How can I maintain my fast in the face of these sins?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You have done very well to ask this question; it indicates that you
are keen to make sure that your acts of worship do not go to waste or
be reduced because of these widespread sins.
We should all remember that the real meaning of fasting is not only
giving up food and drink, rather Allaah, may He be exalted,has
enjoined fasting in order that we may attain piety (taqwa). Hence real
fasting means refraining from sin by refraining from it and giving it
up; this is the fasting of the heart, not just the fasting of the
body. The Sunnah points to what we have said, and it has been
discussed and explained by the scholars.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and actingupon it,
Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (1804). And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaahbe pleased with him) said:The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "It may be that all a fasting
person gets from his fast is hunger and thirst, and it may be that all
a person who prays at night gets from his prayeris sleeplessness."
Narratedby Ahmad (8693); classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan (8/257) and
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1/262).
The Sahaabah and the early generations of this ummah were keen for
their fasting to be a purification for their souls as well as their
bodies, free from disobedience and sin.
'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Fasting
does not mean abstainingfrom food and drink only, rather it is also
abstainingfrom lying, falsehood and idle speech.
Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah al-Ansaari said: When youfast, then let your
hearing,sight and tongue fast from lying and sin and stop abusing
servants. Be tranquil and dignified on the day of your fast, and do
not let the day you do not fast and the day you fast be the same.
It was narrated that Hafsah bint al-Sireen – who was a scholar of the
Taabi'een – said: Fasting isa shield, so long as one does not make
holes in it it, and making holes in it means gheebah (backbiting).
It was narrated from Maymoon ibn Mahraam that the least of fasting is
giving up food and drink.
These reports were quoted by Ibn Hazm in al-Muhalla (4/308).
So it is no wonder if we learn that some scholars regarded the fast as
invalid if a person falls into sin during his fast, even though the
correct view is that this does not invalidate the fast, but
undoubtedly it detracts from it and goes against the real meaning of
fasting.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Backbiting damages the fast. It was narrated from 'Aa'ishah, and
al-Awzaa'i also said this, that backbiting breaks the fast of the
fasting person and he has to make up that day. Ibn Hazm went further
and said: It is invalidated by every sin that a person commits
deliberately, when he is aware that he is fasting, whether it is an
action or a word, because of the general meaning of the words "he
should not utter obscene speech or behave in an ignorant manner" and
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoeverdoes not give up false speech and acting upon it,Allaah has no
need of his giving up his food and drink." End quote.
Fath al-Baari (4/104).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for the thing from one which must abstain when fasting, perhaps you
will be surprised if I tell you that the thing from one which must
abstain when fasting is sin. A person must abstain from sin when
fasting because thisis the primary aim of fasting, because Allaah, may
He be blessed and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)"
[al-Baqarah 2:183].
It is not so that you may become hungry, or so thatyou may become
thirsty, or so that you may refrainfrom relations with your wife! No;
He says "that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)."This is the
primary aim of fasting.
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