18. Fasting

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umarthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not begin the fast until you seethe new moon, and do not break the fast (at the end of Ramadan) untilyou see it. If the new moon is obscured from you, then work out (whenit should be)." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar fromAbdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "A month has twenty-nine days in it. Do notstart the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moonis obscured from you, then work out (when it should be)." Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili fromAbdullah ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not startthe fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon isobscured from you, then complete a full thirty days." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that once in thetime of Uthman ibn Affan the new moon had been seen in the afternoonand Uthman did not break his fast until evening had come and the sunhad set. Yahya said that he had heard Malik say that some onewho sees the new moon of Ramadan when he is on his own should startthe fast and not break it if he knows that that day is part ofRamadan. He added, "Some one who sees the new moon of Shawwal when heis on his own does not break the fast, because people suspect thereliability of someone among them who breaks the fast. Such peopleshould say, when they sight the new moon, 'We have seen the new moon.'Whoever sees the new moon of Shawwal during the day should not breakhis fast but should continue fasting for the rest of that day. This isbecause it is really the new moon of the night that is coming ." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "If people are fasting on theday of Fitr thinking that it is still Ramadan and then definiteevidence comes to them that the new moon of Ramadan had been seen oneday before they began to fast and that they are now into the thirty-first day, then they should break the fast on that day at whatevertime the news comes to them. However, they do not pray the id prayerif they hear the news after the sun has begun to decline." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Only some one who makes the intention to fast before dawn (actually) fasts." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that A'isha and Hafsa, the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said that. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar from Sahlibn Sad as Saidi that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "People will remain in good as long as they arequick to break the fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-Aslami from Said ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, "People will remain in goodas long as they are quick to break the fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Humayd ibnAbd ar-Rahman that Umar ibn al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan would praymaghrib when they saw the night darkening, before they broke theirfast, and that was during Ramadan. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abd ar-Rahmanibn Mamar al-Ansari from Abu Yunus, the mawla of A'isha, from A'ishathat she overheard a man standing at the door saying to the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Messenger ofAllah, I get up in the morning junub, in a state of major ritualimpurity, and want to fast," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, said, "I too get up in the morningjunub and want to fast, so I do ghusl and fast." The man said to him,"You are not the same as us. Allah has forgiven you all your wrongactions that have gone before and those that have come after." TheMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, got angryand said, "By Allah, I hope that I am the most fearful of you withrespect to Allah and the most knowledgeable of you in how I havetaqwa." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd Rabbih ibn Said from AbuBakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham from A'isha and UmmSalama, the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, usedto get up in the morning junub from intercourse, not a dream, inRamadan, and then he would fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakribn Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham that he heard Abu Bakr ibnAbd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham say, "My father and I were withMarwan ibn al Hakam at the time when he was amir of Madina, andsomeone mentioned to him that Abu Hurayra used to say, 'If someonebegins the morning junub, he has broken the fast for that day.'Marwan said, 'I swear to you, Abdar-Rahman, you must go to the two ummal muminin, A'isha and Umm Salama, and ask them about it.' ''Abd ar-Rahman went to visit A'isha and I accompanied him. He greetedher and then said, 'Umm al-muminin, we were with Marwan ibn al Hakamand someone mentioned to him that Abu Hurayra used to say that if someone had begun the morning junub, he had broken the fast for that day.'A'isha said, 'It is not as Abu Hurayra says Abd ar-Rahman. Do youdislike what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, used to do?', and Abd ar-Rahman said, 'No, by Allah.' A'ishasaid, 'I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, used to get up in the morning junub fromintercourse, not a dream, and would then fast for that day.' " He continued, "Then we went and visited Umm Salama, and Abd ar-Rahman asked her about the same matter and she said the same as A'ishahad said. Then we went off until we came to Marwan ibn al-Hakam Abdar-Rahman told him what they had both said and Marwan said, 'I swearto you, Abu Muhammad, you must use the mount which is at the door, andgo to Abu Hurayra, who is on his land at al Aqiq, and tell him this.'So Abd ar-Rahman rode off, and I went with him, until we came to AbuHurayra. Abd ar-Rahman talked with him for a while, and then mentionedthe matter to him, and Abu Hurayra said, 'I don't know anything aboutit. I was just told that by someone.'" Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of AbuBakr, from Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha and Umm Salama, thewives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,"The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, usedto get up in the morning junub from intercourse, not a dream, andwould then fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibnYasar that a certain man kissed his wife while he was fasting inRamadan. This made him very anxious, and so he sent his wife to theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to ask him aboutthat for him. She went in and saw Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned the matter toher, and Umm Salama told her that the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, used to kiss while he was fasting. Soshe went back and told her husband that, but it only made him findfault all the more and he said, "We are not like the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah makespermissible for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, whatever He wishes." His wife then went back toUmm Salama and found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, with her. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, "What's the matter with this woman?", andUmm Salama told him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "Didn't you tell her that I do that myself?"and she said, "I told her, and she went to her husband and told him,but it only made him find fault all the more and say, 'We are not likethe Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allahmakes permissible for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, whatever He wishes.' " The Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, got angry and said, "By Allah, I am the onewith the most taqwa of Allah of you all, and of you all the one whobest knows His limits." Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that A'isha, umm al-muminin, may Allah be pleased with her,said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, used to kiss certain of his wives when fasting," and then shelaughed. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Atikabint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, the wife of Umar ibn al-Khattab, used tokiss Umar ibn al-Khattab's head while he was fasting, and he did nottell her not to. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah that A'isha bint Talha told him that she was once withA'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, and her husband, who was fasting, came and visited her there.(He was Abdullah ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakras-Siddiq.) A'isha saidto him, "What's stopping you from coming close to your wife andkissing her and joking with her?" He said, "Can I kiss her when I amfasting?" She said, "Yes." Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that AbuHurayra and Sad ibn Abi Waqqas used to say that someone who wasfasting was allowed to kiss. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would say, when she mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, used to kiss while fasting, "And who among you is more able to control himself than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?" Yahya said that Malik said that Hisham ibn Urwa ibn az-Zubayr had said, "I do not think that kissing invites to good for people who are fasting." Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibnYasar that Abdullah ibn Abbas was asked about people kissing whilefasting and he said that he allowed it for old men but disapproved ofit for young men. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to forbid kissing and fondling for people who were fasting . Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ubaydullahibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud from Abdullah ibn Abbas that theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left forMakka in Ramadan during the year of the conquest, and fasted until hereached al-Kadid. He then broke the fast, and so everyone else did soas well. What people used to do was act according to whatever theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had donemost recently. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakribn Abd ar-Rahman, from Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman from one of thecompanions of the Messenger of Allah, that the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, ordered everyone to break thefast on the journey he made in the year of the conquest saying, "Bestrong for your enemy," while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, kept on fasting. Abu Bakr said that the onewho related this to him said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, pouring water over his head at al-Arj,either from thirst or from the heat. Then some one said to theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,'Messenger of Allah, a group of people kept on fasting when you did.'Then when the Messenger of Allah was at al-Kadid, he asked for adrinking-bowl and drank, and everyone broke the fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd at-Tawil that Anas ibnMalik said, "We once travelled with the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, in Ramadan, and those who were fastingdid not find fault with those who were not, and those who were notfasting did not find fault with those who were." Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that Hamza ibn Amr al-Aslami once said to the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Messenger of Allah, Iam a man who fasts. Can I fast when travelling?" The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you want youcan fast, and if you want you can break the fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused not to fast while travelling. Yahya related to me from Malik that Hisham ibn Urwa said, "Myfather, Urwa, used to travel in Ramadan, and we would travel with him,and he used to fast while we would break the fast, and he would nottell us to fast." 27 Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibnal-Khattab, if he was travelling in Ramadan and knew that he wouldreach Madina at the begining of the day ,would do so fasting. Yahya said that Malik said, "Someone who is travelling and knows thathe will be reaching his people in the first part of the day, and thendawn breaks before he gets there, should be fasting when he getsthere." Malik said, "Someone who intends to go away (on ajourney) in Ramadan, and then dawn breaks while he is still on hisland before he has left, should fast that day." Malik saidthat a man who returns from a journey in Ramadan and is not fastingmay have sexual intercourse with his wife if he wishes, if she is notfasting and she has just become pure after her menses. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Hunayd ibnAbd arRahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that a man broke the fast inRamadan and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, ordered him to make kaffara by freeing a slave, or fasting twoconsecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people, and he said, "Ican't do it." Someone brought a large basket of dates to theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and hesaid, "Take this and give it away as sadaqa." He said, "Messenger ofAllah, there is no-ne more needy than I am." The Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laughed until his eye-teethappeared, and then he said, "Eat them." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ata ibn Abdullah al-Khurasani that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, beating his breast and tearing out his hair and saying, 'I am destroyed.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why is that?', and he said, 'I had intercourse with my wife while fasting in Ramadan.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked him, 'Are you able to free a slave?', and the man said, 'No.' Then he asked him, 'Are you able to give away a camel?', and the man replied, 'No.' He said, 'Sit own,' and someone brought a large basket of dates to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to the man, 'Take this and give it away as sadaqa.' The man said, 'There is no one more needy than me,' and (the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace), said, 'Eat them, and fast one day for the day when you had intercourse.' " Malik said that Ata said that he had asked Said ibn al-Musayyab how many dates there were in that basket, and he said, "Between fifteen and twenty sas.'' Malik said, "I have heard people of knowledge saying that the kaffara specified by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan is not due from someone who, on a day when he is making up the fast of Ramadan, breaks his fast by having intercourse with his wife, or whatever. He only has to make up for that day." Malik said, "This is what I like most out of what I have heard about the matter." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to be cupped while he was fasting. Nafi said, "He later stoppeddoing that, and would not be cupped when he was fasting until he hadbroken the fast." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sad ibn AbiWaqqas and Abdullah ibn Umar used to be cupped while they werefasting. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that hisfather used to be cupped while he was fasting and he would not thenbreak his fast. Hisham added, "I only ever saw him being cupped whenhe was fasting." Malik said, "Cupping is only disapproved offor some one who is fasting out of fear that he will become weak andif it were not for that, it would not be disapproved of. I do notthink that a man who is cupped in Ramadan and does not break his fast,owes anything, and I do not say that he has to make up for the day onwhich he was cupped, because cupping is only disapproved of forsomeone fasting if his fast is endangered. I do not think that someonewho is cupped, and is then well enough to keep the fast until evening,owes anything, nor does he have to make up for that day." Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "The day of Ashura was a day the Quraysh usedto fast in the jahiliyya, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, used also to fast it during the jahiliyya.Then when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, came to Madina he fasted it and ordered that it be fasted. ThenRamadan was made obligatory, and that became the fard instead ofAshura, but whoever wanted to, fasted it, and whoever did not want to,did not fast it." