How and Why Muslims Fast in Ramadan

IndexFASTING IN RAMADAN

DEFINITION OF FASTING

WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST IN RAMADAN

FASTING IN RAMADAN

Allah has made fasting the month of Ramadan obligatory upon

every adult, sane, settled (i.e., not travelling)

Muslim who is able to fast and has nothing such as hayd

[menstruation] or nifaas [postnatal bleeding] to prevent him or her from doing so.

Ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The

Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Islam is built on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god but

Allaah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; establishing prayer; paying zakaah; Hajj; and fasting Ramadaan.”

(Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

DEFINITION OF FASTING

• Fasting means abstaining from several things, from just before the starting of dawn (i.e. just before the start of Fajr) until sunset, with the intention of fasting.

A Muslim fasting must abstain from the following:

Food and Drink

Sexual intercourse

Masturbation (most scholars say this not allowed even when not fasting

Deliberately causing one's self to vomit

If these four things listed above are done deliberately a persons fast will be broken.

WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST IN RAMADAN?

• Fasting has been enjoined on us so that we may become pious.

• A pious Muslim and Muslimah does whatever Allah and His Messenger have told them to do.

• Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

• "O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)? [al-Baqarah 2:183]

• And Allah says in a hadeeth qudsi:

• Fasting is for Me and I will reward for it. He gives up his desire and his food and drink for My sake." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7492; Muslim, 1151.

• The purpose of fasting is not to just get hungry and thirsty but it is to develop Taqwa ( piety).

• Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fasting is not just (abstention) from food and drink, rather fasting is (abstention) from idle and obscene talk.” Narrated by al-Haakim and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (5376).

• Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and false actions and ignorance, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057.

• Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1690; classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan, 8/257, and by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 10/83. (similar hadith narrated by Ibn umar in al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 12/382; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1084.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“There may be people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there may be those who pray qiyaam and get nothing from their qiyaam but a

sleepless night.”

So one should stay away from Un-Islamic things

such as:

Being rude and impoliteLooking, touching , flirting with non-mehrems of the

opposite sex.

Arguing and fighting with Muslims.Promoting Un-Islamic ideologies such as democracy and socialism.

Getting angryUsing Bad language Back biting and gossip

Lying and cheating

Men shaving beards and

having cloths below ankles

Engaging in riba (interest, usury)

Allying with the enemies of Islam

against the Muslims

Women wearing improper dress.

Anything that is Haram

So one should stay away from Un-Islamic things

such as:

Fasting is a shield against the Fire "Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects

himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh]On the Day of Judgment, "Fasting will say: O My Lord

I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Ahmad, al-Haakim and Abu

Nu'aim, Hasan]Fasting is a means to attain forgiveness for one's

sins.

HOW TO FAST AND RULINGS REGARDING FASTING

1. The Intention

• It is obligatory for the fasting person to confirm his/her intention before the appearance of fajr.

• The place of intention is the heart and to utter it verbally is not established from the Prophet (peace be upon him) or his companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Thus one should make intention in ones heart before going to sleep.

2. The time for beginning and ending the fast.

i) There are two types of fajr:

False fajr and True fajr

A. False Fajr.At this time it is unlawful to pray fajr prayer but it is permissible to eat for the one intending to fast. The false fajr is distinguished by a rising vertical column of whiteness which appears like the tail of a wolf

B. True fajr. At this time it is lawful to pray the fajr pray but is it unlawful to eat for one who is fasting. It is distinguished by a white light coming across the horizon in the East ,

Thus one should stop all eating and drinking before the True fajr.

ii) The meal that is taken before the fajr is called Suhoor (pre-dawn meal)

• We should make sure that we eat and drink something at Suhoor, and that we delay it until just before the adhaan of Fajr.

• It is also guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to delay the Suhoor meal until just before the true fajr. (note along with no eating or drinking whilst fasting. one can not have sexual intercourse with spouse. kissing and hugging is allowed but if such close contact causes ejaculation then this will break the fast. Also swallowing some one elses saliva invalidates the fast.

3. The time to breaking the fast (Iftar).

• This time is as soon as Maghrib Starts (after sun has set). If you are in the Masjid or close by and hear the Athan for Maghrib prayer then it means you can now break your fast.

