Critical analysis of article entitled Sawm (fasting) from Encyclopedia of Islam

It is the translation of the article entitled sawm written by C.C. Berg in volume 9 pages 94-95 of Encyclopedia of Islam Leiden.Sawm (fasting) is one of the pillars of Islam and possesses an exalted place from amongst other teachings of Islam with refernce to the Qur’an and hadith of infallibles. Orientalists have also, while studying and researching Quranic sciences and Islam, paid attention to it. The author in his article firstly, discusses the concept of the word Sawm and mentions its place prior to Islam and assumes that the meaning of this word has been derived from Jewish-Armenian and Syrians. Then he has dealt with the subject from juristic perspective of the verse and mentions the peculiarities of fasting, its conditions of accomplishing properly, things that invalids it, Obligatory and recommended fasting and its rulings and penalties. At the end, he discusses the concept of sawm from the traditional and hadith perspective and mentions it importance from ethical and moral viewpoint. However, the most important criticize on this article is on the views expressed in this article. Such as its concept and meaning that whether it has been derived from the Jewish-Armenian and Syrians or not? Conditions of the obligation of sawm, kinds of penalty, the condition of fasting for older age people, pregnant women or feeding women or patients, intention of recommended and obligatory fasting, those days when observing fasting are recommended or forbidden, issues of not recommended fasting, condition of the fasting of traveler, invalidity of fasting, stages of fasting. The critical analysis of this article is based on the view of popular shi’i jurists.