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Humayd ibnAbd ar-Rahman ibn Awf heard Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan say from the mimbaron the day of Ashura in the year in which he made the hajj, "People ofMadina, where are your learned men? I heard the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say about this day, 'This isthe day of Ashura, and fasting it has not been prescribed for you. Iam fasting it, and whoever of you wants to fast it can do so, andwhoever does not want to, does not have to.' " Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibnal-Khattab had sent (the following message) to al-Harith ibn Hisham,''Tomorrow is the day of Ashura, so fast (it) and tell your family tofast (also)." Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habbanfrom alAraj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, forbade fasting on two days, the day ofFitr and the day of Adha. Yahya related to me from Malik that he used to hear the people ofknowledge say,"There is no harm in fasting continuously as long as onebreaks the fast on the days on which the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, forbade fasting, namely, the days ofMina, the day of Adha and the day of Fitr, according to what we haveheard." Malik said, "This is what I like most out of what Ihave heard about the matter." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umarthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,forbade fasting for two days or more without breaking the fast inbetween. They said, "But Messenger of Allah, you practise wisal." Hereplied, "I am not the same as you. I am fed and given to drink." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "Beware of wisal. Beware of wisal." They said, "Butyou practise wisal, Messenger of Allah." He replied, "I am not thesame as you. My Lord feeds me and gives me to drink." Yahya related to me, and I (myself) heard Malik say, "The bestthat I have heard about some one who has to fast for two consecutivemonths because of having killed someone by mistake or havingpronounced the dhihar form of divorce, becoming very ill and having tobreak his fast, is that if he recovers from his illness and is strongenough to fast, he must not delay doing so. He continues his fast fromwhere he left off. Similarly, a woman who has to fast becauseof having killed some one by mistake should not delay resuming herfast when she has become pure after her period. She continues her fastfrom where she left off. No one who, by the Book of Allah,has to fast for two consecutive months may break his fast except for areason - illness or menstruation. He must not travel and break hisfast." Malik said, "This is the best that I have heard aboutthe matter." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What I have heard from thepeople of knowledge is that if a man succumbs to an illness whichmakes fasting very difficult for him and exhausts him and wears himout, he can break his fast. This is the same as with a sick man in theprayer, who finds standing to be too difficult and exhausting, (andAllah knows better than the slave that it is an excuse for him andthat it really cannot be described). If the man is in such acondition he prays sitting, and the deen of Allah is ease. Allah has permitted a traveller to break the fast when travelling, andhe has more strength for fasting than a sick man. Allah, the Exalted,says in His book, 'Whoever among you is ill or on a journey (mustfast) a number of other days,' and Allah has thus permitted atraveller to break his fast when on a journey, and he is more capableof fasting than a sick man. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibnal-Musayyab was asked whether a man who had vowed to fast a monthcould fast voluntarily, and Said said, "He should fulfil his vowbefore he does any voluntary fasting." Malik said, "I haveheard the same thing from Sulayman ibn Yasar." Malik said,"If someone dies with an unfulfilled vow to free a slave or to fast orto give sadaqa or to give away a camel, and makes a bequest that hisvow should be fulfilled from his estate, then the sadaqa or the giftof the camel are taken from one third of his estate. Preference isgiven to it over other bequests, except things of a similar nature,because by his vow it has become incumbent on him, and this is not thecase with something he donates voluntarily. They (vows and voluntarydonations) are settled from a limited one-third of his estate, and notfrom the whole of it, since if the dying man were free to dispose ofall of his estate, he might delay settling what had become incumbenton him (i.e. his vows), so that when death came and the estate passedinto the hands of his heirs, he would have bequeathed such things(i.e. his vows) that were not claimed by anyone (like debts). If that(i.e. to dispose freely of his property) were allowed him, he woulddelay these things (i.e. his vows) until when he was near death, hewould designate them and they might take up all of his estate. He mustnot do that." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullahibn Umar used to be asked, "an some one fast for some one else, or dothe prayer for some one else?" and he would reply, "No one can fast ordo the prayer for anyone else." Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from hisbrother Khalid ibn Aslam that Umar ibn al-Khattab once broke thefaston a cloudy day thinking that evening had come and the sun had set.Then a man came to him and said, "Amir al-muminin, the sun has comeout,'' and Umar said, "That's an easy matter. It was our deduction(ijtihad)." Malik said, "According to what we think, andAllah knows best, what he was referring to when he said, 'That's aneasy matter' was making up the fast, and how slight the effortinvolved was and how easy it was. He was saying (in effect), 'We willfast another day in its place.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to say, "Someone who breaks the fast in Ramadan because he is illor travelling should make up the days he has missed consecutively." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibr Shihab that Abdullah ibnAbbas and Abu Hurayra differed about making up days missed in Ramadan.One of them said that they were done separately and the other saidthat they were done consecutively. He did not know which one of themit was who said that they were done separately. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to say, "If some one makes himself vomit while he is fasting hehas to make up a day, but if he cannot help vomiting he does not haveto make up anything." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he heardSaid ibn al Musayyab being asked about making up days missed inRamadan, and Said said, "What I like best is for days missed inRamadan to be made up consecutively, and not separately." Yahya said that he had heard Malik say, about some one who made up thedays he had missed in Ramadan separately, that he did not have torepeat them. (What he had done) was enough for him. It was, however,preferable, if he did them consecutively. Malik said,"Whoever eats or drinks thoughtlessly or forgetfully in Ramadan orduring any other obligatory fast that he must do, has to fast anotherday in its place." Yahya related to me from Malik that Humayd ibn Oays al-Makki toldhim, "I was with Mujahid while he was performing tawaf around theKaba, and a man came to him and asked whether the days (of fasting)for kaffara had to be fasted consecutively, or could they be split up.I said to him, 'Yes, they can be split up, if the person so wishes.'Mujahid said, 'He should not split them up, because in Ubayy ibn Kab'srecitation they are referred to as three consecutive days.' " Malik said, "What I like most is what Allah has specified in theQur'an, that is, that they are fasted consecutively." Malikwas asked about a woman who began the day fasting in Ramadan andthough it was outside of the time of her period, fresh blood (i.e. notmenstrual blood) flowed from her. She then waited until evening to seethe same, but did not see anything.Then, on the next day in themorning she had anotherflow, though less than the first. Then, somedays before her period, the flow stopped completely. Malik was askedwhat she should do about her fasting and prayer, and he said, "Thisblood is like menstrual blood. When she sees it she should break herfast, and then make up the days she has missed. Then, when the bloodhas completely stopped, she should do ghusl and fast." Malikwas asked whether someone who became muslim on the last day of Ramadanhad to make up all of Ramadan or whether he just had to make up theday when he became muslim, and he said, "He does not have to make upany of the days that have passed. He begins fasting from that dayonwards. What I like most is that he makes up the day on which hebecame muslim." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that A'isha and Hafsa, the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began fasting voluntarily one morning and then food was given to them and they broke their fast with it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came in. A'isha said, "Hafsa asked, anticipating me in speech - she took after her father Umar - 'Messenger of Allah, A'isha and I began the morning fasting voluntarily and then food was given us and we broke the fast with it.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Fast another day in its place.' " Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "Someone who eats or drinks out of neglect or forgetfulness during a voluntary fast does not have to repeat his fast, but he should continue fasting for the rest of the day in which he eats or drinks while voluntarily fasting, and not stop fasting. Someone to whom something unexpected happens which causes him to break his fast while he is fasting voluntarily does not have to repeat his fast if he has broken it for a reason, and not simply because he decided to break his fast. Just as I do not think that someone has to repeat a voluntary prayer if he has had to stop it because of some discharge which he could prevent and which meant that he had to repeat his wudu." Malik said, "Once a man has begun doing any of the right actions (al-amal as-saliha) such as the prayer, the fast and the hajj, or similar right actions of a voluntary nature, he should not stop until he has completed it according to what the sunna for that action is. If he says the takbir he should not stop until he has prayed two rakas. If he is fasting he should not break his fast until he has completed that day's fast. If he goes into ihram he should not return until he has completed his hajj, and if he begins doing tawaf he should not stop doing so until he has gone around the Kaba seven times. He should not stop doing any of these actions once he has started them until he has completed them, except if something happens such as illness or some other matter by which a man is excused. This is because Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says in His Book, 'And eat and drink until the white thread becomes clear to you from the black thread of dawn, (and) then complete the fast until night-time,' (Sura 2 ayat 187), and so he must complete his fast as Allah has said. Allah, the Exalted, (also) says, 'And complete the hajj and the umra for Allah,' and so if a man were to go into ihram for a voluntary hajj having done his one obligatory hajj (on a previous occasion), he could not then stop doing his hajj having once begun it and leave ihram while in the middle of his hajj. Anyone that begins a voluntary act must complete it once he has begun doing it, just as an obligatory act must be completed . This is the best of what I have heard." