By the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful Thaqalayn Muslim Association University of Toronto www.thaqalayn.org Table of Contents Fasting in Islam.. 1 Sermon of the Holy Prophet on Ramadhan.. 3 Seeking Nearness to God in Ramadhan.. 5 Guidelines of Fasting. 9 Recommendations.. 12 Dear reader, Assalamu Alaikum, Allah (swt) never prescribes a law unless there is great benefit behind it, in serving the interests of mankind, guiding them along the important path of taqwa (piety) and towards the lofty heights of self esteem and perfection. Allah (swt) sent the messengers and the prophets as blessings to mankind, to save them from the darkness of ignorance and the life of uncertainty and aimlessness to guide them to the right path where one can live the true, happy and virtuous life. Among (printed Ramadhan 1423/2002 ) his boundless graces, God has enjoined the month of fasting as an obligation on all those who embrace Islam. Fasting could very well be described as Allah's banquet as the Holy Prophet of Islam says: All His creatures are invited to be His guest regardless of class, cast, rank, race, language, or geographical barriers. Ramadhan is not just a month of mere rituals, rather, it is a worship of many-fold benefits. It strengthens in the individual and society the will to resist temptation and defy the forces of evil, injustice, and deviation. We hope that this Ramadhan Guide proves to be beneficial to you. May Allah (swt) accept our deeds. Thaqalayn Muslim Association University of Toronto
Fasting in Islam "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety." (Holy Qur'an, 2:183) Fasting (Al-sawm) is one of the obligatory functions of the faith, next in importance only to the prescribed five daily prayers (Al-salat). It is obligatory to fast the whole month of Ramadhan, the ninth lunar month of the Islamic Calendar, as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. This is a pillar of Islam, and any failure to observe it without reasonable excuse is a grave sin in the sight of God. The month of Ramadhan has been aptly named the spring of the Qur'an. During this month, believers set aside more time than usual to understand the word of Allah, to learn and ponder over its verses. Fasting comprises of two levels: 1. The physical level or the condition of execution. Where the one who fasts must abstain completely from foods, drinks, and intimate intercourse, from dawn till sunset, during the entire month of Ramadan. 2. The condition of acceptance or effectiveness level, through which the moral and spiritua l component is achieved. The outcomes of this part are infinite and involve invaluable virtues t hat include: Obedience and sincere love of God Optimistic outlook on life Effective devotion, honest dedication and closeness to God Patience and selflessness Moderation and willpower - 1 - Transparent soul, a clear mind and a light body The real spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood, equality before God as well as before the law It is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and selfcontrol Now, someone may be tempted to raise the objection: If this is the case with the Islamic institution of fasting, and if this is the picture of Islam in this aspect, why are the Muslims not living in a utopia? The reason(s) as to why the Islamic utopia is not established nowadays is manifold and easily explicable. But to restrict our discussion to the institution of fasting we may say that some Muslims, unfortunate for them, do not observe the second level of fasting or, at best, adopt the attitude of indifference. On the other hand, some of those who observe it do not realize its true meaning and, as a result, derive very little benefit out of it or, in fact, no benefit at all. That is why some Muslims today, do not enjoy the real privileges of fasting. Fasting should not be confined to abstaining from food and drink. You should restrain your tongues from telling lies, cast your eyes away from that which Allah has ordained not to be looked at. Do not engage in conflict. Do not envy each other. Do not backbite, swear at or curse one another. Avoid giving false testimony. Be like one who is anticipating to move to the next world, counting in the process your days, waiting for that which God Almighty has promised you, and always taking stock of your deeds in antic ipation of having audience with Him. Take to God-inspired peace of mind and dignified bearing; take to submissiveness and humility - the submissiveness of a slave, fearing his master ~ Imam Ja'far as -Sadiq (as) ~ - 2 -
