Virtues of Ramadan

As promised last week, this week’s talk focuses on the virtues of the holy month of Ramadan and ruling on fasting for women. The talk would also shed light on those who are obliged or exempted from fasting. Virtues of Ramadan– Bukhari reported in a Hadith that Allah says all other deeds of mankind are for […]

As promised last week, this week’s talk focuses on the virtues of the holy month of Ramadan and ruling on fasting for women. The talk would also shed light on those who are obliged or exempted from fasting.
 Virtues of Ramadan
– Bukhari reported in a Hadith that Allah says all other deeds of mankind are for themselves, but   fasting is for Him and He only will reward it without measure.
– Fasting as an act of worship has no equal in the worship of Allah.
Nasa’i reported that Allah says; “fasting is mine and has no equal in my sight. I am the only one to reward it.”
– Supplications offered at sunset after breaking the fast are not rejected by Allah.
– Muslim reported that fasting person has two moments of joy: one is when he breaks the fast and the other is when he rejoices over his fasting in the hereafter.
–       Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment. Ahmad reported in a Hadith that fasting will say to Allah, “O Lord, I prevented him from his food and physical desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.”
–       The unpleasant body odour of a fasting person is considered a blessing. Ahmad reported that the odour from the mouth of a fasting person is a strong fortress that keeps the person safe from fire.
–       Muslim reported that whoever fast one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove his face a distance of seventy light years from hell fire.
–       Muslim also reported that whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah by fasting for one day will enter paradise if that day should prove to be the last of his life.
–       Bukhari reported in a Hadith that there is a gate called al-Rayyaan through which only those that fast will enter paradise. The gate will be locked after them, as no one else is permitted to enter through it.
–       “The night (Lailatul Qadr) that is better than a thousand nights” is in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.
–       Bukhari reported that when Ramadan begins, the gates of paradise are opened, the gates of hell closed, and the devils are put in chains.
–       Ramadan fasting, according to Ahmad, is equivalent to ten month’s fasting. This means that the rewards of fasting during Ramadan are equivalent to those of fasting during ten other months.
–       Ramadan fast, as reported by Bukhari, attracts Allah’s forgiveness of previous sins. All previous sins of whoever fasts during Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of rewards will be forgiven.
–       Ahmad reported that Allah frees those that fast from hell fire. “At the breaking of every fast, Allah chooses people to free from hell fire.”
–       The Prophet (pbuh) said that whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan without striving to enter Paradise with Ibadat has incurred a great loss in his life. What this means is that Allah has blessed His servants with the month of Ramadan during which rewards for good deeds (hasanaat) are multiplied, bad (sayyi’aat) are forgiven, people’s status is raised, the hearts of the believers are turned to their Master, those who purify themselves attain success, and those who corrupt themselves fail. Allah has created His servants to worship Him, (Qur’an 51:56).
 Though the above-listed virtues are by no means exhaustive, they indicate what benefits could be derived by fasting if performed for the sake of Allah alone and according to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Ruling on fasting for women
•       A girl who attains puberty, irrespective of age, is obliged to fast.
Failing to do so, she must repent; make up for the days she missed.
•       Except during Ramadan, women are not allowed to fast voluntarily without the permission of their husbands.
•       If a woman’s period or post-natal bleeding ceases during the night and she formulates the intention to fast but is unable to perform the ritual bath before the day breaks, her fast would still be valid.
•       If a woman knows that her menstruation would commence the next day, she should still fast. She would not stop fasting until she actually begins to bleed.
•  The Mothers of the Believers (wives of the Prophet, pbuh) and the wives of his companions used to remain natural and accept whatever Allah decreed for them. They did not take medication to interfere with their menstruation. Therefore, women in our day should be contented with whatever Allah accepts from them with regards to breaking their fast during their periods and make up for the days later.
•       Non menstrual vagina bleeding (istihadah) does not invalidate the fast.
•       A consensus among Islamic scholars (ijmaa) suggests that a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is to be regarded as one that is ill; she is  permitted to abstain from fasting if she feels that that would harm her pregnancy or child. Tirmidhi reported in a hadith that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Allah has lifted the obligation of fasting and part of the prayer from the traveler, and He has lifted the obligation of fasting from the pregnant and breastfeeding woman.” By this decree therefore a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is only obliged to feed the poor person at iftar (breaking of the fast), if she has the means, she is not required to make up for the days she missed.
•       If a woman consent to sex with her husband during the day in the month of Ramadan, the ruling that applies to him also applies to her.
•       A woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away from him and not adorn herself in the day time during Ramadan.
•       The woman that inhales smoke in the course of her domestic duties has committed no offence and her fasting remains valid.
Those that are obliged or exempted from fasting
•       Fasting is an obligation for every sane and settled (i.e not travelling) adult.
•       If non-Muslim converts to Islam or a child reaches puberty or an insane person comes to his senses during Ramadan, they are obliged to fast but do not have to make up for the days they have missed while they were not obliged to fast.
•       A person that is sometimes insane and sometimes sane must fast during his sanity period.
•       If someone dies during Ramadan, he is not “indebted” and his heirs and relatives are not obliged to “pay” for the remaining days of the month on his behalf.
•       Travellers who are a reasonable distance (some say 50km) from their normal places of residence are not obliged to fast unless they so wish (Qur’an 2:185), but will make up for the days missed.
•       Only those of sound mental and physical health are obliged to fast.
The basis for this is in chapter 2 verse 185 of the Holy Qur’an. Those whose mental and/or physical health is impaired during Ramadan and fail to fast for that reason must however make up for the lost days upon their recovery.
•       A sickness that could be worsened by fasting, in a doctor’s opinion, or a chronic disease would exonerate one from the obligation to fast.
People so affected should feed the needy everyday at iftar (breaking of the fast), but do not have to make up for the day(s) they did not  fast. Feeding of a needy in this case depends on the means of the person concerned otherwise it is forgiven, just as the fast.
•       A person that feels extreme hunger or thirst and has rational ground – especially doctor’s opinion – for believing that he may die or that some of his faculties may be irreparably damaged by fasting is allowed to break the fast and make up for it after Ramadan because saving one’s life is obligatory.
•       Workers in physically demanding jobs such as working with fumes and smelting metals should try to change their hours of duty to night or take their holidays during Ramadan. If that is not possible and if the work is their only means of livelihood, they are not obliged to fast if it could damage them but should try their utmost best to change their jobs to where they are better able to combine their religious and mundane duties. Whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out from every difficulty. He will provide for him from sources he could never imagine. (Qur’an chapter 65 verses 2-3)
• Students taking examinations or engaged in other activities like sports must fast during Ramadan. The Prophet (pbuh) said that no created being should be obeyed if it involves disobeying the Creator.
It is not permissible to break one’s fast because of bearable hardship or because one feels tire or afraid of some imaginary illness.
•       Elderly person who has lost strength and gets weaker everyday as death approached does not have to fast, if he finds it difficult to do so. Regarding Qur’an 2:184, Bn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet (pbuh) said: “and as for those who can only fast with difficulty (e.g an old man or woman etc), they have a choice either to fast or to feed a poor person everyday if they have the means; otherwise Allah has forgiven them – both the feeding and the fasting.
• Muslims on Jihad (holy war) are not obliged to fast. The Prophet (pbuh), as reported by Muslim, once said to his companions before a battle: “In the morning you are going to meet your enemies and not fasting will make you stronger, so do not fast.”
 The aforementioned points are in Sifatu-Soumun-Nabiy, authored by Salem Hilali and Abdulhamid, among other books. The above list of those obliged or exempted from fasting is by no means exhaustive.