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What Are The ‘Five Pillars’ Of Islam?

They are the framework of Muslim life:

  • faith
  • prayer
  • concern for the needy
  • self-purification
  • pilgrimage to Makkah [for those who are able]

Faith

There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula that all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa’Llah – ‘there is no god except God’; ilaha [god] can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God — wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa’Llah: ‘except God’, the Source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun Rasulullah: ‘Muhammad is the messenger of God.’ A message of guidance has come through a man like ourselves.

Prayer

A translation of the Call to Prayer is:
God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success [in this life and the Hereafter]! Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God.

Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Qur’an, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the Qur’an and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one’s own language.
Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.

The ‘Zakat’

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both ‘purification’ and ‘growth’. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes, this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one’s capital.

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as ‘voluntary charity’ it has a wider meaning. The Prophet [PBUH] said: ‘Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.’ The Prophet [PBUH] said: ‘Charity is a necessity for every Muslim.’ He was asked: ‘What if a person has nothing?’ The Prophet [PBUH] replied: ‘He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.’ The Companions asked: ‘What if he is not able to work?’ The Prophet [PBUH] said: ‘He should urge others to do good.’ The Companions said, ‘What if he lacks that also?’ The Prophet [PBUH] said: ‘He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.’

The Fast

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast [and to observe the prayer] from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although the fast is most beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one’s spiritual life.

Pilgrimage (Hajj)

The annual pilgrimage to Makkah — the Hajj — is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year [which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter]. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the Ka’aba seven times, and going seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafat and join in prayers for God’s forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.

In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking. Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides millions of people with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-date health facilities.

The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This, and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the Muslim calendar.

Fasting Is Prescribed For You

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 183] O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 184] For a certain number of days; but whoever among you is sick or on a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; and those who are not able to do it may effect a redemption by feeding a poor man; so whoever does good spontaneously it is better for him; and that you fast is better for you if you know.

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 185] Whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty, and (He desires) that you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks.

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 186] And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.

[2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayah 43] And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and bow down with those who bow down

Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.

Ramadan for New Muslims And Non-Muslim Friends

Perfecting one’s Ramadan experience can be a lifetime achievement. We should not expect that we can perform the fasts perfectly or in their entirety when we have not had the benefit of many years of practice. To do so would undoubtedly be counterproductive as it would be overwhelming and cause burnout. Even those who are born Muslim and those who have been Muslim for many years struggle in perfecting the important aspects of Ramadan.

It’s for this reason that for new Muslims, scholars often agree that reverts (and those born Muslim who are rediscovering their Islamic faith) should “ease” themselves into it in whatever way possible. Allah is Most Merciful and Forgiving of our situations and does not hold it against us.

For those who are not Muslim but follow the fast in solidarity or for the experience, it is beneficial to follow the same guidelines as new Muslims. It would take a serious effort for someone not already acclimatized to perform all 30 days of Ramadan fasts perfectly from dawn to dusk and is not necessary for you to benefit from Ramadan.

There are many things to discuss about Ramadan and many more suggestions but I will try to focus on a few to get you started.

The following are some tips on preparing for Ramadan for those who are taking on the fast.

The first thing we should do to prepare for Ramadan is to bring our minds into focus. This is not a requirement of Ramadan per se but is beneficial. A week or two prior to Ramadan, it can be beneficial to place your mind at ease and train it to a peaceful state. An important aspect of Ramadan is that during the fast, you try to keep a peaceful mind and interaction with other people. Becoming angry, impatient, annoyed, etc. can break your fast if indulged to a significant degree. So, practice prior to Ramadan helps us during Ramadan itself. During the course of your day, try to be aware of the happenings around you and notice when your emotions tend to take over. When you sense this, try to refocus your mind and control your emotions and re-establish a peaceful state within yourself. This is not only a spiritual aspect to the benefits of Ramadan, but also very practical and earthly. The rewards of such are not only in this world but in the Hereafter. During your fast, you will practice this throughout the entire fast, from dawn until dusk for 30 days. You can help prepare yourself for the ritual demand of Ramadan by fasting a few days over the few weeks prior to Ramadan if you wish but it is also not necessary.