Break the fast in the manner described in the hadeeth narrated by Anas (may Allah be

pleased with him):

One should hasten to break the fast because the (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The people will be fine so long as they do not delay iftaar." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 4/198).

He (peace be upon him) also said "My Ummah will not cease to be upon my Sunnah as long as they do not await the stars when breaking the fast" (Ibn Hibban). So as soon as Maghrib begins (i.e. if you are in the Masjid and Athan is said) one should start to break the fast immediately.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to break his fast with fresh dates before praying; if fresh dates were not available, he would eat (dried) dates; if dried dates were not available, he would have a few sips of water." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/79 and others. He said it is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth. Classed as saheeh in al-Irwa, no. 922).

"Duaa said when Breaking the fast”

Following is duaa to recited.

(The thirst has gone and the veins are

quenched, and reward is confirmed, if Allah

wills).

Thahaba th-thama o wabtallatil-

Aaurooq, wathabatal ajru in

shaal-lah

Ramadan duaa

• 5. Things that break the fast

Prophet's warning for those who break the fast before its time

Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “While I was sleeping, two men came to me and took hold of my arms. They brought me to a steep mountain and said, ‘Climb.’ I said, ‘I am not able to.’ They said, ‘We will make it easy for you.’ So I climbed until I came to the summit of the mountain where I heard terrible cries. I said, ‘What are these cries?’ They said, ‘Those are the cries of the inhabitants of the Fire.’ Then they took me further until I came to a people who were strung up by their hamstrings, and their jawbones were torn and flowing with blood. I said, ‘Who are these people?’ He said, ‘Those are the people who break their fast before the time it was permissible to do so.’” Recorded by ibn Hibban and ibn Khuzaima. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb, vol. 1, p. 420.

If a person accidently eats, drinks or swallows anything it does not break his fast and they should continue fasting.

ABU HURAYRAH (MAY ALLAAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM) SAID: THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) SAID: “WHOEVER FORGETS HE IS FASTING AND EATS OR DRINKS, LET HIM COMPLETE HIS FAST FOR IT IS ALLAAH WHO HAS FED HIM AND GIVEN HIM TO DRINK.” ( BUKHARI AND MUSLIM)

If a person becomes ill during his fast or so thirsty or hungry that he could become severely ill or die then he is allowed to break the fast and make it up later. There is no sin on him.

If a person breaks his fast without a valid excuse by eating or drinking then he should repent sincerely and make up that day after Ramadan but if he/she breaks their fast by having intercourse then he must offer kaffarah (expiation) by fasting two consecutive months or feeding 60 poor people.

IT WAS NARRATED THAT ABU HURAYRAH (MAY ALLAAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM) SAID: WHILST WE WERE SITTING WITH THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM), A MAN CAME TO HIM AND SAID, “O MESSENGER OF ALLAAH, I AM DOOMED!” HE SAID, “WHAT HAPPENED?” HE SAID, “I HAD INTERCOURSE WITH MY WIFE WHEN I WAS FASTING [IN RAMADAN].” THE MESSENGER OF ALLAAH (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) SAID, “ARE YOU ABLE TO FREE A SLAVE?” HE SAID, “NO.” HE SAID, “ARE YOU ABLE TO FAST FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE MONTHS?” HE SAID, “NO.” HE SAID, “CAN YOU FEED SIXTY POOR PERSONS?” HE SAID, “NO.

To be continued..

” THEN THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) REMAINED SILENT FOR A WHILE, AND WHILST WE WERE LIKE THAT, A LARGE VESSEL OF DATES WAS BROUGHT TO THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM), AND HE SAID, “WHERE IS THE ONE WHO WAS ASKING?” HE SAID, “HERE I AM.” HE SAID, “TAKE THESE AND GIVE THEM IN CHARITY.” THE MAN SAID, “IS THERE ANYONE MORE POOR THAN ME, O MESSENGER OF ALLAAH? FOR THERE IS NO HOUSEHOLD BETWEEN THE TWO HARRAHS (LAVA FIELDS – I.E., IN MADEENAH) THAT IS POORER THAN MY HOUSEHOLD.” THE MESSENGER OF ALLAAH (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) SMILED UNTIL HIS EYETEETH COULD BE SEEN, THEN HE SAID, “FEED IT TO YOUR FAMILY.”

• الموضوع مصدر• http://www.muslimconverts.com/ramadan/

إعداد : الشريف إسراء