Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As-salaamu-aliekum,

I am curious to know if can fast with the niiyah (intention) of loosing weight? Is it right? Also can you have more than one niyaah (intention) while observing this? like for example i would like to fast to loose weight + pray 5 times + stay away from doing sins + read the quran more often...etc..etc

Basically can we observe fastings with more than one niyaah (intention)??? If no, please give a valid reason.

Your effort will be of much help. Thanks alot. God Bless !!

A curious Sister

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Fast with the intention to lose weight

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Whatever deed one does, good or evil, there is always a motive or intention behind it that inspires the person to do the deed. Therefore the principle in Islam is that the reward of Allah always depends on the intention or motive of the person.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.51 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intention, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger (saws), then his emigration was for Allah and His Messenger (saws). And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

Even if the person did a deed as great and virtuous as emigration (Hijrah), he would not get the reward of Hijrah, if his intention was to get worldly benefits and not the Pleasure and Good Will of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: I am curious to know if can fast with the niiyah (intention) of loosing weight? Is it right?

Fasting is an act of worship that earns the believer the Pleasure and Good Will of Allah Subhanah, and a deed which is extremely beloved to Allah Subhanah.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying: "Allah said: 'Every action of the son of Adam is for him except fasting, for that is solely for Me. I give the reward for it.'

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the [bad] breath of the one who is fasting is better in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection than the smell of musk. The one who is fasting is happy at two times: when he breaks his fast he is happy with it, and when he meets his Lord he will be happy that he has fasted."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, and an-Nasa'i.

Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He (saws) said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him (saws) again and he (saws) said: 'Stick to fasting."'

Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hellfire seventy years further away from his face."

Related by Muslim and Bukhari.

Sahl ibn Sa'd reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "There is a gate to Paradise that is called ‘Ar-Rayyan’. On the Day of Resurrection it will say: 'Where are those who fasted?' When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

Fasting, or any act of worship should only be done with the sole intention to earn the Pleasure of Allah Subhanah. If one fasts to lose weight, or for any other reason, he will get what he intended, but because the prime intention was not to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of the Merciful Lord, he will get no reward for it in the Hereafter.

Your Question: Also can you have more than one niyaah (intention) while observing this? like for example i would like to fast to loose weight + pray 5 times + stay away from doing sins + read the quran more often...etc..etc

Basically can we observe fastings with more than one niyaah (intention)???

If the prime intention of one’s fast is to get closer to Allah Subhanah, and to pray five times a day, and to stay away from sin, and recite the Holy Quran, and do deeds that will earn the Pleasure and Good Will of Allah Subhanah in the Hereater; there is absolutely no harm in having more than one intention; for basically the prime intention for doing all the good deeds is still to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of Allah Subhanah.

Even if one fasts with the intention to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of their Merciful Lord, it is possible that they might lose weight; and there is absolutely no harm in that. But if in the heart of hearts, one’s prime intention for fasting is to lose weight; then the person will have no reward for the fast in the Presence of the All-Mighty Lord on the Day of Judgment.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan