The document discusses various aspects of fasting during Ramadan including: 1) Fasting is one of the acts that can lead to Paradise according to a hadith from An-Nasai and Ibn Hibban. 2) Fasting has many spiritual and health benefits. It is an act of worship solely for Allah and will be rewarded greatly on the Day of Judgment according to several hadiths. 3) The document provides details on the intention for fasting, things that break the fast or are disliked during fasting, excuses for not fasting, and components of a fruitful fast such as suhoor, taraweeh prayers, charity, and more Quran recitation.

2. Who are Successful?
Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of
Paradise. The companions of Paradise - they are the attainers of
success.[Surah Hashr:20]
Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of resurrection shall
you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from
the fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of
this world is only a deceiving thing.” (Surah Al Imran:185)
Abu Umama (ra) said: Oh Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I
may enter paradise. Prophet(saw): Take to fasting, there is nothing like it.
[An-Nasai, Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim]

3. Why Nothing Similar?
Prophet (saw) said Allah says: Every deed of the child of Adam is for himself,
except for fasting. It is for Me and I shall reward it. Fasting is a shield, so if it is
a day of fasting for any one of you, then he should engage in no obscenity or
shouting. If anyone belittles him or fights with him, he should just say ‘I am a
person who is fasting’. I swear by Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul,
the smell of the fasting person’s breath is sweeter to Allah on the Day of
Judgment than that of musk. The fasting person has two occasions for joy,
one when he breaks his fast because of his breaking it and the other when he
meets his Lord because of the reward for his fast.
In another narration Rasulullah (saw) said Allah says: Every (good) deed of
the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to
seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the
exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it.

4. Why Nothing Similar?
Prophet (saw) said: “There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyaan, and those
who observe fasting will enter from it on the Day of Judgment and none
except them will enter from it. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to
observe fasting?' They will get up, and none except them will enter from it.
After their entry, this gate will be closed and nobody will enter from it (after
that).”
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and
seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.‘
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Fasting and
the Quran will intercede for the servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting
will say: O Lord, I prevented him from food and drink during the day, so let
me intercede for him. The Quran will say: O Lord, I prevented him from
sleeping during the night, so let me intercede for him. Thus, they will both
intercede for him.” [Musnad Aḥmad 6589]

5. Don’t be loser?
Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of
the greatest losers as to [their] deeds?
[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while
they think that they are doing well in work." [18:103-104]
The Prophet (saw) said: Whoever does not give up lying and obscene talk then
Allah has no need of his giving up his food and water.
Prophet (saw) said: Many a fasting person will get nothing from his fast save
hunger or thirst, and many a one who stand to pray at night will get nothing
from his standing except sleeplessness.

6. Purpose of Fasting?
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting
as it was decreed upon those before you that you may
attain taqwa [Surah Baqarah:183]
As the beginning of Ramadan would approach the Prophet (saw) would say to the
companions: Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of Barakah, in which Allah
covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers
prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to
His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who
is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted.” [Narrated
by Tabarani – Accepted]

7. The Intention to Fast
• Intention is obligatory for every ibadah. Intention is confined
to the heart – not tounge
• The timing of the intention during fasting depends on the
type of fasting:
• In obligatory fast:
• The First opinion is that the intention needs to be present from the night
before fajr: There is no fast for the one who did not make his fast from the
night[Abu Dawud 2454]
• 2nd Opinion is to make single intention for whole month.
• In Supererogatory fasts:
• The intention can be made at anytime before the end of the fasting
period as long as no food had been enter from the morning. This is based
on the hadith from muslim that prophet(saw) intended to fast in the
middle of the day when there was no food to eat. (Hanafi Opinion that
intention can be made only up to mid day as a maximum

8. Dua’s to Read to breaking fast
Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to say when breaking his fast:
“Dhahaba al-zama’ wa abtalat al-‘urooq wa thabata al-ajr in
sha Allaah (Thirst is gone, the veins are moistened and the
reward is certain if Allaah wills).”
The prophet (SAW) said: 'Three men whose dua is never
rejected (by Allah) are: when a fasting person breaks fast (in
another narration, the fasting person until he breaks his fast),
the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.

9. What Breaks the Fasting
If done deliberately, by one’s own free will, and
without a valid reason while fasting a current Ramadan
fast, the following acts invalidate the fast and require a
makeup along with expiation:
• Changing intentions breaks one’s fast.
• Intentionally Eating and Drinking
• Intentionally Vomiting
• Cupping or Donating the Blood
• Ejaculation by touching or Sexual Intercourse
• Menstruation or Post Natal Bleeding
• Nutritional Injection or Nose Drop or IV Fluids

10. What is Expiation ?
A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am doomed!”
He said: “Why is that?” He said, “I had intercourse with my wife
when I was fasting.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do you have a slave
whom you can set free?” He said, “No.” He said: “Can you fast
for two consecutive months?” He said, “No.” He said, “Can you
afford to feed sixty poor persons?” He said, “No.” Then a man
from among the Ansaar brought a basket of dates. He said:
‘Take this and give it in charity.” The man said: “To someone
poorer than us? O Messenger of Allaah, by the One Who sent
you with the truth, there is no family between the two lava
fields (i.e., in Madeenah) poorer than us.” The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Go an feed it to
your family.” '

11. Excuses for Not Fasting in Ramadan
So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal
number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast,
but with hardship] – a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each
day].[Surah Baqarah: 184]
• Those who have Permanent excuse from fasting in Ramadan
• The old
• The fragile
• The Terminally ill sick person
• Those who have temporary excuse from fasting in Ramadan
• Temporarily Sick Person
• If fasting will not affect his illness at all, he must still fast.
• If fasting will affect the person's illness or is difficult for him –but it will not harm him – then it
is disliked (makruh) for him to fast and it is desired that he does not fast.
• If fasting is going to harm the person, such as a person who suffers from severe diabetes, then
he is not allowed to fast as it is not permissible to do things that will harm oneself.
• Traveler
• Menstruating Women and Women in Post-Child birth bleeding
• The pregnant and breast feeding woman
• Miscellaneous categories of temporary excuse(i.e fighting, deeply in need(doctor
performing critical ops))

12. Things that are undesirable (makruh)
• Exaggeration in sniffing water at the time of making Wudu
• Using strong tasting toothpaste or strong moutwash
• Taking a swim
• To chew something like gum or rubber, providing there is no
flavor
• To taste food with the tip of ones tongue
• To collect saliva in the mouth and swallow it in large
quantity
• To quarrel and use filthy and indecent language
• To back bite
• Eating too much, The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:“The son of Adam fills no worse vessel
than his stomach.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2380)

13. Components of a Fruitful Fast
1. Suhur
2. Break it as soon as the sun has set with dates
3. Improve your Manners
4. Taraweeh/Night Prayers
5. Generosity
6. More good deeds
7. Everyday charity
8. More Qur’ān
9. Searching for the Night of Decree
10. Morning/Evening Adhkar and Ishraq Prayer
11. Duha Prayer
12. Performing `Umrah During Ramadhan
13. I‘tikāf the last 10 nights

14. Conclusion