Excerpts from the Sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad on Ramadhan O People! Indeed this is the month of God coming to you with mercy, blessing, and forgiveness; in the sight of Allah, It is the most superior month; its days are the best of days, nights the best of nights, and hours the best of hours. In this month you are the guests of God, enjoying His hospitality. You have been rendered among those who have won His grace. Your deeds shall be accepted, your prayers answered. So, with sincerity and pure hearts, pray to your Creator to grant you success in fasting this month and reciting His Book. The miserable is the one who is denied the Almighty s forgiveness during this noble month. O People! Indeed during this month, the gates of everlasting bliss are ajar; so beseech your Lord not to close them off to you. The gates of the Fire are closed; so entreat Him not to open them for you. The devils are in chains; so beg Him not set them free for fear that they should lead you astray. O people! He who provides a meal to a devout Muslim, at the end of his long day fast, during this month, his reward from God shall be as great as that for freeing a slave, and he can be rest assured of the forgiveness of his past sins. Someone interjected, O Prophet of God! Not all of us can afford to provide food for fasting people. He retorted, Fear God, even with half a date! Feed them, for the sake of God, albeit with a sip of water, because the Almighty grants those a full reward who have done a small deed, if he could not afford to do more. - 3 - O people! He who strives, during this month, to deal gently and politely with people, shall be guaranteed passage into paradise. He who checks his transgression, Allah shall withhold His wrath from him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever shuns his kinsmen, Allah shall deny him His mercy on the Day of Judgment. He who recites (with reflection) just one verse of the Holy Qur an, during this month, Allah shall grant him the reward of having recited the whole Book in other months. O People! Guard your tongues, lower your gaze to that which is not permissible for your sight, shield your ears to that which is forbidden to hear. Show compassion to the orphans of others. Repent to Allah from your sins. O People! Indeed your souls are linked to your deeds, so free it with repentance, and lighten its spiritual loads by long prostrations to Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) heard a woman calling her maid names. He called for food to be served to her. She said that she was fasting. He said to her, Why are you fasting when you have just called your maid names? Fasting is not simply abstaining from food and drink. It is a means of refraining from committing sins by word and deed. How scarce genuine fasting is and how abundant is hunger. - 4 -
Seeking Nearness to God in Ramadhan "The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Qur'an was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction." (Holy Qur'an, 2:185) The ultimate goal of the believer while on his journey in the month of Ramadhan is to atta in the dynamic quality of altaqwa (piety) whereby he/she will attain closeness to Allah (swt). It is the dearest of goals, hopes, and ambitions of all those who love Allah (swt). It is this status that affects our life and our social, political, environme ntal and economical relationships positively and negatively. Life in this world is a journey towards that goal. Every action carried out, every deed performed is a step forward and must be in that direction. Human beings have been given life in this world, as an opportunity to achieve the pleasure of Allah (swt), to serve and worship Him and to achieve nearness to Him. The following Hadith Qudsi (revealed hadith ) shows how close the relationship between Allah (swt) and the human can be. Allah (swt) says: "When I find out that a person remembers Me frequently, I will look after his affairs, become his company, speak with him, and become his intimate friend. Whenever I know My servant is frequently engaged in remembering Me, I will make him wish to pray and whisper to Me. When My servant becomes such, I will prevent him from any wrongdoing when he decides upon it. Those are My true friends (awliyaa). If I intend to destroy the earth and punish men, I will give up the destruction and the punishment for their sake. " How to seek Nearness to God? There are many ways to attain God's nearness, of these include: Reading and understanding the Holy Qur'an Remembrance of Allah through supplication (al-dua ) and prayer Seeking forgiveness (al-tawba) - 5 - Reading and understanding the Holy Qur'an The month of Ramadhan has been aptly named the spring of the Qur'an. During this month, believers set aside more time than usual to understand the word of Allah (swt), to learn and ponder over its verses. Muslim homes and mosques ring with the beautiful recitation of this glorious book. It is the season of Qur'an recitation, whereby the desire to learn and understand the word of Allah (swt) blooms and flourishes, just as the natural world blossoms in the spring. The following Ahadith show the importance of reciting the Qur'an in this holy month: "Whoever recites a verse from the Qur'an (in Ramadhan) will receive a similar reward