Abu ‘Umair b. Anas told on the authority of some of his paternal uncles who were companions of the Prophet that some men came riding to the Prophet and testified that they had seen the new moon the previous day. He therefore commanded the people to break the fast and go out to their place of prayer in the morning. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

The Prophet sent a small party of Abu Rafi'[*], and `Abdallah b. `Atik entered his house at night when he was asleep and killed him. `Abdallah b. `Atik said, "I put the sword in his belly till it came out at his back, and I knew that I had killed him I then began to open the doors till I came to a stair, but when I put my foot on it, I fell and broke my leg, and it was a moonlight night. I tied it with a turban and rejoined my companions, and when I came to the Prophet, I told him all that had happened. He told me to stretch out my leg, and when I had done so and he had passed his hand over it, it seemed as though I had never had anything wrong with it." *Different dates are given for the incident. J.M.B. Jones who has made an important study of the dates of the Maghazi prefers the date given by Ibn Ishaq, viz. Dhul Hijja 5 or Muharram 6. See Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1957, 19/2, pp. 250, 269 f. Bukhari transmitted it.

in Paradise there is a gate called Ar'Rayyan, it will be said on the Day of Resurrection: "Where are those who used to fast? Would you like to enter through Ar-Rayyan?" whoever enters through it will never thirst again. Then when they have entered it will be closed behind them, and no one but they will enter through it.

'I have sighted the crescent.' He said: 'Do you bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger?' He said: 'Yes.' So the Prophet gave the call saying: 'Fast."'

"The Prophet used to try to fast on Mondays and Thursdays."

"The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was devoutly committed to fasting every Monday and Thursday.”

Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: Fasting is Mine and it is I who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah's estimation than the smell of musk. It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.

“At every breaking of the fast Allah has people whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every night.”

"A Bedouin come to the Prophet and said; 'I have sighted the crescent tonight.' He said: 'Do you bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Messenger?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'O Bilal, announce to the people that they should fast tomorrow. "'

Shaddad b. Aus said that when God’s messenger was walking hand in hand with him on the eighteenth of Ramadan he came across a man in al-Baqi who was being cupped and said, “The one who cups and the one who is cupped have broken their fast.” Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. The shaikh and imam Muhyi as-sunna said that some of those who allow cupping have interpreted it as meaning that they exposed themselves to the danger of breaking the fast, the one who was cupped on account of weakness, and the one who did the cupping because he could not guarantee that something would not get into his stomach by sucking the flask.

"I did not see Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) fast in any month more than his fasting for Allah’s sake in Sha'ban. He used to keep fast through all but a little of Sha'ban; no indeed, he used to keep fast through all of it!”

AbulAzhar al-Mughirah ibn Farwah said: Mu'awiyah stood among the people at Dayr Mustahill lying at the gate of Hims. He said: O people, we sighted the moon on such-and-such day. We shall fast in advance. Anyone who likes to do so may do it. Malik ibn Hubayrah as-Saba'i stood up and asked: Mu'awiyah, did you hear the Messenger of Allah (saws) say something (about this matter), or is this something on the basis of your opinion? He replied: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying: Fast the month (in the beginning) and in the last.

Sa'id b. al-'As asked Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman: How would the Messenger of Allah (saws) utter the takbir (Allah is most great) in the prayer of the day of sacrifice and of the breaking of the fast. Abu Musa said: He uttered takbir four times as he did at funerals. Hudhaifah said: He is correct. Then Abu Musa said: I used to utter the takbir in a similar way when I was the governor of Basrah. Abu 'Aishah said: I was present there when Sa'id b. al-'As asked.

Bilal ibn Ka'b al-'Ukki said, "We - Ibrahim ibn Adham, 'Abdu'l-'Aziz ibn Qarir, Musa ibn Yasar and I - visited Yahya ibn Hassan (al-Bakri al-Filistini) in his village. He brought us some food, but Musa held back because he was fasting. Yahya said, 'We had a man with the kunya of Abu Qursafa from the Banu Kinana who had been one of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was in this mosque for forty years. He would fast one day and break the fast the next day, My father had a son born to him and he invited this man on the day that he was fasting and he broke his fast.' Ibrahim stood up and swept him with cloak and Musa broke his fast."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: By his good character a believer will attain the degree of one who prays during the night and fasts during the day.

"I asked 'A'isha (may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with her) about the fasting of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). She said: “He used to fast until we would say: ‘He has fasted,’ and he used to break fast until we would say: ‘He has broken fast.’” She also said: “Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not fast for a whole month after arriving in Medina, with the exception of Ramadan.’

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, ‘Whoever forgets that he is fasting, and eats or drinks is to complete his fast, as it was Allah who fed him and gave him something to drink." Agreed upon.

Salman b. ‘Amir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you breaks his fast he should do so with dates for they provide blessing; but if he cannot get any he should break his fast with water for it is purifying.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, but only Tirmidhi included “for they provide blessing.”

