Urdu Poetry Forum

SAUM - FASTING

In the Hadith, great rewards have been mentioned for fasting. The fasting person
has a very high status in the sight of Allâh Ta'âla. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said: "The person who fasts in the month of Ramadhân solely for the
pleasure of Allâh Ta'âla and for gaining His reward, all his past minor sins will be
forgiven." Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The smell which emanates
from the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved in the sight of Allâh Ta'âla than
the fragrance of musk." On the day of judgement, one would receive great
rewards for fasting.
It is related in a Hadith that a table below the Arsh of Allâh Ta'âla will be laid for
the fasting persons on the day of judgement. They will sit at this table and partake
of the food while all the other people will still be busy giving their account of
deeds. On seeing them, they will say: "How is it that these people are eating and
drinking while we are still occupied in giving an account of our deeds?" It will be
said to them that they used to fast while you abstained from fasting. This fasting is
also a great pillar of Islam. The person who does not fast in the month of
Ramadhân commits a major sin, and his Deen shall become weak.
1. Fasting in the month of Ramadhân is fard on every Muslim who is not a
lunatic nor an immature person (minor). As long as there is no valid
excuse, it is not permissible to abstain from fasting. If a person vows to
fast, fasting becomes fard on him on account of this vow. The qada
and kaffarah fasts are also fard. Apart from this, all other fasts are nafl -
if a person keeps them he will be rewarded, and if he does not do so,
there will be no sin on him. However, the fasts of eid ul-fitr, eid ul-ad'hâ,
and the three days following eid ul-ad'hâ are all harâm.
2. Once the time of fajr salâh approaches (i.e. xxxx) until the time of
sunset, a person should make the intention of fasting and abstain from
all food, drink, and xxxxxx intercourse. This is known as fasting in the
Shariah.
3. It is not necessary to make a verbal intention. Instead, once a person
has this in his heart that today he is fasting and he does not eat or drink
anything, nor does he indulge in xxxxxx intercourse - his fast will be
valid. If a person makes a verbal intention by saying: "O Allâh! I will fast
for Your pleasure tomorrow", or he says the following words in Arabic:
even then there is no harm in this.
4. A person did not eat nor drink anything the entire day and remained
hungry and thirsty from morning till evening. However, in his heart he
did not have the intention of fasting but merely abstained from food
due to a lack of hunger, or, for some reason or the other he did not get
the opportunity of eating anything - in such a case his fast will not be
valid. Had he made the intention of fasting in his heart, his fast would
have become valid.
5. According to the Shari'ah, the time of fasting commences from subah
sâdiq. Therefore, as long as the subah sâdiq time does not expire,
eating, drinking, etc. is permissible. Some women wake up early and
after having a meal, they make the intention of fasting and sleep away
thinking that once the intention is made, eating and drinking is not
permissible. This is a gross error. As long as the subah sâdiq time does
not expire, it is permissible to eat and drink. This is irrespective of
whether the intention of fasting has been made or not.

The Fasts of Ramadhân

1. If the intention of fasting for the fast of Ramadhân is made at night, the
fast will be valid. The intention was not made at night and even in the
morning one decided not to fast on that day. The day progressed
considerably and only thereafter the person realized that it is not good
to leave out a fard duty and therefore made the intention of fasting -
even then his fast will be valid. But if he has already consumed some
food in the morning, he cannot make the intention of fasting.
2. If a person has not consumed any food or drink, then for the fasts of
Ramadhân he can make the intention of fasting until one hour before
mid-day.
3. For the fasts of Ramadhân, the following intention is sufficient: "I am
fasting today". Alternatively, at night one could say: "Tomorrow I will
fast". By making this intention, the fasts of Ramadhân will be valid.
When making the intention, a person did not specify as to whether it is
a fast of Ramadhân or a fard fast. Even then the fast will be valid.
4. In the month of Ramadhân, a person made the following intention:
"Tomorrow I will keep a nafl fast and I will not keep the fast of
Ramadhân. I will make qada of this Ramadhân fast at some other
time." Even then, the Ramadhân fast will be considered and not the nafl
fast.
5. A person had missed a few fasts of the previous Ramadhân. The whole
year passed without his making qada of these missed fasts as yet.
When the next Ramadhân commenced, he made the intention of
making qada of those missed fasts. Even then, the fasts of this
Ramadhân will be considered and the qada fasts will not be valid. He
will have to keep those qada fasts after Ramadhân.
6. A person had taken a vow that if a certain work of his is fulfilled, he will
keep one or two fasts for the pleasure of Allâh. When the month of
Ramadhân commenced, he made the intention of keeping those fasts
which he had vowed to keep and not the fast of Ramadhân. Even then,
the fast of Ramadhân will be considered and not that of the vowed fast.
The vowed fast will have to be kept after Ramadhân.
In short, if any other intention is made in the month of Ramadhân, the
fast of Ramadhân will be considered. All other fasts will not be valid.
7. If the moon of Ramadhân is sighted on the 29th of Sha'bân, commence
fasting the following morning. However, if it is not sighted or cannot be
sighted because of clouds, do not fast the next morning as long as
there is a doubt as to whether Ramadhân has commenced or not.
Instead, complete the 30 days of Sha'bân and thereafter commence
the fasts of Ramadhân.
8. Because of clouds, the moon was not sighted on the 29th of Sha'bân.
Do not even keep a nafl fast the following day. However, if a person is
in the habit of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays or any other specific
day, and coincidentally that day falls on the 29th, then in such a case it
will be preferable to keep this fast. Thereafter, if he receives the news of
the sighting of the moon on the 29th, the fast of Ramadhân will be
fulfilled with that very nafl fast. He does not have to make qada of it.
9. Because of clouds, the moon was not sighted on the 29th of Sha'bân.
Do not eat or drink anything the following day until an hour before midday.
If news of the sighting of the moon is received from somewhere,
make the intention of fasting. If no news is received, one can
commence eating and drinking.
10. The moon was not sighted on the 29th. Do not think that since tomorrow
is not Ramadhân, let me keep my qada fast of the previous year, or let
me keep the fast that I had vowed to keep. On such a day, it is also
makrûh to keep the qada, kaffarah, and nazr (vowed) fasts. No fast
should be kept on that day. If a person keeps the qada or nazr fast,
and later he receives the news of the sighting of the moon; even then
the fast of Ramadhân will be considered. He will have to repeat the
qada or nazr fast. If he does not receive any news of the sighting of the
moon, the fast will be valid for whatever reason he had kept it (i.e.
whether it be a qada or a nazr fast).

