Definition
Fasting (siyyaam or sawm) is an act of worship which involves abstaining from all food, drink, sexual activity and anything which is bound to break the fast from dawn (the time of calling to the Fajr prayer) till sunset (the time of calling to the Maghrib prayer).Virtues of the Month of Ramadaan
Ramadaan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar
- It was the month in which the greatest and most exalted of all divine books, the Holy Qur’an, was revealed: “It was in the month of Ramadaan that the Qur’an was revealed, with clear signs of guidance and a criterion of right and wrong. Therefore, those of you who are resident for the month must fast it.” (Soorat Al-Baqarah, 2:185)
- The Prophet
said, “When the month of Ramadaan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 3103, Saheeh Muslim: 1079)Thus, it provides an opportunity for the faithful to do their utmost to get closer to Allah by doing righteous deeds and avoiding evil ones.
- Whoever fasts during the daylight hours and stands in prayer at
night throughout this month will have his past sins forgiven, as the
Prophet
- Laylat-ul-Qadr (The Night of Decree; also called the Night of Power) occurs in this month. The Qur’an informs us that doing righteous deeds during this night is far better than doing them for many years: “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” (Soorat Al-Qadr, 97:3) Aposon who proys on this night out of sincere faith and in anticipation of Allah’s rewards in the hereafter will obtain Allah’s forgiveness of all past sins.This night falls on one of the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadaan and no one knows its exact time
The Wisdom behind Fasting
Allah
commands
the believers to observe the fast for numerous reasons pertaining to
this world and the hereafter. These include the following:- It helps realise taqwaa (righteousness, piety, consciousness of Allah, guarding against evil) :
- It provides ample training in refraining from sin and wrongdoing
said,
“A person who does not desist form deceitful speech and actions [while
fasting] must know that Allah is not in need of him leaving his food and
drink.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 1804) This means that those who do not desist from telling lies and deceiving others do not actually perceive the purpose of fasting.- It helps us remember the needy and the distressed and encourages us to sympathise with them
Virtues of Fasting
Fasting has numerous virtues including the following:
Ramadaan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
- A person who fasts during this month, sincerely believing in Allah,
in obedience to His commands and is certain of His rewards in the
hereafter for doing so, will have all his past sins forgiven. The
Prophet
- The fasting person will experience great joy in the hereafter for
the great rewards he will get and the bliss he will enjoy for fasting.
The Prophet
- Paradise has a gate called Ar-Rayyaan through which only those who used to fast will enter, as the Prophet
- Every act of worship has a certain reward except for fasting, for
which Allah, in His boundless bounty and mercy, will reward those who
observe it abundantly. The Prophet
Things which Break the Fast
A fasting person must avoid a number of things which are bound to break the fast. They are as follows:- Food and drink, as the Qur’an states, “Eat and drink until you can
clearly discern the white thread from the black thread of the dawn, then
strictly observe the fast until nightfall.” (Soorat Al-Baqarah, 2:187)
However, if a person forgets that he is fasting and so he eats or drinks, his fast is still valid and he is not considered sinful for absent-mindedly doing so. The Prophet - Anything that is classified as being in some way similar to eating and drinking. This includes the following:
- Injections which have some nutritional value: These serve to supply the body with the necessary minerals and nutrients it needs, hence their similarity to eating and drinking.
- Having a blood transfusion: Blood is like the body’s transportation system, and as it circulates, it delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, hence its resemblance to eating and drinking.
- Smoking in all its forms renders the fast void, for inhaling smoke introduces numerous toxic substances into the body.
- Sexual activity in which a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina, whether or not this results in ejaculation.
- Deliberate seminal emission through sexual contact, masturbation or any other means.
A man may kiss his wife if he knows he can easily control himse lf and does not engage in intercourse or any act that may lead to seminal emission.
- Deliberate vomiting: Involuntary vomiting, however, does not the break the fast. The Prophet
- Beginning of menstruation or post-natal bleeding regardless of the
time or part of the day when such bleeding begins.Whenever such bleeding
begins, even if it takes place just before sunset, a woman’s fast is
automatically broken. If a menstruating woman becomes clean after dawn,
her fast is also broken. The Prophet
Those Who Are Exempt from Fasting
To make it easy for people, Allah has exempted some of them from fasting. They are:
The Islamic Ruling Regarding Those who Deliberately Break the Fast
Breaking the fast without a valid excuse is a grave sin which clearly testifies to its doer’s disobedience to Allah.
