Fasting is another unique moral and spiritual characteristic of Islam.
Literally defined, fasting means to abstain "completely" from foods, drinks, intimate intercourse and smoking, before the break of the dawn till sunset, during the entire month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. But if we restrict the meaning of the Islamic Fasting to this literal sense, we would be sadly mistaken.
When Islam introduced this matchless institution, it planted an ever-growing tree of infinite virtue and invaluable products.
Moreover, Allah says in the Qur’an,(Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of dawn (until the appearance of true dawn).) (Al-Baqarah 2: 187)
The Wisdom behind fasting is to develop self-restraint, feel for the poor, and to fully appreciate Allah Almighty's Holy Gifts to us here on earth from food, drinks and daily comfort.
THE WISDOM BEHIND FASTING :
Developing Manners and Discipline is also part of Fasting:
Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)" (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127)"
Narrated 'Alqama: "While I was walking with 'Abdullah he said, "We were in the company of the Prophet and he said, 'He who can afford to marry should marry, because it will help him refrain from looking at other women, and save his private parts from looking at other women, and save his private parts from committing illegal sexual relation; and he who cannot afford to marry is advised to fast, as fasting will diminish his sexual power." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 129) "
Spouses are also not allowed to have sexual intercourse during the fasting hours. If a couple do have sex, then the day they had sex on would not count, and they would have to make it up sometime before the next Ramadan month. They can eat and drink and live normally during their "invalid" or "excused" fasting day. If a couple have sex during the valid hours in the sacred month (during the non-fasting hours), then each should wash their entire body (take a shower) to become clean for the next fasting day.
"Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, Is the approach to your wives. They are your garments And ye are their garments. Allah knows what ye Used to do secretly among yourselves; But He turned to you And forgave you; So now associate with them, And see what Allah Has ordained for you, And eat and drink, Until the white thread Of dawn appear to you Distinct from its black thread; Then complete your fast Till the night appears; But do not associate With your wives While ye are in retreat In the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus does Allah make clear His Signs to men: that They may learn self-restraint. (The Noble Quran, 2:187)"
This rule also applies to the 5-daily prayers through out the entire year as well: If a couple have sex at anytime during a day, then in order for them to be able to pray, they must wash their bodies or else they would be unclean and their next prayers wouldn't be valid:
"O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For God doth blot out sins and forgive again and again. (The Noble Quran, 4:43)"
Here is an explanation of the SPIRITUAL MEANING OF FASTING :
1. It teaches man the principle of sincere Love: because when he observes Fasting he does it out of deep love for God. And the man who loves God truly is a man who really knows what love is.
2. It equips man with a creative sense of hope and an optimistic outlook on life; because when he fasts he is hoping to please God and is seeking His Grace.
3. It imbues in man the genuine virtue of effective devotion, honest dedication and closeness to God; because when he fasts he does so for God and for His sake alone.
4. It cultivates in man a vigilant and sound conscience; because the fasting person keeps his fast in secret as well as in public. In fasting, especially, there is no mundane authority to check man's behavior or compel him to observe fasting. He keeps it to please God and satisfy his own conscience by being faithful in secret and in public. There is no better way to cultivate a sound conscience in man.
5. It indoctrinates man in patience and selflessness, as through fasting, he feels the pains of deprivation but he endures them patiently.
6. It is an effective lesson in applied moderation and willpower.
7. Fasting also provides man with a transparent soul, a clear mind and a light body.
8. It shows man a new way of wise savings and sound budgeting.
9. It enables man to master the art of Mature Adaptability. We can easily understand the point once we realize that fasting makes man change the entire course of his daily life.
10. It grounds man in discipline and healthy survival.
11. It originates in man the real spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood, of equality before God as well as before the law.
12. It is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and self-control.
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and h...e said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Imam Ahmad, Imam Nasa'i, and Imam Hakim].Read More
Now, someone may be tempted to raise the objection: If this is the case with the Islamic institution of fasting, and if this is the picture of Islam in this aspect, why are the Muslims not living in a utopia? To such an objection we can only say that Muslims have lived in and enjoyed a utopia in a certain epoch of their history. The realization of that utopia was a phenomenon of a unique achievement in the history of man. We say unique, because no religion or social system other than Islam has ever been able to realize its ideals in reality.