The Sighting of the Moon

1. The moon of Ramadhân was not sighted because of clouds or some
dust in the sky. However, a religious-minded, pious and honest person
gives testimony that he has sighted the moon. The sighting of the moon
will thus be established irrespective of whether the person is a male or
a female.
2. If the moon of Eid is not sighted because of clouds, the testimony of
one person will not be acceptable irrespective of how reliable a
person he may be. Instead, the sighting of the moon will only be
established if two reliable, pious men or one reliable, pious man and
two reliable, pious women give testimony that they have sighted the
moon. If four women alone give testimony, it will not be acceptable.
3. The person who does not follow the requirements of the Deen and
continues committing sinful acts, e.g. he does not offer salâh, does not
keep fasts, is in the habit of speaking lies or commits some other sin
and does not confine himself to the dictates of the Shariah; his
testimony cannot be relied upon according to the Shariah. This is
irrespective of the number of oaths he may take in order to give
credence to what he is saying. In fact, if there are several people like
him, even then their testimony will not be acceptable.
4. This notion which has become popular among the masses that the day
on which the 4th of Rajab falls, on that same day the 1st of Ramadhân
will fall has no validity in the Shariah. If the moon is not sighted, fast
should not be kept.
5. Upon seeing the moon, one should not say that the moon appears to
be very big and that it appears to be the second moon. This is an evil
habit. It is mentioned in a Hadith that this is a sign of qiyâmah. When
qiyâmah will draw near, people will talk in this manner. In short, do not
even rely on the size of the moon as to whether it is big or small. Nor
should you rely on the Hindus who say that today is dooj (the second
day of the lunar fortnight) and that the moon will definitely be sighted
today. In the Shariah, all this is regarded as nonsense.
6. If the skies are absolutely clear, even the testimony of several persons
will not be acceptable and the sighting of the moon cannot be
established. This is irrespective of whether it is the moon of Ramadhân
or the moon of Eid. However, if a very large number of people give
their testimony that they have sighted the moon to such an extent that
the heart feels that such a large number of people cannot be lying and
that it is impossible for them to be concocting a story, then only will the
sighting of the moon be established.
7. A rumour has spread in the entire city that the moon had been sighted
yesterday and that many people had seen it. However, after making
many enquiries, not a single person could be found who had actually
sighted the moon. Such a rumour cannot be acceptable.
8. A person sighted the moon of Ramadhân. Apart from him, no one else
in the entire city sighted the moon. Furthermore, this person does not
follow the dictates of the Shariah. The residents of the city should not
fast and cannot rely on this person's testimony. However, this person
will have to fast. And if he fasts for the full thirty days and the moon of
Eid has not been sighted as yet, he will have to keep one additional
fast and celebrate Eid with the rest of the residents of the city.
9. A person sighted the moon of Eid alone and the Shariah did not accept
his testimony. This person cannot celebrate Eid as well. He must fast the
following day and should not rely on his sighting of the moon. Nor
should he break his fast.

