Tag: Q n A, Bukhari

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah said, ‘All the deeds of Adam’s sons (people) are for them, except fasting
which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.’ Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and
from committing sins. 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.’ By Him in
Whose Hands my soul is’ The unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is
better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one
at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be
pleased because of his fasting.”

When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) reached Medina, Abu Bakr and Bilal became ill. When Abu Bakr’s fever got
worse, he would recite (this poetic verse): “Everybody is staying alive with his People, yet Death is
nearer to him than His shoe laces.” And Bilal, when his fever deserted him, would recite: “Would that
I could stay overnight in A valley wherein I would be Surrounded by Idhkhir and Jalil (kinds of goodsmelling
grass). Would that one day I could Drink the water of the Majanna, and Would that (The two
mountains) Shama and Tafil would appear to me!” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “O Allah! Curse Shaiba bin
Rabi`a and `Utba bin Rabi`a and Umaiya bin Khalaf as they turned us out of our land to the land of
epidemics.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) then said, “O Allah! Make us love Medina as we love Mecca or even
more than that. O Allah! Give blessings in our Sa and our Mudd (measures symbolizing food) and
make the climate of Medina suitable for us, and divert its fever towards Aljuhfa.” Aisha added: When
we reached Medina, it was the most unhealthy of Allah’s lands, and the valley of Bathan (the valley of
Medina) used to flow with impure colored water.

While I was walking with `Abdullah he said, “We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said,
‘He who can afford to marry should marry, because it will help him refrain from looking at other
women, and save his private parts from committing illegal sexual relation; and he who cannot afford
to marry is advised to fast, as fasting will diminish his sexual power.”

`Umar said, O Allah! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let my death be in the city of Your
Apostle.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned Ramadan and said, “Do not fast unless you see the crescent (of Ramadan),
and do not give up fasting till you see the crescent (of Shawwal), but if the sky is overcast (if you
cannot see it), then act on estimation (i.e. count Sha’ban as 30 days).

A bedouin with unkempt hair came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Inform me what
Allah has made compulsory for me as regards the prayers.” He replied: “You have to offer perfectly
the five compulsory prayers in a day and night (24 hours), unless you want to pray Nawafil.” The
bedouin further asked, “Inform me what Allah has made compulsory for me as regards fasting.” He
replied, “You have to fast during the whole month of Ramadan, unless you want to fast more as
Nawafil.” The bedouin further asked, “Tell me how much Zakat Allah has enjoined on me.” Thus,
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) informed him about all the rules (i.e. fundamentals) of Islam. The bedouin then said,
“By Him Who has honored you, I will neither perform any Nawafil nor will I decrease what Allah has
enjoined on me. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If he is saying the truth, he will succeed (or he will be granted
Paradise).

The Prophet (ﷺ) observed the fast on the 10th of Muharram (‘Ashura), and ordered (Muslims) to fast on
that day, but when the fasting of the month of Ramadan was prescribed, the fasting of the ‘Ashura’ was
abandoned. `Abdullah did not use to fast on that day unless it coincided with his routine fasting by
chance.

(The tribe of) Quraish used to fast on the day of Ashura’ in the Pre-Islamic period, and then Allah’s
Apostle ordered (Muslims) to fast on it till the fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed;
whereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “He who wants to fast (on ‘Ashura’) may fast, and he who does not want
to fast may not fast.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting
should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if
somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added,
“By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is
better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), ‘He has left
his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it
and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.”

`Umar asked the people, “Who remembers the narration of the Prophet (ﷺ) about the affliction?” Hudhaifa
said, “I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘The affliction of a person in his property, family and neighbors is
expiated by his prayers, fasting, and giving in charity.” `Umar said, “I do not ask about that, but I ask
about those afflictions which will spread like the waves of the sea.” Hudhaifa replied, “There is a
closed gate in front of those afflictions.” `Umar asked, “Will that gate be opened or broken?” He
replied, “It will be broken.” `Umar said, “Then the gate will not be closed again till the Day of
Resurrection.” We said to Masruq, “Would you ask Hudhaifa whether `Umar knew what that gate
symbolized?” He asked him and he replied “He (`Umar) knew it as one knows that there will be night
before tomorrow, morning.