The Invitation of a Believer
Question :

If one fasts a recommended fast, and a believer invites him to eat, before or after the time of the Dhuhr prayer, and he does so, does he still get the reward of the fast?

Answer :

It has been reported that if one breaks his recommended fasting because of accepting the invitation of his fellow believer, Almighty Allah will give him the reward of fasting that day.

Invitation to Break the Fast
Question :

It is said that it is recommended to break one's voluntary fast if a believer invites him for food. If the host is aware that the person is fasting and the guest is also aware that the hosts knows, does the guest still get more reward for breaking the fast?

Answer :

If the intention of fasting was fulfilled, and then he was invited to break the fast, it is recommended to accept the invitation and break the fast.

Fasting the Day of The Martyrdom
Question :

I was wondering whether fasting on the day of martyrdom of one of the Imams (peace be upon them) would be recommended, disliked or merely permissible.

Answer :

There is no religiously recognized recommendation to fast on such days.

Recommended Fasts
Question :

I have read that it is recommended to fast for five days in the month of Shawwal, from 4th to 9th Shawwal. Should we observe it on those exact days or can we observe on the fast on other days within the month of Shawwal?

Answer :

Fasting such days specifically is not proven to be recommended.

Breaking the Fast with Sunnis
Question :

Can I break my fast with the Sunni brothers according to their Iftar time?

Answer :

You can break your fast at the disappearance of the sun, but if one has doubt about the time of sunset, he should wait until the disappearance of the redness in the eastern side of the horizon.

Breaking the Fast
Question :

Do I need to break my fast at sunset or at Maghrib Adhan?

Answer :

It is permissible to start offering the prayer of Maghrib and Isha and break the fast at sunset. One must be sure that the sun has set and it is not permissible to break the fast or offer the Maghrib prayer when one doubts it.

Time of Imsak
Question :

I live in Norway, Oslo. Some of the Muslims here go by one timetable and others go by another, and as a result we begin fasting at different times. The difference is sometimes up to one hour. We are then confused as to which timetable to follow for fasting in particular, so what should we do, considering that the days become extremely long?

Answer :

We cannot determine the exact timetable in your country, but one should refrain from eating and drinking until he comes to know that sunset time has entered. Similarly, one is permitted to eat and drink until he knows that the time of dawn (Fajr) has entered. However, it is better to avoid eating and drinking for a short period of time before dawn to ensure that he has begun fasting at dawn time.

Fasting without Sahoor
Question :

Can a person keep his fast without having Sahoor?

Answer :

The fast is correct without pre-dawn meal, but having it is recommended.

Fasting the Day of Ashura
Question :

What his Eminence's view on fasting on the day of Ashura?

Answer :

Many narrations exhort and urge the believers to cry and express grief and sadness on the day of Ashura for what happened to Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) on that day.
It is also narrated that it is recommended during the day to refrain from dealing with livelihood issues, and from eating and drinking without the intention to fast, and then eat and drink in the late afternoon even by a sip of water.

Guest During Ramadan
Question :

If a guest comes during the month of Ramadan, can I feed him as he is not fasting?

Answer :

It is permissible to feed the guest during the day in the month of Ramadan if such a thing does not violate the sanctity of the month or encourage committing a sin.

Recommended Days of Fasting
Question :

What are the days of the week which are especially recommended to fast on?

Answer :

It is recommended to fast every Thursday and every Friday, as long as they do not coincide with the day of Eid.

The Time of Sunnis
Question :

I studied at a public school far away from my home. I used to end my obligatory fasts with the Sunni majority, immediately after sunset. Similarly, I offered the Maghrib prayer immediately after sunset. Please guide me as to whether my fasts and Maghrib prayers are void, and whether it's obligatory on me to repeat the fasts and prayers? Besides this, is a kaffara also obligatory on me?

Answer :

If you break your fast or performed your prayer before the setting of the sun, then your fast or prayers are invalid. But if you did so after sunset, then your fasts and prayers are correct. If you doubt whether they are correct or not, then you should consider them as correct. There is no kaffara, unless you deliberately broke your fast before the designated time.