The Qada or Missed Fasts

1. The fasts that have been missed for some reason or the other have to
be kept after Ramadhân as soon as possible. One should not delay in
keeping these missed fasts. It is a sin to delay in keeping these missed
fasts without any reason.
2. When keeping the qada fasts, it is not necessary to specify the date by
saying: "I am keeping a qada fast for so-and-so day". Instead, one
should merely keep the fasts that have been missed. However, if one
has missed a few fasts of two Ramadhâns and has to keep the qada for
both the years, it will be necessary to specify the year for which he is
keeping the qada. That is, he should make the intention in the following
way: "I am keeping this qada fast for so-and-so year".
3. When keeping a qada fast, it is necessary to make the intention at
night (i.e. before subah sâdiq). If the intention is made in the morning (i.
e. after subah sâdiq), the qada fast will not be valid and it will be
regarded as a nafl fast. The person will have to keep the qada fast
again.
4. The same rule applies to the kaffarah fasts, i.e. the intention has to be
made at night. If the intention is made the following morning, the
kaffarah fast will not be valid.
5. When keeping the qada fasts, one has the choice of either keeping
them consecutively or at random. Both options are permissible.
6. If a person has not kept the qada fasts of Ramadhân and the following
Ramadhân commences without his having made the qada, he should
keep the fasts of the present Ramadhân and keep the qada fasts of the
previous Ramadhân after Eid. However, it is an evil practice to delay in
this manner.
7. In the month of Ramadhân a person became unconscious during the
day. This unconsciousness continued for more than a day. Apart from
the day on which he fell unconscious, he will have to keep qada of all
the other days in which he remained unconscious. Qada of the first day
on which he fell unconscious is not wâjib because due to his intention
of fasting, that fast has become valid. However, if the person was not
fasting on that day, or, if he took some medication on that day and this
medication went down his throat, qada of this first day will also be
wâjib on him.
8. If the person fell unconscious at night, it is not wâjib on him to make
qada of the fast of the following day as well. However, he will have to
make qada of the remainder of the days in which he remained
unconscious. But if he did not make the intention of fasting on that night
for the following day, or if he took some medication the following
morning, then he will also have to make qada of that first day.
9. If a person remains unconscious for the entire month of Ramadhân,
even then he should make qada of these fasts. He should not think that
he is absolved from keeping all these fasts. However, if he became a
lunatic, and this lunacy remained for the entire month, he does not
have to keep qada for any of the days of this Ramadhân. If his lunacy
disappears on any day in the month of Ramadhân and he comes back
to his senses, he should commence fasting and keep qada of the days
in which he experienced this lunacy.

The Nazr or Vowed Fasts

1. If a person vows to keep a fast, it becomes wâjib upon him to fulfil it. If
he does not do so he will be sinning.
2. Nazr is of two types. One is that the person takes a vow by specifying
the day and date by saying: "O Allâh! If a particular task of mine is
fulfilled today, I will keep a fast for Your pleasure tomorrow."
Alternatively, he says: "O Allâh! If a certain wish of mine is fulfilled, I will
keep a fast on the coming Friday." When taking such a vow, it is
permissible to make the intention at night or the following day until an
hour before mid-day. In both cases the vow will be completed.
3. A person had taken a vow to fast on Friday. When Friday came, he
merely made the following intention: "Today I am fasting", without
specifying that this is a nazr fast. Alternatively he made the intention of
keeping a nafl fast. Even then, the nazr fast will be fulfilled. However, if
a person keeps a qada fast on this Friday and forgets to keep the nazr
fast, or, he remembers but intentionally keeps a qada fast, then in such
a case the nazr fast will not be fulfilled. Instead, the qada fast will be
considered and he will have to repeat the nazr fast.
4. The second type of nazr is that the person does not specify the day and
date. He merely says: "O Allâh! If a particular task of mine is fulfilled, I
will keep a fast." Alternatively, he did not mention the task but merely
said that he will keep five fasts. For such a nazr, it is a prerequisite to
make the intention at night. If the intention is made in the morning, the
nazr will not be fulfilled and this fast will be regarded as a nafl fast.

The Nafl or Optional Fasts

1. For the nafl fast it is permissible to specify the intention by saying: "I am
keeping a nafl fast", or to merely say: "I am keeping a fast". Both are
correct.
2. It is permissible to make the intention for a nafl fast until an hour before
mid-day. If, for example, until 10am a person did not have the intention
of fasting and had not consumed any food or drink until then and
thereafter he decided to fast and kept the fast; this fast will also be
valid.
3. Apart from the month of Ramadhân, a person may keep nafl fasts
whenever he wishes. The more he fasts, the greater the reward.
However, it is not permissible to fast on the days of eid ul-fitr, eid ulad'hâ,
and the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Zil Hijjah. In the entire year, it is
harâm to fast on these five days only. Apart from these days, it is
permissible to fast on all other days.
4. If a person takes an oath that he will fast on the day of Eid, the fast of
that day will still not be permissible. In place of that day, he should
keep it on some other day.
5. If a person takes an oath that he will fast for the entire year and that he
will not leave out a single day, even then he cannot fast on these five
days. He should fast on the remainder of the days and thereafter keep
qada of these five days.
6. By making the intention of keeping a nafl fast, this nafl fast becomes
wâjib on the person. If a person makes an intention before subah sâdiq
that he is going to fast today and later (after subah sâdiq) breaks this
fast, it will be wâjib on him to make qada of this fast.
7. A person made an intention at night that he will fast the following day.
However, prior to subah sâdiq he changed his intention and did not
fast. Qada will not be wâjib.
8. It is not permissible to keep a nafl fast without the permission of the
husband. If the wife fasts without her husband's permission and he
orders her to break it, it will be permissible for her to break it. When he
permits her, she must make qada of that fast.
9. A guest went to a person's house, or, a person was invited to a meal
somewhere. If the person who was invited feels that by his not
partaking of the meal, his host will feel insulted or feel ill at heart, it will
be permissible to break the nafl fast. It is also permissible for the host to
break his nafl fast on account of the guest.
10. A person made the intention of fasting on Eid day and also kept the
fast. Even then he should break his fast and qada will not be wâjib on
him.
11. It is mustahab to fast on the 10th of Muharram. It is mentioned in a
Hadith that the one who fasts on this day will have his sins of the past
year forgiven. (In addition to this, it is also mustahab to fast on the 9th
or 11th. It is makrûh to fast on the 10th alone.)
12. Similarly, there is also a great reward in fasting on the 9th of Zil Hijjah.
By fasting on this day, the sins for the past year and the following year
are forgiven. If a person fasts from the 1st till the 9th of Zil Hijjah, the
rewards will be increased manifold.
13. Fasting on the 15th of Sha'bân and the six days after eid ul-fitr is more
virtuous than keeping other nafl fasts.
14. If a person fasts on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month, it is as if he
has fasted for the entire year. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
used to fast on these days. He also used to fast on Mondays and
Thursdays. If a person tries to fast on these days, he will also be greatly
rewarded.

