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PART TWO: FASTING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN
By: Sheikh Mohammed Kanneh 21 August, 2010  IN
THE NAME OF ALLAH,
THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFULBrothers and Sisters in Islam, Assalaam Alaykum warrahmatulaahi wabarrakaatuhu
The second part of the blessed month of Ramadan (2nd ten days ) has come with serious spiritual and physical training and rehabilitation of the believers. As you may know earlier, this part of Ramadan is the time that believers do their utmost best to earn Allah's forgiveness, but In order to be eligible for Allah's forgiveness at this time, we should and we must strive to improve our relationship with Allah, repent sincerely from all of our sins and wrong doings. Prophet Mohammad ( PBUH ) said, " Allah the Exalted will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent until the sun rises from the west (Judgment day ). " Reported by Muslim } There is an inducement in this Hadith that if one commits a sin during any hour of the day or night, he should immediately seek pardon for it from Allah.
THINGS PERMITTED DURING FAST Although fasting entails restriction and abstinence there are certain things that are permitted for the faster to do, they include:
BATHING provided extra caution is taken to prevent water being swallowed by the mouth or nose. Aishah (Prophet’s wife) reported that "The messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to wake up defiled with semen while fasting, then he took his bath." Bukhari and Muslim In another hadith, the messenger of Allah (PBUH) has been seen pouring water on his head while he was fasting to minimize the thirst and heat.
KISSING Scholars have two separate views; the first group saying that kissing is undesirable because the faster might not control him/herself as a result it might lead to unlawful therefore it will become unlawful , one of their evidence is the general rule in Islamic jurisprudence as (closing the door that may lead to unlawful act ). The second group of scholars saying that nothing wrong with kissing your wife or your husband once you can control your self. We support the first group and Allah knows the best.
RINSING MOUTH is one of the procedures of ablution. Therefore the faster is permitted to rinse his mouth and cleanse his nose by sniffing in water and blowing it out, However, during fasting the process should be applied lightly for fear of swallowing water. The Messenger of Allah (PB UH) said ".. If you sniff water through your nose do it thoroughly unless you are fasting. " Abu Dawuud
But what if, during rinsing, you swallow water? Does that break the fast? If water reaches the throat unintentionally, or without negligence on your parts, the fast is still valid, but if water is swallowed intentionally, the fast is nullified.
AVOIDANCE OF THE THINGS THAT CONTRADICT THE SPIRIT OF FASTING
Fasting is one of the best acts of worship. It is mandated by Allah (SWT) to purify the soul along with the practice of good deeds. Thus the faster ought to be aware of acts or behaviors that may spoil his fast so that he or she will attain the highest benefit physically and spiritually.
Fasting is not only restraining oneself from fast-breakers- food, drink and sex- that restrain only the mouth and the private parts. Every limb must be restrained. The tongue must desist from slander and back-biting. The eyes must restrain themselves from any unlawful look. The hand must not touch or take what does not belong to it. The ears must not listen to idle talk, gossip, lyrics and notes that contain obscene and indecent things; The nose must fast also by not sniffing, smelling unlawful things. The feet must fast by not going to places where sinful acts are propagated. When you eat sahuur and if tar, make sure the food on the table has been obtained lawfully. If the servant has observed the fast in these terms and acted accordingly, he or she will have gained positively by Ramadan and will receive the maximum reward.
Hence, fasting is a state of mind that transcends the physical restraint .In a Hadith by Abu Hurairah, the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: " It is not fasting, just to restrain from food and drink, instead the fast is to cease from idle talk , obscenity, and should anyone insult or provoke you, or act ignorantly towards you, respond to it by saying, " I am fasting I am indeed fasting" Ibn khuzaimah
In another Hadith the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said " Many an observer of fasting will not receive from his fasting any reward but the pain of hunger, and many a night worshiper will not receive any reward from his prayer but the loss of sleep." ( Nassaie and Hakim ).
These two Hadith are evidence that the most important thing in the eyes of Allah is not merely physically restraining from the obvious food and drink, but the total commitment of the servant's body and soul to the letter and spirit of fasting. The curfew of the body and mind during the state of fasting enables the person who has fasted in the true spirit of Ramadan to have the necessary requirements to withstand the turbulence of life for the next eleven months.
When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said in Hadith " Allah will have no need..", he was indicating the depth or seriousness of this case. If you fail the test, Allah will have no need that he abstained.. in that test, If Allah rejects the test, who else will accept it? Nobody ! Hence, the pain of hunger and the burning of thirst will go unrewarded.
FOR WHOM FASTING IS MANDATORY?
1.Non-Muslim 2.Insane 3.Minor 4.Puberty- Boys 5.Puberty- Girls 6.Elderly People 7.Physical Disability 8.Pregnant and nursing mothers 9.Traveler 10.Breaking fast to save life 11.The Non terminally Ill
We have come to the end of this part, the third and the final portion is coming soon INSHA"ALLAAHU. May Almighty Allah accept our fasts , prayers and forgive all of our sins and wrong doings. The end of our Dua'u is AL-HAMDUL LILAAHI RABBI L AALAMEEN
Wassalaam
Philadelphia, PA
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