Fasting is obligatory for all Muslims, however the prophet ﷺ has prescribed us a number of things you can do in order to improve your worship this Ramadan. These are just 6 of the many Sunnahs.
1. Break your fast with a date.
It was no secret that the Prophet ﷺ loved dates. Therefore this Sunnah should come as no surprise to any muslim who fasts that the Prophet also told us to break our fast with dates through this hadith.
“رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُفْطِرُ عَلَى رُطَبَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رُطَبَاتٌ فَعَلَى تَمَرَاتٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ حَسَا حَسَوَاتٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water.
2. Hasten to break your fast.
The Prophet ﷺ instructed us to hasten in breaking the fast through many hadith including this one.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الْفِطْرَ”
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast”.
3. Eat the Suhoor (pre-dawn) meal.
The Prophet ﷺ told us to eat Suhoor for our own benefit to make fasting much more easier.
“قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “تسحروا فإن في السحور بركة
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Eat Suhoor (predawn meal). Surely, there is a blessing in Suhoor”.
4. Pray the Taraweeh prayers.
The Taraweeh congregational prayers were introduced by the Caliph Umar, whom the Prophet instructed us to follow.
5. Avoid vain talk
To fast in the month of Ramadan is not conclusive to refrain from eating or drinking, but to refrain from speaking ill of others and talking useless speech.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting”..
رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ.” ”
6. Respond to abuse with “I am fasting”.
We have all been in this position. Someone (Muslim or non-Muslim) insults you in the month of Ramadan and all you want to do is insult him or her back, but you can’t because you will break your fast.
“ إِذَا أَصْبَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ يَوْمًا صَائِمًا فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلاَ يَجْهَلْ فَإِنِ امْرُؤٌ شَاتَمَهُ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ ”
“When any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels with him, he should say, ” I am fasting, I am fasting”.