Questions related to fasting??

[a_stranger123]

:salam2:

Why do muslims fast?What is its purpose???

What happens if they dont fast??Will they be punished??

What will they get if they fast???Will they get any reward??

If they miss a fast can they make it up????

 

[zbhotto]

A general reply

:salam2:

Why do muslims fast?What is its purpose???

It is a command of our creator ALLAH (SWT) who is above the Heaven. That is why muslim fast. It has several purposes.

But the most important one is to show the cursed SATAN and his companions among the jinns and mankind the sincere submission of muslims to almighty ALLAH (SWT). Note we can take food secretly and yet claim that we are fasting which we do not do. It is too easy to use hypocrisy in fasting but we do not do that. This confirms that our fasting is truly to show obedience to ALLAH (SWT).

Secondly, to feel the hardship of poor people that face everyday so that we can be generous in charity.

Thirdly it has some medical benefit. Our body needs some rest.

There are many more which I do not know.

:salam2:
What happens if they dont fast??Will they be punished??

If one do not fast he is committing a sin. ALLAH (SWT) will forgieve or punish to whomever He (SWT) wishes. He (SWT) is the ultimate JUST.

:salam2:

What will they get if they fast???Will they get any reward??

Yes of course. The reward is countless. You will be new born baby (sinless) in the sight of ALLAH (SWT). ALLAH (SWT) pledges to forgieve all sins if we use Ramadan properly.

Every act of worship in Ramadan would carry 60 times more reward than that in other month. Every voluntary worship would carry the reward of obligatory worship.

Worship in lailatuk Kadr night would carry the reward of nonstop (24 hours in a day, seven days in week, 30 days in month, 365 days in year) worshiping of thousands nights.

If one intentionally miss the fasting of ramadan, He/she has to make it up by fasting 60 days for each day he/she miss fasting in ramadan. Otherwise, he/she has to feed 60 poor people.

If the missing of fasting was not intentionally the he/she has to make up by fasting one day of each day of missing in ramadan, or feed a poor person oneday.

 

[Hard Rock Moslem]

:salam2:

Why do muslims fast?What is its purpose???

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/38064

:
What happens if they dont fast??Will they be punished??

Al-Baqarah: 183
O you who believe! Observing saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious.

The beginning of verse 183 mentioned: "O you believe!"...this fasting only applicable to believers in Islam. Non-believer and hypocrites need not to fast but if they fast will not be rewarded. Insane people also exempted. So if a muslim do not fast without any valid excuse he/she committed great sin for not fasting and he/she need to take note the above verse. Frequently not fasting without valid excuses will be danger to their imaan (faith) and they may have to ask themselves "are they believers?".

For those deliberately missed the fast will have to pay "Kaffarah" - compensation that you should give if you deliberately miss or break a fast in the month of Ramadan without a valid reason.

On the other hand, those fasting not necessarily their fast is accepted, because their stomach may be fasting by not eating or drinking, but their eyes is not fasting (e.g. not lowering their gaze at opposite gender), their tongue is not fasting (e.g. making fitnah on others, talking bad on others etc), their aurat (part of body need to be covered) is not fasting (not wearing hijab etc).

The Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has said: "Perhaps a person fasting will receive nothing from his fasting except hunger and thirst." [Ibn Maajah, Ad-Daarimee, Ahmad, al-Baihaqee, Saheeh]

:
What will they get if they fast???Will they get any reward??

Abu Umaamah r.a.a. said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter Paradise'. He said: 'Take to Fasting, there is nothing like it.' " [An-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim, Saheeh]

"Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [al-Bukhaaree]

Also, Sahl ibn Sa`d said that the Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed there is a gate of Paradise called ar-Rayyaan. On the day of Resurrection those who fast will enter through it; no one enters it except for them, and when they have entered, it is closed so that no one enters it, so when the last of them enters it, it is closed, and whoever enters it drinks, and whoever drinks never becomes thirsty." [Ibn Khuzaimah, Saheeh].

Fasting is a shield against the Fire:
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh]

:
If they miss a fast can they make it up????

There are exceptions from fasting in some situation, e.g. pregnant women and mothers who are still milking their babies may skip, travellers, too sick and medically not fit to fast, etc. But they need to make up the these missed fast before the next Ramadan.

Al-Baqarah: 184
[Observing fasts] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know.

Allah knows best.