Second, an important thing is to physically prepare for Ramadan. Many of us are at home in a normal living environment, but some of us travel and otherwise have other issues going on that might hinder our ability to fast. For those at home, purchase in advance plenty of dates or other fruit for iftar (breaking the fast). After you fast each day, your body will be drained. You will be impatient, weak, and very hungry. Also, prepare healthy dinners, or if you eat out try to choose healthy foods rather than the normal foods you might eat. Your body will need proper nutrients to handle more days of fasting. Foods rich in fats and sugars will wear your body down and make it more difficult in the long run. If you have a Masjid (Mosque) or Islamic center nearby, they most likely will be running Iftar programs where you can break your fast and have dinner with the community. If you are not Muslim, you can still attend these programs. Just contact, or walk in, and tell the organizers or community leader that you are not Muslim and are practicing the fast of Ramadan and would like to breakfast with them. In all cases that I am aware of, they are very helpful and willing to have a non-Muslim guest share their experience!

For those traveling who are still going to observe the fast, carry with your dates or dried fruit and bottled water or juice.

Keep watch for the start of Ramadan. It does not necessarily start when the Gregorian calendar says. Ramadan is a lunar month in the Islamic calendar and is identified upon the first sighting of the moon and ends on the next sighting. If you have doubts about when the sighting occurred, ask people in the Muslim community and they can tell you if it has been sighted in your region. Depending on the region, the sighting can vary by one day, so while some may observe Ramadan from the sighting in their region, others may not have sighted it until the following day and will begin their observance then.

Observing Ramadan is one of the five pillars (core tenets) of Islam. In observance of this month, once a year, Muslims are asked to refrain from food, drink, and physical marital relations from before dawn until sunset during the entire month of Ramadan. Since Ramadan is a lunar month, following the Islamic calendar, it moves back eleven days throughout the year and thus is not fixed during one particular season. Due to the lunar calendar sometimes Ramadan falls in summer, sometimes in winter, with the variation in the length of the day and temperature. The fast of Ramadan is a complete fast, but it is only during the daylight hours, which vary from 12 to 16 hours in the summer.

To start the day of fasting, it is important to wake just prior to dawn and have a modest breakfast to give your body the nutrients it needs and hydrate your body. Be sure that you take in plenty of liquids! The fast is all day until sunset when you will break your fast with a small portion of fruit and drink prior to your dinner. It is good practice to give 10 or 15 minutes between breaking your fast and having your dinner as this jumpstarts your digestive system and avoids stomach aches. The stomach naturally shrinks while fasting and needs time to acclimatize to having food put back into it.

The purpose of the fast is to learn self-restraint and control and to learn a heightened appreciation for the good things we enjoy and often take for granted. During this time, Muslims are also supposed to abstain from any negative behavior, such as fighting, backbiting, etc.

Those who cannot fast, such as the elderly, sick, pregnant or nursing women, or travelers, they may make up their fast later or give charity for every day of fast they miss. Children are not required to fast until puberty but often do so in the emulation of their parents. Many children go to public school and continue there fast at school.

During the month of Ramadan, it is common to have large numbers of Muslims at homes, places of worship, and outings when they break the fast. Breaking fast happens at dusk and is a time when family and friends enjoy each other’s company and thank God for His goodness.

Giving charity to the poor during this month is a pinnacle of Ramadan. As we observe the fast we are reminded of the suffering of others and there is great reward in the act of giving.

Suggestions for your first fast
Remember, although you may be eager to perform the fasts perfectly, it is important for you to pace yourself at a healthy pace in order to get a positive experience and take away the most from the fast. Over the years of fasting, as you perfect your fast each year, Ramadan will continue to enlighten you, increase your iman (faith) and deepen your understanding and appreciation of the month of Ramadan.

For our non-Muslim friends, just the little that you do can give you a deeper understanding of the purpose of Ramadan and the Muslim experience and hopefully can benefit you in many other ways.

For your first fast, and for the reasons stated earlier in this article, I would suggest that you not try to perform it to the letter. Observe the fast for 30 days (or the duration of the Ramadan fast since sometimes it can be for 29 days) from dawn to dusk. Choose where you will start. Try abstaining from food and not drinking for the duration of the fast. Remember that Allah is Most Merciful and Most Forgiving and understands our condition. As the years pass, if you continue to fast, during Ramadan, you can increase your observance until you finally can perform the fast perfectly with regards to the ritual aspects of the fast.