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Anas ibnMalik used to pay fidya when he had grown old and could no longermanage to do the fast. Malik said, "I do not consider that todo so is obligatory, but what I like most is that a man does the fastwhen he is strong enough. Whoever pays compensation gives one mudd offood in place of every day, using the mudd of the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullahibn Umar was asked about what a pregnant woman should do if the fastbecame difficult for her and she feared for her child, and he said,"She should break the fast and feed a poor man one mudd of wheat inplace of every day, using the mudd of the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace." Malik said, "The people of knowledgeconsider that she has to make up for each day of the fast that shemisses as Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, says, 'And whoever of youis sick or on a journey should fast an equal number of other days, 'and they consider her pregnancy and her concern for her child as asickness." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasimthat his father used to say, "If someone has to make up for days notfasted in Ramadan and does not do them before the next Ramadan comesalthough he is strong enough to do so, he should feed a poor man witha mudd of wheat for every day that he has missed, and he has to fastthe days he owes as well." Yahya related to me from Malikthat he had heard the same thing from Said ibn Jubayr. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from AbuSalama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that he heard A'isha, the wife of theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "I used to haveto make up days from Ramadan and not be able to do them until Shabancame." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard the people ofknowledge telling people not to fast on the day in Shaban when therewas doubt (about whether it was Shaban or Ramadan), if they intendedby it the fast of Ramadan . They considered that whoever fasted onthat day without having seen (the new moon) had to make up that day ifit later became clear that it was part of Ramadan. They did not seeany harm in voluntary fasting on that day. Malik said, "Thisis what we do, and what I have seen the people of knowledge in ourcity doing." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, thewife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, usedto fast for so long that we thought he would never stop fasting, andhe would go without fasting for so long that we thought he would neverfast again. I never saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, fast for a complete month except for Ramadan, andI never saw him do more fasting in any one month than he did inShaban.' Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-A'rajfrom Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "Fasting is a protection for you, so when youare fasting, do not behave obscenely or foolishly, and if any oneargues with you or abuses you, say, 'I am fasting. I am fasting.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "By the One in Whose hand my self is, the smell ofthe breath of a man fasting is better with Allah than the scent ofmusk.' He leaves his desires and his food and drink for My sake.Fasting is for Me and I reward it. Every good action is rewarded byten times its kind, up to seven hundred times, except fasting, whichis for Me, and I reward it.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhaylibn Malik from his father that Abu Hurayra said, "When Ramadan comesthe gates of the Garden are opened and the gates of the Fire arelocked, and the shayatin are chained." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the peopleof knowledge did not disapprove of people fasting using tooth-sticksat any hour of the day in Ramadan, whether at the beginning or theend, nor had he heard any of the people of knowledge disapproving ofor forbidding the practice. Yahya said that he heard Maliksay, about fasting for six days after breaking the fast at the end ofRamadan, that he had never seen any of the people of knowledge andfiqh fasting them. He said, "I have not heard that any of ourpredecessors used to do that, and the people of knowledge disapproveof it and they are afraid that it might become a bida and that commonand ignorant people might join to Ramadan what does not belong to it,if they were to think that the people of knowledge had givenpermission for that to be done and were seen doing it. Yahyasaid that he heard Malik say, "I have never heard any of the people ofknowledge and fiqh and those whom people take as an example forbiddingfasting on the day of jumua. Fasting on it is good, and I have seenone of the people of knowledge fasting it, and it seemed to me that hewas keen to do so."