|
FAQ
on Ramadan
Section
One - The excellence of the fast of Ramadan, it's rulings
and upon whom it is obligatory
The
ruling and wisdom behind fasting
Question:
What is the ruling of and the wisdom behind fasting?
Response:
With Allaah lies all success. As for its wisdom, Allaah(subhaanahu wa-ta'aala)
mentioned a very incorporating meaning in that regard: {O you who believe
fasting has been prescribed for upon you as it was prescribed upon those
that came before you that you may attain taqwaa (piety)} [Soorah al-Baqarah,
Aayah 183]. It incorporates everything the people have mentioned with
regard to its wisdom.
Taqwaa
is a comprehensive word for everything that Allaah (subhaanahu wa-ta'aala)
loves and is pleased with from actions which are desirable and from abandoning
prohibitions. So fasting is the greatest way to reach this goal which
is the goal of the pleasure of the servant in his worldly life and his
Hereafter;
The
fasting person seeks closeness to Allaah (subhaanahu wa-ta'aala) by avoiding
all desires, giving love of Allaah precedence over the love of his self.
For this reason, Allaah specified it out of the other actions by attributing
it to Himself, as in the authentic hadeeth;
It
is from the principles of taqwaa, as Islaam is not complete without it;
o It causes an increase in faith, and attainment of patience and in it
is training one's self upon hardships that bring one close to the Lord
of the Heavens;
It
is a cause of increase of one's good deeds, prayer, reciting (the Qur.aan),
remembrance (dhikr) and charity that actualizes at-taqwaa;
In
it is prevention of the self from Haraam (prohibited) things, of prohibited
action and speech which is the pillar of Taqwaa. In the authentic hadeeth:
((Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting upon that, Allaah is
in no need of his abandoning his food and drink)). So the servant seeks
closeness to Allaah (subhaanahu wa-ta'aala) through avoiding prohibitions
altogether, and they are:
"False
speech" - and that is every haraam (prohibited) speech;
"Acting
upon that" - and that is every haraam (prohibited) action;
Leaving
every haraam thing that obstructs the fast and that is those thing things
which break the fast.
So,
since in fasting there are advantages, benefits and attainment of all
good and reward, that which necessitates its prescription at all times,
Allaah (subhaanahu wa-ta'aala) told that it was prescribed upon us as
it was prescribed upon those before us. This is His affair with all His
Laws that have universal advantages.
As
for its rulings: all the "al ahkaam at takleefiyyah" Islaamic rulings
could apply to it in accordance with the differing reasons behind it:
As
for the obligatory (waajib & fardh): 1) It includes fasting Ramadan upon
every Muslim that is Islamically bound by the `Eed and is able; 2) It
also includes the fast that a person vows to do; 3) It includes the fasts
of expiation (after having done an act obligating that.)
As
for the prohibited fast, it is: 1) Fasting the days of Sharee'ah; 2) Fasting
the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, except for the person who is
doing Hajj at-Tamattu' or Qiraan but does not have a sacrifice and did
not fast before the Day of Sacrifice; 3) Also included in the haraam fast
is the fast of menstruating woman and the woman in post-natal bleeding;
4) Also, the ill person that fears death (as a result of fasting); 5)
Also, it is obligatory to break the fast upon the one that needs to in
order to save a sinless soul from jeopardy - (meaning the baby in the
mother's womb.
The
fast which is recommended (sunnah) is the supererogatory fast, the restricted
and the unrestricted;
As
for the fast that is disliked (makrooh), it is the fast of the ill person
who feels hardship in doing that;
The
permissible fast (jaa.iz): the fasting of a traveler. It is permissible
for him to fast or not particularly if he traveled in a day in which he
began fasting before traveling.
Shaykh
as-Sa'dee / (Fataawa Ramadan, Volume 1/Pages 34-36/Fatwa No.8), also
(al-Irshaad ilaa Ma'rifatil Ahkaam, Pages 82-84)
back
to top
The
social benefits of fasting
Question:
Does fasting have any social benefits?
Response:
Yes, it has social benefits. From them is the feeling people have that
they are one nation eating at one time and fasting at one time. The wealthy
one is cognizant of Allaah's blessings and is sympathetic to the poor.
