REDEEMING THE MISSED FASTS

REDEEMING THE MISSED FASTS

Q.   What situations if and when they arise, make it necessary for a person to redeem the missed fast at a large stage?

  The situations are as follows:

             i.     Missing commanded or ordained fasts which have stipulation of time attachment with them;

           ii.     Missing fasts under some valid excuse;

         iii.     Intentional of unintentional break in the middle of a fast due to one exigency or the other.

Anyone of the above mentioned situations shall make it necessary for a person to redeem a missed fast at a larger stage.

Q.   When must one redeem the missed fast?

  He must do it in the first available convenience. Delaying the redemption of such fasts without a valid excuse is undesirable.

Q.   Is it necessary to redeem all the fasts missed by a person in one continuation?

  No, we are free either to keep such fasts in one continuation or with gaps in between.

Q.   What should one do in the event of the approach of the next Ramadhan while fasts missed in a previous Ramadhan have not been redeemed so far?

  In this case fasts for the month in progress must be completed first. Those missed in the past may wait till the conclusion of the month.

Q.   What is the injunction in Shariah about a Nafl fast broken by a person in the middle?

  It is ordained to redeem these fasts at a later date. It is because even Nafl fasts and prayers become ordained once they are started.

Q.   What must one do if one does not have strength enough to redeem the missed fasts?

  If a person being too old is not able to fast at all or he is so seriously ill as to have no chances of survival, Fidyah (compensation money) for the same may be given.

Q.   How much compensation money is to be given for a missed fast?

  A quarter short of two seers of wheat or double this measure of barley or an equivalent amount of any other foodgrain eg. rice, millet etc., is the compensation for each missed fast.

The same amount of compensation holds good for each commanded prayer missed. But resort to compensation for Salat should not be taken to unless one is no longer in a position to say it even by the sign of the head. If a person is not in a position even to say it by sign till his death or more than six prayers have elapsed in this state, Salat is no more a commanded for him. So, the provision for the compensation of Salat is like this that if missed Salats relate to a period when one had the ability to say them, compensation in the event of death may be paid only in respect of such Salats.

Q.   Is it permissible for one person to fast on behalf of another person who missed a certain number of commanded fasts and died without redeeming them?

  No, fasting by another man will not absolve the dead person of his accountability. The surviving member of the family can nevertheless pay the compensation money for him.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LEADING IT

Q.   What do we mean by Imamah (leading the prayers)?

  A person who leads the prayer so that all others follow him is the Imam (leader or head) of the prayer.

Q.   What do we mean by Jama’ah (congregational prayer)?

  Jama’ah means offering prayer in a congregation with one as the head and the others following him.

Q.   Is congregational prayer an emphasized Sun-nah?

  There is much stress on it. Some of the scholars even hold it to be Fard or Wajib. There are doubtless many virtues in it.

Q.   What are the virtues in offering prayers in congregation?

  Some of the virtues are:

             i.     Al-lah awards twenty seven fold reward for every Salat;

           ii.     It affords an occasion of get-together for Muslims and generates love and harmony among the worshippers;

         iii.     It results in evoking interest among the Muslims for prayers;

          iv.     Al-lah will accept the worship of even sinners offered along with those offered by the pious and the devout in the congregation;

            v.     It is an occasion for the ignorant to benefit by the knowledge of the scholars in matters of religion;

          vi.     It provides Muslims with an occasion to get to know the problems of the poor and the needy;

        vii.     It is the display of the grandeur of a special mode of worship, that is Salat.

Q.   Which people are excused from joining the congregation?

  Women, minor children, the sick, those who have to attend on the sick, the lame, the maimed and the handicapped (e.g. footless people), very old people and the blind are exempted from joining congregational prayers.

Q.   Under what circumstances and compulsions does it become permissible for a well and able-bodied person to miss the congregational prayer?

  Obligation to offer the prayer in congregation is waived in the following circumstances:

             i.     There being heavy rain;

           ii.     The path to the mosque being slushy;

         iii.     It being chilly cold;

          iv.     It being night and the wind blowing in gales;

            v.     Time for departure on journey by train, ship or aeroplane etc., being very near;

          vi.     One’s feeling the call of nature;

        vii.     Meals having being served before one while he is very hungry. In the presence of anyone of the above compulsions, obligation to offer the prayer in congregation shall go.

Q.   In which Salats congregational prayer is an emphasized precept of the Prophet?

  Offering Salats in congregation is an emphasized precept of the Prophet (Peace be on him) in all commanded Salats as well as in Salat for the two ‘Ids. Congregational prayer for Taravih is a sufficing Sun-nah. (i.e. a Sun-nah which, if performed by a certain number of people in a locality, ceases to be binding on others).

MORE ABOUT WATER

MORE ABOUT ISTINJA

Q.   What things are undesirable (Makruh) in Istinja?

  It is undesirable to do the Istinja with Qiblah in front or at one’s back or to do it a place where the parts of the body ordered to be covered are exposed to view.

Q.   What things are undesirable in making water or easing oneself?

   

             i.     Making water or easing oneself with Qiblah in front or at the back;

           ii.     Passing urine in standing position;

         iii.     Passing urine or excrement into a pond, canal or well or at their bank;

          iv.     Passing urine or excrement near the wall of a mosque or graveyard;

            v.     Discharging urine into the hole of a mouse or any other hole;

          vi.     Talking while discharging urine or excrement;

        vii.     Directing urine towards a higher level of ground from a lower one;

      viii.     Making water or excrement at a public resort;

          ix.     Doing these acts at a place meant for ablution or bath;

MORE ABOUT WATER

Q.   Is it allowed to use in ablution the water warmed by the sun?

  Yes, it is allowed but far from desirable.

Q.   Is it allowed to make ablution with water in which drops have fallen from parts of one’s body during ablution?

  Water that falls from the parts of one’s body during ablution or bath (if he does not have visible uncleanness on his body) is known as used water. If the quantity of such water is less than the unused water, it is allowed to use it in bath or ablution. If the case is contrary or the quantity of the two kinds of water is equal, such water is not permissible to be used in bath or ablution.

Q.   If some clean substance such as soap or saffron gets mixed up with water, is it permissible to be used in ablution?

  In the event of a clean substance mixing up with water, ablution is allowed even if one or two characteristics of water change. Nevertheless, if all the three properties of water change and it grow thicker it is forbidden for use.

Q.   Will a pond or tank of water measuring 2X50 or 4X50 or 5X20 yards qualify for the definition of running water?

  Yes, it is as good as running water.

Q.   Is a pond whose uncovered portion is narrower than the prescribed limit but whose bottom is deeper, at par with a big tank or running water?

  A pond measuring 10X10 yards whose opening is fully or partly covered with something else holds the order of running water if the cover does not touch the water. If it does, it cannot be considered good and holds the status of a small quantity of water. To sum up, only that portion of water is to be taken into consideration which is uncovered and not touching anything else. The uncovered portion should be equal to the prescribed limit. If the open portion is less than that, no credit will be given to the total quantity of water contained in such a tank, however much it might be.

MORE ABOUT WELL

Q.   What should we do if the excretion of a pigeon or sparrow falls into well?

  The well water does not become unclean if the excreta of a pigeon or sparrow or a few droppings of camel, goat or sheep fall into the well.

Q.   What will be the position if an unbeliever gets into the well and dives into in water?

  If the unbeliever has had a wash and has been made to cover his Satr (parts of the body ordained to be covered) with clean clothes before getting into the well, the water will remain clean. But if he has not taken a bath and has gone down into the well with clothes already in use, all the water will have to be taken out from the well. It is because the body and the clothes of the unbelievers are often unclean.

Q.   What size of bucket should be used to take out water from a well where no one particular bucket is generally available, but various buckets of different sizes are in use?

  If a well does not have a particular pail at it or the pail at the well is either too big or too small, the pail of an average size will be taken cognizance of. An average pail is one that can contain three and a half seers of water (the seer being equal to eighty british rupees).