Remember that your moral character is very important to fasting. It is important to abstain from all sinful acts, bickering, fighting, anger, etc. These things break your fast.

If you break you’re fast unintentionally, for example, if you accidentally eat something without thinking or if you get overly angry and realize after the fact, your fast is not broken! Continue to keep the fast. Allah is Most Merciful and Forgiving and knows that we are creatures of habit.

If your body cannot handle a complete fast or gets too weak or sick, then break your fast immediately! Allah does not require that by observing the fast you harm your body. The fast is to benefit our body and soul, but not to the degree of self-harm.

For New Muslims, you have many things you are trying to assimilate into your life. Performing prayers (salat) may not be perfect yet. Salat is important in keeping fast. However, don’t overdo yourself. If you have not reached the level of praying five times per day, even though it is paramount to keeping the fast, your fast is not broken and Allah does not hold this as a sin against you. Over time, you will acclimatize yourself to taking on the ritual aspects of Islam, but for now, concentrate on the spiritual aspects while trying to the best of your ability to assimilate the ritual aspects. Always remember, as I have said many times in this article, Allah is Most Merciful and forgiving on you. More so than any human being can ever hope to understand or be.

The most important thing about starting your fast (prayers and anything you do) is your intention (Niyyah) to fast. If you make the intention to fast, then you are fasting and Allah rewards you regardless of your ability to keep the ritual. He does this to encourage you to deepen your practice and strengthen your moral character, and faith in Islam.

Islam is a very spiritual and personal faith. The rituals only seek to deepen your spiritual and personal faith while establishing structure in religion. So, your intention is the most important starting point.

The End of Ramadan
At the end of Ramadan, I would suggest writing down your experience as a permanent record for you to refer to. What did you do in your fast and what it meant to you? How has the experience changed your life for the better? What changes did you make that you can carry on to the remaining months of the year? How has your fasting experience during Ramadan benefited the people around you? What do you intend to do for the next Ramadan?

Refer to your experience from time to time as a reminder and share your experience with others who can benefit from it as well.

At the end of Ramadan, Muslims observe what we call Eid al-Fitr. This is a high holy day where most communities hold a special “Eid” prayer gathering and have dinners with family and friends. Many families share gifts and sweets or hold Quran studies and readings. It is a joyful time of appreciation for what Allah has given us.

Remember, your Ramadan experience doesn’t end here. Carry it for the rest of the year. Consider it like a New Year’s resolution. All that you learned and accumulated during Ramadan, try to emulate that throughout the year.

Insha Allah (God willing) whether you are Muslim or not, you will find the experience of Ramadan beneficial in some way.

May Allah bless you and keep you during this blessed month! Ameen!!

5 Things About Suhoor

Suhoor is the early morning meal Muslims have before starting their fast. Here are some facts about Suhoor:

1. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to take Suhoor and sometimes he took it with his Sahabah (Companions). Narrated Anas: Zayd Bin Thabit (R) said, “We took the Suhoor with the Prophet. Then he stood for the prayer.” I asked, “What was the interval between the Suhoor and the Adhan?” He replied, “The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Qur’an.” Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 144 ; Sahih Muslim Book 006, Number 2415.

2. Urging Muslims to have Suhoor the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Have Suhoor, as indeed there is a blessing in it.” The Prophet also said: “The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the (meal of) Suhoor.”

3. Being the only meal eaten by Muslims from dawn to sunrise during the month of Ramadan, Suhoor typically tends to be heavy and is highly regarded by traditions to help avoid weakness caused by the fast. Suhoor as the morning meal is matched by Iftar as the evening meal, during Ramadan, replacing the traditional three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

4. The presence of night-criers – mesaharaty – roaming the streets in towns and villages is yet another tradition still alive in many Muslim countries. The night-crier stops in front of every house in the neighborhood, beating his drum and even calling out people by their names.

5. A Suhoor helps the fasting person persevere through the fast. Traditionally, the dates are considered important in Suhoor meal. Suhoor is intended to be a very humble meal to help remind Muslims that there are those who go without food daily.