Therefore, those who commit such a sin must sincerely repent to Allah
in addition to making up for the fast days they have omitted. Those who
engage in sexual intercourse during the day in Ramadaan must, in
addition to expressing sincere repentance and making up that day,
expiate for doing so by freeing a Muslim slave, hence the importance
Islam attaches to liberating people from the shackles of servitude. If
they cannot find any slaves to set free, as is the case today, they must
fast for two consecutive months; if they are unable do so, then they
have to feed sixty poor people.Voluntary Fasting
Muslims are required to observe a strict month-long fast once a year, that is, during the month of Ramadaan. They are also recommended, as long as they are able to do so, to fast on other days in order to gain more rewards. These days include the following:
- The day of ‛Aashuraa’, as well as a day before it or after
it:‛Aashuraa’ is the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram, the first
month of the Islamic calendar. It is the very day Allah
and drowned Pharaoh and his army. A Muslim fasts it as an expression of gratitude to Allah for saving Moses and to follow in the footsteps of our Prophet
- The Day of ‛Arafah:‛Arafah is the ninth day of the lunar month of
Dhul-Hjjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. On this day,
pilgrims who perform the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage, gather in
the wide open plain of ‛Arafah and engage in invoking Allah, praising
Him and glorifying Him. ‛Arafah is the best day of the year, and those
who are not performing the hajj may fast on it. When the Prophet
- Six days of Shawwaal: Shawwaal is the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. The Prophet
The Festival of Fast Breaking (‛Eed-ul-Fitr)
Festivals represent apparent rituals of religion. When the Prophet arrived
in Madeenah, he found that the people there had set aside two days in
the year for fun. He asked them, ‘‘What are these two days?” “We used to
play and have fun on these days before the advent of Islam,” they
replied. The Prophet then
said, “Allah has given you two better days: ‛Eed-ul-Fitr and
(‛Eed-ul-Adhaa.” (Sunan Abu Daawood: 1134) Explaining that festivals
represent the religion of their followers, he once observed, “Every
nation has a festival, and this is our festival.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 909; Saheeh Muslim: 892)
arrived
in Madeenah, he found that the people there had set aside two days in
the year for fun. He asked them, ‘‘What are these two days?” “We used to
play and have fun on these days before the advent of Islam,” they
replied. The Prophet then
said, “Allah has given you two better days: ‛Eed-ul-Fitr and
(‛Eed-ul-Adhaa.” (Sunan Abu Daawood: 1134) Explaining that festivals
represent the religion of their followers, he once observed, “Every
nation has a festival, and this is our festival.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 909; Saheeh Muslim: 892)The Meaning of ‛Eed in Islam
‛Eed is a day of festivity and rejoicing. On this day, Muslims
express their happiness and their gratitude to Allah for guiding them to
the truth and for assisting them in completing the fast of Ramadaan.
They share happiness with everyone by putting on their best clothes,
giving charity to the poor and the needy and engaging in permissible
celebrations and festivities which make everyone happy and remind them
of Allah’s favours upon them.
Muslim Festivals
There are only two annual festivals in Islam, and Muslims must not
celebrate any other day apart from them. They are: (1) The Festival of
Fast Breaking (‛Eed-ul-Fitr), which is celebrated on the first day of
the lunar month of Shawwaal, and (2) the Festival of Sacrifice
(‛Eed-ul-Adhaa), which is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month
of Dhul-Hijjah.
The Festival of Fast Breaking (‛Eed-ul-Fitr)
‛Eed-ul-Fitr falls on the first day of the lunar month of Shawwaal,
marking the end of the month-long Ramadaan fast. Just as fasting during
the month of Ramadaan is an act of worship, celebrating ‛Eed-ul-Fitris
also an act of worship whereby Muslims express their gratitude to Allah
for enabling them to perform this act of worship and for completing His
grace upon them. As the Qur’an states, “You should complete the number
of days and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you
so that you will be thankful.” (Soorat Al-Baqarah, 2:185)
What Should Be Done On the ‛Eed Day?
- Offering the ‛Eed Prayer: Islam stresses that the ‛Eedprayer should be performed. In fact, it was one of those practices which the Prophet
Description: The ‛Eed prayer consists of two units (rak‛aat; singular rak‛ah) in which the imaam recites the Qur’an loudly, after which he delivers a sermon (khutbah) in two parts. This prayer contains several takbeeraat (singular takbeerah, one’s saying Allaahu akbar) at the beginning of each unit more than the ordinary prayer: The imaam says Allaahu akbar and, before he starts reciting the Qur’an, repeats the same utterance six more times; also, after rising from the prostrate position to the standing position to perform the second unit, he repeats the same utterance five more times in addition to the takbeer he has recited while rising to the second unit. The worshippers follow the imaam in these movements, doing and saying exactly the same.
.
- Paying Zakaat-ul-Fitr: Allah
has enjoined zakaat-ul-fitr (literally, the purifying obligatory charity
of the breaking of the fast) on anyone who possesses a day’s and
night’s worth of food. It consists of one saa‛ of the most common staple
food of the country, be it rice, wheat or dates, and must be given to
the Muslim poor and needy so that there would be no person in need of
food on the ‛Eedday .It is permissible, however, to pay the value of
zakaat-ul-fitr in money instead if it appears that this will be more
beneficial to the poor.
Time of Its Payment: Zakaat-ul-fitr is to be paid from the time the sun sets on the last day of Ramadaan up to the time of the ‛Eed prayer. It may, however, be paid a day or two before the ‛Eed day as well.
The amount of zakaat-ul-fitris one saa‛ of the usual foods tuffs of the country, be it rice, wheat or dates. One saa‛ is equivalent to approximately 3 kg.
A Muslim must pay it for himself and all the persons he is legally bound to support, such as his wife and children. It is recommended to pay it on behalf of an unborn child.
The Prophet - Muslims on this occasion : spread joy and merriment to all family members, young and old, men and women, providing all possible types of lawful amusements. They wear their best and most beautiful clothes and eat and drink, as doing so is an act of worship. Fasting on this day is strictly forbidden.
- They recite the : takbeer on this
special occasion on the night preceding the ‛Eed day and on the way to
the ‛Eed prayer, and continue doing so until the imaam appears for
the‛Eed prayers starts, expressing gratitude to Allah
The manner of takbeer pronounced on this occasion is as follows: Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, walillaahil-hamd
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; there is no god worthy
of worship except Allah; Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest;
all praise belongs to Allah).
One may also recite the following: Allaah uakbaru kabeeran, wal-hamdu lillaahi katheeran, wa subhaan-Allaahi bukratan waaseelaa (Allah is the Greatest;His is the abundant praise, and glory be to Him day and night).
Men generally pronounce the takbeer aloud, but without disturbing other people; women, however, pronounce it quietly.
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