20 common mistakes to avoid while fasting (Part 1)

However, there are lots of mistakes we make as a result of our poor understanding of what fasting in Ramadan entails. Most of us still make some of these mistakes on a daily basis.

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We have to avoid these mistakes like plague if the little efforts we put up would not be rendered invalid. So let's share the mistakes and correct ourselves.

1 Some Muslims fast but don't pray.

Some Muslims fast but they don't pray. If you fast because everybody is fasting but you ignore the five daily prayers, I am sorry to tell you that you've only embarked on a hunger spree. Your fasting is invalid. Prayer in Islam is very important and ignoring it could take one out of the fold of Islam.

Allah says: "They will ask them what led you to Hell fire; they will say we were not of those who prayed"

Ignoring Salat as a Muslim is as good as disbelieving in Allah and preparing the fire for oneself.

Prophet Muhammad aid: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer. ~ Muslim"

2 Skipping the Pre-dawn food (Suhoor)

There are Muslims who do not like to eat the pre-dawn food for reasons best known to them. Some would say they do not just like to eat at that time. Well, you cannot afford to make haram (forbidden) what Allah has made halal (permisible)for you.

Eating suhoor is very important as Prophet Muhammad said: "Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing." ~ Bukhari and Muslim

3 Eating too much is forbidden

Some Muslims eat everything that comes their way during suhoor (pre-dawn meal) They do this thinking that they won't feel hungry in the afternoon. And during iftar (breaking of fast) they engage in another eat-everything exercise. They tend to eat so much in order to make up for the food they missed in the afternoon.

This is a bad habit and it is forbidden in Islam.

The prophet said: The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." ~ Ibn Majah, 4/29/3349

4 Spending most of the time cooking

Many Muslim women tend to believe that in Ramadan, they have to prepare varieties of foods for the family. This makes them spend a major part of their day in the kitchen cooking. By the time they are done they get too tired to observe Ishai prayer, Taraweeh or Tahajud or even read the Qur'an.

Hello sisters, if cooking is your hobby, you may have to turn off your stoves for some times to enable you have time for other acts of worship. Don't forget this is the month of mercy and forgiveness and you need to strengthen your Imaan too. Ramadan is the month of fasting not feasting!

5 Making so much emphasis on food and drinks

Since some of us think Ramadan is more about feasting rather than fasting, they lay more emphasis on foods and drinks. Instead of concentrating on reading the Qur'an and other rewarding deeds, they expend their energy, shopping, cooking and thinking about how beautiful and colourful their table would look during Iftar (breaking of fast)

These people love to set the table with so much drinks, foods, fruits and sweets all in the name of breaking their fast. Islam frowns at this.

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Allah says: Quran 7:31 says ".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)".

6 Sleeping all day

Some people believe that sleeping throughout the afternoon of Ramadan helps to mitigate the effect of fasting on them. They think sleeping away their fast takes them away from little sins as idle talks. Brother, this is not entirely true. You can spend the greater part of the afternoon reading the Qur'an and pondering on the message. This will earn you rewards upon rewards but sleeping won't.

7 Wasting or whiling away the time

A muslim should have no time to waste because every minute of our daily lives counts. It is only wise for us to commit our ephemeral lives to doing good. Unfortunately, some Muslims who do not enjoy sleeping all day in Ramadan have many other means of wasting the time.

These people spend most part of their Ramadan on social media, watching movies, playing games and listening to music. See, Ramadan is just a month out of 12 months. It shouldn't be spent on frivolities and vanities. Take advantage of the one you witness, you never can tell it might be the last.

8 Delaying breaking fast

There are some amongst us who would not break their fast until the end or several minutes after the call to prayer. Perhaps they do not want to be seen breaking their fasts in a hurry. Well, Islam encourages you to break your fast on time without any delay. Once you hear the adhan, supplicate and break your fast. There is no shame in it.

9 Hosting and participating in extravagant iftar party

As much as it is permissible to invite and share your foods with others during iftar (breaking of fast meals) it is highly frowned upon to throw an extravagant party for this purpose. When you see men and women, who are not spouses partying, dining and wining under the same roof with so much fun highlighted by music and dancing, it is a carnival not an Iftar.

10 Not giving up evil in Ramadan renders the fast invalid

Fasting isn't all about giving up foods and drinks for 14 hours. You have to give up evil too. Lying, fighting and backbiting are parts of many people's lives. Some people can't leave without cheating, arguing, stealing and dealing in what is not permissible.

Fasting is meant to cleanse and make us righteous. So whether in Ramadan or otherwise, Muslims are not expected to patronize evils.

In Quran 2:183 , Allah says, "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that "

The prophet also said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Sahih Bukhari 1903, 6057)

So, becoming righteous should be our goal in this Ramadan and ensure we amass as many rewards as possible with lots of good deeds and voluntary acts of worship. Only this makes us the Muslims who hear and obey the message.