Rules Related To Fasting

The Obligation Of Fasting
a) The time for fasting is from the rising of the second dawn until the setting of the sun.
b) Fasting is: abstention from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse by day with the intention.

The Intention
The fasting is valid with an intention from the night, but if one did not intend until the morning, the intention suffices him between [dawn] and {the middle of the day}.

1. Things which invalidates fasting and requires full recompense
1.1 If someone intentionally does one of the following without any valid excuse(see 6 below)
a) Does not fast at all
b) Breaks fast by eating, drinking and sexual activities
c) Assuming that cupping has broken ones fast thus quit fasting for the day.

1.2 Expiation for the above is to
a) Fast unceasingly for two months (60 days), if one breaks fats during this one has to start a new.
b) If unable to do so, it is to feed 60 needy persons two full meals
c) If unable to do so, it is to free one slave.

1.3 Things that break fast and requires one to fast similar numbers of days in recompense
a) If something is entered into the body during the hours when one is supposed to fast, irrelevant of how it entered into the body.(see 5)

* To eat something which is not food such as stone particle or smoking anything.
* When water enters stomach while gargling
* When one is fed by force even when one is sleeping or unconscious
* Inject medicine, place them on wounds which eventually gets in.
* Eating by mistake thinking it is still night or iftar time is due while it is not.
* Involuntary full mouth vomiting and subsequent swallowing of it or part of it.
* When one is force into sexual intercourse or when one is sleeping or unconscious

b) Fasting without intention
c) Breaking (iftar) fast without the intention of doing so.
d) Lustful kissing of ones spouse
e) Emission of semen due to touching, kissing, masturbation.
f) Intentional vomiting.

2. Offensive acts during fasting
* Backbiting, slander
* To lie or deceive
* To use abusive language
* Not having iftar
* Taste a food without swallowing it, using toothpaste.
* Gargling water due to thirsts or hot weather.
* Wrapping oneself with wet clothes.
* Throwing up intentionally
* Weakening the body (e.g. strenuous sport)
* Gathering saliva and swallowing it;

3. Days when fasting is forbidden
* Day of Eid al Fitr (Eid of Ramadan)
* During Eid al ADHa 10, 11, 12 and 13 of month of Dhul Hijjah

4. Events when it is allowed to break the fast and fast later the similar number of days
* If fasting aggravates health-condition
* Snake biting
* Thirsts due to newly developed disease
* Genuine danger for a pregnant mother, or for her fetus.
* Genuine fear for the life of a suckling infant
* Reason to fear death
* Menstruation
* If one is a traveler

5. Things that do not break fast
a) Those things which would otherwise break fast does not do so when one is unaware of the fact that one is fasting(complete forgetfulness of fasting).
b) Entrance of insects (i.e mosquitos), smoke and dust from natural environment does not break fast.
c) Wet dream, swallowing ones own saliva when still in the mouth, smearing oil, ointment on unwounded body do not break fast. or used antimony [in his eyes],
d) If one is overcome by vomiting, his fast is not broken.

6. Etiquettes and desirable practices
* Preparing for the month.
* Bringing to mind the bounty of Allah.
* Purifying one’s intention
* Pre-dawn meal (suhur) as late as safely possible.
* Not unnecessarily delaying the breakingof the fast.
* Performing salat al-Maghrib soon after breaking the fast, then returning to eat.
* Making du’a at the time of breaking the fast.
* Enabling others to break their fasts.
* Abstaining from all forbidden deeds.
* Maintaining a pleasant disposition.
* Abundant reciting of the Qur’an.
* Abundant charity.
* Performing tarawih prayers.

7. Miscellaneous
a) The intention of fasting can be made as late as just before noon, if one forgets to do so during the previous night. If one passes noon without making the intention ones fasting is invalid.( 1.3b)
b) One should eat before the day breaks even when one is not hungry.
c) For a woman whenever during the day menstruation stops she should be observing fasting even though it is not a fast for her. She should fast if it happens just before morning and did not have enough time to take shower and eat.
d) If a woman menstruates, she stops fasting and makes up [fasting for the days of menstruation].
e) Someone who lost consciousness in Ramadan does not make up the day on which the loss of consciousness occurred, but he makes up that which came after it.
f) If a traveller arrives, or a [menstruating] woman attains purity with part of the day [remaining], they abstain [from those things which invalidate fasting] for the rest of that day.

