The Fourth Pillar of Islam: Fasting (Roza)

The fourth pillar of islam is fasting, which requires muslims to fast for the duration of the sacred month of ramadan. Ramadan fasting policies are that each pubescent muslim is obligated to study fasting, refraining from meals, drink, and sexual hobby at some stage in the fasting hours.

The purpose of ramadan fasting in islam is to beautify one's piety and provides an possibility to empathize with the hunger and hardship experienced by means of the less lucky. It instills discipline, strengthens one's devotion and spiritual dedication, fosters a deeper attention of god and his favors, and serves as a way for seeking forgiveness.

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Moreover, Sawm serves as a beneficial workout for the human body, as it lets in us to cleanse our digestive system from the indulgence in unnecessary ingredients during the 12 months. For the duration of the holy month of ramadan, worldwide markets frequently decrease fees to support muslims in their observance.


  1. Blessings of Fasting
  2. Roza Necessities - for Whom Fasting is Obligatory
  3. Importance of Fasting in Islam
  4. Unseen Strength - A Testament of Deep Faith
  5. Benefits of Fasting in Islam
  6. Quranic Verses & Hadith On Fasting
  7. Fasting Rewards
  8. Who's Unlucky?
  9. Ranges of Fasting 


Blessings of Fasting

Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ has graciously granted us his mammoth blessing in the shape of Ramadan's fasts, aiming for us to gain righteousness and his contentment, as Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ states in surah al-baqarah (element 2, verses 183-184):

“o folks who accept as true with! Roza has been made obligatory upon you as had been made obligatory upon the ones earlier than you, so you may also emerge as pious. The times are counted. Then whosoever among you is ill or on a journey then identical range of fasting in different days, and people who have no energy, must give in first-class meal to a needy: then whosoever does higher, then this is higher for him, and fasting is better for you if you realize.” [Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (element 2, surah baqarah, ayah 183-184)


Roza Necessities - for Whom Fasting is Obligatory

Much like salah, the obligation of fasting in the course of ramadan is likewise fard upon each responsible (male and female) muslim who has attained puberty and is sane. It's far said in durr-e-mukhtar that the obligation of sawm was decreed on the tenth of shaban, two years after the hijrah. (durr-e-mukhtar ma rad-dul-muhtar, pp. 330, vol. Three)


Importance of Fasting in Islam

Several practices inside islam function transferring reminders of faith-reviving ancient activities. The act of running between safa and marwah, for instance, takes us returned to the footsteps of sayyidatuna hajirah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْها, who traversed between those two mountains seven instances looking for sustenance for her son, sayyiduna ismail. The importance of fasting in islam is that allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ desired this deed and declared it wajib for all folks who perform hajj and umrah to imitate her to be able to maintain this act alive.


Likewise, at some stage in a span of ramadan, the noble prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم sequestered himself within the cave of hira. There, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم kept away from daylight food, dedicating his hours to the worship of allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ at night time. To perpetually take a look at this blessed practice of our honored and beloved rasool صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ mandated fasting throughout the sacred month of ramadan upon us


Unseen Strength - A Testament of Deep Faith

Believe a scorching day, wherein a fasting muslim feels the extreme warmth and his throat and lips are parched from thirst. Despite the fact that he has get admission to to water and food, his sturdy faith in allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ maintains him from even glancing at them. No matter his extreme starvation and thirst, he remains resolute in his notion. He knows that despite the fact that he might also seem unseen by means of others, allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ sees all of his moves.

This unwavering faith is a tangible result of his roza. In contrast to different acts of worship that involve seen physical actions, roza is wonderful. It is a shape of worship that remains hidden from others' eyes. Simplest allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ is privy to it. Although someone had been to secretly eat, people might nonetheless bear in mind them to be fasting. But this person abstains from consuming completely to thrill allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

If it is feasible, inspire your kids to begin fasting from a young age. This manner, they will grow to be used to fasting by the point they attain puberty. Esteemed scholars رحمتہ اللہ علیہ have counseled, “when kids reach the age of ten and are healthful enough to speedy, they must be made to fast in ramadan. In the event that they do no longer speedy despite being healthy sufficient to accomplish that, they have to be strictly made to speedy even by beating. If they wreck it, they may no longer be ordered to make up for it (do qada), however if they destroy their salah, they may be ordered to provide it again.” (rad-dul-muhtar, pp. 385, vol. 3)


Benefits of Fasting in Islam


1. Fitness Advantages of Fasting

Sayyiduna ‘ali رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْه shared that the prophet of mercy, the intercessor of the ummah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ sent a revelation to one of the prophets of bani israil commanding him to inform his ummah that if anyone fasts a day for my pride, i can provide him proper health and praise him greatly.” (shuab-ul-iman, pp. 412, vol. 3, hadees 3923)


2. Prevents illness

Roza itself does now not reason any infection. As a substitute, in the course of ramadan, people sometimes come to be ill because of eating oily and fried meals for the duration of sahari (pre-sunrise meal) and iftar (breaking the fast). Moreover, many people consume numerous matters for the duration of the night time. Hence, it is essential to keep away from immoderate ingesting at some stage in Ramadan.