Acts which Break or do not Break the Fast

1. If a fasting person forgetfully eats, drinks or has xxxxxx intercourse, the
fast will not break. If he eats and drinks a full-stomach, even then the
fast will not break. If he forgetfully eats or drinks several times in the
day, the fast will still not break.
2. A person saw a fasting person eating or drinking something. If this
fasting person is quite strong and is not greatly affected by fasting, it
will be wâjib to remind him that he is fasting. But if he is a weak person
and is greatly affected by fasting, he should not be reminded that he is
fasting. Instead, he should be allowed to continue eating.
3. A person slept away during the day. He saw a dream which made
ghusl compulsory on him. (i.e. he had a wet-dream) In such a case,
the fast does not break.
4. During the day, it is permissible to apply surmah (antimony), oil, and to
inhale any fragrance. The fast is not affected by such acts irrespective
of when this is done. In fact, after applying surmah, if the colour of the
surmah appears in one's saliva or mucus in the nose, even then the fast
will not break nor will it become makrûh.
5. It is permissible for a man to sleep next to his wife, to touch her and to
kiss her. However, if, due to the passions of youth, there is the fear that
these acts would lead to xxxxxx intercourse, they should be abstained
from. It will then be makrûh to carry out such acts.
6. A fly went down the throat, or some smoke or dust went down the
throat on it's own. In such a case, the fast will not break. However, if
one did this intentionally, the fast will break.
7. Incense sticks were burnt and the person went and sat near them and
inhaled the smoke. The fast will break. In the same way, the fast breaks
by smoking cigarettes, cigars, etc. Apart from this smoke, it is
permissible to inhale the fragrance of perfumes which do not have any
smoke.
8. A fibre of meat or fragments of betel-leaf, etc. was stuck in the teeth.
Due to cleansing the teeth, this fibre released itself from in between the
teeth and the person ate it. However, he did not remove it from his
mouth. It went down his throat on its own. If this fibre is less than the size
of a gram-seed, the fast will not break. If it is equal to or more than the
size of a gram-seed, the fast will break. However, if the person
removed this fibre from his mouth and thereafter swallowed it, his fast
will break irrespective of whether it was smaller or larger than a gramseed.
In both cases the fast will break.
9. By swallowing one's saliva, the fast does not break irrespective of the
amount swallowed.
10. After eating some betel-leaves, the person washed and gargled his
mouth thoroughly. Despite this, the redness of the saliva did not
disappear. There is no harm in this. The fast will still be valid.
11. Ghusl became compulsory at night. However, the person did not have
a bath and only took a bath during the day. The fast will be valid. In
fact, even if he does not bath the entire day, the fast will still be valid.
However, he will still be sinning for not bathing.
12. A person sniffed in such a way that the mucus of his nose went down
his throat. His fast will not break. Similarly, the fast does not break by
sniffing and swallowing the saliva that is in the mouth.
13. A person placed betel-leaves in his mouth and slept away. His eyes
only opened the following morning. His fast will not be valid. He will
have to make qada of this fast but there will be no kaffarah on him.
14. While rinsing the mouth, water went down the throat and the person
knew that he was fasting. His fast will break, qada will be wâjib, but
there will be no kaffarah on him.
15. A person vomitted unintentionally. The fast will not break irrespective of
the amount. However, if he vomitted intentionally, his fast will break if
the vomit was a full-mouth. But if it is less than a mouth full, the fast will
not break.
16. A small amount of vomit came out but it returned down the throat on its
own. The fast will not break. However, if the person swallows it
intentionally, his fast will break.
17. A person ate a pebble, a piece of steel or some other object which is
not normally eaten nor is it consumed for medicinal purposes. His fast
will break but there will be no kaffarah on him. And if he eats or drinks
something that is normally consumed, or, it is not normally consumed
but is used for medicinal purposes, his fast will break and qada and
kaffarah will be wâjib on him.
