Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahiim In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful FASTING IN RAMADAN Rules Related to Fasting The fourth of the five principles of Islam is to fast every day in the blessed month of Ramadan. The fast became fard on the tenth day of the month of Shaban eighteen months after the Hegira and a month before the Ghaza (Holy War) of Badr. Ramadan means to burn. For the sins of those who fast and beg Allah for forgiveness in this month burn and perish. It is written in the book Riyad-un-nasihin that Hadrat Abu Huraira 'radi-Allahu anh' stated in the book Bukhari: Rasulullah 'sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam' declared, "When the month of Ramadan comes the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed, and the devils are tied." Imam-ul-aimma Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Huzaima writes that Hadrat Salman-i-Farisi (radi Allahu 'anh) conveyed that Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had declared in his khutba on the last day of the month of Shaban: "O Muslims! Such a great month is about to overshadow you that one night [Qadr night] in this month is more beneficial than a thousand months. Allahu ta'ala has commanded fasting every day during this month. Also, it is a sunnat to perform the salat of tarawih at nights during this month. Doing a small favor for Allah's sake during this month is like doing the fard in other months. Doing the fard in this month is like doing seventy fards in other months. This month is the month of patience. The place where the patient person will go is Paradise. This month is the month of getting along well. There is an increase in the subsistence of believers during this month. If a person gives iftar to a fasting person in this month his sins will be forgiven. Allahu ta'ala will manumit him from Hell-fire. And he will be given as many blessings as has that fasting person." The Sahaba said, "O Rasulallah! Each of us is not so rich as to give the iftar to a fasting person or to give him a whole meal. The Messenger ('alaihi-s- salam) declared; "The blessings will be given even to a person who gives a date as the iftar or who provides a little water to break the fast or who offers a little milk. This month is such a month that it has compassion in its early days, pardon and forgiveness in the middle, and liberation from Hell in the latter days. Allahu ta'ala will forgive and rescue from Hell-fire those [patrons, chiefs, commanders and directors] who facilitate the duties of [workers, civil servants, soldiers and students]. Do four things very often in this month! Two of them Allahu ta'ala loves very much. They are to say the Kalima-i-Shahada and to say the istighfar. And the other two you have to do at all times. They are to ask for Paradise from Allahu ta'ala and to trust yourself to Allahu ta'ala to be protected from Hell. A person who gives water to a fasting person during this month will never be in need of water on the Rising Day." A hadith which exists in Sahih-i-Bukhari declares, "If a person knows it as fard and as a duty to fast in the month of Ramadan and if he expects its thawab from Allahu ta'ala, his past sins are pardoned." This means to say that it is necessary to believe that fasting is Allah's command and to expect blessings for it. It is a condition not to complain that the days are long or that it is difficult to fast. One should deem it good luck and a great fortune to fast with difficulty among people who do not fast. It is declared in a hadith, which is quoted from Jabir ibn Abdullah 'radi-Allahu ta'ala anh' by Abdul'azim Munziri, who was a hafiz [savant of hadith], in his book Attarghib wattarhib, and by hafiz Ahmad Baihaki in his book Sunan: "In Ramadan-i-Sharif Allahu ta'ala bestows five gifts on my Umma, which He has not given to any other prophet: 1 - The first night of Ramadan Allahu ta'ala regards the believers with compassion. He never torments a born slave of His whom He regards with compassion. 2 - At the time of iftar the fasting person's breath smells to Allahu ta'ala more fragrant than any scent. 3 - During Ramadan angels pray day and night so that those who fast will be forgiven for their sins. 4 - In Ramadan Allahu ta'ala allots a place in Paradise to give to those who fast. 5 - On the last day of Ramadan-i-Sharif He forgives the sins of all the believers who have fasted." Hadrat Imam-i-Rabbani 'quddisa sirruh' wrote in the forty-fifth letter of the first volume, "The thawab given for all nafila worships, such as supererogatory namaz, dhikr, and alms that are performed during the month of Ramadan-i-Sharif, is like that which is given for the fard worships performed during other months. One fard performed in this month is like seventy fard performed in other months. A person who serves (the meal called) iftar to a fasting person will be forgiven his sins. He will be freed from Hell. Also, he will be given as many blessings as the fasting person is given, while the blessings of the fasting person will not decrease at all. Those commanders who provide facilities for people under their command will be forgiven their sins. They will be freed from Hell. During the month of Ramadan-i-Sharif Rasulullah would manumit slaves and give whatever he was asked for. Those who perform worships and good deeds during this month are given the blessings for performing them all the year round. He who disrespects this month and commits sins in it spends the whole year committing sins. One must deem this month a good opportunity. One must perform as many worships as one can. One must perform the deeds that Allahu ta'ala likes. One must take this month as an opportunity to earn the Hereafter. The Qur'an was revealed during Ramadan. The night of Qadr See "Sacred Nights" in the second fascicle of Endless Bliss.] is in this month. It is sunnat to make the iftar [to break fast] with dates in Ramadan- i-Sharif. Some important sunnats during Ramadan are to say the prayer (Dhahabazzama' wabtallatil uruk wa thaba-tal-ajr insha-Allahu ta'ala) when making the iftar [as noted in the Shalbi annotation to Tabyin], to perform the namaz of tarawih, and to read the whole Qur'an." =========================================================== Rules Related to Fasting (Hanafi madhhab) ============================================================ Malikis please follow the link: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/Page42.html ============================================================ Things which invalidates fasting and requires full recompense =========================================================== 1. If someone intentionally does one of the following without any valid excuse(see 6 below) a) Does not fast at all b) Breaks fast by eating, drinking and sexual activities c) Assuming that cupping has broken ones fast thus quit fasting for the day. 2. Expiation for the above is to ================================= a) Fast unceasingly for two months (60 days), if one breaks fats during this one has start anew. b) If unable to do so, it is to feed 60 needy persons two full meal c) If unable to do so, it is to free one slave. 