Tag: Fasting
When to start and stop fasting
When to stop fasting
Once the entire disk of the sun has disappeared, the fasting person should break his fast, and not pay any attention to the red glow that remains on the horizon, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 
be upon him) said: “Once night comes from there and the day disappears from there, and the sun has set, the fasting person should break his fast.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1954; the issue is also mentioned in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/216).
The Sunnah is to hasten in breaking the fast. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would not pray Maghrib until he had broken his fast, if only with a sip of water. (Reported by al-Haakim, 1/432; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2110). If a fasting person cannot find anything with which to break his fast, he should have the intention in his heart to break his fast, and he should not suck his finger, as some of the common people do. He should beware of breaking the fast before the correct time, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw some people hanging from their hamstrings with blood pouring from the corners of their mouths, and when he asked about them, he was told that they were people who broke their fast before it was time to do so.” (The hadeth is in Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1986, and in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/420). If a person is certain, or thinks it most likely, or is not sure whether he broke the fast before the proper time, he should make up the fast later on, because the basic principle is that the day is still there and has not ended. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/287). He should beware of relying on the word of small children or untrustworthy sources, and he should also beware of the time differences between different cities and villages when he hears the adhaan on the radio and so on.
When to start fasting
When the dawn comes – which is the white light coming across the horizon in the East – the fasting person must stop eating and drinking straightaway, whether he hears the adhaan or not. If he knows that the muezzin calls the adhaan at dawn, he has to stop eating and drinking as soon as he hears his adhaan, but if the muezzin calls the adhaan before Fajr, he does not have to stop eating and drinking when he hears it. If he does not know the muezzin’s usual practice, or there are differences among the muezzins, and he cannot determine the time of dawn for himself – as is usually the case in cities because of lighting and buildings – he should take the precaution of referring to a printed timetable, so long as he is sure that the calculations on which it is based are not incorrect.
The idea of being on the safe side by stopping eating and drinking a certain time before Fajr, such as ten minutes before, is bid’ah. On some timetables you can see one heading for “imsaak” (stopping eating and drinking) and another for Fajr; this is something that is contrary to Islam.
The Muslims living in cities where there is a distinct alternation of night and day in every twenty-four hour period are obliged to fast, no matter how long the day is, so long as that distinction between night and day is there. In some places there is no such distinction between night and day; Muslims in these places should fast according to the times in the nearest city in which there is a distinct alternation of night and day.
The Importance of the First Ten Days of Dhull-Hijjah
2009 calender
The month of Zul-Hijjah is the month when Muslim perform Hajj and is the last month in the Islamic 12 month calender.
The first ten days of that month have a significant value.
1. Allah has taken oath of ten nights in Surat Al-Fajr. According to the majority of the commentators of Qur’aan, the nights are those of the (first) ten days of Zul-Hijjah.
2. Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Good deeds performed on other days are not superior to those performed on these (first ten days of Zul-Hijjah).” The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) inquired, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even jihad, except for that person who goes out putting himself and his wealth in danger and does not return with anything.” (Bukhari)
Fasting During the Month of Shawwal
Fasting During the Month of Shawwal
Abu Ayub al-Ansari narrated: Allah ’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:
“He who fasts Ramadan, and six days of Shawwaal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if he fasted a whole year.” [Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah]
We encourage everyone that can, to take advantage of the extra blessings that can be gained by following this Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SaW)
In commenting on the above mentioned hadeeth, As-San`ani said in Subul us-Salaam: “If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwaal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shariah, each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwaal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Some believe that is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwaal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct.”
Perhaps it is proper for us to pray these days on Mondays and Thursdays, as in that case we would be following another Sunnah: `Aisha, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: “The Messenger of Allah , sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to fast Mondays and Thursdays”. [an-Nasa'i, Saheeh]
If it is easier for one to fast on weekends, then in that case one would still be following another Sunnah at the same time: Umm Salama, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: Allah ’s Messenger used to fast mostly on Saturday and Sunday, and he used to say: “They are the festival days for the mushrikeen, and I like to act contrary to them.” [an-Nasa’i, Ibn Khuzaimah, who graded it Saheeh, and Ibn Hajar agreed]
But, again, this fast is not obligatory, rather only recommended. There is reward for whoever does it, and no blame upon anyone who doesn’t.
RAMADAN: THE MONTH OF GUIDANCE AND MERCY
RAMADAN: THE MONTH OF GUIDANCE AND MERCY
“Oh You Who Believe, Fasting is prescribed for You, As It Was Prescribed for Those Before You, That You May Obtain Taqwa” (Qur’an 2:183)
Al Hamdulillah, we have reached another blessed month of Ramadan, and once again it is a time for us to consider both the responsibility and the reward that this great pillar of Islam offers us.
It is a time when the believer must question how he or she will choose to stand before the Lord of all the worlds. What deeds will weigh heavy on the scale and earn the forgiveness and Mercy of Allah . A hadith of the Prophet states that this is a time in which the Shayteen are chained and have no power to suggest to us. We therefore must bear witness to the weaknesses and wickedness within us, so that we can honestly assess and seek to improve ourselves, with Allah ’s Help.
In this month, the rope of guidance and salvation was extended to all of mankind. Allah says in the Quran: Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down; a guidance for all mankind, and a clarification of guidance and a criterion of truth and falsehood.
(S:2, A:185)
