Backbiting,Slandering, Cursing, etc while fasting…

Sheikh Bin Baaz was asked: “Does backbiting someone break ones fast during Ramadan?”

His reply was: “Backbiting does not break ones fast. It is to mention about someone that which they would not like. It is a form of disobedience. We know this because of the statement of Allah

{وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا}

{… neither backbite one another …}

[Al Hujuraat : 12]

Like this is slandering, cursing, swearing and lying. None of these things break someones fast. They are though, disobedience. Therefore
someone needs to be careful not to fall into these things, and they should try to stay far away from them. This is something that should be done whether the person is fasting or not. As all of these things harm ones fast and take away from the reward that one will receive. We know this because of the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) when he said,

“مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ وَالْجَهْلَ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ”

“Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah Mighty and Majestic has no need  that he should leave his food and drink.”

(Reported by Imaam Al Bukhari)

Also we see this in the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) when he said,

“ الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ ، وَلاَ يَصْخَبْ ، فَإِنْ شَاتَمَهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ”

“Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him , ‘I am fasting.”

(Reported by both Imaam Al Bukhari and Imaam Muslim)

[Taken from Majmou al Fatawah by Sheikh Bin Baaz]

[Translated by Abu Abdillah Abdul Lateef]