Saum (Fast) is a third Pillar of Islam. Allah’s Messenger said, Allah says: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except Saum (fasting). It is for Me and I shall reward for it.”

As the status of this act of worship is so high it is essential to learn the pilings pertaining to this month of fasting so that Muslims will know what is obligatory in order to do it, what is forbidden to avoid it, and what is permissible so that they do not unnecessarily subject themselves to any hardship by depriving themselves from it.

This book consists of all the main issues of Fast. The main objective of this work is to serve an easy and authentic reference to the reader.

This book will help the reader better understand the fine points about fasting. What is the nature of the things that break the fast? What are the rules by which one can know the difference between what breaks the fast and what does not?

These question are more answered by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in his discussion of the Nature of Fasting.

Publishers Note All praise is due to Allah, and may He grant peace and blessings upon His Last Messenger Muhammad.

This is a translation one of the smaller publications from the works of Shaykh Al-Islam Taqiuddin Ahmad bin ‘Abdul-Halim Ibn Taymiyyah. It has been published in this form a variety of times with a number of minor additions to the text under the title, “Hagigatus-Siyam,” or, “The Nature of Fasting.” We have revised our version to meet the source section of Majmu’ AI-Fatawa (25:219) from where it appears that the original booklet – with the exception of the questions, of which most appear on earlier pages – has been taken. We have inserted brackets to signify the additions, which earlier publishers probably took from other sections of his writings. We have also added brief references to the text for the Hadiths. I would like to express gratitude to brother Ebrahim Aly Ma’rouf for the original translation of this booklet, and the Darussalam staff for their editing and layout work.