1. Sawm of common people

The literal meaning of Sawm is ‘to abstain’. In Shari’ah terminology, it means to abstain from deliberately eating, drinking and having conjugal relationship from dawn (Subh-e-Sadiq) to sunset. This is called the Sawm of common people.

2. Sawm of the pious

In addition to abstaining from eating, drinking and having conjugal relationship, preventing all the parts of body from evils/sins is the Sawm of Khawaas i.e. special people.

3. Sawm of the ascetic

Devoting yourself completely to the worship of Allah Almighty after preventing yourself from all the [worldly] activities is the Sawm of the ascetic.

(Al-Jauhara-tun-Nayyirah, pp. 175; Faizan-e-Ramadan, pp. 90)

O the devotees of Ramadan! The aim of Sawm is to protect our body parts from sins along with refraining from eating, drinking etc., we should make all our body parts observe Sawm strictly and should protect ourselves from every type of evils because we stop eating and drinking during the day by observing Sawm in the month of blessed Ramadan though this eating and drinking was absolutely permissible during the day before Ramadan. We then should ponder over it ourselves that the things which are Halal before blessed Ramadan have been forbidden during the days of this sacred month, so the things which are already Haraam before blessed Ramadan such as lying, backbiting, telling tales, abusing, watching films and dramas, listening to songs and music, gazing unlawfully, shaving the beard or trimming it less than a fist-length, hurting the feelings of people without any Shar’i permission, etc., will automatically become even more severely Haraam in blessed Ramadan. Now ponder! What type of Sawm-observing person is he who stops eating and drinking pure and Halal things, but continues to perform Haraam deeds that lead to Hell?

Remember! The Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has warned, ‘If anyone does not refrain from indecent talking and evil acts (remember) Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ does not