May Allah keep us on the Straight Path. Aameen

The Reality of Fasting

The crescent of a noble month has been sighted, marking the start of a blessed season. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to give glad tidings to his companions upon the arrival of this month.

O, Believers! Therefore, glad tidings to you for the month of Ramadhan, the month in which Allah ordained fasting and revealed the Qur’an. He made this month a season of worship and hard work, a season of goodness and blessings. He made it a time of action and striving for four things: fasting, Qur’an, worship, and other righteous deeds – these are the most obvious gifts and features of this month. I shall talk about these four things during the coming Fridays of this month, Allaah willing.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “When Ramadhan arrives, the gates of Heaven… (and in another narration) …the gates of Paradise… open, the gates of the Hellfire are sealed, and the Shayaateen (devils) are chained.” (Bukhaari & Muslim). He sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said: “On the first night of Ramadhan, the Shayaateen and the leaders of the Jinn are chained.” (Ibn Maajah). This means that their ability to tempt people is diminished during this month. Evil and disobedience decrease, because, although the causes of disobedience are many, the greatest factor of all is the whispers of Satan. However, not all Shayaateen are chained during this month for other narrations prove that only the leaders of the Shayaateen are chained. That is why, even though evil and disobedience diminish during this month, it does not come to a complete halt.

There are many other sources of evil that still remain, one of them is the human soul, which is naturally inclined toward evil and accompanies one at all times. Human devils are another reason for immorality in addition to man’s own lusts and desires. Yet another reason is that the remaining soldiers of the devils that do not get chained continue to misguide people. Nevertheless, all of these reasons and causes have a lesser effect on fasting people because fasting bestows upon them a certain blessing.

O Muslims! This is the value of Ramadhan, the month of fasting. Allah ordained fasting during this month whereby people refrain from food, drink, and conjugal relations from dawn until sunset. When the sun sets, a fasting person can eat and drink and have marital relations. The nations that came before us were not allowed to touch their spouses, even at night, and if a person from them fell asleep before he had the chance to eat or drink anything, then it was forbidden for him to eat or drink after that; he had to continue fasting until the end of the next day.

However, Allah has made it easy for this Nation. It is from Allah’s mercy that He made all of this permissible, thus releasing the believers from the heavy burdens that were upon the previous nations. As soon as the sun sets, it becomes lawful for the fasting person of this Nation to eat, drink, and to have relations with his/her spouse. Allah says that which means: “… Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to magnify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.” (Al-Baqarah: 185).

Moreover, in another verse, to demonstrate to this Nation His favors upon it, Allah says that which means: “It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your women [for sexual relations]….” (Al-Baqarah: 187). This means, in other words, that this was not lawful for the people before you but now it is lawful for you, O Nation of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Of the signs of ease of this religion and the mercy that Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam came with is that the ill person and the traveler can break his fast and make it up at a later time after Ramadhan. Also, the elderly who cannot bear fasting, as well as people who have no hope of a cure (i.e., the chronically ill), can feed the needy and they do not have to make up for their missed fasting. It is not righteous to fast while traveling, nor is it better for the ill to fast if it is difficult for them to do so. In these cases, they are to make use of the permission that Allah has furnished them with because He likes it when people take heed of the mercy that He has endowed.

O Muslims! Know that fasting is a protection from wrongdoing. This month is an opportunity for you to purify yourselves and release yourselves from the effects of sins, so take advantage of it. During Ramadhan, a Muslim has fewer burdens as his desires are diminished and he acquires more goodness from being involved in fasting; one can rid himself of bad habits, such as overdoing matters which are lawful, such as overeating, talking too much, and being over indulgent in sexual relations with one’s spouse; we must stop the awful habit of going to extremes in fulfilling these desires.