18. When a person has xxxxxx intercourse, the fast will break, qada will
become wâjib, and it will also be wâjib to observe kaffarah. Once the
head of the penis enters the vagina, the fast breaks and qada and
kaffarah become wâjib. This is irrespective of whether ejaculation
takes place or not.
19. If the man inserts the head of his penis into the anus of the woman,
even then, the fast of both the man and woman will break. Qada and
kaffarah will also be wâjib on them.
20. When a fast is broken, kaffarah only becomes wâjib when the fast of
Ramadhân is broken. Kaffarah does not become wâjib by breaking
any other fast irrespective of the manner in which the fast is broken.
This applies even if the fast is a qada of a Ramadhân fast. However, if
the intention was not made at night (i.e before xxxx) for such a fast, or,
a woman gets her haid on that very day after breaking her fast; then
by breaking the fast, kaffarah will not become wâjib.
21. While fasting, a person took snuff, put some oil in his ears or took an
enema without taking any medicine orally. The fast will break.
However, only qada will be wâjib and not kaffarah. If he puts water in
his ears, the fast will not break.
22. While fasting, it is not permissible for a woman to insert any medicine,
oil, etc. in her vagina. If she inserts any medicine into the vagina, the
fast will break, qada will be wâjib but not kaffarah.
23. Because of some reason, the doctor inserts his finger into the vagina,
or, the woman inserts her own finger. Thereafter, he or she removes part
of the finger or the entire finger and then re-inserts the finger. The fast
will break but kaffarah will not be wâjib. If the finger was not reinserted,
the fast will not break. However, if the finger was wet or moist
before inserting it the first time, and then it is inserted, the fast will break
the first time it is inserted.
24. Blood comes out from the mouth. It is then swallowed together with
saliva. The fast will break. However, if the quantity of blood is less than
that of the saliva and its taste is not felt when it goes down the throat,
the fast will not break.
25. If a person tastes something with his mouth and thereafter spits it out,
the fast will not break. However, it is makrûh to do so unnecessarily. But
if one's husband is very hot-tempered and there is the fear that if the
salt or water content in the gravy is not in order, he will become
extremely angry, it will be permissible to taste and will no longer be
makrûh.
26. It is makrûh to soften any food with one's mouth and feed it to a child.
However, if this becomes necessary and there is no alternative, it will
not be makrûh.
27. It is makrûh to cleanse the teeth with coal or tooth-powder. If any of
these things go down the throat, the fast will break. It is permissible to
clean the teeth with a miswâk. This is irrespective of whether it is a dry
miswâk or a fresh one. If the miswâk is obtained from the neem
(margosa) tree and one perceives it's bitterness in the mouth, even
then it will not be makrûh to use such a miswâk.
28. A woman was sleeping or lying down unconscious. A person came
and had xxxxxx intercourse with her. Her fast will break, qada will
become wâjib but she does not have to give any kaffarah. As for the
man, qada and kaffarah will be wâjib on him.
29. A person ate something forgetfully and thought that since he has
eaten, his fast is now broken. He therefore ate something intentionally.
His fast will now break, qada will be wâjib on him, but not kaffarah.
30. A person vomited involuntarily and thought that his fast is now broken.
He therefore consumed some food. His fast will break, qada will be
wâjib, and not kaffarah.
31. A person applied surmah, underwent blood-letting or applied some oil
and thereafter thought that his fast has broken because of any of these
causes. He therefore ate some food intentionally. In this case, both
qada and kaffarah will be wâjib on him.
32. If a person's fast coincidentally breaks in the month of Ramadhân, he
cannot eat or drink anything for the rest of the day. It is wâjib on him to
abstain from consuming anything for the rest of the day just like a
normal fasting person.
33. A person had no intention of fasting on any day in the month of
Ramadhân. He therefore continued eating and drinking the entire day.
Kaffarah will not be wâjib on such a person. Kaffarah only becomes
wâjib when one makes an intention to fast and thereafter breaks the
fast.

