Sawm صَوْم
Fasting from dawn to sunset, which means abstaining from food, drink and marital relations with the intention of worship.
- Arabic
- صَوْم
- Transliteration
- Sawm
- Meaning
- Fasting
- Topic
- Worship & practice
About Sawm
The fast of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. Those who are ill, travelling, pregnant, nursing or menstruating may be excused and make up the days later, while people who can never fast give fidya. Voluntary fasting, such as on Mondays and Thursdays or six days of Shawwal, is also practised, and scholars differ on some of the details.
Related on QuranCentral
See also
- Ramadan رَمَضَان — Month of fasting
- Fidya فِدْيَة — Compensation for missed fasts
- Qada قَضَاء — Making up a missed obligation
- Laylat al-Qadr لَيْلَة الْقَدْر — The Night of Decree
- Eid عِيد — Islamic festival
These entries are general, mainstream explanations for learning. Where scholars differ, this is noted. For rulings and personal questions, please ask a qualified scholar.