Thursday, August 19, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Al-Siyaam: 70 Matters related to Fasting; by Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Siyaam (fasting)
3. Ruling on fasting
4. The virtues of fasting
5. The benefits of fasting
6. Etiquette and Sunnah of fasting
7. What should be done during this great month
8. Some of the ahkaam (rulings) on fasting
9. How the onset of Ramadaan is determined
10. Who is obliged to fast?
11. Travellers
12. The sick
13. The elderly
14. Niyyah (intention) in fasting
15. When to start and stop fasting
16. Things that break the fast
17. Rulings on fasting for women
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Our Long Awaited Guest is finally here!
Remember that we cannot exert ourselves too much at the beginning because we've got to save some energy for the last sprint during the last ten days of Ramadan, inshallah. Also, remember to focus more on the Quran. For a detailed explanation of the Quran, here's the Tafsir ibn Kathir, all 10 volumes! You can also listen or download the Tafseer of the 30th Juzz of the Quran from Kalamullah.Com.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Ramadan Tips (Updated 9/8/2010)
First, here is an analogy of Ramadan which I would like everyone to ponder over:
Suppose you were a student and there was this particular subject in which you hadn't been doing well at all. Now, when the year is about to end, the professor comes to you and tells you that I know that you've been slackening in this subject throughout the year but I'll make a deal with you. There is this test that will be conducted and if you manage to score an A grade or more, I'll consider that your grade for the whole year and discard all the other test results. What would you do? Throw the offer back at his face or thank him and spend all the remaining time preparing for that test. Similarly, Allah Azza Wajal has given us all such an option. Think about it. This could be your last Ramadan. How many people do you know who were here last Ramadan and aren't here anymore? You could be one of them this time. Would you leave such an offer? Only 30 days to work hard and you could be free from Hellfire, all your sins from the past 20, 30, 60 or whatever number of years you've been living!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Ramadan Resources (Updated Once)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
The Spritual and Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting
"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)
The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing, piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.
But why do we need to fast? "
It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.
Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting that I cannot respond to your provocation". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.
Medical Benefits of Ramadan
Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.
Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.
The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.
The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension.
In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from severe diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.
There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting." This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.
One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.
Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
Marhaba Ya Ramadan!
Here is a video that I uploaded yesterday for the welcoming of Ramadan. I intended to write this post yesterday but I forgot.
Anyways, I've just been from the mosque for the Fajr prayer and was really amazed. Usually, it is rare that even the second saff is completed. There are total eight saffs in the uncovered (or roofless) area of the mosque. I was surprised to find out that all eight saffs had been filled. Furthermore, only some people in the eighth saff were late for salah.
Coming to the main point, I thought it important to write that Ramadan may be called a practice session for forming good habits. However, it is important that even after Ramadan, these habits should be maintained.
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Does breathing artificial oxygen break the fast?
Praise be to Allaah.
The oxygen that is given to some patients does not invalidate the fast, because nothing else is added to this oxygen, so it comes under the same ruling as breathing natural air.
Hence in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council it says:
The following things are not regarded as things that break the fast: … oxygen. End quote.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Things that invalidate the fast
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has prescribed fasting in accordance with the highest wisdom.
He has commanded the fasting person to fast in a moderate manner, so he should not harm himself by fasting or consume anything that will invalidate the fast.
Hence the things that invalidate the fast are of two types:
Some of the things that invalidate the fast involve things coming out of the body, such as intercourse, deliberate vomiting, menstruation and cupping. These things that come out of the body weaken it. Hence Allaah has described them as being things that invalidate the fast, so that the fasting person will not combine the weakness that results from fasting with the weakness that results from these things, and thus be harmed by his fast or his fast no longer be moderate.
And some of the things that invalidate the fast involve things entering the body, such as eating and drinking. If the fasting person eats or drinks, he does not achieve the purpose of fasting.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/248
Allaah has summed up the things that break the fast in the verse where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allaah has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
In this verse Allaah mentions the main things that invalidate the fast, which are eating, drinking and intercourse. The other things that break the fast were mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his Sunnah.
There are seven things that break the fast, as follows:
1- Intercourse
2- Masturbation
3- Eating and drinking
4- Anything that is regarded as coming under the same heading as eating and drinking
5- Letting blood by means of cupping and the like
6- Vomiting deliberately
7- Menstruation and nifaas
The first of the things that invalidate the fast is: intercourse.
This is the most serious and the most sinful of the things that invalidate the fast.
Whoever has intercourse during the day in Ramadaan deliberately and of his or her own free will, in which the two circumcised parts meet and the tip of the penis disappears in either of the two passages, has invalidated his fast, whether he ejaculates or not. He has to repent, complete that day (i.e., not eat or drink until sunset), make up that day’s fast later on and offer a severe expiation. The evidence for that is the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “I am doomed, O Messenger of Allaah!” He said, “Why are you doomed?” He said, “I had intercourse with my wife (during the day) in Ramadaan.” He said, “Can you free a slave?” He said, “No.” He said, “Can you fast for two consecutive months?” He said, “No.” He said, “Can you feed sixty poor persons?” He said, “No.”…
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1936; Muslim, 1111.
No expiation is required for any of the things that break the fast apart from intercourse.
The second of the things that invalidate the fast is masturbation.
This means causing ejaculation or climax by using the hand etc.
The evidence that masturbation is one of the things that invalidate the fast is the words of Allaah in the hadeeth qudsi in which He says of the fasting person: “He gives up his food and drink and desire for My sake.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1894; Muslim, 1151. Causing ejaculation comes under the heading of the desire which the fasting person gives up.
Whoever masturbates during the day in Ramadaan has to repent to Allaah and refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and he has to make up that fast later on.
