يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾
Enyi mlio amini! Mmeandikiwa Saumu, kama waliyo andikiwa walio kuwa kabla yenu ili mpate kuchamngu.
Fasting (Siyam)
Fasting Ramadan: the obligation and its conditions
The ruling in short
Fasting Ramadan is a pillar of Islam. Allah says: the month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed, so whoever witnesses the month, let him fast it (2:185). The Prophet ﷺ taught to start fasting on seeing the crescent and to stop on seeing the crescent of Shawwal, and to complete thirty days if the sky is overcast.
1On whom it is obligatory
- Every Muslim who is adult, sane and resident, and who is able to fast.
- A child is encouraged to fast when able, but it is not obligatory.
2Conditions and the intention
- The intention is made in the heart before dawn (see “What breaks the fast” for the views of the schools).
- The fast lasts from true dawn to sunset, avoiding food, drink and marital relations.
3The best of it
- The Prophet ﷺ reported from Allah that every deed of a son of Adam is for him except fasting, which is for Allah, and He gives its reward. Fasting is a shield.
- Eating the pre-dawn meal (suhur), breaking the fast quickly at sunset, with dates and water, giving food to those fasting, and praying Tarawih.
- Guarding the tongue, and avoiding lying, arguments and anger.
Where the schools differ
The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.
- The start of the month. the four schools rely on sighting the crescent, or on completing thirty days. Whether to rely on astronomical calculation, and whether a sighting in one country binds others, is debated among contemporary scholars. Follow the announcement of the authority in your country.
The evidence
From the Quran
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾
Mwezi wa Ramadhani ambao imeteremshwa humo Qur'ani kuwa ni uwongofu kwa watu, na hoja zilizo wazi za uwongofu na upambanuzi. Basi ataye kuwa mjini katika mwezi huu naafunge. Na mwenye kuwa mgonjwa au safarini, basi atimize hisabu katika siku nyengine. Mwenyezi Mungu anakutakieni yaliyo mepesi wala hakutakieni yaliyo mazito, na mtimize hiyo hisabu, na mumtukuze Mwenyezi Mungu kwa kuwa amekuongoeni ili mpate kushukuru.
From the Sunnah
Sahih al-Bukhari 1909 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: Start fasting on seeing the crescent, stop on seeing it, and complete thirty days if the sky is cloudy.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، فَإِنْ غُبِّيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلاَثِينَ ".
Sahih al-Bukhari 1904 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: Allah said that every deed of a son of Adam is for him except fasting, which is for Me and I reward it. Fasting is a shield.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءٌ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ الزَّيَّاتِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَالَ اللَّهُ كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلاَّ الصِّيَامَ، فَإِنَّهُ لِي، وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ. وَالصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ، وَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ، فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلاَ يَصْخَبْ، فَإِنْ سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ، أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ. وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَخُلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ، لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ يَفْرَحُهُمَا إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَرِحَ، وَإِذَا لَقِيَ رَبَّهُ فَرِحَ بِصَوْمِهِ ".
This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Fiqh questions
Fasting Ramadan: the obligation and its conditions
Fasting Ramadan is a pillar of Islam. Allah says: the month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed, so whoever witnesses the month, let him fast it (2:185). The Prophet ﷺ taught to start fasting on seeing the crescent and to stop on seeing the crescent of Shawwal, and to complete thirty days if the sky is overcast.
Is this a fatwa?
No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.
What if my school differs from this answer?
Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.