Etiquettes of Fasting

1.Keeping in view the great reward and great blessings of Fasting, make arrangement for observing fasts with full zeal and complete earnestness. No other form of worship can serve as an alternative to Fasting. For this reason, God made Fasting obligatory for very Ummmah ( Followers of a Prophet). God affirms: Ya-ayyuhalladhina Amanu kutiba 'alaikumusiyamu kama kutiba 'alalladhina min qablikum la'allakum tattaqun. " O ye who believe ! Prescribed for you is fasting, as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may become God-fearing". 2.. Observe all fasts of Ramadan with full care and miss any fast save in case of severe illness or on the ground of some religious excuse. The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) observed: " Anyone who misses a single fast during Ramadan except in case of severe illness or on ground of religious excuse cannot make amends for this offence by keeping fasts on all the remaining days of life." 3. Keep yourself busy in your daily occupation and be active and cheerful in work so as to avoid hypocrisy and false appearances during fasting. Do not show weakness or lethargy in your behavior during the fast. Hadrat Abu Huraira ( God be pleased with him) remarked: " When a man observes fasts he ought to annoint himself with oil as usual so that the effects of fasting do not show off". 4. Make your best efforts to avoid all forms of evil during the fast, because the very objective of the fast is to purge the life of man of all evil and make it righteous. The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed: " Fast serves as a shield. When any of you is in a state of fasting, he should take care not to utter any evil speech by his tongue or to start an affray. In case someone starts railing at him or is inclined to start a fight with him, the man who is fasting should reflect that he is in a state of fasting ( how can he reciprocate offensive language) (Bukhari Muslim) 5. Covet the great reward for fasting as reported in the Traditions. Offer a prayer to God especially near the hour of Iftar ( Breaking the fast). " O God ! Be gracious to accept my fast and grant me that favour and reward which you have promised". The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed: "Those who observe fasts will enter Paradise through a special gateway. The name of this gate is ' Riyyan'. When the entire number of all those who observe fasts have gone in, the gate will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter it afterwards". 6. Bear the hardship of the fast in good cheer. Do not degrade the sanctity of the fast by complaining of the pangs of hunger or thirst or weakness. 7. If you are unable to observe fast during a journey or because of severe illness, you can forgo it, but atone for it on other days. The Holy Qur'an affirms: Waman kana maridan au 'ala safarin fa 'id datum min ayyamin ukhara. (2.185) " But whosoever among you is sick or on a journey ( he is required to observe fast instead of these days) the same number of the other days." 8. Avoid bask-biting an evil eye strictly during the fast. The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has observed : " The person who keeps fast is in fact offering devotion of God from morning till evening unless, of course, he backbites against someone. When he indulges in backbiting, his fast in broken ." (Ad-Dailmi) 9. Earn a lawful living. No devotion of the body fed on illicit earning is admissible. The Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) has affirmed: " The body fed on illicit earning is a proper fuel for Hell-Fire." ( Bukhari) 10. Observe I;tkhaf in the last week of the month of Ramada. The Holy Prophet ( p.b.u.h) used to perform I'tkaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. Hadrat ' A'isha ( God be pleased with her) reports: " When the last week of Ramadan approached, the Holy Prophet ( p.b.u.h) used to keep awake during most part of the nights and devoted himself to worship. He also decreed the female of the household to remain awake and engaged himself in the worship of God with full zeal and perfect devotion". 11. Show utmost tenderness and affection to people in the month of Ramadan. Provide maximum facilities to your employees and supply their needs with extreme liberality. Deal with members with kindness and generosity. 12. Say the maximum rakats of prayers with humility, zeal and devotion. It is related in ' Durr Manthur' that when the Holy Month of Ramadan came, the pattern of the Holy Prophet ( Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) life underwent a change. The number of the rakats of superoragative prayers offered by him ( p.b.u.h). He (p.b.u.h.) observed deeper humility in prayers and appeared totally overcome with fear of God. The traditions record: " In the month of Ramadan, God ordains the heaven supporting angels to give up their supplications and say ' Amain ( So be it) after the prayers of the fasting persons". 13. Pay ' Sadaqa Fitr ' ( charity ordained before Eid prayers and the end of Ramadan) with a willing heart and give it away before saying ' Eid prayer. If possible, pay it well before the 'Eid so that the needy and destitute may also buy necessary provisions for the ' Eid and go to the 'ldgah with everybody else and join in the festivities of the 'Eid. It is reported in the traditions that the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) made the payment of 'Sadaqa Fitr' obligatory for his followers for two reasons: first as an atonement for any improper or licentious deed that the fasting people may have committed unconsciously in the period of their fast; and secondly, 'Sadaqa Fitr' is to be paid to make provisions of food for the poor and the indigent to afford them to enjoy the auspicious Eid day. 14. Besides practicing maximum possible piety yourself in the holy days of Ramadan, persuade others also with fervour, zeal, tenderness and tact to do piety, so that the fear of God, love of piety and goodness may reign supreme over all and the society. as whole, may derive the greatest benefit from the limitless blessings of the holy month of Ramadan.