Anas said that when the Prophet came to Medina the people had two days on which they engaged in games. Having asked what their significance was and being told that they had engaged in games on them in the pre-Islamic period, he said, “God has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying, "When I am gone copy those two of my companions, Abu Bakr and `Umar, follow the guidance of `Ammar, and hold fast to the injunction of Ibn Umm `Abd.'' Hudhaifa's version has "Believe what Ibn Mas'ud tells you" Instead of "Hold fast to the injunction of Ibn Umm `Abd." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

It was narrated from 'Alqamah and Al-Aswad that 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah said to us: 'Whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, and whoever cannot then he should fast, for it will be a restraint (wija') for him.'" Abu Abdur-Rahman said: (The mention of) Al-Aswad in this hadith is not preserved.

"The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to come to me and say: “Do you have something for lunch?” I would say: “No,” so he would say: “I am fasting.” When he came to me one day, I said: “O Messenger of Allah, we have been given a gift!” He said: “What is it?” I said: “It is a meal of dates mixed with butter and curds.” He said: “As for me, I began the day fasting.” But then he ate.”

Abu'd-Darda' said, "Shall I tell you about something better for you than sadaqa and fasting? Improving the state of friendship. Hatred is what shaves things away."

“Whoever unintentionally vomits, he does not have to make up for the fast, but whoever makes himself vomit, has to make up for the fast.”

"(The months in which) We fasted twenty-nine days at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw), were more than (the months in which) we fasted thirty days.

"I said to 'A'sha: “Was Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fasting three days out of every month?” She said; “Yes!” I said: “Which days did he fast?” She said: “He was not concerned about which days he fasted.”

Ibn 'Abbas (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) had himself cupped while he was in a state of Ihram, and had himself cupped while he was fasting.’’ Related by Al-Bukhari.

That he was with the Messenger of Allah in Ihram and he suffered an infestation of head lice. The Messenger of Allah commanded him to shave his head and told him: "Fast for three days, or fed six poor persons two Mudds earch, or sacrifice a sheep. Whichever one of these you do will be sufficient for you.'"

"We went out with the Messenger of Allah and we were young men who could not afford anything. He said: 'O young men, you should get married, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever cannot afford it should fast, for it will be a restraint Wija, for him."'

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated, The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) forbade us from practicing wisal in fasting (i.e. fasting continuously without breaking one’s fast in the evening or eating before the following dawn). So a man said to him, ‘But you practice wisal O Messenger of Allah!’ The Prophet Allah (P.B.U.H.) replied, “Which one of you is like me? I am given food and drink during my sleep by Allah." So when people refused to stop wisal, the Prophet fasted day and night continuously along with them for a day and then another day and then they saw the crescent (of the new month of Shawwal). The Prophet said to them, "If the crescent had not appeared, I would have made you fast for a longer period." That was a punishment for them because they refused to stop (practicing Wisal). Agreed upon.

"He used to fast during the month until we would assume that he did not intend to break fast during it, and he used to break fast until we would assume that he did not intend to fast during any of it. You would not wish to assume that he was performing the ritual prayer during the night, unless you saw him performing the ritual prayer, nor that he was sleeping, unless you saw him sleeping.”

When we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he was distributing the spoils of war, there came to him Dhul-Khuwasira, one of Banu Tamim. He said: Messenger of Allah, do justice. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Woe be upon thee! Who would do justice, if I do not do justice? You would be unsuccessful and incurring a loss, if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Messenger of Allah, permit me to strike off his neck. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Leave him, for he has friends (who would outwardly look to be so religious and pious) that everyone among you would consider his prayer insignificant as compared with their prayer, and his fast as compared with their fasts. They would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their collar-bones. They would pass through (the teachings of Islam so hurriedly) just as the arrow passes through the prey. He would look at its Iron head, but would not find anything ticking) there. He would then see at the lowest end, but would not find anything sticking there. He would then see at its grip but would not find anything sticking to it. He would then see at its feathers and he would find nothing sticking to them (as the arrow would pass so quickly that nothing would stick to it) neither excrement nor blood. They would be recognised by the presence of a black man among them whose upper arms would be like a woman's breast, or like a piece of meat as it quivers, and they would come forth at the time when there is dissension among the people. Abu Sai'd said: I testify to the fact that I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and I testify to the fact that 'Ali b. Abu Talib fought against them and I was with him. He gave orders about that man who was sought for, and when he was brought in, and when I looked at him, he was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had described him.

‘The chain of narration is from the Dīn, and were it not for the chain of narration whoever wished could say what he wanted’.

Muhammad bin Abd Allah said, al-Abbās bin Abī Rizmah narrated to me, he said I heard Abd Allah [bin al-Mubārak] saying: ‘Between us and the people are ‘the legs’ (meaning the chain of narration, i.e. if a Ḥadīth was like a creature)’.

