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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ "O who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves. (Qur'an 2:183) |
Fasting is a means for one's sins to be forgiven. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "He who fasts Ramadhan, due to Iman (faith) and hoping for reward (from Allah) then his past sins are forgiven." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [al-Bukhaaree]
Fasting is an expiation for various sins, as mentioned in the Qur'aan, in verses: 2:196, 4:92, 5:89, 5:95 and 58:3-4.
Introduction
Prescribed fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the pillars of the Islamic faith. No proof is required to establish its being obligatory and one denying it goes out of the fold of Islam, because it is obvious like the prescribed prayer, and in respect of anything so evidently established both the learned and the unlettered, the elderly and the young, all stand on an equal footing. It was declared an obligatory duty (fard) in the second year of the Hijrah upon each and every one capable of carrying out religious duties, i.e. a sane adult (mukallaf) and breaking it is not permissible except for any of the following reasons:
1.1. Menstruation and bleeding following childbirth
The schools concur that fasting is not valid for women during menstruation and bleeding following childbirth.
1.2. Illness
The Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki schools state that if one who is fasting (saim) falls ill, or fears the aggravation of his illness, or delay in recovery, he or she has the option to fast or refrain. Fasting is not incumbent upon that person. It is a relaxation and not an obligation in this situation. But where there is likelihood of death or loss of any of the senses, it is obligatory for the person not to fast and his fasting is not valid.
1. A Woman in the Final Stage of Pregnancy and Nursing Mothers
The Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki schools say that if a pregnant or nursing woman fears harm for her own health or that of her child, her fasting is valid though it is permissible for her to refrain from fasting. If she opts for not fasting, the schools concur that she is bound to perform its missed days later. They are bound to perform the fasts missed only without being required to give a substitute. The substitute for each day is the feeding of one needy person (one mudd), which amounts to feeding one destitute person (miskin).1
1.4. Travel
All four: the Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki schools add a further condition to these, which is that the journey should commence before dawn and the traveler should have reached the point from where the prescribed prayer becomes overdue before dawn. Hence if he or she commences the journey after the setting in of dawn, it is unlawful for him or her to break the fast, and if he or she breaks it, its making up for will be obligatory upon him or her without an atonement (kaffarah). The Shafiis add another condition, which is that the traveler should not be one who generally travels continuously, such as a driver. Thus if he travels habitually, he is not entitled to break the fast. In the opinion of all four of the schools, breaking the fast is optional and not compulsory. Therefore, a traveler who fulfills all the conditions has the option of fasting or not fasting.
1.5. Acute Thirst
There is consensus among all the schools that one suffering from a malady of acute thirst can break his fast, and if that person can carry out the missed fasts later, it will be obligatory upon him or her without any atonement, in the opinion of the Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki schools.
1.6. Elderly
Old people, men and women, in late years of life for whom fasting is harmful and difficult, can break the prescribed fast, but are required to give a substitute by feeding a needy person for each prescribed fast day omitted.
The same is true of a sick person who does not hope to recover during the whole year.
1.7. Excuse Not to Fast No Longer Present
If the reason permitting not fasting no longer exists such as the recovery of a sick person, maturing of a child, homecoming of a traveler, or termination of the menses, it is recommended in the view of the Shafiis, to refrain (imsak) from things that break the fast (muftirat) as a token of respect. The Hanbalis and the Hanafis consider refraining as obligatory, but Malikis consider it neither obligatory nor recommended.
Things Obligatory to Refrain From During the Prescribed Fast
Those things from which it is obligatory to refrain during the fast (muftirat), from dawn to sunset, are:
1. Eating and drinking deliberately
Both eating and drinking (shurb) deliberately invalidate the prescribed fast and necessitate making up for the fasts missed in the opinion of all the schools, although they differ as to whether atonement is also obligatory.
2. Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse when deliberate, invalidates the prescribed fast and makes one liable to make up for missed fasts and atonement, in the opinion of all the schools. The atonement is the freeing of a slave, and if that is not possible, fasting for two consecutive months; if even that is not possible, feeding sixty poor persons.
3.Seminal emission
There is consensus that it invalidates the prescribed fast if caused deliberately. The four schools say that seminal emission will necessitate making up for the prescribed fast without atonement.
4. Vomiting
It invalidates the fast if deliberate, and in the opinion of the Shafiis and Malikis, also necessitates making up for the fast. Two views have been narrated from Imam Ahmad Hanbal. The schools concur that involuntary vomiting does not invalidate the prescribed fast.
5. Injection
Injection invalidates the prescribed fast and requires the fast to be made up in the opinion of all the schools.
6. The intention to discontinue the prescribed fast
7. State of Impurity Following Sexual Emission
The four schools state that the person's fast remains valid and he or she is not liable to anything.
Hugging & Kissing one's spouse during fast:-
It is confirmed that `A’ishah said: The Prophet(Pbuh) would kiss and embrace while he was fasting, for he had the most control of all of you over his desires. 'Umar said: I was excited one time and I kissed [my wife] while I was fasting. I went to the Prophet and said: 'Today I committed a horrendous act—I kissed my wife while I was fasting.' The Prophet asked: 'What do you think of rinsing with water while fasting?' I said: 'There is nothing wrong with that.' The Prophet said: 'Then what is the question about?'
In optional fasts, kissing, light touching, etc. are permitted so long as one does not engage in sexual intercourse. In obligatory fasts, one is allowed to do these only if one can control himself or herself. Breaking an obligatory fast through sexual intercourse is a serious offence, and it entails strict form of kaffarah (expiation), which includes fasting two months consecutively; if one cannot do this, one must feed sixty poor persons for a single day of fast thus invalidated.
Dua (Supplication) for breaking a fast at the time of Iftaar
LAILATUL-QADR
" Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Decree (Lailatul-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh (i.e. Gabriel) by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, Peace! until the appearance of dawn." (Al-Qadr 97: 1-5)
The most correct saying is that it occurs in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadhan and this is shown by the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah, RA, who said: "Allaah Messenger SAW used to practice I'tikaaf in the last ten nights and say: 'Seek out Lailatul-Qadr in the (odd nights) of the last ten days of Ramadhan." (Bukhari, Muslim )
Prophet Muhammed (Pbuh) said: "Whoever stands in (Prayer) in Lailatul-Qadr out of Eemaan and seeking reward then his previous sins are forgiven." (Bukhari)
Prophet Muhammed (Pbuh) said: "On the morning following Lailatul-Qadr the sun rises not having any rays, as if it were a brass dish, until it rises up." (Muslim, Abu Dawood, at-Tarmidhi, Ibn Majah)
The supplication that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) taught `Aa'isha, radiyallaahu `anhaa, to say when seeking the Night of Decree is:
"O Allah you are the one who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me." [at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah, Saheeh]
Let us seek abundance rewards from our Creator by performing extra actions in these last few days of the noble month of Ramadhan as it could be our last...