The reason why the Islamic utopia is not being established nowadays is manifold and easily explicable. But to restrict our discussion to the institution of fasting we may say that some Muslims, unfortunately for them, do not observe the fast or, at best, adopt the attitude of indifference. On the other hand, some of those who observe it do not realize its true meaning and, as a result, derive very little benefit out of it or, in fact, no benefit at all. That is why some Muslims today, do not enjoy the real privileges of fasting.
It has already been indicated that the period of obligatory fasting is the month of Ramadan. The daily period of observance starts before the break of the dawn ant ends immediately after sunset. Normally there are accurate calendars to toll the exact time, but in the absence of such facilities one should consult one's watch and the sun's positions, together with the local newspapers, weather bureau, etc.
Fasting Ramadan is obligatory on every responsible and fit Muslim. But there are other times when it is recommended to make voluntary fasting, after the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad. Among these times are Mondays and Thursdays of every week, a few days of each month in the two months heralding the coming of Ramadan, i.e., Rajab and Sha'ban, six days after Ramadan following the 'Eid-ul-Fitr Day. Besides, it is always compensating to fast any day of any month of the year, except the 'Eid Days and Fridays when no Muslim should fast.
However, we may repeat that the only obligatory fasting is that of Ramadan - which may be 29 or 30 days, depending on the moon's positions. This is a pillar of Islam, and any failure to observe it without reasonable excuses is a grave sin in the sight of God.
WHO MUST FAST ?
Fasting Ramadan is compulsory upon every Muslim, male or female, who has these qualifications:
1. To be mentally and physically fit, which means to be sane and able.
2. To be of full age, the age of puberty and discretion, which is normally about fourteen. Children under this age should be encouraged to start this good practice on easy levels, so when they reach the age of puberty they will be mentally and physically prepared to observe fasting.
3. To be present at one's permanent settlement, your home town, one's farm, and one's business premises, etc. This means not to be on a journey of about fifty miles or more.
4. To be fairly certain that fasting is unlikely to cause you any harm, physical or mental, other than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst, etc.
EXEMPTION FROM FASTING
These said qualifications exclude the following categories:
1. Children under the age of puberty and discretion.
2. Insane people who are unaccountable for their deeds. People of these two categories are exempted from the duty of fist, 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 fast and bear its hardships. Such people are exempted from this duty, but they must offer, at least, one needy poor Muslim an average full meal or its value per person per day.
4. Sick people whose health is likely to be severely affected by the observance of fast. 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. Travelers may break the fast temporarily during their travel only and make up for it in later days, a day for a day
6. Pregnant women and women breast-feeding 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 delayed time, a day for a day.
7. Women in the -period of menstruation (of a maximum of ten days )or of confinement[puerperium] (of a maximum of forty days). ; They must postpone the fast till recovery and then make up for it, a day for a day.
FASTING AND INTENTION :
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Deeds (their correctness and rewards) depend upon intentions, and every person gets but what he has intended. So whoever has emigrated for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), his emigration is for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he who has emigrated for worldly benefits, or for a woman to marry, his emigration is for what he has emigrated for."
Intention is an extremely crucial and integral aspect of worship in Islam; this is true of Prayer, fasting, zakah and Hajj; it also applies to all of the acts of devotion and good works that we perform.
In the case of any act of worship (`ibadah), the intention means first to cleanse and purify our motivation, or to put it differently, to make sure that we do what we do purely for the sake of Allah and not for any other worldly purpose or objective. Second, it is also important that we formulate the intention in our minds to do the specific act of worship for the sake of Allah. Therefore, while fasting the month of Ramadan, we must resolve in our minds firmly that we are fasting the days of Ramadan as an act of worship. So long as we have done so in our minds, then we have fulfilled the intention requirement. In other words, it is not necessary to state the above intention in words. If anyone does so, we cannot consider his action as sinful, although there is no need for him to do so. It is best that we stick to the practice of the righteous predecessors who were not in the habit of pronouncing the intention in words in such acts of worship.