If he starts to masturbate then stops without ejaculating, he has to repent, but his fast is still valid, and he does not have to make it up later because he did not ejaculate. The fasting person should keep away from everything that provokes desire and shun bad thoughts.
With regard to the emission of madhiy (prostatic fluid), the most correct view is that it does not invalidate the fast.
The third of the things that invalidate the fast is eating or drinkingThis refers to food or drink reaching the stomach via the mouth.
If anything reaches the stomach via the nose, this is like eating or drinking.
Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Snuff up water deeply into the nose (when doing wudoo’), except when you are fasting.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 788. If water reaching the stomach via the nose did not invalidate the fast, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have told those who are fasting not to snuff up water deeply into the nose.
The fourth of the things that invalidate the fast is anything that is regarded as coming under the same heading as eating and drinking
This includes two things:
1- Transfusion of blood to one who is fasting – such as if he bleeds heavily and is given a blood transfusion. This invalidates the fast because blood is formed from food and drink.
2- Receiving via a needle (as in the case of a drip) nourishing substances which take the place of food and drink, because this is the same as food and drink. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p/ 70.
With regard to injections which do not replace food and drink, rather they are administered for the purpose of medical treatment – such as penicillin or insulin – or are given to energize the body, or for the purpose of vaccinations, these do not affect the fast, whether they are intravenous or intramuscular (injected into a vein or a muscle). Fataawa Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, 4/189. But to be on the safe side, these injections may be given at night.
Kidney dialysis, in which blood is extracted, cleaned and then returned to the body with the additional of chemical substances such as sugars and salts etc. is regarded as invalidating the fast. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/19
The fifth of the things that invalidate the fast is letting blood by means of cupping
Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The cupper and the one for whom cupping is done have both invalidated their fast.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2367; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2047.
Donating blood comes under the same heading as cupping, because it affects the body in the same way.
Based on this, it is not permissible for a person who is fasting to donate blood unless it is essential, in which case it is permissible. In that case the donor has broken his fast and must make up that day later on. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p. 71
If a person suffers a nosebleed, his fast is valid, because that happened involuntarily. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/264
With regard to bleeding that results from extraction of a tooth, surgery or a blood test etc., that does not invalidate the fast because it is not cupping or something that is similar to cupping, unless it has an effect on the body similar to that of cupping.
The sixth of the things that invalidate the fast is vomiting deliberatelyBecause the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever vomits involuntarily does not have to make up the fast, but whoever vomits deliberately let him make up the fast.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 720, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 577.
Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are agreed that the fast of one who vomits deliberately is invalidated. Al-Mughni, 4/368.
Whoever vomits deliberately by sticking his finger in his throat, pressing his stomach, deliberately smelling something nasty or persisting in looking at something that makes him vomit, has to make up his fast later on.
If his gorge rises, he should not suppress it, because that will harm him. Majaalis Sharh Ramadaan, Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 71.
The seventh of the things that invalidate the fast is the blood of menses and nifaas
Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Is it not the case that when she gets her period, she does not pray or fast?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304.
When a woman sees the blood of her period or nifaas (post-partum bleeding), her fast becomes invalid even if that is one moment before sunset.
If a woman feels that her period has started but no blood comes out until after sunset, her fast is still valid.
If the bleeding of a woman who is menstruating or in nifaas ceases at night and she has the intention of fasting, then dawn comes before she does ghusl, the view of all the scholars is that her fast is valid. Al-Fath, 4/148.
It is preferable for a woman to keep to her natural cycle and to accept that which Allaah has decreed for her, and not to take any medicine to prevent her period. She should accept what Allaah has decreed for her of not fasting during her period, and make up those days later on. This is what the Mothers of the Believers and the women of the Salaf used to do. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/151. In addition, it has been medically proven that these means of preventing menstruation are harmful and many women have suffered menstrual irregularities as a result. If a woman takes pills and her period stops as a result, that is fine, she can fast and her fast is acceptable.
These are things that invalidate the fast. All of them – apart from menses and nifaas – only invalidate the fast if three conditions are met: that the person was aware of the ruling and not ignorant of it; that he did it knowingly and not out of forgetfulness; and that he did it by choice and was not forced to do it.
We should also note some things that do not invalidate the fast:
Enemas, eyedrops, eardrops, tooth extraction and treatment of injuries do not invalidate the fast. Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 25/233; 25/245
Medical tablets that are placed under the tongue to treat asthma attacks etc, so long as you avoid swallowing any residue.
Insertion of anything into the vagina such as pessaries, or a speculum, or the doctor’s fingers for the purpose of medical examination.
Insertion of medical instruments or IUD into the womb.
Anything that enters the urinary tract of a male or female, such as a catheter tube, or medical scopes, or opaque dyes inserted for the purpose of x-rays, or medicine, or a solution to wash the bladder.
Fillings, extractions or cleaning of the teeth, whether with a siwaak or toothbrush, so long as you avoid swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
Rinsing the mouth, gargling, sprays etc. so long as you avoid swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
Oxygen or anaesthetic gases, so long as that does not give the patient any kind of nourishment.
Anything that may enter the body via absorption through the skin, such as creams, poultices, etc.
Insertion of a fine tube via the veins for diagnostic imaging or treatment of the veins of the heart or any part of the body.
Insertion of a scope through the stomach wall to examine the intestines by means of a surgical operation (laparoscopy).
Taking samples from the liver or any other part of the body, so long as that is not accompanied by administration of solutions.
Endoscopy, so long as that is not accompanied by administration of solutions or other substances.
Introduction of any medical instruments or materials to the brain or spinal column.
And Allaah knows best.
See Majaalis Ramadaan by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, and the booklet Sab’oona Mas’alah fi’l-Siyaam.
Furthermore, I would say that since smoking is also included in fulfilling bodily desires so it will also be considered as a thing that invalidates the fast.