Fasting: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader

Fasting forms the sixth chapter of Imam Al-Ghazali’s seminal work, the Ihya, which is widely regarded as the greatest work on Islamic spirituality in the world.

Here, we share some of the best SeekersGuidance resources available on this subject.

• Fasting: a Practical Primer – Virtues, Fiqh, Common Questions (audio) 
• Fasting – Its Virtues and Principles – Imam Ghazali (from al-Arba`in fi Usul al-Din)
• Finding Allah Through Fasting, by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
• Virtues of Fasting in the Summer Taken from: Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalī’s “Latā’if Maʿārif”
• Fasting in the Heat by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
• Long Days of Fasting? Shaykh Faraz Rabbani on The Prophetic Urge
• The Inner Dimensions of Fasting – Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
• Elevation of Spirit: Attitudes and Approaches to Fasting, by Shaykh Faid Muhammad Said
• The Higher Aims of Fasting with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
• Fasting and Ramadan: Change Begins With Reflection And Is Sustained By Gratitude – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
• Prophetic Supplications for Fasting
• The Complete Guide to Fasting
• The Fiqh of Fasting Ramadan According to the School of Imam Shafi’i
• Not Fasting in Ramadan to Study for an Important Exam
• Can I Break My Fast If My Job Makes Fasting Too Difficult?
• Work Ethics for Muslims Fasting During Ramadan – The Islamic Workplace Blog
• Fasting Six Days of Shawwal – Ruling, Whether Consecutive, Combining Intentions, Wisdoms, and What if Unable to Fast? – Faraz Rabbani
• Should I Fast on the White Days or Mondays and Thursdays?
• Is it Disliked to Fast on Fridays? If So, What to Do if the Day of Arafa Falls on a Friday?
• Is It Permissible to Fast Every Day?
• Long-Term Illness that Prevents Fasting
• Too Sick to Fast in Ramadan, Too Poor to Pay the Expiatory Payment (Fidya)
• How Can I Benefit From Ramadan When I Can’t Fast Due to Being Ill?
• Should I Feel Bad for Not Fasting When I Had to Travel?
• Is Expiation (kaffara) Necessary For Not Fasting in Ramadan?
• Years of Missed Fasts and Expiation (kaffara)
• Paying Expiation and Not Fasting Due to a Chronic Illness
• Can I Pay Fidya for Missed Days of Fasting Due to Menses?
• Brief Overview of Expiatory Payments (fidya)
• Can You Use Toothpaste While Fasting? [Video]
• Accidental & Forgetful Breaking of the Fast: What Is the Difference?
• Pregnant Women & Fasting
• Fasting in Extreme Latitudes
• Brief Miscellaneous Q & A Relating to Fasting