Why Your Ramadan Fast May Not Be Accepted (Hidden Sins That Destroy Fasting)
Every Ramadan, millions and billions of people fast. They wake up early for Suhoor, remain hungry all day, and finally break their fast at the time of Maghrib. Men, in particular, spend hours standing in prayer for Taraweeh. For now, everything might seem fine. People might think, "Well, our fasts are being observed perfectly." But that is not the case. There are some common habits among people that do not technically invalidate the fast but render it spiritually void.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
Perhaps a fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst.” (Ibn Majah – Sahih)
This means there are certain actions that do not legally break the fast but destroy it spiritually, leaving you with no reward or forgiveness. You simply remain hungry and thirsty. These actions have become so normalized today that everyone thinks, "This won't do anything," but these deeds actually destroy your fasting.
THE SIN OF THE TONGUE
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
Whoever does not leave false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of him leaving his food and drink.” (Bukhari)
You might have noticed that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not say your fast becomes invalid due to false speech. He said that for whoever engages in false speech, Allah has no need for their fasting. In other words, you think you are fasting and that your fast is accepted, but in reality, it is nothing more than hunger and thirst. Truthfully, Allah is deeply displeased with such fasts, and you will receive neither reward nor forgiveness. Now, you may ask: what does "false speech" mean?
Here is a list to help you understand:
Lying
Backbiting
Mocking
Humiliating sarcasm
Gossip
Aggressive arguing
Swearing
Ramadan is a month where you learn self-control, which helps you throughout the rest of the year. Controlling the tongue during Ramadan is a major task. Every word you speak against someone or to hurt someone carries a heavy weight against you and your fast. While the fast isn't technically broken, Allah does not want such fasts, so you will not receive the reward.
THE SIN OF LOOKING
Nowadays, many wrong things are normalized on social media and the internet. When you fast in Ramadan, it is not just a fast of the stomach from hunger and thirst; along with your stomach, your tongue, eyes, and ears are also fasting. Therefore, be careful about what you watch on social media.
Social media "thirst traps"
Netflix scenes
TikTok scrolling
Instagram Explore pages
"Harmless" reels
Ramadan does not automatically protect you unless you control your eyes. If there is no control over the eyes, the heart will not be purified. And until the heart is purified, you will not attain Taqwa. We must not forget the true purpose of fasting:
So that you may attain Taqwa. (Qur’an 2:183)
Taqwa means doing deeds that please Allah and bring you closer to Him, while staying away from actions that displease Him. It is having the fear of Allah in your heart—not a terrifying fear, but the fear of Allah being displeased and becoming distant from you. Many people, especially disbelievers, misinterpret "fear of Allah" and say, "Look, Allah is being cruel to His servants." But the reality is not what these people say; Allah is never cruel to His servants and does not wish to be.
SHOWING OFF (RIYA)
Another action common among many people is showing off. For example, people post:
Qur’an streaks
Taraweeh selfies
Iftar tables
Donation screenshots
Tahajjud reminders
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ called Riya "Minor Shirk" (Polytheism). This shows you that showing off is a serious matter. If you perform an act of worship or give a donation, there is no need to tell people or show off, because worship, Sadaqah, and Zakat are done in the way of Allah and for Allah. Initially, you do the worship sincerely, but Satan slowly whispers to you and pushes you toward showing off. Allah says:
Fasting is for Me, and I will reward it.
So, when you fast, you do it for Allah; it is your private worship. It is not at all necessary for you to go around showing off to people. During Ramadan, worship increases and everyone strives more, but some people feel spiritual pride.
They start thinking:
“I pray more than him.”
“She doesn’t even fast properly.”
“At least I’m serious about Islam.”
You should always be humble. Sitting with others to look down on someone or considering yourself superior is completely wrong. It is a sin to belittle anyone. Fasting is meant to destroy your ego. Iblis was ruined because of this very ego—thinking he was superior to Adam alaihis salam—which led him to be among the disbelievers.
WASTING THE NIGHT WITH DISTRACTION
Nightly worship in Ramadan is very special, and you should perform as much as possible. However, nowadays, people stay distracted with other things at night instead of worshiping:
Binge-watching shows after Iftar
Gaming until Suhoor
Endless scrolling
Wasting hours in arguments
Then they say: “I’m too tired for Tahajjud.”
Should we not at least strive to worship properly at night during the month of Ramadan and avoid going astray with other activities? In the final days of Ramadan comes Laylatul Qadr. On that night, every prayer and every repentance is accepted. The worship on that night is very special and carries immense reward.
You might wonder what this point has to do with fasting. It has everything to do with it. Let me explain: I mentioned nighttime distractions, but if we apply those same points to the daytime, you will see how they affect your fasting. It doesn't invalidate it, but it makes your fasting spiritually weak. People sleep for long hours just to pass the time so they don't feel hunger or thirst, and in doing so, they deprive themselves of worship.
LISTENING TO HARAM
As I mentioned before, fasting in Ramadan is not just about hunger and thirst; the eyes, mouth, and ears also fast. Therefore, avoid listening to Haram. During Ramadan, listen to the recitation of the Qur'an as much as possible rather than songs and music. Many people replace songs with Nasheeds, but I have noticed that even Nasheeds nowadays have guitars and pianos playing in the background. How can these be Nasheeds where the names of Allah and His Messenger are mentioned, yet music is playing in the background? It is best to listen to the Qur'an and avoid Nasheeds and other music.
HOW TO PROTECT OUR FASTING?
Guard the tongue.
Reduce scrolling.
Hide your worship.
Ask Allah for sincerity daily.
Increase Qur’an exposure.
Sleep with intention.
Make du‘a before Iftar.
Avoid spaces of argument.
Keep company with those who are serious about faith.
Remember death.
If you follow these points, Insha'Allah, your fasting will be accepted, and you will surely receive its merit and reward.
CONCLUSION
So, these were some points regarding actions that prevent fasts from being fully accepted. Again, I repeat: your fasts will not be invalidated, but they will lack spiritual power, and Allah dislikes such fasting. Consequently, you won't get the reward. I hope this article helps you understand that fasting is not just about hunger and thirst, but also about the eyes, ears, and mouth. You must control them. Fasting provides many benefits to your body and protects you from many sins and unwanted temptations.
That is all for today. We will meet with a new topic next. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our supplications. Ameen.
Assalamu Alaykum
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