as the one who recites the entire Qur'an in other months." ~ Prophet Muhammad (s) ~ "Everything has springtime, and the springtime of the Qur'an is the month of Ramadhan." ~ Imam Muhammad al-baqir (a) ~ The Holy Qur'an contains great cures for mankind, beautiful gems of wisdom for life, and the best instructions for happiness in this world and the Hereafter. God speaks to human beings through it, and it is obligatory upon all believers to find out for themselves what God has said to them. Remembrance of Allah through supplication and prayer The holy month of Ramadhan is a special time for supplicating to Allah (swt). Dua, or supplication, is especially encouraged. The following hadith shows the importance of Dua in the month of Ramadhan: "Pray and seek forgiveness more frequently in the month of Ramadhan. Prayer wards off misfortune and forgiveness cleanses your sins." ~ Imam Ali (a) ~ - 6 -
Seeking forgiveness (al-tawba) The holy month of Ramadhan is an excellent opportunity to have one's sins forgiven. Allah's blessings and mercy are so abundant in this month that anybody who truly repents in it becomes as free of sins at the end of the month as a newborn. It is a proof of the love of the Almighty that each year He gives us a chance to clean our record and begin with a fresh start. Contrary to those who think that Allah (swt) is strict and harsh, that He will punish us as soon as we err, Allah (swt) gives us many chances to undo the wrong we have done towards Him. The month of Ramadhan is the best of these chances. All the duas for this month teach us to plead for forgiveness and deliverance from the punis hment. One who recites these duas sincerely, and is truly repentant, is assured of forgiveness. The Holy Qur'an says about seeking forgiveness: And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the extensiveness of which is the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who guard against evil. (3:132) And whoever does evil, and oppresses his soul, then seeks forgiveness of Allah, he will find Allah to be Forgiving, Merciful. (4:110) Will they not turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Merciful. (5:74) The following ahadith illustrate beautifully and eloquently on Istighfar (seeking forgiveness): Fortunate is the person who finds in his record of deeds a lot of seeking forgiveness. ~ Prophet Muhammad (s) ~ The similitude of Istighfar is like the leaves on a tree. The tree is shaken, and the leaves fall off. ~ Imam Ali al-ridha (a) ~ Fragrance yourselves with Istighfar so the disgusting odor of sins does not disturb you. ~ Imam Ali (a) ~ - 7 - Seek forgiveness abundantly, for Allah (swt) has not taught you how to seek forgiveness except because He wishes to forgive you. ~ Prophet Muhammad (s) ~ When Allah (swt) created the human being, He gave him the ability to distinguish between good and evil. The human is free to choose his actions and is responsible for it. He can decide to do a good deed or do an evil disobeying his Lord. The status of the human being with Allah (swt) depends on the type of actions he chooses to commit. The best time to seek forgiveness is during the early hours of the morning before dawn. That is a very special time, when all duas are accepted. The Holy Qur'an describes the believers as those who seek forgiveness at the time of dawn. It is important to note that to seek forgiveness, and then continue committing the same sin, is a sin in itself. That kind of Istighfar (repentance) is a mockery, and will earn the displeasure of Allah (swt). The following ahadith clearly illustrate the evils of that type of attitude: Seeking forgiveness but continuing to sin, is a new sin. ~ Imam Ali (a) ~ One who seeks forgiveness for a sin, and does it, has mocked his Lord. ~ Imam Ali ar-ridha (a) ~ One who while fasting does not guard his tongue from telling lies and does not refrain from bad deeds, is not respecting his fast. Allah does not approve of mere abstention from food. ~ Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) ~ The day of your fast should not be like any ordinary day. When you fast, all your senses - eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet must fast with you. ~ Imam Ja`far al-sadiq (a) ~ - 8 -
