Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After the Book of Zakah, Imam al-Nawawi (631\u2013676 AH \/ 1233\u20131277 CE) presents the Book of Fasting (Kitab al-Siyam<\/em>), which also includes the rules of spiritual retreat in the mosque (i’tikaf<\/em>). Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Linguistically, siyam<\/em> means restraint, and in the technical sense it means refraining from the things that break the fast, with the intention, from dawn until sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book is organized around a few clear questions: when does the fast begin, who must fast, what makes it valid, what breaks it, who is excused, and what is recommended beyond the obligation. This article follows those questions in the general order of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast of Ramadan becomes obligatory upon the completion of thirty days of Sha’ban or the sighting of the crescent. Al-Nawawi discusses how the sighting is established in the school: the testimony of a trustworthy witness is accepted for the beginning of Ramadan, and the book gives the rulings on what an individual should do if they personally see the crescent but their testimony is not accepted. He also addresses the position of a person in a place where the crescent was not seen when it was seen elsewhere, and the rulings on this question are given in the school’s established terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fasting is obligatory on every Muslim who is mature, sane, able to fast, and not a traveler or a woman in menstruation or postnatal bleeding. The book also mentions that children should be instructed to fast when they are able to, in order to train them, even though it is not yet obligatory for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Shafi’i school, the fast has two essential pillars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book states that the intention for a voluntary fast may be made until before noon, provided the person has not eaten or drunk since dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al-Nawawi lists the actions that invalidate the fast when done deliberately and with knowledge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book distinguishes the person who eats or drinks out of forgetfulness, whose fast remains valid, and also discusses what is overlooked, such as swallowing saliva in the normal course, or dust and insects entering the mouth involuntarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A special rule applies to someone who has intercourse deliberately during the day in Ramadan. In addition to making up the day, the person owes an expiation (kaffarah<\/em>): freeing a slave, and if that is not possible, fasting two consecutive months, and if that is not possible, feeding sixty poor persons. The school has detailed discussion on the order of these steps and on the case of a woman, as well as on those who are excused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book explains who is permitted to break the fast:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Missed days are made up after Ramadan, and the book discusses the consequences of delaying the makeup past the following Ramadan without an excuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al-Nawawi mentions the recommended acts of the fast: eating the pre-dawn meal (suhur<\/em>) and delaying it, hastening to break the fast at sunset, preferably with dates or water, saying the supplication at the time of breaking the fast, increasing generosity and recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan, and guarding the tongue from idle speech and quarrel. Among the disliked acts are excessive rinsing of the mouth and nose, kissing for someone whose desire is stirred, and cupping and similar acts in some views of the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book lists the days on which fasting is not permitted: the two festival days (‘Id al-Fitr and ‘Id al-Adha) and the three days that follow ‘Id al-Adha (ayyam al-tashriq<\/em>), according to the school. It also addresses the “day of doubt” (yawm al-shakk<\/em>), the last day of Sha’ban when the crescent was in question, on which a voluntary fast is disliked unless it coincides with a habitual fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book then covers voluntary fasts that are recommended, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person who begins a voluntary fast is permitted to break it, though completing it is preferred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book concludes with i’tikaf<\/em>, remaining in the mosque with the intention of drawing near to God. It is recommended at all times and especially in the last ten nights of Ramadan, when Laylat al-Qadr is sought. The school’s conditions include intention, remaining in the mosque for a period beyond a mere passing, and being a Muslim who is not in a state of major impurity. Al-Nawawi explains what is allowed during the retreat, such as leaving the mosque for necessities, and what invalidates it, such as intercourse. The vow to perform i’tikaf and its continuity are also treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book proceeds from the sources of the obligation to the person who is obliged, then to the validity conditions, the invalidating acts, the exceptions, and the recommended supplements. This ordering mirrors how a person actually lives the month: first learning when it begins, then understanding what to do, what to avoid, what to do if something goes wrong, and how to enrich it. I’tikaf, placed at the end, is the natural culmination, the last ten nights of the month spent entirely in devotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For al-Nawawi, the legal detail of fasting serves a spiritual purpose that the texts repeatedly emphasize: restraint of the self in order to cultivate awareness of God. The rulings on intention, timing, and exceptions protect the integrity of the act while remaining humane, offering ease to the sick, the traveler, and the weak. The book keeps both aims together, discipline and mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: This article summarizes the general Shafi’i position as presented in Minhaj al-Talibin. Details can vary between editions and commentaries, and contemporary questions such as medical treatments during the fast require qualified guidance. Readers who need a precise ruling should consult a qualified teacher or the standard commentaries.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Part 1: Acts of Worship (Ibadat) – Fasting (Siyam), including spiritual retreat (i\u2019tikaf) Part of a series on the structure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","video_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[18,23,12,15,14,22,24],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-part-1-acts-of-worship-ibadat","tag-acts-of-worship-ibadat","tag-fasting","tag-fiqh","tag-imam-al-nawawi","tag-minhaj-al-thalibin","tag-siyam","tag-the-beginning-of-ramadan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lslam.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. The beginning of Ramadan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/lslam.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/2.-Gemini_Generated_Image_4zewzq4zewzq4zew-1-1024x559.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Who must fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. The conditions and pillars of a valid fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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4. What breaks the fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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5. The penalty for intercourse in Ramadan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Excuses and makeup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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7. Recommended acts and disliked acts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Days on which fasting is prohibited<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Voluntary fasting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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10. I’tikaf (spiritual retreat)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why the order matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Closing reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n