Fasting

Benefits of Fasting

Fasting holds a special place as Allah directly rewards it for two main reasons:

• Secrecy: Fasting is an act of abstention known only to Allah. Unlike other worship acts like prayer and charity, it is private.
• Victory over Satan: Fasting acts as a triumph over Allah's enemy, Satan.

Levels of Fasting

Levels by Frequency

1. Minimum level: Fasting during the month of Ramadan
2. Middle level: Fasting one-third of the time by observing fasts on Mondays and Thursdays, along with Ramadan.
3. Highest level: The fast of Dawood, where you fast every other day.

Levels by Spiritual Depth

1. Basic level: Simply abstaining from food without avoiding bad deeds.
2. Elite level: Besides food abstention, one refrain from backbiting, inappropriate glances, and other sins.
3. Elite of the elite: Beyond physical abstention, this level includes guarding the heart from distractions, focusing solely on Allah's remembrance. For instance, Build knowledge in free time while fasting.

Conditions of Fasting

• Intend and purify your purpose before fasting in Ramadan or even optional fasts. Set and purify intentions before fasting.
• Take a pre-dawn meal called Sahur. Delaying it close to fajr time is preferable; however, the earliest is best when it comes to breaking the fast.
• Fasting should end with undoubtedly permissible food in moderation, without overeating (combining two meals at once). Overeating disrupts the spiritual benefits of fasting, causing laziness in night prayers and possibly missing the morning prayer.

Supplementary Fasting

• Special fasting days include the six days of Shawwal after Ramadan, the day of 'Arafah, 'Ashura, and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.
• During the sacred months (Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, Rajab), it is recommended to fast more and avoid bad deeds, honoring their significance. One practical way of doing this is fasting the "white days" (the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each of these month).