OUR  DIALOGUE  ABOUT  RAMADHAN

1. Who is to fast?

Fasting during Ramadhan is compulsory for every Muslim male or female, who meets the following requirements:

1. Is mentally and physically fit i.e. sane and able;
2. Is of full age, the age of puberty and discretion, which is normally about 14. Underage children should be encouraged to practice in easy stages, so that when they reach the age of puberty they will be mentally and physically prepared to observe the fasting;
3. Is present at their permanent settlement, hometown, farm, business premises etc. This means not to be traveling on a journey of about 50 miles or more.
4. Is fairly certain that the fasting is unlikely to cause any harm, physical or mental, other than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst etc.

These are, however, certain exemptions from the requirement to fast, and they include the following:

1. Children under the age of puberty;
2. Insane people who are unaccountable for their actions. People in these two categories are exempted from the duty of fasting, and no compensation or any other substitute is enjoined on them;
3. Men and women who are too old and feeble to undertake the obligation of fasting and bear its hardships. Such people are exempted, but they must offer, at least, one needy poor Muslim average two full meal or its value per person per day.

This compensation indicates that whenever they can fast, even for one day of the month, they should do so, and compensate for the rest. Otherwise they are accountable for their negligence.

4. Sick people whose health is likely to be severely affected by the observance of fasting. They may postpone the fast as long as they are sick to a later date, and make up for it a day for a day.
5. People in the course of traveling distances of about 50 miles or more. Such people may break the fast temporarily during their travel only, and make up for it in later days, a day for a day. But it is better for them, the Qur’an tells, to keep the fast if they can without causing extraordinary hardship.
6. Expectant women and women nursing their children may also break the fast if its observance is likely to endanger their own health or that of their infants. But they must make up for the fast at a later date, a day for a day.
7. Women in their period are not allowed to fast even if they can and want to. They must postpone the fast till recovery and then make up for it, a day for a day. It should be clear that, as in all other Islamic undertaking, the action is taken in obedience to God, in response to His command and out of love for Him.

The fast of any day of Ramadan becomes void by intentional eating or drinking or smoking or indulgence in any intimate intercourse, and by allowing anything to enter through the mouth into the body.

If this is done deliberately without any lawful reason, the penalty is to observe a fast of 60 consecutive days or, as an alternative, feed 60 poor people sufficiently, besides observing the fast of one day against the day on which the fast was made viod.

When the fast of days others than those of Ramadan is broken for a lawful reason (as classified above under exemptions), the person involved must make up for the fast later, a day for a day.

If anyone by mistake does something that would ordinarily break the fast, that person’s observance is not nullified and the fast stands valid, provided the action is ended upon realization.

On completion of the fast of Ramadan, the special charity known as Sadqatul Fitr (charity of fast breaking) must be distributed.

It is strongly recommended by the Prophet to observe certain practices, especially during Ramadhan:

To have a light meal before dawn, known as Suhur. To eat three dates and have a drink of water right after sunset, saying the prayer: Allahumma laka sumtu. Wa ala rizqika aftartu. (O God! For Your sake we have fasted and now we break the fast with the food you have given us).

To make the meals as light as possible because, as the Prophet put it, the worst thing a man can fill is his stomach:

To observe the supererogatory prayer known as Taraweeh;

To exchange social visits and intensify humanitarian services;

To increase study and recitation of the Holy Qur’an;

To exert the utmost in patience and humility;

To be extraordinarily careful in using his senses, the mind, tongue; and avoid all suspicious acts.

1. How can Taqwa (God consciousness) be attained by fasting?

If one fasts from dawn to sunset, but he is abusive to one’s wife and children, cheats, tells lies, swears wrongly under oath, commits zina, or indulge in other wrongful acts, then the objective of fasting has not been achieved.

Allah wants us to attain high spiritual values through our Ibadah (worship). Not only by fasting, but by the acts of Salah, Pilgrimage, Zakah and other forms of Ibadah. Each and everyone of it is designed to bring us nearer to Taqwa.

Literally, Taqwa means: Godliness, devoutness or piety. Scientifically, it signifies a screen between two things. Thus, if the servant submits himself to Allah’s Will by carrying out all obligatory duties with which he has been commanded, and abstains from that which He has prohibited, then his obedient actions have placed a screen between himself and Allah’s punishment. That is called Taqwa. Other notaries claim that Taqwa signifies fearing Allah’s punishment by carrying out all His commandments and abstaining from what He has prohibited.

Taqwa is attained through knowledge which is coupled with True Faith (Iman). If we do not possess knowledge, we cannot really show piety. There are numerous verses in the Quran where Allah commands us to fear Him with Taqwa. How can we fear Allah if we do not have knowledge of what Allah has commanded us? We are duty bound to obey Allah by carrying out these laws. Obeying these and truly believing that they are from Allah, shows Taqwa. Disobeying these laws, as we unfortunately do, shows that we lack Taqwa.

1. After completing 29 days of fasting, one travels to another country where two more fasting days remains. Should one join them or stop after completing thirty days?

Differences occur in the beginning and ending of Ramadan, as indeed with every lunar month. Generally speaking, a lunar month starts when the new moon has been sighted. The new moon cannot be sighted on the same night throughout the world due to geographical locations. But it should be possible to sight it anywhere in the world within a period of twenty-for hours. Therefore, differences of one day in the beginning of the month of Ramadan, or indeed the beginning of any lunar month, are acceptable. When the differences run into two days, and sometimes into three days, as happens from time to time, then there are mistakes in sighting the new moon. If one country starts Ramadan two days before another, then one of them has started a day too early, or the other has started a day too late. Such mistakes do not affect the validity of fasting, because God accepts the action of any community in such matters as correct, provided that the community has taken the necessary steps to confirm the sighting of the new moon.

