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FASTING - INTENTION

INTENTION

Q.   Is it essential to affirm one’s intention for fasting?

  Yes, intention is a must for fasting. If a person somehow abstains from eating, drinking and sexual pleasures from true dawn till sunset without intention to fast, it will not amount to fasting.

Q.   What maximum time limit is appropriate by which one must affirm the intention?

  For fasts in Ramadhan as well as for vows with the stipulation of day or date as also for Masnun and Nafl fasts the intention to fast may be affirmed either in the night before or in the forenoon of the day (which Shariah starts with true dawn and ends with sunset). For example, if the true dawn breaks at 4 a.m. and the day as recognized by the Shariah lasts fourteen hours, the middle of the day falls at 11 a.m. It is, therefore, necessary to affirm the intention before 11 a.m. on such a day.

In case of the missed fasts of Ramadhan or fasts either of expiation or in respect of vows without the stipulation of time and date, the intention must be affirmed before the break of the true dawn.

Q.   What is the formula for the intention?

  In the case of fasts of Ramadhan or of vows with the stipulation of time or the Masnun and Nafl fasts one is free either to affirm the intention expressly in respect of these fasts or for fasts in abstract or even for Nafl fasts. In any case a fast in Ramadhan will be reckoned as a fast of this month and a fast of vow on a day already appointed by a person will count towards it. In the rest of the days it will be a Masnun or Nafl fast. In case of fasts of expiation or of vows without the stipulation of day as also in respect of the missed fasts of Ramadhan, express intention in respect of these particular fasts must be affirmed.

Q.   Is it essential to express the intention in words?

  Intention means making up one’s mind. To have a resolution in mind is enough. To express it in words is no doubt better. But no harm will come if it is not expressed in words.

Flowers

Fear of Allaah

FASTS IN RAMADHAN

FASTS IN RAMADHAN

Q.   What virtue is there in fasting during Ramadhan?

  Fasts during Ramadhan hold the promise of great reward from Al-lah. The Hadith speaks of a number of virtues associated with them.

For instance, the Prophet (peace be on him) has said that all previous sins are forgiven of a man who fasts to please Al-lah.

Another Hadith says that the smell (sticnt) coming out of the mouth of a person on fast is better even than the perfume of the musk. From a third Hadith we learn that Al-lah says: “fasting is specially for Me and I will give the reward for it.” Many other similar traditions speak of great virtues of fasting.

Q.   Which people are commanded to fast during Ramadhan?

  Fasting is a command for every Muslim man or woman who is a major and whose senses are intact. Any one denying the commanded nature of these fasts is an unbeliever and those missing such fasts without a valid excuse are sinners and transgressors.

Although minors are not duty bound to fast and pray, we are directed to make them do so even before they attain to the age of puberty in order to acclimatize them to these holy acts. The Hadith says that we should get the child to offer Salat under command even when he is seven. But if he gets ten years of age, we may even thrash him, if necessary, to make him say the prayers. Similarly, when a minor becomes strong enough to endure the righteous of fasting, let us make him do it as much as he can.

Q.   What are the grounds that permit one to miss the fasts?

  The grounds are as follows:

             i.     A person on journey is permitted to miss the fast. But if it does not cause undue hardship, it is preferable for him to fast;

           ii.     Sickness i.e., an aliment or disease which runs the risk of getting aggravated as a result of fasting;

         iii.     One’s being very old;

          iv.     Pregnancy, especially if fasting is likely to cause harm to the mother or to the baby in the womb.

            v.     Suckling the baby, especially if fasting is harmful to the baby or the woman who is giving suck;

          vi.     Hunger or thirst being so acute as to pose a danger to life;

        vii.     No fasting is permitted for women during their period of menstruation.

Salvation

SIGHITNG THE MOON AND GIVING TESTIMONY FOR IT

SIGHITNG THE MOON AND GIVING TESTIMONY FOR IT

Q.   How is it to try to sight the moon for the month of Ramadhan?

  Trying to sight the moon for the month of Ramadhan and scanning the horizon for it on the 29^th of Sha’ban is ordained. It is, likewise, desirable to try to sight the moon for the month of Sha’ban on the 29^th of Rajab so that correct estimate of the 29^th of Sha’ban later is made possible. If on the 29^th of Sha’ban the Ramadhan moon is sighted, fast must be kept the next morning. If no moon has been sighted although the horizon was clear, no fast should be kept in the morning. If, however, the horizon was under cloud or dust, eating and drinking should be avoided until ten or eleven o’clock in the morning. If in the meantime word about the sighting of moon is received through some reliable source, we must intend for the fast. If not, we should resume eating and drinking. But intending for the fast on the day following the 29^th of Sha’ban under the assumption that if Ramadhan has not commented it will be counted as a Nafl fast is undesirable.