Sehri and Iftâr

1. It is sunnah to make sehri. If a person is not hungry, he should at least
eat a few dates or anything else no matter how little it may be. If he
does not want to have anything at all, he should at least drink some
water.
2. A person did not make sehri. He merely woke up and ate some betelleaves.
He will still receive the reward of sehri.
3. As far as is possible, sehri should be delayed. However, it should not be
delayed to the extent that the time of xxxx commences and one
begins to have a doubt in one's fast.
4. A person made sehri very early but thereafter he continued having
some betel-leaves, tobacco, tea, water, etc. until just before xxxx.
When there was a little time left, he gargled his mouth. He will still get
the reward of delaying his sehri, and the same rule will apply as that
which was mentioned with regard to delaying the sehri.
5. If one'e eyes did not open for sehri and all the members of the
household fell asleep, they should fast despite not having made sehri.
To leave out the fast on account of not making sehri is a sign of lack of
dedication and also a major sin.
6. As long as it is not xxxx and the time of fajr salâh does not
commence, the explanation of which has passed in the chapter on the
times of salâh, it is permissible to continue with the sehri. Once this time
expires, sehri is not permissible.
7. A person woke up a bit late and thought that there is some time left. On
this assumption, he made sehri. Later he learnt that he had actually
made sehri after xxxx. His fast will not be valid. He should make qada
but kaffarah will not be wâjib. However, he should still abstain from
eating or drinking anything and remain like any normal fasting person.
In the same way, if a person thinks that the sun has set and opens his
fast and thereafter the sun appears, his fast will break. He will have to
make qada of this but there will be no kaffarah on him. After having
learnt that the sun has not set as yet, he should abstain from consuming
anything until sunset.
8. If a person gets delayed in waking up for sehri to such an extent that
he is in doubt as to whether there is any time left or not, it will be
makrûh to consume anything. If he eats or drinks anything at such a
time, he has committed an evil act and sinned. Later, if he learns that it
was already the time of xxxx, he will have to keep qada of that fast.
But if he does not learn anything and remains in doubt, it will not be
wâjib to keep the qada fast. However, caution demands that he keep
that qada fast.
9. When a person is sure that the sun has set, it is mustahab for him to
open his fast immediately. It is makrûh to delay in opening the fast.
10. One should delay in opening the fast on a cloudy day. When one is
sure that the sun must have definitely set, then only should one open
one=s fast and make iftâr. Do not depend on watches and clocks until
and unless your heart is at ease because it is possible that the watch is
incorrect. In fact, even if the adhân is heard from somewhere and there
is still a doubt as to whether the time is really up or not, even in such a
case it is not permissible to open the fast.
11. It is preferable to open the fast with dates. If these are not available,
any other sweet substance will suffice. And if even this is not available,
open the fast with water. Some men and women open their fast with
rough salt and regard this to be an act of reward. This is an incorrect
belief.
12. As long as there is a doubt as to whether the sun has set or not, it is not
permissible to make iftâr.

Kaffarah

1. The kaffarah for breaking the fast of Ramadhân is that the person must
fast for two consecutive months. It is not permissible to keep a few
fasts, stop fasting for a few days, and recommence fasting. If for some
reason or the other, one or two fasts in-between are missed out, then
the fast for two months will have to be restarted. However, the fasts that
a woman misses due to her monthly haid, are forgiven. By not fasting
on these days, no harm is caused to the kaffarah. However, once she is
purified from her haid, she should immediately recommence with the
fasting and complete the sixty days.
2. If a few fasts are missed because of nifâs, and the full sixty days could
not be kept consecutively, the kaffarah will still not be correct. The fasts
will have to be started all over again.
3. If a few fasts of kaffarah are missed due to some problem or sickness,
even then the fasts will have to be re-started once the person is cured
from that sickness.
4. If the month of Ramadhân comes in-between the kaffarah fasts, the
kaffarah will not be valid.
5. If a person does not have the strength to keep the fasts, he should feed
sixty poor persons twice a day with a full meal. They must be allowed
to eat as much as possible.
6. If there are a few children included among these poor persons, this will
not be permissible. One will have to feed additional poor persons in
place of these children.
7. If there is bread made of wheat, it is permissible to feed it to them even
if it is dry. If the bread is made of barley, millet, corn, etc. they should
also be given some gravy with which they could eat the bread.
8. If the person does not feed them with any food, but instead he gives
grain to sixty poor persons, this will also be permissible. He should give
each poor person grain equal to the value of sadaqatul fitr (which is
approximately one and a half to two kilos of wheat). Rules concerning
sadaqatul fitr will Insha Allâh be discussed in the chapter on zakât.
9. It is also permissible to give money equal to the value of the grain.
10. If a person asks someone else to fulfil this kaffarah on his behalf by
feeding sixty poor persons and the person fulfils his request or he gives
the grain, the kaffarah will be fulfilled. But if the person gives the
kaffarah without being asked to do so, it will not be valid.
11. If a person feeds one poor person for sixty days every morning and
evening, or continues giving him grain for the next sixty days, or gives
him money that equals the value of that grain, the kaffarah will be valid.
12. If the person did not feed the poor person for sixty consecutive days,
but missed out a few days in between, there is no harm in this. This is
also permissible (as long as he completes the sixty days).
13. If a person gives the poor person grain that will last him for sixty days at
one time, the kaffarah will not be valid. Similarly, if he gives one poor
person sixty times in one day, it will still be regarded as giving for one
day only. He will then have to give to 59 additional poor persons. The
same rule applies when giving money. That is, it is not permissible to
give money to one poor person in one day as a compensation for
more than one fast.
14. If he gives a poor person kaffarah that is less than the sadaqatul fitr, the
kaffarah will not be valid.
15. If a person breaks a few fasts in the same Ramadhân, only one
kaffarah will be wâjib. But if two fasts are for the Ramadhâns of two
different years, he will have to give kaffarah for each fast.

Conditions which Permit the Breaking of the Fast

1. A person suddenly falls ill and fears that if the fast is not broken his life
will be in danger or that his health will deteriorate. In such a case it will
be permissible to break the fast. For example, a person experiences
severe pains in the stomach and becomes extremely restless, or he
was bitten by a snake. In such instances, it will be permissible to break
the fast and take some medicine. Similarly, if a person feels extremely
thirsty and fears for his life, it will be permissible to break the fast.
2. A pregnant woman encounters certain difficulty and thereby fears for
her or her child's life. It will be permissible for her to break her fast.
3. On account of her being preoccupied in cooking, a woman feels
extremely thirsty and she feels so restless that she fears for her life. It will
be permissible to break the fast. But if she intentionally carried out such
strenuous work which caused her to feel this way, she will be sinning.