Fasting lessens shaytaan's treachery to the son of Aadam. In fasting there
is piety of Allaah, and piety of Allaah strengthens the bonds between
the individuals of the community.
Shaykh
Ibn al-'Uthaymeen / (Fataawa Ramadan, Volume 1/Page 37/Fatwa No.10),
also (Fiqh al-'Ibaadaat libni 'Uthaymeen, Page 170)
back
to top
The
virtues of feeding the fasting person
Question:
Some
people hold banquets and give invitations in Ramadan making it a month
of occasions. Others slaughter, and distribute the meat, in charity
and make other types of effort with food. What is the ruling regarding
this?
Response:
Yes, offering food in Ramadan has extra virtue due to the nobility
of the time and the need that the fasting people have for food. The
Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said: ((Whoever feeds a fasting
person will have a reward like that of his reward (i.e. the one fasting))),
so preparing food in this month for the needy is from the best of actions
because (the reward for giving) charity in the month of Ramadan is
multiplied more than in the other months.
Shaykh
Ibn Fowzaan / (Fataawa Ramadan, Volume 1/Page 38/Fatwa No.11), also
(al- Fataawa libni Fowzaan - Kitaab ad-Da'wah, Volume 1/ Page 153-154)
back
to top
The
ruling concerning neglecting to fast
Question:
What is the ruling regarding a Muslim who neglected to fast without
a permissible excuse for a number of years? He was fulfilling the other
obligations upon him. Does he make them up or seek to expiate them?
How would he make these months up if he had to?
Response:
The ruling regarding a person who neglected to fast in Ramadan whilst
he was eligible for that, whether male or female, is that he has disobeyed
Allaah and His Messenger and has fallen into a major sin. It is upon
him to repent to Allaah due to this, as well as having to make up all
that he missed. He must also feed a poor person for each day he missed
if he is able to do so. If he is a poor person and cannot feed them,
then it is enough for him to make up the days along with repentance.
This is because fasting in Ramadan is a great obligation. Allaah ordained
it upon the Muslims and the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)
has mentioned that it is one of the five pillars of Islaam. If he denies
the obligation of fasting Ramadan then he is, by that, a disbeliever,
belying Allaah and His Messenger. He must be asked to repent from the
one in authority through the Islaamic courts. If he does not repent
it is obligatory to kill him due to his apostasy, and due to the saying
of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) that "…whoever changes
his religion (from Islaam) then kill him." Reported by Bukhaaree. However,
if he did not fast due to illness or travel there is no sin upon him.
It is obligatory upon him to make up these fasts once he has recovered
from his illness or returned from his travel due to Allaah's saying
in the Qur.aan: "and he who was ill or on a journey the prescribed period
should be made up by days later". [Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 185].
Shaykh
Ibn Baaz / (Fataawa Ramadan, Volume 1/Page 50/Fatwa No.17)
back
to top
The
ruling concerning leaving off fasting due to laziness
Question:
Is a person who leaves off fasting due to laziness and heedlessness
like the one that leaves off prayer in the respect that he is a disbeliever
(kaafir)?
Response:
The one that leaves off fasting out of heedlessness and laziness is
not a disbeliever. That is because the basic rule is that a person remains
upon his Islaam until sufficient proof shows that he is outside Islaam.
There is no proof that the person that leaves off fasting is outside
the fold of Islaam if he left it due to laziness and heedlessness. This
is not the same as prayer because the texts from the Book of Allaah
and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and
the sayings of the companions all show that the person that leaves off
praying through heedlessness and laziness is a disbeliever (kaafir.).
'Abdullaah ibn Shaqeeq said: "…the companions of the Messenger of Allaah
(sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) didn't consider as disbelief (kufr)
the leaving off of any actions except prayer". It is obligatory to call
this person who is neglecting to fast due to laziness and heedlessness
to fast. If he refuses he should be banished until he fasts.
Shaykh
Ibn al-'Uthaymeen / (Fataawa Ramadan, Volume 1/Page 51/Fatwa No.18)
back
to top
|