Now as for whether one must formulate intention every single day, this is a controversial issue among scholars. One group insists that it must be done each and every day before dawn, while another group states that it is sufficient if one formulates the intention to fast the whole month of Ramadan in the beginning.
There is no need for us to be very rigid on this issue. Everyone who wakes up for sahur (pre-dawn meal) has already made up in his mind to fast. But still the safest way to go about in such matters is to make sure that we formulate the intention each and every day. By doing so we make sure that our acts of worships are not simply mechanical chores but deliberate acts of worship.
As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, it is sufficient to make intention in one’s heart. In other words, the fasting person is not required to express his intention to fast in explicit words. Everyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadan and wills to fast, this is considered valid intention even if he does not express the intention to fast in explicit words. Also, when one gets up to take sahur (pre-dawn meal) or even intends to get up but was overcome by sleep, this is considered a valid intention to fast.
The prophet ( Sallah Allah Alaih w Sallam ) Said “ He who has not made the intention to fast a day before the dawn his fast is invalid.” (Reported by Ad-Dara Qutni and Al-Baihaqi)
It should be understood that here, like in all other Islamic undertakings, the intention must be made clear that this action is undertaken in obedience to God, in response to His command and out of love of Him.
THE FAST OF ANY DAY IN RAMADAN BECOMES VOID BY
1- intentional eating or drinking or smoking ,
2- Vomiting intentionally ( by inserting your finger into your mouth ) or
3-indulgence in any intimate intercourse,
4- and by allowing anything to enter through the mouth into the interior parts of the body.
And if this is done deliberately without any lawful reason, this is a major sin which only renewed repentance can expiate.
THINGS WHICH DON'T NULLIFY THE FAST :
If anyone, through forgetfulness, does something that would ordinarily break the fast, His fast is not nullified, and his fast stands valid, provided he stops doing that thing the moment he realizes what he is doing.
Also Wet Dreams , Involuntary Vomiting , Swallowing our own saliva , ..etc ( Fore MORE info , you can visit the website whose link is at the end of the topic )
On completion of the fast of Ramadan, the special charity known as Zakat-ul-Fitr (charity of ' Fast-breaking) must be distributed before 'Eid-ul-Fitr (approximately), seven dollars per head.
Literally defined, fasting means to abstain "completely" from foods, drinks, intimate intercourse and smoking, before the break of the dawn till sunset, during the entire month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. But if we restrict the meaning of the Islamic Fasting to this literal sense, we would be sadly mistaken.
When Islam introduced this matchless institution, it planted an ever-growing tree of infinite virtue and invaluable products.
Moreover, Allah says in the Qur’an,(Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread of dawn (until the appearance of true dawn).) (Al-Baqarah 2: 187)
The Wisdom behind fasting is to develop self-restraint, feel for the poor, and to fully appreciate Allah Almighty's Holy Gifts to us here on earth from food, drinks and daily comfort.
THE WISDOM BEHIND FASTING :
Developing Manners and Discipline is also part of Fasting:
Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)" (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127)"
Narrated 'Alqama: "While I was walking with 'Abdullah he said, "We were in the company of the Prophet and he said, 'He who can afford to marry should marry, because it will help him refrain from looking at other women, and save his private parts from looking at other women, and save his private parts from committing illegal sexual relation; and he who cannot afford to marry is advised to fast, as fasting will diminish his sexual power." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 129) "
Spouses are also not allowed to have sexual intercourse during the fasting hours. If a couple do have sex, then the day they had sex on would not count, and they would have to make it up sometime before the next Ramadan month. They can eat and drink and live normally during their "invalid" or "excused" fasting day. If a couple have sex during the valid hours in the sacred month (during the non-fasting hours), then each should wash their entire body (take a shower) to become clean for the next fasting day.
"Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, Is the approach to your wives. They are your garments And ye are their garments. Allah knows what ye Used to do secretly among yourselves; But He turned to you And forgave you; So now associate with them, And see what Allah Has ordained for you, And eat and drink, Until the white thread Of dawn appear to you Distinct from its black thread; Then complete your fast Till the night appears; But do not associate With your wives While ye are in retreat In the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus does Allah make clear His Signs to men: that They may learn self-restraint. (The Noble Quran, 2:187)"
This rule also applies to the 5-daily prayers through out the entire year as well: If a couple have sex at anytime during a day, then in order for them to be able to pray, they must wash their bodies or else they would be unclean and their next prayers wouldn't be valid:
"O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For God doth blot out sins and forgive again and again. (The Noble Quran, 4:43)"
Here is an explanation of the SPIRITUAL MEANING OF FASTING :
1. It teaches man the principle of sincere Love: because when he observes Fasting he does it out of deep love for God. And the man who loves God truly is a man who really knows what love is.
