Fast with the intention to lose weight
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
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
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 ones 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, ones 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
Allahs 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
Wister