Who should Fast? General Guidelines of Fasting Fasting Ramadan is compulsory upon every Muslim, male or female, who has these qualifications: 1. Mentally and physically fit, which means to be sane and able. 2. To be of full age, the age of puberty and discretion. Children under this age should be encouraged to start this good practice on easy levels. 3. Present at one's permanent residence (not on a journey). 4. Fairly certain that fasting is unlikely to cause any harm, physical or mental, other than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst, etc. 5. Not in menstruation. Who is exempted from Fasting? 1. Children under the age of puberty and discretion. 2. Men and women who are too old and feeble to undertake the obligation of fast and bear its hardships. 3. Sick people whose health is likely to be severely affected by the observance of fast. They may postpone the fast, as long as they are sick, to a later date and make up for it, a day for a day. 4. Travelers may break the fast temporarily during their travel only and make up for it in later days, a day for a day. 5. Pregnant women and women breast-feeding their children may also break the fast, if its observance is likely to endanger their own health or that of their infants. But they must make up for the fast at a delayed time, a day for a day. 6. Women in the period of menstruation. They mus t postpone the fast till recovery and then make up for it, a day for a day. - 9 - What about the person who is on a journey? If one sets out for a journey after Dhuhr prayer, he /she should continue with his/her fast. Should one set out before Dhuhr, he /she should not fast. If I want to fast, how should I go about it? You should make the niyyah (intention) that the motivation is 100% for the sake of Allah, the Most High, for fasting from the onset of dawn to sunset. What should I abstain from? You should abstain from things believed to cause a fasting person to invalidate his/her fast. This extends from the period dawn to sunset only: Deliberate eating and drinking, be it little or much. Sexual Intercourse Deliberate throwing up. Intravenous injection with water or other nutrients. For a detailed list, refer to your Marja' Taqleed What if I forgot and did not do it on purpose? If anyone, through forgetfulness, does something that would ordinarily break the fast, observance is not nullified, and his fast stands valid, provided he stops doing that thing the moment he realizes what he is doing. What if I consciously invalidated my fast? For consciously nullifying your fast due to committing any of acts that would invalidate the fast, you have to make up for the days that have been rendered invalid and pay an expiation (kaffarah ). This could take the form of either feeding sixty poor people, or fasting two consecutive months for each day of fasting that had been rendered null. - 10 -
What if I was not able to fast any days of Ramadhan for a valid reason, such as sickness, or travel? You could make it up by fasting a day for a day missed during the course of the year, except on the days of the two eids (al- Fitr, and al-adh ha). What is zakat -ul-fitra? Imam Ja'far as-sadiq (a) has said, In order that your fast be fully accepted, you should give zakat ; meaning zakatul fitra (a specified type of religious due paid by the worshippers when they complete the fasting of Ramadhan). It is incumbent on every adult who is sane and has provisions for the entire year to set aside zakatul fitra for himself and his dependants, be they members of his immediate family or others, and be they children or adults, including those guests who arrive on the eve of Eid [or after it has set in]. The amount of zakatul fitra, per head, is three kg. of wheat, barley, dates, raisins, other foodstuffs, or their value in money. It has to be set aside on the eve of Eid, or on the day of Eid [before prayer, for those who performed it], and up to Dhuhr for those who did not say the Eid prayer. This should be paid to the poor and the needy, who are eligible to receive income support from monetary tax (zakatul maal). Important Note: This section is intended only to answer frequently asked questions and to provide a very general guideline on fasting. For details on any of the above questions please refer to the practical laws (masaa'il fiqhiyya ) of your marja' taqleed. - 11 - General Recommendations It is strongly recommended by Prophet Muhammad (s) to observe these practices especially during Ramadan: To have a light meal before the break of the dawn, known as Suhoor. To eat a few dates or start breaking the fast by plain water right after sunset, saying this prayer Allahumma laka sumna, wa 'ala rizqika aftarna. (O God! for Your sake have we fasted and now we break the fast with the food You have given us). To make your meals as light as possible because, as the Prophet put it, the worst thing man can fill is his stomach. To seek forgiveness during the early hours of the morning before dawn. This is a very special time when all sincere duas (supplications) are accepted. The Holy Qur'an describes the believers as those who seek forgiveness at the time of dawn. To exchange social visits and intensify humanitarian services. To increase the study and recitation of the Holy Qur'an. To exert the utmost in patience and humbleness. To perform the special supplications in the nights of al- Qadr (19, 21 and 23 Ramadhan). To be extraordinarily cautious in using one's senses, one's mind and, especially, the tongue; to abstain from careless gossip and avoid all suspicious motions. To attend the mosque, listen to lectures and recite Du'a Iftitah (common supplication in Ramadhan). - 12 -