Nowadays, with the advances that have been achieved in astronomy and other fields of science, it is possible to calculate the possibility of sighting the new moon anywhere in the world well in advance. Therefore, a combined procedure of sighting the new moon with the naked eye and benefiting by such calculations should be adopted in order to make absolutely certain that the moon is sighted when it is born. This will preclude any possibility of mistakes.

The traveler stops fasting when he has completed thirty days, although there is still a day more to fast in the country where he happens to be, he should not fast that day. The Prophet tells us that Ramadan can only be either twenty-nine or thirty days. Since he has completed thirty days, the following day is Eid and it is forbidden to fast on the Eid day.

1. Please quote some of the important Ahadith relating to the travelers during Ramadan?

In his commentary on the Quranic verses, which relate to fasting as an Islamic obligation, Sayyid Qutb quotes a number of traditions and pronouncements of the Prophet, which are relevant to the travelers. Sayyid Qutb is of the opinion that taken together, such traditions gives an insight into the practice of the earlier generations of Muslims, prior to strict formalization of rules by later scholars.

The practice of the companions of the Prophet gives, in turn a more genuine insight into the nature of Islam and the concept of duty and exemption than scholarly works. We are quoting here these traditions as stated by Sayyid Qutb in his famous and valuable work, In the Shade of the Qur’an.

1. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: “The Prophet (S.A.W.) set out for Makkah in Ramadan of the year of conquest. He kept his fast until he reached Kira’a Al- Ghameem and all those accompanying him were also fasting. He then asked for a glass of water and raised it high so that people might see. He was told later that some people continued the fast and his reply was: “Those are the disobedient. Those are the disobedient.” (Transmitted by Muslim and Al-Tirmidhi)
2. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We were traveling with the messenger of Allah (S.A.W.). Some of us were fasting, while others were not. We stopped for rest at a certain place on a hot day. Those of us with the maximum shade were those who had long dresses. Some of us raised their hands to shelter their heads from the burning sun. Those who were fasting were too exhausted to do any work. Those who were not fasting did all the work of putting tents and giving water to our horses and camels. The Prophet said: “Those who are not fasting have monopolized all the reward to-day.” (Transmitted by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Al-Nissaie)
3. Jabir reports: “The Prophet (S.A.W.) was on a journey when he saw a number of people gathering around one person and providing him with shelter. He inquired what was wrong with him, and he was told that he was fasting.” The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “To fast and travel is not to be dutiful.” (Transmitted by Malik, Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Nissaie.
4. Amr Ibn Ummayyah Al-Dhamri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “On returning from a journey I went to see the Prophet (S.A.W.). When I was about to leave, He said: “Wait for lunch, Abu Ummayyah.” I am fasting.” He said: “Then, I’ll tell you about the traveler: Allah has exempted him from fasting and half the obligatory prayers”. (Transmitted by Al-Nissaie)
5. A man called Anas Ibn Malik said: “The messenger of Allah has said that Allah has exempted the person on a journey from half his prayers and has allowed him not to fast. He has also exempted from fasting any breastfeeding mother or pregnant women if they fear for their children.
6. Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) said that Hamza Ibn Amr Al-Asslami who used to fast often, asked the Prophet about fasting when traveling. The Prophet said: “You may fast if you wish, and you may not fast if you wish.” (Transmitted by Malik, Al Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Nissaie)
7. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “We were on a journey with the Prophet (S.A.W.) and some of us were fasting while others were not. Those who fasted did not object to the practice of those who did.” (Transmitted by Malik, Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawood).
8. Abu Al-Dardaa’ (May Allah be pleased with him) reports: “We were traveling with Allah’s messenger (S.A.W.) in Ramadan when it was so hot that we used to rise our hands in order to protect our heads from the burning sun. None of us was fasting except the Prophet and Abdullah Ibn Rawahah, (may Allah be pleased with him).” (Transmitted by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawood).
9. Muhammad Ibn Ka’ab reports: “I went to see Anas Ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) in Ramadan and I found him about to start a journey. His transport was made ready for him and he has put on his traveling clothes, He then asked for food and ate. I asked him: “is this a Sunnah?” He said: “Yes”. Then he set off on his journey.” (Transmitted by Al-Tirmidhi)
10. Ubaid Ibn Jubair reports: “I was accompanying Abu Basrah Al-Ghifafi, the Prophet’s companion, (May Allah be pleased with him) in a boat near Al-Fistat in Ramadan. A short while later he was given his lunch. He invited me to eat with him. I said: “Don’t you see the houses”. He said: “Do you decline to follow the Prophet’s Sunnah?” He started to eat and I joined him.” (Transmitted by Abu Dawood)

Mansour Al-Kalbi reports that the Prophet’s companion, Dihiyah Ibn Khaleefah (May Allah be pleased with him), set on a journey from a village near Damascus to a place approximately as far as the village of Uqbah from Fistat, that is, three Arabian miles, in the month of Ramadan. He broke his fast, and so did a large number of people accpmpanying him. Some, however, preferred not to break their fast. When he came back to his village he said: “I have seen today something I did not expect to see at all. Some people have declined to follow the guidance of Allah’s messenger and his companions. My Lord, make my end near.” (Transmitted by Abu Dawood)