Allah's Apostle used to leave fasting in a certain month till we thought that he would not fast in that month, and he used to fast in another month till we thought he would not stop fasting at all in that month. And if one wanted to see him praying at night, one could see him (in that condition), and if one wanted to see him sleeping at night, one could see him (in that condition) too.

The Prophet said "The one who looks after and works for a widow and for a poor person, is like a warrior fighting for Allah's Cause or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all the night." Narrated Abu Huraira that the Prophet said as above.

Allah's Apostle said: "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven."

Ziyad related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Search for Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan."

We used to travel with the Prophet and neither did the fasting persons criticize those who were not fasting, nor did those who were not fasting criticize the fasting ones.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham that he heard Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham say, "My father and I were with Marwan ibn al Hakam at the time when he was amir of Madina, and someone mentioned to him that Abu Hurayra used to say, 'If someone begins 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 umm al muminin, A'isha and Umm Salama, and ask them about it.'

''Abd ar-Rahman went to visit A'isha and I accompanied him. He greeted her and then said, 'Umm al-muminin, we were with Marwan ibn al Hakam and someone mentioned to him that Abu Hurayra used to say that if some one 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 you dislike what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do?', and Abd ar-Rahman said, 'No, by Allah.' A'isha said, 'I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to get up in the morning junub from intercourse, 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'isha had said. Then we went off until we came to Marwan ibn al-Hakam Abd ar-Rahman told him what they had both said and Marwan said, 'I swear to you, Abu Muhammad, you must use the mount which is at the door, and go 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 Abu Hurayra. Abd ar-Rahman talked with him for a while, and then mentioned the matter to him, and Abu Hurayra said, 'I don't know anything about it. I was just told that by someone.'"

We set out with Allah's Apostle on one of his journeys on a very hot day, and it was so hot that one had to put his hand over his head because of the severity of heat. None of us was fasting except the Prophet and Ibn Rawaha.

Some men amongst the companions of the Prophet were shown in their dreams that the night of Qadr was in the last seven nights of Ramadan. Allah's Apostle said, "It seems that all your dreams agree that (the Night of Qadr) is in the last seven nights, and whoever wants to search for it (i.e. the Night of Qadr) should search in the last seven (nights of Ramadan).

One night Allah's Apostle offered the prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third and the fourth nights more people gathered, but Allah's Apostle did not come out to them. In the morning he said, "I saw what you were doing and nothing but the fear that it (i.e. the prayer) might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming to you." And that happened in the month of Ramadan.

I came upon `Abdullah and he said, "When Allah's Apostle invited Quraish (to Islam), they disbelieved him and stood against him. So he (the Prophet) said, "O Allah! Help me against them by afflicting them with seven years of famine similar to the seven years of Joseph.' So they were stricken with a year of drought that destroyed everything, and they started eating dead animals, and if one of them got up he would see something like smoke between him and the sky from the severe fatigue and hunger." `Abdullah then recited:-- 'Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible, covering the people. This is a painful torment... (till he reached) ........ We shall indeed remove the punishment for a while, but truly you will revert (to heathenism): (44.10-15) `Abdullah added: "Will the punishment be removed from them on the Day of Resurrection?" He added," The severe grasp" was the Day of the Battle of Badr."

The Prophet (saws) came to visit Sa'd ibn Ubaydah, and he brought bread and olive oil, and he ate (them). Them). Then the Prophet (saws) said: May the fasting (men) break their fast with you, and the pious eat your food, and the angels pray for blessing on you.

When the last ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet (saws) kept vigil and prayed during the whole night, and tied the wrapper tightly, and awakened his family (to pray during the night).

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Ya'fur is 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Ubaid b. Nistas.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to kiss me when he was fasting and when I was fasting.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham who was the wife of Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl became muslim on the day of the conquest of Makka, and her husband Ikrima fled from Islam as far as the Yemen. Umm Hakim set out after him until she came to him in the Yemen and she called him to Islam, and he became muslim. He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year of the conquest. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him, he rushed to him in joy and did not bother to put on his cloak until he had made the pledge with him. They were confirmed in their marriage.

Malik said, "If a man becomes muslim before his wife, a separation occurs between them when he presents Islam to her and she does not become muslim, because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'Do not hold fast to the ties of women who are kafirun.' "

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: He who does not determine to fast before dawn does not fast.

The Prophet (saws) as saying: If anyone dies when some fast is due from him (i.e. which he could not keep) his heir must fast on his behalf.

Abu Dawud said: This applies to the fast which a man vows ; and this is the opinion of Ahmad b. Hanbal.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "If someone breaks an oath which he has stressed, he has to free a slave, or clothe ten poor people. If someone breaks an oath, but has not stressed it, he only has to feed ten poor people and each poor person is fed a mudd of wheat. Some one who does not have the means for that, should fast for three days."

The Prophet said, "A woman should not fast (optional fasts) except with her husband's permission if he is at home (staying with her).