2. It equips man with a creative sense of hope and an optimistic outlook on life; because when he fasts he is hoping to please God and is seeking His Grace.
3. It imbues in man the genuine virtue of effective devotion, honest dedication and closeness to God; because when he fasts he does so for God and for His sake alone.
4. It cultivates in man a vigilant and sound conscience; because the fasting person keeps his fast in secret as well as in public. In fasting, especially, there is no mundane authority to check man's behavior or compel him to observe fasting. He keeps it to please God and satisfy his own conscience by being faithful in secret and in public. There is no better way to cultivate a sound conscience in man.
5. It indoctrinates man in patience and selflessness, as through fasting, he feels the pains of deprivation but he endures them patiently.
6. It is an effective lesson in applied moderation and willpower.
7. Fasting also provides man with a transparent soul, a clear mind and a light body.
8. It shows man a new way of wise savings and sound budgeting.
9. It enables man to master the art of Mature Adaptability. We can easily understand the point once we realize that fasting makes man change the entire course of his daily life.
10. It grounds man in discipline and healthy survival.
11. It originates in man the real spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood, of equality before God as well as before the law.
12. It is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and self-control.
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and h...e said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Imam Ahmad, Imam Nasa'i, and Imam Hakim].Read More
Now, someone may be tempted to raise the objection: If this is the case with the Islamic institution of fasting, and if this is the picture of Islam in this aspect, why are the Muslims not living in a utopia? To such an objection we can only say that Muslims have lived in and enjoyed a utopia in a certain epoch of their history. The realization of that utopia was a phenomenon of a unique achievement in the history of man. We say unique, because no religion or social system other than Islam has ever been able to realize its ideals in reality.
The reason why the Islamic utopia is not being established nowadays is manifold and easily explicable. But to restrict our discussion to the institution of fasting we may say that some Muslims, unfortunately for them, do not observe the fast or, at best, adopt the attitude of indifference. On the other hand, some of those who observe it do not realize its true meaning and, as a result, derive very little benefit out of it or, in fact, no benefit at all. That is why some Muslims today, do not enjoy the real privileges of fasting.
It has already been indicated that the period of obligatory fasting is the month of Ramadan. The daily period of observance starts before the break of the dawn ant ends immediately after sunset. Normally there are accurate calendars to toll the exact time, but in the absence of such facilities one should consult one's watch and the sun's positions, together with the local newspapers, weather bureau, etc.
Fasting Ramadan is obligatory on every responsible and fit Muslim. But there are other times when it is recommended to make voluntary fasting, after the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad. Among these times are Mondays and Thursdays of every week, a few days of each month in the two months heralding the coming of Ramadan, i.e., Rajab and Sha'ban, six days after Ramadan following the 'Eid-ul-Fitr Day. Besides, it is always compensating to fast any day of any month of the year, except the 'Eid Days and Fridays when no Muslim should fast.
However, we may repeat that the only obligatory fasting is that of Ramadan - which may be 29 or 30 days, depending on the moon's positions. This is a pillar of Islam, and any failure to observe it without reasonable excuses is a grave sin in the sight of God.
WHO MUST FAST ?
Fasting Ramadan is compulsory upon every Muslim, male or female, who has these qualifications:
1. To be mentally and physically fit, which means to be sane and able.
2. To be of full age, the age of puberty and discretion, which is normally about fourteen. Children under this age should be encouraged to start this good practice on easy levels, so when they reach the age of puberty they will be mentally and physically prepared to observe fasting.
3. To be present at one's permanent settlement, your home town, one's farm, and one's business premises, etc. This means not to be on a journey of about fifty miles or more.
4. To be fairly certain that fasting is unlikely to cause you any harm, physical or mental, other than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst, etc.
