Tunasema: Kufunga kulikowekwa na sheria ni wajibu na pia ni mustahabu. Kufunga kwa wajibu ni aina tatu. Ya kwanza ni wajibu wa wakati maalum, nayo ni kufunga mwezi wa Ramadhani wenyewe. Ya pili inawekwa kwa sababu fulani, nayo ni kufunga kwa kafara (kaffara). Ya tatu ni kufunga ambako mtu hujiwekea mwenyewe; hii ni kufunga kwa sababu ya nadhiri (nadhr). Mjadala katika kitabu hiki kuhusu aina za kufunga kwa wajibu unahusu kufunga mwezi wa Ramadhani peke yake. Kufunga kwa kafara kutajadiliwa katika zile hali ambapo kafara ni matokeo ya lazima. Vivyo hivyo, kufunga kwa sababu ya nadhiri kutajadiliwa katika Kitabu cha Nadhiri.
We Say: Fasting prescribed by law is obligatory and recommended. Obligatory fasting is of three kinds. The first is obligatory during a fixed time, and this is fasting during the month of Ramadan itself. The second is prescribed due to a reason, and this is fasting for expiation (kaffara). The third is fasting that a person imposes on himself; this is fasting after a vow (nadhr). The discussion in this book about the kinds of obligatory fasting is related to fasting during the month of Ramadan alone. Fasting for expiation will be discussed on those occasions where expiation is an obligatory consequence. Similarly, fasting due to a vow will be discussed in the Book of Vows.
Kufunga wakati wa mwezi wa Ramadhani ni wajibu kwa msingi wa Qur'ani, Sunna na makubaliano ya wanazuoni (ijma'). Katika Qur'ani, msingi wake ni maneno ya Mwenyezi, Aliyetukuka: "Enyi mlioamini! Mmefaradhishiwa kufunga, kama walivyofaradhishiwa wale waliokuwa kabla yenu, ili mpate kujikinga [na maovu]."
Katika Sunna, ni kauli ya Nabii ﷺ: "Uislamu umejengwa juu ya mambo matano," akataja "kufunga"; na pia kauli yake kwa Mbedui: "Na kufunga mwezi wa Ramadhani." Yule Mbedui akauliza: "Je, mimi ninalazimika kufanya jambo jingine mbali na haya yote?" Akajibu: "Hapana! Isipokuwa ikiwa ni la hiari."
Makubaliano yapo kwa kuwa hakuna mtafaruku wowote uliohusishwa na mmoja wa maimamu kuhusu jambo hili.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory on the basis of the Qur’an, the sunnay and consensus. In the Qur’an the basis are the words of the Exalted, “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off [evil]”.211 In the sunna it is the saying of the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him), “Islam is structured on five things”—and he mentioned “fasting”; and also his words to the Bedouin, “And the fast of the month of Ramadan”. He asked, “Am I obliged for something else besides (all) this”. He replied, “No! Unless it is voluntary”. Consensus is found as there is no disagreement that has been attributed to any of the imams over this.
Mtu ambaye kufunga ni wajibu bila kuchagua ni Muumini aliyebaleghe na mwenye akili timamu, ambaye hayuko safarini, yuko katika afya njema, na hana kizuizi kinachoondoa wajibu, ambacho kwa wanawake ni hedhi. Hakuna mzozo kuhusu hili kwa sababu ya kauli ya Mwenye Enzi Mtukufu: "Basi atakayeshuhudia mwezi miongoni mwenu, na afunge mwezi huo."212
The person on whom it is obligatory without a choice is the believer who is a major and a sane person, who is not on a journey, is in sound health, and is free of a relieving factor, which is menstruation for women. There is no dispute over this because of the words of the Exalted, “And whosoever of you is present [living through the month], let him fast the month”.212