Some people fail to understand the reality of fasting. They refrain from eating and drinking in the daytime but do not abstain from sin or oppression. They continue their practices as usual or if they do stop in the daytime, they continue with their normal routine as soon as they break the fast. They spend their mornings hungry and thirsty and their evenings are full of sin and evil. They spend the whole night watching television with their wives and children. Others refrain from food during the daytime, and after sunset, they eat all night long to make up for the food they missed. Therefore, fasting is nothing for such people except a change in the times of eating – for they eat during the night rather than the day. When night comes, all kinds of foods are put forth for them to consume – one kind of food is not sufficient for these people – and they stuff their stomachs with all these various types. It is as if these people have never heard of the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “The believer eats in one stomach, and the disbeliever and the hypocrite eat in seven.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

In another narration of this Hadeeth, it is mentioned: “A man by the name of Abu Ghazwaan came to visit the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This was before Abu Ghazwaan had become Muslim. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the most generous of all people. He milked seven sheep for him, so the man drank all of the milk. Then the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to him: “Isn’t it time you became a Muslim?” He replied: ‘Yes’ and became Muslim. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam then stroked his chest (while supplicating for him). The next day, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam milked only one sheep for him, but Abu Ghazwaan, may Allah be pleased with him, was not able to drink all of the milk. So, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked: “What is the matter Abu Ghazwaan?” He, may Allah be pleased with him, responded: ‘I swear by the One Who sent you as a Prophet, I have had enough.’ So the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Last night you had seven stomachs while you were a disbeliever and today you only have one stomach.” (At-Tabaraani). This saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam means that a believer can eat less and control his desires more since he does not eat to enjoy nor to fulfill a desire, but rather to stop hunger and become stronger so that he can worship Allah. The disbeliever, however, who does not believe in the Day to come, eats with a strong desire and the lust of animals, as Allah describes him in the Qur’an saying that which means: “…But those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” (Muhammad: 12).

O Muslims! One type of cooked food is enough; let us not be like the Children of Israel who would not settle for only one kind of food. O people who observe fasting! When you put these different types of foods on the table in front of you, remember before you begin to eat, that the master of all the creations of Allah, the leader of all Messengers and creation, the Seal of the Prophets sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would remain without lighting a fire in his house (i.e. without cooking) for one or even two months. “He and his family only ate dates and drank water.” (Bukhaari). One or two months! This was not because he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam could not have obtained it and that he had no choice because he could have had all he had wanted. It was only due to the fact that he stayed away from worldly pleasures, living an ascetic life, and aimed to draw ever closer to Allah. Even though Allah offered him control of the treasures of the earth and the opportunity to live like kings, having a nice, easy, and comfortable life, he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam chose to live in poor conditions, eating as a slave eats, sitting as a slave sits. He sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to say: “O Allah! Let me live as a Miskeen (humble servant) and resurrect me with the Masaakeen (humble).” (Tirmithi & Bayhaqi).

O Muslims! Let this month be an opportunity that we take full advantage of. Let us get used to these customs – the customs of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Let us get rid of the habit of overeating like animals. Let this month be a chance to purify ourselves and become elevated from lusts, desires, and trivialities that are of no real value. Let us elevate our souls to the heavens with faith – we can elevate them from the pleasures of this world to the pleasures of the world to come.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Fasting is a shield (protection), so when one of you fasts, let him not touch his wife (for sexual relations) and let him not badmouth anyone; and if someone fights him or upsets him, let him say, ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’ I swear by the One in Whose Hand my soul is! The smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” Also, Allah says as reported in a Hadeeth Qudsi: “He left eating and drinking and his desires for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I give reward for it – one blessing (for fasting) is multiplied ten times.” (Bukhaari).

Benifits Of Fasting

Ramadan is derived from ramdaa which means ” sun-baked,” perhaps a reference to the pangs of fasting. Almighty Allah says in the Quran “O believers! fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for the people before you so that you may become pious.” {Qur’an chapter 2: verse 183}

Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. It has been an integral part of all major religions. Its mentioned in (Matthew 4:2) that the prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) fasted for forty days before he was called to prophethood and its mentioned in (exodus 24:18) that prophet Moses (peace be upon him) fasted for forty days and nights before he was given the law.

Fasting in Ramadan is a part of the broader program that Islam prescribes for man to fulfill his moral and spiritual destiny in this world and in the hereafter.

It is the special worship designed to develop in man the ability to exercise self-restraint and patience for the pleasure of Allah, man’s creator, lord, and nourisher.

Its objective is to give man the power to keep in check his unruly desires and tendencies that make him prone to greed, revenge, anger, provocation, and fear; that makes him commit various sins, acts of aggression, cruelty, and oppression.

