That the Prophet asked him (Imran) or asked a man and `Imran was listening, "O Abu so-and-so! Have you fasted the last days of this month?" (The narrator thought that he said, "the month of Ramadan"). The man replied, "No, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said to him, "When you finish your fasting (of Ramadan) fast two days (in Shawwal)." Through another series of narrators `Imran said, "The Prophet said, '(Have you fasted) the last days of Sha'ban?"

Ibn `Umar said, "In the lifetime of the Prophet I dreamt that a piece of silk cloth was in my hand and it flew with me to whichever part of Paradise I wanted. I also saw as if two persons (i.e. angels) came to me and wanted to take me to Hell. Then an angel met us and told me not to be afraid. He then told them to leave me. Hafsa narrated one of my dreams to the Prophet and the Prophet said, "Abdullah is a good man. Would that he offer the night prayer (Tahajjud)!" So after that day `Abdullah (bin `Umar) started offering Tahajjud. The companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to tell him their dreams that (Laila-tul-Qadr) was on the 27th of the month of Ramadan. The Prophet said, "I see that your dreams agree on the last ten nights of Ramadan and so whoever is in search of it should seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan."

I asked Abu Sa`id, and he was a friend of mine, (about the Night of Qadr) and he said, "We practiced I`tikaf (seclusion in the mosque) in the middle third of the month of Ramadan with the Prophet . In the morning of the 20th of Ramadan, the Prophet came and addressed us and said, 'I was informed of (the date of the Night of Qadr) but I was caused to forget it; so search for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water (as a sign). So, whoever was in I`tikaf with me should return to it with me (for another 10-day's period)', and we returned. At that time there was no sign of clouds in the sky but suddenly a cloud came and it rained till rainwater started leaking through the roof of the mosque which was made of date-palm leaf stalks. Then the prayer was established and I saw Allah's Apostle prostrating in mud and water and I saw the traces of mud on his forehead."

Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained."

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.

Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed, and the devils are chained."

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kissed (his wives) during Ramadan while observing fast.

She never saw the Prophet (saws) fasting the whole month except Sha'ban which he combined with Ramadan.

I heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Allah's Apostle asked an Ansari woman (Ibn `Abbas named her but `Ata' forgot her name), 'What prevented you from performing Hajj with us?' She replied, 'We have a camel and the father of so-and-so and his son (i.e. her husband and her son) rode it and left one camel for us to use for irrigation.' He said (to her), 'Perform `Umra when Ramadan comes, for `Umra in Ramadan is equal to Hajj (in reward),' or said something similar."

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."

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever died and he ought to have fasted (the missed days of Ramadan) then his guardians must fast on his behalf."

Allah's Apostle ordered (the Muslims) to fast on the day of 'Ashura', and when fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed, it became optional for one to fast on that day ('Ashura') or not.

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) invited me to a meal shortly before dawn in Ramadan saying: Come to the blessed morning meal.

The Prophet (saws) said: If anyone breaks his fast one day in Ramadan without a concession granted to him by Allah, a perpetual fast will not atone for it.

I asked Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, "Did you hear Allah's Apostle talking about the Night of Qadr?" He replied in the affirmative and said, "Once we were in I`tikaf with Allah's Apostle in the middle ten days of (Ramadan) and we came out of it in the morning of the twentieth, and Allah's Apostledelivered a sermon on the 20th (of Ramadan) and said, 'I was informed (of the date) of the Night of Qadr (in my dream) but had forgotten it. So, look for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. I saw myself prostrating in mud and water on that night (as a sign of the Night of Qadr). So, whoever had been in I`tikaf with Allah's Apostle should return for it.' The people returned to the mosque (for I`tikaf). There was no trace of clouds in the sky. But all of a sudden a cloud came and it rained. Then the prayer was established (they stood for the prayer) and Allah's Apostle prostrated in mud and water and I saw mud over the forehead and the nose of the Prophet.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that his father used to say, "If someone has to make up for days not fasted in Ramadan and does not do them before the next Ramadan comes although he is strong enough to do so, he should feed a poor man with a mudd of wheat for every day that he has missed, and he has to fast the days he owes as well."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard the same thing from Said ibn Jubayr.

I never saw the Prophet seeking to fast on a day that he favored more than another except this day, the day of 'Ashura', and this month, meaning the month of Ramadan.

Once the Prophet set out in the month of Ramadan. He observed fasting till he reached a place called Kadid where he broke his fast.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that once in the time of Uthman ibn Affan the new moon had been seen in the afternoon and Uthman did not break his fast until evening had come and the sun had set.

Yahya said that he had heard Malik say that some one who sees the new moon of Ramadan when he is on his own should start the fast and not break it if he knows that that day is part of Ramadan. He added, "Some one who sees the new moon of Shawwal when he is on his own does not break the fast, because people suspect the reliability of someone among them who breaks the fast. Such people should 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 break his fast but should continue fasting for the rest of that day. This is because it is really the new moon of the night that is coming ."

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "If people are fasting on the day of Fitr thinking that it is still Ramadan and then definite evidence comes to them that the new moon of Ramadan had been seen one day 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 whatever time the news comes to them. However, they do not pray the id prayer if they hear the news after the sun has begun to decline."

I asked `Aisha, "How is the prayer of Allah's Apostle during the month of Ramadan." She said, "Allah's Apostle never exceeded eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in other months; he used to offer four rak`at-- do not ask me about their beauty and length, then four rak`at, do not ask me about their beauty and length, and then three rak`at." Aisha further said, "I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before offering the witr prayer?' He replied, 'O `Aisha! My eyes sleep but my heart remains awake'!"

that he asked `Aisha "How was the prayer of Allah's Apostle in Ramadan?" She replied, "He did not pray more than eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to pray four rak`at ---- let alone their beauty and length----and then he would pray four ----let alone their beauty and length ---- and then he would pray three rak`at (witr)." She added, "I asked, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before praying the witr?' He replied, 'O `Aisha! My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."

That he asked `Aisha "How was the prayer of Allah's Apostle in the month of Ramadan?" She replied, "He used not to pray more than eleven rak`at whether in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to offer four rak`at, let alone their beauty and length, and then four rak`at, let alone their beauty and length. Afterwards he would offer three rak`at. I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you go to bed before offering the witr prayer?' He said, 'My eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep."'

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven."