I know and I was just so proud of them yesterday! Really they are doing a great job fasting, they don’t whine and complain about being hot,  thirsty and hungry anymore. But they are FIGHTING EACH OTHER LIKE CATS AND DOGS! I have tried explaining to them that fasting is not just refraining from eating and drinking, but it is also refraining from everything else that Allah has forbidden.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said: “Fasting is not [abstaining] from eating and drinking only, but also from vain speech and foul language. If one of you is being cursed or annoyed, he should say: “I am fasting, I am fasting.” [Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim; Sahih].

Abu Hurairah also reported that the Prophet (S) said: “Allah does not need the fast of one who does not abandon false speech or acting according to his false speech [Bukhari and others]]

He also reported the Prophet (S) as saying: “Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah Mighty and Majestic has no need [i.e. will not accept] that he should leave his food and drink”.[Bukhari]

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: “Perhaps a fasting person will get nothing from his fast save hunger, and perhaps the one who stands to pray at night will get nothing from his standing except sleeplessness.” [an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim / Sahih al-Jami`]. In another Narration “It may be that a fasting person attains nothing but hunger and thirst from his fasting”. [Ibn Majah, Darimi, Ahmad and al-Baihaqee; Sahih]

The children are definitely a test for me everyday, but a really big test in Ramadan because how can I convey the above while screaming at them? I’ve also resulted to trying to lay a guilt trip on them, “Yall want mama to go to the hell fire? You know when you act like that it drives me crazy!”