Question:
What actions should a person avoid during Ramadan?
Answer:
All perfect praise is for Allah ﷻ, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah ﷻ, and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.
A fasting person should avoid all types of actions which will break his fast or reduce his reward. He should control his limbs from committing such acts that earn the displeasure of his Allah ﷻ and ruin his fast. Acts such as: back biting, gossiping, looking at things which Allah ﷻ has forbidden, fighting with people, severing ties of relationship with relatives and all actions and behaviours which deprive a person from attaining the greater purpose of fasting.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There are people who fast and achieve nothing except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night”. (Al-Nisai, Ibn Majah and Imam Ahmad)
A fasting person should avoid all such actions which take away from a person’s taqwa. Being aware and conscious of Allah ﷻ is ultimately the purpose of fasting. Allah ﷻ mentions in the Holy Qur’an:
O People who Believe! Fasting is made compulsory for you, like it was ordained for those before you, so that you may attain piety. (Surah al-Baqara: 183).
And Allah ﷻ knows best.
This Fatwa is written by Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Munir Al-Azhari