Conditions which Permit one not to Fast

1. A person experiences a sickness which could be aggravated by
fasting and he fears that if he had to fast, his sickness would worsen or
that his recovery would be delayed or that he would die. In all these
instances he should not fast. Once he recovers from his sickness, he
must keep qada for the fasts which he missed. However, this
concession cannot be obtained by mere thinking and the fast cannot
be left out merely on this basis. Instead, when a pious Muslim doctor
says that fasting would be detrimental to the sickness, only then will it
be permissible to leave out a fast.
2. If the doctor is a kâfir or he is not religiously minded, his advice cannot
be relied upon. One cannot leave out a fast merely on his advice.

3. If the doctor did not say anything, and the person has some past
experience or noticed certain signs whereby his heart says that fasting
will be detrimental to his health, he should not fast. But if he has no past
experience, nor does he know anything about this sickness, then his
mere thinking is not considered. If a person breaks his fast without
consulting a pious doctor or without having any past experience, he
will have to give kaffarah. And if he does not fast at all, he will be
sinning.
4. A person recovered from his sickness but continued feeling weak and
he feels that if he fasts, he will fall ill again. It will be permissible not to
fast.
5. If a person is travelling, it is permissible for him not to fast. He must
make qada of the missed fast whenever possible. "Travelling" in this
context is the same as that mentioned in the chapter on offering salâh
while travelling, i.e. one must have the intention of travelling
approximately 77 kilometres or more.
6. If by travelling, a person will not experience any difficulties by fasting, e.
g. he is travelling by train and feels that he will reach his destination by
the evening or he has all the necessary items which will give him
comfort during the course of the journey, in such a case it will be
preferable to fast even though he is still regarded as a musafir. But if he
does not fast despite all these comforts, even then there will be no sin
on him. However, he will be deprived of the virtue of fasting in the
month of Ramadhân. If a person experiences difficulties because of
fasting during the course of his journey, in such a case it will be better
not to fast.
7. A person did not fast due to some sickness and passed away in that
very sickness, or a traveller did not fast and passed away before he
could reach his destination or before he could return home - in both
cases they will be absolved from making qada and will not be taken to
task for this on the day of judgement. This is because they did not get
the opportunity to make qada of the fasts which they had left out.
8. A person left out 10 fasts on account of sickness. Thereafter his health
returned to normal for 5 days and he passed away. However, he did
not keep any of the missed fasts in these 5 days. He will therefore be
accountable for not keeping qada for 5 days of missed fasts and will
be absolved from the other 5 days. If the person returned to normal for
10 days but did not make qada of the 10 fasts which he had missed, he
will be accountable for all 10 days. It is therefore necessary for the
person to advise his near ones before he can pass away to pay fidyah
on his behalf for all the fasts which he will be accountable for. This is if
he has any money to be given as fidyah. The masa'il related to fidyah
will be mentioned in a later chapter - Insha Allâh.
9. Similarly, if a person misses a few fasts on account of travelling and
passes away after reaching his house, he will only be accountable for
the number of days that he was at his house. It is also necessary on this
person to make a bequest that fidyah be paid on his behalf. If the
number of fasts missed are more than the duration of his stay at home,
there is no accountability for them (i.e. for the number of fasts which
exceed the duration of his stay at home).
10. During the course of his journey, a person stopped over at a place with
the intention of staying there for 15 days or more. It will not be
permissible for him to miss out any fast because he is no more
regarded as a musafir according to the Shariah. However, if he made
the intention of stopping over for less than 15 days, it will be permissible
for him not to fast.
11. A pregnant or a breast-feeding woman is permitted not to fast if she
fears for the life of her child or her own life. She must make qada of the
missed fasts at a later date. However, if her husband is wealthy and he
can afford to pay a wet nurse to breast-feed his child, it will not be
permissible for her to miss out any fast on account of breast-feeding.
However, if the child is such that he refuses to drink the milk of anyone
other than his mother's, it will be permissible for the woman not to fast
on account of breast-feeding.
12. A wet nurse accepted the job of breast-feeding before Ramadhân.
When Ramadhân commenced, she feared over the life of the child by
her fasting. It will also be permissible for this wet nurse not to fast.
13. A woman experienced the monthly haid or gave birth and was
therefore in a state of nifâs. As long as the state of haid or nifâs remains,
it will not be permissible for such a woman to fast.
14. If a woman becomes pure from her haid or nifâs during the night, she
should not leave out fasting the following day. Even if she did not have
a bath at night, she should fast and have a bath in the morning. If a
woman becomes pure after xxxx, it will not be permissible for her to
make the intention of fasting. In addition to this, it will not be
permissible for her to eat or drink anything. She will have to spend her
entire day like normal fasting persons.
15. Similarly, when a person accepts Islam during the day or reaches the
age of puberty during the day, he should abstain from eating or
drinking anything for the rest of the day. If such a person eats or drinks
something during the day, qada fast will not be wâjib on him.
16. A traveller had the intention of not fasting. However, he reached his
house one hour before noon, or, one hour before noon he made the
intention of staying over at a place for 15 days or more. In addition to
this, he had not consumed any food or drink since xxxx. Such a
person should make the intention of fasting and fast for the rest of the
day.