3. Things that break fast and requires one to fast similar numbers of days in recompense ==================================== a)If something is entered into the body during the hours when one is supposed to fast, irrelevant of how it entered into the body.(see 7) I) To eat something which is not food such as stone particle or smoking anything. II) When water enters stomach while gargling III) When one is fed by force even when one is sleeping or unconscious IV) Inject medicine, place them on wounds which eventually gets in. V) Eating by mistake thinking it is still night or iftar time is due while it is not. VI) Involuntary full mouth vomiting and subsequent swallowing of it or part of it. VII) When one is force into sexual intercourse or when one is sleeping or unconscious b) Fasting without intention c) Breaking fast since one forgets to make the intention in due time. d) Breaking (iftar) fast without the intention of doing so. e) Lustful kissing of ones spouse 4. Offensive acts during fasting ================================== a) Backbiting, slander b) To lie or deceive c) To use abusive language d) Not having iftar e) Taste a food without swallowing it when there is no need for it. f) Gargling water due to thirsts or hot weather. g) Wrapping oneself with wet clothes. h) Throwing up intentionally 5. Days when fasting is forbidden ====================================== a) Day of Eid al Fitr (Eid of Ramadan) b) During Eid al ADHa 10, 11, 12 and 13 of month of Dhul Hijjah 6. Events when it is allowed to break the fast and fast later the similar number of days ============================================== a) If fasting aggravates health-situation b) Snake biting c) Thirsts due to newly developed disease d) Pregnancy, if there is a danger for the mother or the child. e) Reason to fear death f) Menstruation 7. Things that do not break fast ================================ a) Those things which would otherwise break fast does not do so when one is unaware of the fact that one is fasting(complete forgetfulness of fasting). b) Entrance of insects (i.e mosquitos), smoke and dust from natural environment does not break fast. c) Wet dream, swallowing ones own saliva when still in the mouth, brushing teeth, smearing oil, ointment on unwounded body do not break fast. 8. Miscellaneous ==================== a) The intention of fasting can be made as late as just before noon, if one forgets to do so during the previous night. If one passes noon without making the intention ones fasting is invalid.(3b) b) One should eat before the day breaks even when one is not hungry. c) For a woman whenever during the day menstruation stops she should be observing fasting even though it is not a fast for her. She should fast if it happens just before morning and did not have enough time to take shower and eat. ******************************************** This World is the Place of Trial Allah tells us that He has made this world a temporary abode, adorned with transient beauty, and He made it a place of trial, not a place of settlement. So He says: "Verily, we have made that which is on earth an adornment for it, in order that We may test which of them are best in deeds." Abu Maslamah narrated from Abu Nadrah from Abu Sa'id that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said: "This world is sweet and green, and Allah makes you generations succeeding one another, so He is watching what you will do. Beware of (the beguilements of) this world and beware of women, for the first affliction that Children of Israel suffered from was that of women."[Ahmad 3:22] Then Allah tells us that this world will pass away and come to an end, as He says: "And verily, We shall make all that is on it bare, dry soil." means, 'after having adomed it, We will destroy it and make everything on it bare and dry, with no vegetation or any other benefit.' Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas that this means everything on it would be wiped out and destroyed.[at-tabari 17:599] Mujahid said: 'a dry and barren plain.[ibid] Qatadah said, 'A plain on whic.L there are no trees or vegetation.'.[at-tabari 17:600] *********************************************** Wisdom Enrichment Foundation Wisdom Global Da’wah Email Service All About Fasting in the Month of Ramadan Assalamu 'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Please visit our website for the following enlightening articles: * Fasting in the Month of Ramadan (NEW) * The Book of Siyam (Fastings) * The Virtue of The Last Ten Days of Ramadan and Laylat Al-Qadr During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to do more good deeds or forms of worship for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. These include the reading of the Holy Qur'an. If you want to read the Holy Qur'an in Arabic or the translation of the meanings of the Holy Book in English, you may download any of the following: 1. The Noble Qur'an Translated by Dr. Hilali and Dr. Khan 2. The Noble Qur'an Translated by Pickthall Please forward this to your email list. If you do this for the pleasure of Allah, you will, insha Allah, get great rewards. Allah the Almighty says: “And he who brings the Truth and he who confirms (and supports) it -- such are the men who do right. They shall have all that they wish for, with their Rabb (Only God, Cherisher and Sustainer). Such is the reward of those who do good: so that Allah will remit from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done.” (Qur’an 39:33-35) Jazakumullahu khair, Network Moderator Wisdom Global Da'wah Email Service Wisdom Enrichment Foundation (WEFOUND) URL: http://www.wefound.org