Muhammad said, I heard Abā Ishāq Ibrāhīm bin Īsā at-Tālqānī say, I said to Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak: ‘Oh Abā Abd ir-Rahman! How is the Ḥadīth which goes ‘Indeed from al-Birr after al-Birr is that you pray for your parents after you pray for yourself and you fast for them both after you fast for yourself’? So [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abā Ishāq! On whose authority is this?’ I said to him: ‘This is a Ḥadīth from Shihāb bin Khirāsh’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘on authority of al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘He [al-Hajjāj said] the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’ [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abā Ishāq! Indeed between al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, is a wilderness in which the necks of the mounts are severed, however, there is no difference of opinion regarding charity [offered on behalf of one’s parents]’.

Muhammad said, I heard Alī bin Shaqīq saying, I heard Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak saying in front of the people: ‘Abandon the Ḥadīth of Amr bin Thābit for indeed he would curse the Salaf [i.e., the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them]’.

I was (sitting) in a company in which there were (besides others) Sa'd b. Malik and Ibn 'Umar that 'Abdullah b. Saliim happened to pass (by that side). They (the people sitting in that company) said: He is a person from amongst the dwellers of Paradise. I stood up and said to him: They say such and such (thing about you), whereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, it is not meet for them to say (anything) of which They have no knowledge. Verily I saw as if a pillar had been raised in a green garden and there had been fixed at its (upper) end a handhold and there was a helper at its base. It was said to me: Climb up. So I climbed up and caught hold of the haildhold. I narrated (the contents of this dream) to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), whereupon he said: 'Abdullah would die in a state that he would be catching hold of the firmest handhold (he would die holding fast to the faith).

O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of Hell. A wise lady among them said: Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk is in bulk in Hell? Upon this the Holy Prophet observed: You curse too much and are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you. Upon this the woman remarked: What is wrong with our common sense and with religion? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense, and you spend some nights (and days) in which you do not offer prayer and in the month of Ramadan (during the days) you do not observe fast, that is a failing in religion.

‘A'isha said that God’s messenger used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

“I was with the Messenger of Allah (saw) on a journey. One morning I drew close to him when we were on the move and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action that will gain me admittance to Paradise and keep me far away from Hell.’ He said: ‘You have asked for something great, but it is easy for the one for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything in worship with Him, establish prayer, pay charity, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House.’ Then he said: ‘Shall I not tell you of the means of goodness? Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire, and a man’s prayer in the middle of the night.’ Then he recited: “Their sides forsake their beds” until he reached: “As a reward for what they used to do.”[32:16-17] Then he said: ‘Shall I not tell you of the head of the matter, and its pillar and pinnacle? (It is) Jihad.’ Then he said: ‘Shall I not tell you of the basis of all that?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He took hold of his tongue then said: ‘Restrain this.’ I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, will we be brought to account for what we say?’ He said: ‘May your mother not found you, O Mu’adh! Are people thrown onto their faces in Hell for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?’”

"The Prophet said (Allah bless him and give him peace): “Works are reviewed on Monday and Thursday, so I would like my work to be reviewed while I am fasting!”

“There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night.”

"What I fasted with the Prophet that was twenty-nine (days), was more than what we fasted that was thirty." (He said): There are narrations on this topic from `Umar, Abu Hurairah, `A'isha, Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Anas, Jabir, Umm Salamah, Abu Bakrah, that the Prophet (saws) said: "The month is twenty nine (days)."

Hamza b. ‘Amr al-Aslami told God’s messenger that he found himself strong enough to fast while travelling and asked whether it would be wrong for him to do so. He was told that licence had been given by God who is great and glorious, so that if anyone acted upon this he did well, but if anyone wished to fast he would not be guilty of sin. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “No servant (of Allah) fasts on a day (merely) for the sake of Allah except that Allah pushes the Hellfire seventy years further away from his face, due to fasting on this day.” Agreed upon and the wording is from Muslim.

The Prophet (saws) as saying: When the night approaches from this side and the day retreats on that side, and the sun sets - according to the version of Musaddad - he who fasts has reached the time to break it.

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) forbade fasting on the day of Arafah for the one who is actually at Arafah (i.e. performing Hajj). Related by the five Imams except for At-Tirmidhi. Ibn Khuzaimah and al-Hakim graded it as Sahih.

the Messenger of Allah said: "When a half of Sha'ban remains then do not fast."

The Prophet said: "The cupper and the one cupped have broke the fast."

The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever stays with a people, then he is not to fast without their permission."

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah said, "A woman is not to fast (even) for one day while her husband is present except with his permission" Agreed upon and the wording is from Al-Bukhari. Abu Dawud’s version states, “unless it is during Ramadan (then she does not need his permission as it is obligatory fasting).’’