EXEMPTION FROM FASTING
These said qualifications exclude the following categories:
1. Children under the age of puberty and discretion.
2. Insane people who are unaccountable for their deeds. People of these two categories are exempted from the duty of fist, 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 fast and bear its hardships. Such people are exempted from this duty, but they must offer, at least, one needy poor Muslim an average full meal or its value per person per day.
4. Sick people whose health is likely to be severely affected by the observance of fast. 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. Travelers may break the fast temporarily during their travel only and make up for it in later days, a day for a day
6. Pregnant women and women breast-feeding 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 delayed time, a day for a day.
7. Women in the -period of menstruation (of a maximum of ten days )or of confinement[puerperium] (of a maximum of forty days). ; They must postpone the fast till recovery and then make up for it, a day for a day.
FASTING AND INTENTION :
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Deeds (their correctness and rewards) depend upon intentions, and every person gets but what he has intended. So whoever has emigrated for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), his emigration is for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he who has emigrated for worldly benefits, or for a woman to marry, his emigration is for what he has emigrated for."
Intention is an extremely crucial and integral aspect of worship in Islam; this is true of Prayer, fasting, zakah and Hajj; it also applies to all of the acts of devotion and good works that we perform.
In the case of any act of worship (`ibadah), the intention means first to cleanse and purify our motivation, or to put it differently, to make sure that we do what we do purely for the sake of Allah and not for any other worldly purpose or objective. Second, it is also important that we formulate the intention in our minds to do the specific act of worship for the sake of Allah. Therefore, while fasting the month of Ramadan, we must resolve in our minds firmly that we are fasting the days of Ramadan as an act of worship. So long as we have done so in our minds, then we have fulfilled the intention requirement. In other words, it is not necessary to state the above intention in words. If anyone does so, we cannot consider his action as sinful, although there is no need for him to do so. It is best that we stick to the practice of the righteous predecessors who were not in the habit of pronouncing the intention in words in such acts of worship.
Now as for whether one must formulate intention every single day, this is a controversial issue among scholars. One group insists that it must be done each and every day before dawn, while another group states that it is sufficient if one formulates the intention to fast the whole month of Ramadan in the beginning.
There is no need for us to be very rigid on this issue. Everyone who wakes up for sahur (pre-dawn meal) has already made up in his mind to fast. But still the safest way to go about in such matters is to make sure that we formulate the intention each and every day. By doing so we make sure that our acts of worships are not simply mechanical chores but deliberate acts of worship.
As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, it is sufficient to make intention in one’s heart. In other words, the fasting person is not required to express his intention to fast in explicit words. Everyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadan and wills to fast, this is considered valid intention even if he does not express the intention to fast in explicit words. Also, when one gets up to take sahur (pre-dawn meal) or even intends to get up but was overcome by sleep, this is considered a valid intention to fast.
The prophet ( Sallah Allah Alaih w Sallam ) Said “ He who has not made the intention to fast a day before the dawn his fast is invalid.” (Reported by Ad-Dara Qutni and Al-Baihaqi)
It should be understood that here, like in all other Islamic undertakings, the intention must be made clear that this action is undertaken in obedience to God, in response to His command and out of love of Him.
THE FAST OF ANY DAY IN RAMADAN BECOMES VOID BY
1- intentional eating or drinking or smoking ,
2- Vomiting intentionally ( by inserting your finger into your mouth ) or
3-indulgence in any intimate intercourse,
4- and by allowing anything to enter through the mouth into the interior parts of the body.
And if this is done deliberately without any lawful reason, this is a major sin which only renewed repentance can expiate.
THINGS WHICH DON'T NULLIFY THE FAST :
If anyone, through forgetfulness, does something that would ordinarily break the fast, His fast is not nullified, and his fast stands valid, provided he stops doing that thing the moment he realizes what he is doing.
Also Wet Dreams , Involuntary Vomiting , Swallowing our own saliva , ..etc ( Fore MORE info , you can visit the website whose link is at the end of the topic )
On completion of the fast of Ramadan, the special charity known as Zakat-ul-Fitr (charity of ' Fast-breaking) must be distributed before 'Eid-ul-Fitr (approximately), seven dollars per head.