At some point of sahari, it is recommended now not to overindulge to the factor of feeling overly full all day, which may diminish the experience of hunger and thirst. In truth, the essence of sawm lies in enduring those sensations. Believe the acute warmth, parched lips, and profound hunger – those should remind us of the warm temperature and mild of madina-tul-munawwarah. And, if only it might remind us of the extraordinarily heart-rending incident of karbala wherein the flowers of prophet’s garden were brutally trampled below toes at the sizzling barren region.


3. Religious Blessings of Fasting

Swam has religious benefits. It allows people manage themselves and assume greater. It connects them with their internal self. They turn out to be more thoughtful and humbler. Roza additionally makes them feel peaceful inside and less interested in fabric matters. This enables them grow spiritually and find more peace inner.


Quranic Verses & Hadith On Fasting

1. The Quranic verses on fasting states: “o people who accept as true with! Fasting has been made compulsory upon you as have been made obligatory upon the ones earlier than you, so that you can also become pious”. Fasting is a unique present of allahعَزَّوَجَلَّ and it's miles mentioned numerous times regarding the importance of fasting in Quran.


2. Sayyiduna abu hurairahرَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْه shared that the beloved and blessed prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “for each act of piety, guy is rewarded ten to seven-hundred instances extra. Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ said besides fasting, due to the fact fasting is for me and i'm able to give its praise myself.”


3. Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّadditionally says, “guy refrains from pleasant his goals and ingesting food for my satisfaction. There are two glad tidings for the person who fasts; one at the time of sundown and the other when he meets his rab عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. ­Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّlikes the smell emanating from a fasting individual’s mouth greater than the perfume of musk.” (sahih muslim, pp. 580, hadees 1151)


4. There's every other announcing, “roza is a defend; while any of you rapid, he should neither utter phrases of indecency nor shout. If anybody else abuses him or wants to combat him, he need to say ‘i am fasting.” (sahih bukhari, pp. 624, vol. 1, hadees 1894)


Fasting Rewards

Sayyiduna kab-ul-ahbarرَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْه  stated, “on the day of judgment an statement can be made, ‘every guy will obtain what he sowed (he may be rewarded identical to his deeds) except the human beings of the Quran (students of the quran) and people who fasted; they will take delivery of immeasurable praise.” (shuab-ul-iman, pp. 413, vol. 3, hadees 3928)


Expensive islamic brothers! In the life to come, we will revel in the consequences of our movements in this international. Pupils and people who rapid are noticeably fortunate, as they will acquire abundant rewards at the day of judgment.


Who's Unlucky?

Sayyiduna jabir bin abdulla رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْه shared that the prophet of each person, the supply of peace for our hearts and minds, the maximum generous and kind صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “the only who reveals Ramadan – the fasting month in Islam, but does now not speedy is unfortunate; the only who has each of his mother and father or anyone of them but does not treat them well is unfortunate; the one who hears me being stated however does not recite Salat is unfortunate.” (majma-uzzawaid, pp. 340, vol. 3, hadees 4773)


Ranges of Fasting 

At the same time as the obvious requirement for sawm involves refraining from intentional consuming, ingesting, and intimacy, there are additional elements of swam which we have to get to know so that we are able to achieve acquiring all the benefits of fasting. There are three tiers of fasting:


1. The Short of Common People.

The primary definition of Roza is 'to refrain', but inside the context of Islamic law (shariah), it way to deliberately keep away from ingesting, consuming, and intimate family members from the early morning (sunrise or subh-e-sadiq) until sundown. This is known as the Roza determined through most of the people.


2. Fast of the Pious

Aside from refraining from ingesting, ingesting, and intimate members of the family, the short of devout people additionally involves staying far from all varieties of wrongdoing.


3. Speedy of the Ascetic

To abstain from all worldly moves and fully dedicate oneself to the worship of Allah is the fasting exercise of ascetics. Further to keeping off consuming and consuming, it's also important to preserve all parts of our frame away from sinful acts