A SELECTION OF KORANIC VERSES AND HADITHS PERTAINING TO RAMADAN AND AN ABRIDGEMENT OF AL GHAZALI'S MYSTERIES OF FASTING Compiled by Khadeijah A. Darwish Believers, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will be cautious. (Fast) a certain number of days, but if any one of you is ill or on a journey let him (fast) a similar number of days later on; and for those who are unable (to fast), there is a ransom - the feeding of a needy person. Whosoever volunteers good, it is good for him; but to fast is better for you, if you but knew. The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Koran was sent down, a guidance for people, and clear verses of guidance and the criterion. Therefore, whoever of you witnesses the month, let him fast. But he who is ill or on a journey he shall (fast) a similar number (of days) later on. Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you. And that you fulfill the number of days and exalt Allah who has guided you in order that you be thankful. Koran 2:183-185 For men and women who have surrendered believing men and women; obedient men and women; truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, men and women who give charity, men and women who fast, men and women who guard their privates, men and women who remember Allah in abundance, for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a mighty wage. Koran 33:35 Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, spoke on many occasions about the fast of Ramadan. He informed us of the way in which we should prepare ourselves as well as urging us to do good, be charitable, and refrain from ways in which our fast would become invalid. FASTING IS FOR ALLAH: Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified says, 'All the deeds of the son of Adam are for himself, but his fasting is for Me and I shall reward him for it. The fast is a shield. When any of you fast he should forsake swearing and noise.' SUPPLICATION WHEN BREAKING THE FAST: "The thirst has gone, the veins have become wet and the reward is established if Allah wills." QUARRELING DURING FASTING: "If anyone is abusive or seeks to pick a quarrel, he should respond with: I am fasting." BREATH: "By Him in whose Hands is the life of Muhammad, the breath of one who is fasting is better with Allah than the fragrance of musk." TWO JOYS: "Whosoever fasts experiences two joys. He is joyful when he breaks his fast, and is joyful because of his fasting when he meets his Lord." THE REWARD OF ALLAH: We are also informed that Allah says: "He who abstains from food, drink and passions for My Sake, fasting is for Me and I shall give the reward of it. A good deed is recompensed ten times." THE GATES OF PARADISE AND HELL IN RAMADAN: "When Ramadan arrives the Gates of Paradise are opened and the Gates of Hell are locked up and the satans are shackled." THE SIGHTING OF THE CRESCENT: "Fast upon seeing it (the new crescent) and break it upon seeing it. If you are unable to see it (before Ramadan), complete the month of Shaban with 30 days." Muslim. "If you are unable to see the new crescent (at the end of Ramadan), then let the fast be 30 days." Muslim. "Do not fast on the two days preceding Ramadan, however, this does not apply to those whose custom it is (to fast on those days each month)." Bukhari and Muslim. "Whosoever fasts on a doubtful day disobeys the Messenger of Allah." Abu Daud and Tirmidi. BEFORE AND AFTER THE FAST: "Eat some food before the fast begins, there is blessing in its partaking." Bukhari and Muslim. Zaid, Thabit's son related, "We partook of sahri (food before the commencement of the fast) during Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah and then stood up for prayer. He was asked what was the interval of time between the two, he replied, 'The time it takes to recite fifty verses (of the Koran).'" The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him said, "My nation will remain in goodness as long as they break the fast as soon as it is due." Muslim. Masruk and Abu Atiyyah visited Lady Ayesha, Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her and told her. "There are two companions of the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, neither of whom is hesitant to do any kind of good. One hastens to break his fast and offer the evening prayer and the other delays both." She inquired, "Who is it that hastens to break his fast and offer the evening prayer?" He answered, 'Abdullah Masood's son.' Lady Ayesha replied, "The Messenger of Allah did the same." Bukhari and Muslim. "When evening approaches from this side (east) and the day retreats from this side (west) and the sun has set, the one who is fasting breaks his fast." Bukhari and Muslim "Break your fast with a date, or with water because it is pure." Abu Daud and Tirmidi. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FASTS: "The difference between our observance of the fast and that of the People of the Book is the meal before starting to fast." Muslim. WARNING: "If a man does not refrain from false accusation and its practice, Allah does not care about his refraining from his food and drink." Bukhari. Lakit, Sabarah's son, asked the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, to tell him about ablution. "Make your ablutions completely in all respects, and remember to clean between your fingers and to wash your nostrils well, but be careful in the last if you are fasting." Abu Daud and Tirmidi. INTIMACY: When the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, had consorted with a wife he would take a major Islamic shower before starting to fast. Bukhari and Muslim. BREAKING THE FAST BY MISTAKE: "If any of you eat or drink forgetting he is fasting, he should continue his fast until the end because Allah has fed him and given him to drink." THOSE NOT FASTING: The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, visited Umm Ammarah and she placed before him some food. He asked her to eat as well, but she replied, "I am fasting." Upon this he said, "When someone eats in front of a fasting person, an angel supplicates for them until he has finished." Tirmidi. SECLUSION: The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, would go into seclusion for (the last) ten days during the month of Ramadan, but the year in which he passed away he went into seclusion for twenty days. Bukhari. SHAWWAL: The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, "Whosoever