The Rulings of Ramadan: A Comprehensive Guideline

9. WHAT MUST BE AVOIDED DURING FASTING

The fasting person is one who protects his body parts from indulging in sins, his tongue from lying, obscenities and all types of falsehood and his stomach from eating and drinking. Therefore, if he speaks he must try not to speak anything that reduces the value of his fast and if he does any action, he does not do anything to nullify his fast. Thus, his speech will be good and his actions righteous. So the legislated fast is not only the mere abstinence from food, drink and desires, but it is incumbent upon the fasting person to also shy away from any action that would reduce the value of his fast or destroy it, so that he will benefit from his fasting and achieve Taqwaa (Allah consciousness), as Allah (T) said, which means:

"Fasting is prescribed on you as it was prescribed upon those before you so that you may achieve Taqwa. " [Al-Baqarah 2:187]

This Taqwaa can only be achieved by the person who abstains from all evils no matter how small.

Abu Huraira (R) said that the Messenger (S) of Allah (T) said: "Whoever does not avoid false speech and acting on it, Allah (T) does not have any need for him to leave his food and drink". [Bukhaaree]

Abu Huraira said that the Messenger (S) said: "Fasting is not (merely) to leave off eating and drinking, but it is to abstain from vain talk and obscene behaviour". Therefore, if anyone insults you or behaves foolishly towards you, then say: "I am fasting, I am fasting." [Bukhaaree]

For this reason there has reached us strong reprimand from the Messenger (S) for anyone who involves in these types of evil behaviours, he (S) said: "All that some people gets from their fasting is hunger and thirst. " [Ibn Majah, Daramee]