May 01 , 2021

FIQH OF RAMADAN

 

Alhamdulillah the blessed month of Ramadan has begun. Since I was a kid I remember just waiting for this month to arrive. The main reason for it being that I always believed I would get all that I wanted in this month from Allah. I could ask for forgiveness and all that I desired. With years my desires and duas changed but Alhamdulillah I saw them getting fulfilled which further strengthened my yaqeen in the power of Dua especially in this blessed month.

By the Grace of Allah now I am a mother and my kids love this month too. Everything from the sighting of the moon to the yummy iftars and Laylatul Qadr has kept their excitement at its peak in this otherwise dull lockdown. The thought of Jibreel (AS) coming down with Angels on Laylatul Qadr has amazed them so much that they are reminding each other to not miss any ibadah on those 10 nights. They are just 5 years old and how much they will pray I don’t know but may this imaan remain in their heart forever and motivate them to make as more ibadah as they can when they grow up. As the month is so blessed let us not keep any scope for mistakes in this and lets check the list of do’s and don’ts in this month.

Fasting is to abstain from food, drink and marital relations from daybreak to sunset with the intention of drawing near to Allah. The intention of drawing near to Allah makes a religious fast distinct from dieting. But what does intention mean…It means to feel in your heart to do something doesn’t have to be verbally stated though certainly preferable.

Who is exempt from fasting?

1. Menstruating women or post natal bleeding: If period starts during the night of Ramadan then fasting forbidden from following day till she is clean. If period starts during day then fast on that day is nullified and has to be made up. Also one has to be extra careful and not lazy with regards to when one gets clean after menstrual cycle.. Even if its 5minutes before Fajr you have to fast that day but if one gets clean during the day she can act like fasting but it cannot count as a fast for her. Also post natal bleeding is for 40 days anything beyond that will count as sickness and if she is fit she can fast. Also all these missed fasts in both the above scenarios have to be made up later.

2. Pregnant or Breast Feeding Woman: Default ruling is that they have to fast, however if there is danger to health of the mother or child then of course exempt from fasting. They can fast a day and miss another if fear of drying up of milk. However they will have to make it up later.

3. Frail Elderly person : An elderly person who cant make up fast later would be feeding a meal to one poor person daily or the exact amount of fidyah has to be given(amount can be enquired from local masjid.)

4. Traveler

5. Sick Person : If it is a temporary sickness like fever or anything else then one has to make up the fast later. No fidyah in this case.

Things that break the fast :

1) Eating and drinking intentionally breaks fast. If eaten unintentionally then there is no problem as this is from Allah.

. 2) Intimate relations (Intercourse)

3) Vomit Intentionally

4) Ejaculation

5) Accidentally breaking fast before time of Iftar breaks the fast and it will have to be made up later.. Its not sinful but it has to be made up. 6) Nourishing injections like glucose or drips.

7) If a person breaks fast intentionally then they have to make it up but in one case there is severe penalty and that is if a person commits intercourse with spouse then they have to feed 60 people or fast continuously for 60 days and even if they miss a single day then it again has to be started from Day 1 but it is for only if the actual act of intimacy was committed when both are fasting that is during the Day time.

Don’t break Fast•

Kissing and Hugging allowed but only if one is able to control his emotions or else best to be avoided.

• Being in state of Janabah…so if one gets up a little late for suhoor and there is no time for ghusl he or she can do the niyyah complete the suhoor and then take ghusl.

• Menstruating women. Even if a woman is clean 5 minutes before Fajr she has to make a niyyah to fast that day and do ghusl. There are many sisters who are very enthusiastic about ibadah in Ramadan but once their menses start its like a completely different attitude. They completely stop all forms of worship and get busy in shopping ,cooking or anything else,. And then there are some who get so sad and distraught that even they stop all forms of worship. I understand that its really disheartening for a woman when she get her periods in Ramadan especially last ten nights but the best hadith for this would be that of Hazrat Aisha R.A. once the Mother of the Believers Aishah R.A. was accompanying Prophet Muhammad (saws.)on Hajj when she got her period. This made her sad and she started crying. The Prophet Muhammad(saws)consoled her saying “This is something which Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam.”(bukhari). Realize that you were obeying Allah when you were fasting and praying and are still obeying Allah when you are not fasting…because it is Allah who has ordered not to pray in menses.

There are things you can do during this time:

1.Listening to the Quran

2.Do lots of Dhikr: The Prophet Muhammad (saws)said: The uttering of the words :’SubhanAllah,Alhamdulillah,La ilaha Illalah and Allahu Akbar is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.(Muslim)

3.Make lots and lots of dua:Ramadan is a month of tauba..Get your sins forgiven in this month.Remember each and every single secret sin that you did and ask Allah to forgive you for it.The Prophet Muhammad (saws)said ‘Jibreel said to me May he be destroyed, the person who Ramadan comes and his sins are not forgiven. ‘and I said Ameen.”

4.Listen to some good lectures of scholars or read some good Islamic books. 5.Give lots of sadaqah.Ibn Abbas (r.a.)said :The Prophet Muhammad (saws)was the most generous of the people and he used to be even more so in the month of Ramadan….he would be more generous than a swift wind bringing rain.”

6.Do good deeds like calling up your relatives whom you hav not spoken to, the elderly, being good to neighbors, parents, feed the poor, do some great Ramadan activities with your kids .

7.Wake up for suhoor and make suhoor for all. There are many more that you can do and earn rewards Inshallah. So let us pray extra harder and give it our best. Ramadan will just fly by so lets make the most of what is left. May Allah accept all our ibadah ,fulfill all our duas and guide us to make the most of this blessed month. Aameen

( Written by Fareha Khan,Co-Founder,The Islamic kidstore)

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