Q.   What testimony is dependable for the Ramadhan moon?

  If the sky is not clear because of cloud or dust, the testimony of one truthful and god-fearing person shall be good for the opening of Ramadhan whether such a person is a man or woman, free or slave. Similarly, testimony of a person who is not known to be a transgressor and who looks god-fearing on the face of it, is also reliable.

Q.   What testimony is acceptable for the ‘Id moon?

  In the event of the horizon being not clear, the testimony of two pious and truthful men or of one man and two women shall be good.

Q.   How many people must testify to having sighted the moon in the event of the horizon being clear?

  If the horizon is clear, people in such a large number must be there to the sighting of the moon that their version becomes beyond the suspicion of concoction and falsehood. The number should be large enough to inspire confidence and trust in the minds of the people.

Q.   Will the word about the sighting of the moon in a distant city or town be acceptable to the people of another locality?

  The news from whatever distant a place it comes could be acceptable. For instance, the people in Burma have not sighted the moon, but still they will have to observe the missed fast at a later should a person from Delhi testify to having sighted the moon before them. Provided always that the testimony comes from a source cognizable in Shariah. Telegraphic message is not acceptable in Islam.

Q.   If a lone person sights the Ramadhan moon whose testimony is not accepted by scholars of the Shariah for purposes of fasting, is he duty bound to start fasting as an individual?

  Yes, he is ordained to fast. But if he has counted thirty days of fasting on the basis of his own testimony, but still the ‘Id moon has not been sighted, he shall have to fast even  on the 31th day along with others.

FASTING – AS A COMMANDED ACT

FASTING – AS A COMMANDED ACT

Q.   What is fasting?

  Fasting means willing abstention from eating, drinking and satisfaction of certain demands of the flesh from predawn to sunset. Arabic equivalents for fasting are Saum and Siyam. The breaking of the fast is known as Iftar.

Q.   Fasting is of how many types?

  It could be of the following eight types:

             i.     Fard Mu’ay-yan (command with stipulation of time);

           ii.     Fard Ghair Mu’ay-yan (command without stipulation of time);

         iii.     Wajib Mu’ay-yan (ordained with stipulation of time);

          iv.     Wajib Ghair Mu’ay-yan (ordained without stipulation of time);

            v.     Masnun (the Prophet’s precept);

          vi.     Nafl (supererogatory);

        vii.     Makruh (undesirable);

      viii.     Haram (forbidden).

Q.   Which fasts fall under the category of commanded with stipulation of time?

  One month’s fasting in a year during Ramadhan is command with stipulation of time.

Q.   Which fasts are commanded without the stipulation of time?

  If a person has missed fasrs in Ramadhan for some valid excuse or otherwise, keeping these fasts at some later date is a command without the stipulation of time.

Q.   Which fasts are ordained with the stipulation of time?

  Taking a vow to fast on some appointed day or date makes fasting on that particular day or date ordained with the stipulation of time. One such case could be of a person who has taken a vow to fast to please Al-lah, say on the first of Rajab should he get through the examination for which he is to appear.

Q.   Which fasts are ordained without the stipulation of time?

  Fasts for expiation and those to keep a vow without the stipulation of any day or date are fasts without the stipulation of time. An example of it could be of a person who has taken a vow to be on fast for three days should he stand first in the examination.

Q.   Which fasts are the Prophet‘s (peace be on him) precept?

  There are no emphasized precepts of the Prophet (peace be on him) for fasts. But the fasts that have been kept by the Prophet (peace be on him) or we have been exhorted to by him to keep them are known as Masnun fasts. These are:

             i.     Fasts on the 9^th and 10^th of the month of Muhar-ram. These are also known as ‘Ashurah fasts, because ‘Ashurah is the name given to the 10^th  of     Muhar-ram;

           ii.     A fast on ‘Arfah (the 9^th of Zul-Hij-jah) and

         iii.     Fasts on Ay-yam-ul-Abyad (brighter days i.e., the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of every month from the lunar Hijrah calendar).

Q.   Which fasts are supererogatory (Nafl)?

  All fasts other than those falling under the category of commanded or ordained and the fasts that are the Prophet’s (peace be on him) precept are classed as supererogatory. Some of these hold the promise of bountiful reward. They are:

             i.     Fasts on six days of Shaw-wal;

           ii.     Fast on 15^th of Shaban;

         iii.     Fasts on Fridays;

          iv.     Fasts on Mondays;

            v.     Fasts on Thursdays.

Q.   Which fasts are undesirable?

  The following fasts are undesirable:

             i.     Fasts on Saturday only;

           ii.     Fasts on ‘Ashurahs (the 10^th of Muhar-ram) only;

         iii.     Fasts on the Nauroz (a festival of Persians);

          iv.     Nafl fasts by a housewife without the permission of her husband.

Q.   Which fasts are forbidden?

  Fasting is forbidden on the following five days of the year:

             i.     The two ‘Id days, namely ‘Id-ul-Fitr and ‘Id –ul-Adha;

           ii.     The three days of Tashriq, namely the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th of Zul-Hij-jah.