observes the fast throughout Ramadan and then follows it by fasting on six day of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the entire year." Muslim. THE NIGHT OF HONOR Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem We sent this (the Holy Koran) down on the Night of Honor. What could let you know what the Night of Honor is! The Night of Honor is better than a thousand months, in it the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend by the permission of their Lord upon every command. Peace it is, till the break of dawn. Koran Chapter 97 The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, "Whosoever offers voluntary prayers during the Night of Honor out of belief and charging Allah with its recompense will have his past sins forgiven." Bukhari and Muslim. Some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, had a vision that the Night of Honor was among the last seven nights of Ramadan, whereupon the Messenger of Allah said, "I see that your visions all agree upon the last seven nights. Whoever, then, seeks the Night of Honor should look for it among the last seven nights of Ramadan." Bukhari and Muslim. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, would go into seclusion in the Mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan and said, "Look for the Night of Honor among the last ten nights of Ramadan." Bukhari and Muslim. When the last ten days of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, stayed awake the entire night and would awaken the members of his family and was most diligent in worship. Muslim. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, strove harder in worship during Ramadan than at any other time and he strove harden in the last ten days of Ramadan more than he strove during its earlier part. Muslim. "I, (Lady Ayesha, Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me, if I should realize which night the Night of Honor is, how should I supplicate?' He answered, 'Supplicate: O Allah, You are the All Pardoning and You love pardoning, so pardon me.'" Tirmidi. ABRIDGEMENT OF AL GHAZALI'S "MYSTERIES OF FASTING" THE OUTWARD DUTIES OF FASTING: There are six outward duties pertaining to the fast of Ramadan: 1. The watch for the sighting of the crescent and its proclamation. If clouds impair its sighting then the length of Shaban is to be extended to 30 days. The sighting of the new moon of Ramadan is established by it being witnessed by a Muslim known to be truthful and trustworthy. However, the sighting of the new moon of Shawwal is to be witnessed by two truthful and trustworthy people as a precaution. Once a trustworthy witness announces he has seen the new moon and is believed, the fast becomes obligatory upon those whose ears it reaches, even though an Islamic judge may not have announced the arrival of the new month. Whenever the new moon is sighted, be it in another city or country that share the same beginning of the day, the fast becomes incumbent upon the two. 2. It is imperative during Ramadan to make the intention to fast every night before the dawn of the following day otherwise the fast is void. However, it is not the case with voluntary fasts. When it is unclear whether or not the following day is the first day of Ramadan one should make the intention to fast in case it is. The possibility of a trustworthy witness being mistaken should not affect the intention of the person who plans to fast the following day. 3. Eating or drinking invalidates the fast as does smoking, injections, enemas etc. Rinsing the mouth with water does not invalidate the fast, however, one must take care not to swallow or inhale as ones fast will be void. Care must be exercised concerning eating just before the fast is due to begin. One must also be careful not to anticipate the arrival of evening and thereby break the fast early. 4. Muslims are forbidden to have intercourse while fasting. However, it is permissible after the fast has been broken in the evening. In the event one experiences a "wet" dream while sleeping and then wakes up the following morning in this condition of impurity his fast is not broken, but he must take an major Islamic shower. 5. Deliberate seminal emission either through sexual contact or through no sexual contact invalidates the fast. The fast will not be broken by a kiss unless seminal fluid is discharged, however, it is discouraged unless both are able to control their feelings. 6. Induced vomiting invalidates the fast. However, if one cannot help vomiting, the fast remains valid. Phlegm or mucus does not void the fast unless it is "collected" in the mouth and swallowed. In the event that your fasting becomes void, you should continue the practice of those fasting - i.e. abstinence of food and drink etc. It is obligatory upon every Muslim after reaching the age of puberty to make up the days lost during Ramadan by fasting at a later date whether or not they had a valid excuse i.e. menstruation, illness, travel etc. However, if sexual intercourse occurs during the fast of Ramadan, its expiation will be to fast for two consecutive months. If those who indulged in intercourse are unable to fast the two consecutive months then each should feed sixty poor people as a means of expiation. In the case of a woman whose menstruation finishes during the day, there is no obligation upon her to practice the fast for the rest of that day. If a woman is pregnant or breast feeding and cannot fast on account of her child, it is obligatory for such to fast the days that are missed later on, or feed the poor with the equivalent of a bushel of wheat for each day lost. There is no obligation upon a non-fasting traveler to resume the fast upon reaching his destination before the end of the fasting day, however, it is preferable for the traveler to fast the entire day unless it incurs more than the usual hardship of fasting. In the event that a person has already started fasting, he should not break the fast when he embarks upon journey, nor yet when he returns from a journey. DAILY FASTING PRACTICES: There are six highly recommendable practices to be performed during the days of Ramadan: 1. Partaking of food prior to the commencement of the fast. 2. Breaking the fast by eating dates or with a drink of water 3. Putting away the toothbrush after sunset. 