having lawful food, they break their fast by smoking which the Messenger of Allah was sent to prohibit it. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad peace be upon him) whom they find written with them in the Taurât (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), ? he commands them for Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh's Covenant with the Children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad peace be upon him), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur'ân) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be the successful." [Surat Al A`raf: 157].

Of which: Obscenity and foul language as well as other sins. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting)."[5]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting.'"[6]

Of which: Spending many hours in sleeping. And the Hadith of (sleeping of a fasting person is an act of worship) is a weak Hadith that was not authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him).

A Muslim should not waste the hours of fasting in sleeping, for a Muslim shall be asked about his time on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Barzah Al Aslamy (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "(On the Day of Resurrection) the feet of a slave will not move till he is asked about his life how he spent it; and about his knowledge, what he did with it, and about his wealth, how he earned it and on what he used it, and about his body, in what way he wore it off."[7]

The poet said:

Time was the most valuable thing I care for, whereas I see it the easiest thing you waste.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions!

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[1] Sunan Ibn Majah (1/539) No. (1690).

[2] [Sahih Al Bukhari (1/195) No. (553).

[3] Musnad Abu Ya`la (1/336) No. (700). Al Mundhiry said in his book At-Targhib wat-Tarhib (1/441): Its chain of narration is good.

[4] Sahih Al Bukhari (1/218) No. (657) and Sahih Muslim (1/451) No. (252).

[5] Sahih Al Bukhari (2/31) No. (1903).

[6] Sahih Al Bukhari (2/31) No. (1904) and Sahih Muslim (2/806) No. (1151).

[7] Sunan At-Tirmidhy (4/612) No. (2417) and said: It is a good and authentic Hadith.