Fidyah

1. The person who is extremely old and does not have the strength of
fasting, and the person who is extremely ill and does not have any
hope of recovering nor the strength to fast will have to give grain to a
poor person equivalent to the amount stipulated for sadaqatul fitr in
place of every fast that such people miss. Alternatively, they could
feed one poor person with two complete meals for each fast that they
miss. In the Shariah this is known as fidyah. It is also permissible for such
persons to give the value of the grain in cash.
2. It is also permissible to distribute this grain of fidyah among several
poor persons.
3. If the old person happens to regain some of his strength, or the sick
person recovers from his illness, they will have to keep qada for all the
fasts which they had missed. As for the fidyah which they had paid,
they will be rewarded separately for that.
4. A person had to keep qada of several fasts. At the time of death he
made a bequest that fidyah be paid in place of all his missed fasts. This
fidyah will have to be paid by his inheritors from his wealth. After
paying for the deceased person's funeral arrangements, his debts, etc.
if one third of his left over wealth will be sufficient to pay the fidyah,
then it will be wâjib to pay this fidyah.
5. If the person did not make a bequest but his inheritors paid the fidyah
out of their own wealth, even then one should have the hope that this
act will be accepted by Allâh Ta'âla and that He will not make one
accountable for the missed fasts. It should be borne in mind that it is
not permissible for the inheritors to pay the fidyah from the deceased
person's wealth if the latter did not make a bequest in that respect.
Similarly, if the fidyah is more than one third of his wealth, then despite
his making a bequest in this regard, it will not be permissible to utilise
the balance of his money without the permission and consent of all the
inheritors. If all the inheritors express their consent and happiness, it will
be permissible to pay the fidyah in both cases. However, it should be
remembered that the consent of immature inheritors is not considered
in the Shariah. If the mature inheritors separate their inheritance and
pay the fidyah from their share, it will be permissible to do so.
6. The same rules will apply if a person had several salâhs which he had
to make qada of and made a bequest that fidyah be paid for the
salâhs that he missed.
7. The fidyah that will have to be paid for each missed salâh will be the
same as that paid for each missed fast. Fidyah will have to be paid for
the five fard salâhs plus the witr salâh; totalling six salâhs a day.
According to this calculation, approximately 12 kilos of grain will have
to be paid.
8. A person had not paid his zakât. By his making a bequest, the paying
of this zakât will become wâjib on his inheritors. If the person did not
make a bequest but his inheritors paid the zakât on his behalf out of
their own good will and happiness, even then the zakât will not be
fulfilled.
9. It is not permissible for the inheritors to offer qada salâhs or keep qada
fasts on behalf of the deceased. If they do so, the deceased will not be
absolved of his accountability to Allâh Ta'âla.
10. It is not permissible to miss out the fasts of Ramadhân without any valid
reason. To do so is a major sin. A person should not be under the
misconception that he will keep qada of the missed fast at a later date.
It is mentioned in a Hadith that if a person misses a single fast of
Ramadhân and thereafter fasts the entire year as a compensation for
that one missed fast, he will not receive the reward that he would have
received for that one fast of Ramadhân.
11. If a person does not fast on a particular day, he should not eat or drink
in the presence of others. Nor should he inform anyone that he is not
fasting on that day. This is because to commit a sin and thereafter to
expose it is also a sin. The person will get a double sin if he informs
others that he is not fasting - one sin for not fasting and another for
informing others. It is wrong to think that when we cannot conceal
anything from Allâh Ta'âla, why should we conceal it from others? In
fact, even the person who does not fast due to some valid excuse,
should not inform others, nor should he eat or drink in their presence.
12. When a young boy or girl becomes capable of fasting, they should
also be commanded to fast. When they reach the age of ten, they
should be beaten and made to fast. If they cannot keep all the fasts,
they should be made to keep as many as possible.
13. When an immature girl or boy keeps a fast and thereafter break it, they
should not be made to keep qada of it. However, if they commence
offering a salâh and thereafter break it, they should be made to repeat
that salâh.

I'tikâf

1. Before the end of the 20th day of Ramadhân until the moon of eid ul-fitr
is sighted, the act of sitting at the place where one offers one's salâh at
home and engaging in ibâdah is known as i'tikâf. There is great reward
in this i'tikâf. Once a woman commences with i'tikâf, she can only
leave that place for the purpose of relieving herself or for the purpose
of food and drink. If there is someone who could bring the food and
drink, she cannot leave that place even for the purpose of food and
drink. She should remain in that place all the time and sleep there as
well. It is preferable not to remain idle. Instead, she should occupy
herself in the recitation of the Quran, offering nafl salâhs, engaging in
the remembrance of Allâh Ta'âla, etc. If a woman experiences haid or
nifâs, she should abandon her i'tikâf. I'tikâf in such a state is not
permissible. While in a state of i'tikâf, it is not permissible for a woman
to have intercourse with her husband, to sleep with him, cuddle or
fondle him, etc.

Jazakallah hu khair

Jazak Allah khair.......

Jazak Allah khair.......