4. Charity and good deeds 5. Study of the Koran 6. Retreat to the mosque during the last ten days and nights of Ramadan. Regarding the retreat, it was the practice of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, to retreat to the Mosque during the last ten days and nights of Ramadan, fasten his cloak around his waist and encourage his family to do the same. His time in the Mosque was spent in worship and not in idle talk. It is during these last ten nights that the Night of Honor occurs. By the consensus of many scholars it is most probable that it occurs on an odd night such as 21st, 23rd, 25th, or the 27th. If it is ones intention to offer the retreat then there are specific rules to be observed. 1. Once the intention or vow has been taken to observe these days of continuous retreat, the continuity of its observance is broken if he leaves the mosque without a justifiable necessity, such as to attend a funeral. However, the observance is not broken when one leaves to go to the toilet. Those in retreat are permitted to renew their ablutions in their own home but the restatement of the intent must be renewed unless the intention to spend the ten days in advance has been made. Any form of business too and from the mosque is not permissible. It was the practice of the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, not to leave the mosque except to go to the bathroom. Neither would he inquire about a sick person except as he passed by without stopping. Sleeping, eating, washing hands in the mosque do not invalidate the retreat, nor yet the emergence of a limb or part of the body from the mosque. Sexual intercourse invalidates the observance of the retreat, but not a non-arousal kiss. THE INWARD CONDITIONS OF FASTING: There are three degrees of fasting: 1. The fast of the ordinary person 2. The fast of the select few 3. The fast of the elite. The fast of the ordinary person has already been described, i.e. the abstinence of appetite, sexual intercourse, noise, arguing, etc. The fast of the select few is that of keeping the ears, eyes, tongue, hands, feet together with all the other senses free from sin. These virtuous people free themselves from sin in six ways: 1. Refraining from looking at anything that is blameworthy or disapproved. Jabir on the authority of Anas related that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, 'There are five things that break the fast – telling lies, backbiting, telling tales, perjury, covetousness and lustful eyes.' 2. Keeping the tongue free from ranting and raving, lying, backbiting, tell-telling, obscenity, abusive speech, wrangling, and hypocrisy. Rather, one should busy oneself with the remembrance and exaltation of Allah, as well as the recitation of the Holy Koran – this is the fasting of the tongue. 3. Closing the ears to all that is reprehensible. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, "The backbiter and the listeners are partners in sin." 4. Constraint of the rest of the senses from sin. Restraining the hand from evil, curbing the foot for the pursuit of wickedness, avoidance of questionable foods at the break of the fast. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, "Many receive nothing from the fast except hunger and thirst." This hadith has been explained as referring to the person who breaks the fast on unlawful (non-halal, such as western supermarket meat products) food and drink. It has also been explained as referring to people who abstain from halal food and break the fast on the flesh of men through illicit backbiting, also that it refers to the person who does not keep his senses free from sin. 5. Over indulgence when breaking the fast, even when the food is halal. The spirit as well as the secret of fasting is to weaken the flesh which is satan's tool for turning mankind back to evil. 6. After breaking the fast, the heart should remain in a state of suspense between fear and hope as one does not know whether the fast has been accepted. Al Ahnaf, Kays son was once told, "You are an old man, and fasting will make you weak." He replied, "This fast is my preparation for a long journey. Indeed, to endure the yoke in the service of Allah is easier than to endure the yoke of His punishment. The fasting person who is not truly fasting is the one, who while in a state of hunger and thirst allows himself every freedom in sin. But those who truly understand fasting and its secret know that whosoever abstains from food, drink, sexual intercourse but commits all manner of sins is like the person who, in performing the ablution runs his hand over one of his limbs thrice, thereby outwardly fulfilling the Law as far as the limb is concerned, but neglecting the truly important thing which is the actual washing. Consequently because of his ignorance, his prayer is rejected. Whereas the one who breaks the fast through eating but observes it by keeping himself free from sin is like the person who, in performing the ablution, washes each of the limbs of his body once only. His prayers are, by the will of Allah, accepted because he has fulfilled the principal thing in the ablution although he has failed to fulfill its details. But whosoever does both is like the person who in performing the ablution, washes each limb of his body thrice, thereby fulfilling both the principal purpose of ablution as well as its elaborate details which constitutes perfection. The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, "Indeed fasting is a trust; let each, therefore, take good care of his trust." When he recited the verse, ”Allah orders you all to hand back he trusts to their owners…" he raised his hands so that they touched his ears and eyes and said, "The gift of hearing and sight are each a trust from Allah." Similarly, the gift of speech is a trust, for if it were not so the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, would not have said, "If anyone disputes with another and swears at him, let the latter say, 'I am fasting, I am fasting." It is clear, then that every act of worship possesses an outward form and an internal form – an external husk and an internal fruit. The husks are of different grades and each grade has different layers. It is for you to choose whether to be content with the husk or join the company of the wise and learned. The fast of the elite is the fast of the heart from bad thoughts, worldly concerns and anything else that may divert from anything but thoughts of Allah.