It seeks to free the human soul and lends it the moral and spiritual strength to promote beauty, harmony, kindness, peace, compassion, and justice. the Quran says: ” we sent our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the balance (of right and wrong ), that men may stand forth in justice.” (chapter 57:verse 25)

Fasting For Taqwa

Prescribing fasting the Quran says: “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” (2:183)

The original Arabic word translated here as self-restraint is taqwa, which has a much broader significance. It symbolizes that basic mortal quality that demarcates the line between morality and amorality and distinguishes humans from animals as moral beings.

It represents the love of good with an eagerness to respond to it, and a strong desire to keep away from what is evil and harmful.

Those who are neutral or immune to questions of good and bad, justice and injustice, compassion and cruelty, loyalty and treachery are in the words of the Quran like the blind, deaf, and dumb cattle, whose only concern in life is to fill their stomachs.

“They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. “

Ramadan For All Ages

The buzzing energy of Ramadan is everywhere and is catching on like wildfire. Supermarkets are displaying delicious dates, dried apricots, and figs. There are special prices on popular Ramadan foods like sambusa dough, beverages, oats, and lentils for soup. Advertisements on television show images of warm Ramadan gatherings, keeping the spirit of Ramadan alive and mosques have started charity meal coupons that you can buy to provide those in need with filling food to break their fast.

How can we make sure the lively Ramadan bee stings the little ones in our family so that they are just as excited as we are? If young children insist on fasting like the adults in their family, let them fast for half the day, with lots of encouragement and praise. Or they can fast the whole day but only on the weekends, or a couple of days out of the month. Print out an attractively decorated calendar for the days of Ramadan and hang it on the wall or fridge.

Put a sticker on each day that the child fasted. Children under the age of nine can earn a precious gift for fasting 10 days by the end of the month. The older the child, the more days he/she will have to fast to receive a prize.

Even children who are too young to fast can be involved in the unique daily Ramadan routine. Give your four-year-old the job of announcing to the family when it is time to eat. He/she can watch the TV channel or open a window and listen to the call of the Maghreb prayer from the neighborhood mosque. Buy or borrow colorful books for children that talk about Ramadan and Eid.

Children of all ages can also make a variety of sweet date treats for the whole family to enjoy. Open large dates, remove the pits, and fill with cornflakes, almonds, or pistachios.

Arrange in a serving dish and drizzle either honey or tahini over the dates. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, black seeds, or chocolate sprinkles. For extra fun and ease, stick a toothpick in each garnished date. Another tasty idea is to shape date paste into round balls. Kids will love getting their hands gooey and sticky with the date paste. Then roll these date balls around in coconut or chocolate sprinkles or finely chopped almonds.

Start a Qur’an reading contest in your house during this holy month. The child who reads the most pages of the Holy Qur’an during Ramadan will get (for example) Rs100, and the child who comes in second place will get Rs50, and so on.

To motivate their children to fast, mothers can invite their children’s best friends for the Iftar meal. All the guests are children only and they should be fasting as well. They gather before the call of the Maghreb and each child mentions one benefit of fasting, and then they read a story or some sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The sunnah of breaking the fast on dates and water or dates and milk can be emphasized. For the Iftar meal, mothers can prepare the child’s favorite foods with plenty of desserts too. After breaking the fast, the children should pray Maghreb together, and then be allowed to play freely until the night prayer. You can also prepare some Islamic knowledge questions and split the group into teams and offer rewards for the winning team. The kids can then pray the night prayer at home or if possible, they can all go to the mosque to pray and listen to the supplication after Taraweeh prayers, with adult supervision of course.

In fact, parents should encourage kids to go to Taraweeh prayers, to ask Allah for whatever they want in supplication, to donate money to the poor people around the mosque, and to find serenity and peace in the mosque. Children should aim to fast and go to the mosque to please Allah alone, and not to seek any material gain. But at least in the beginning, there is no harm in giving them a simple token of appreciation. Once in a while, when my children go to Taraweeh prayers with me I take them out afterward for ice cream or we stop at a stationary shop and I let them buy one or two items.

Getting your children involved in Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal may be a little more challenging, but you should try. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Have suhoor because truly there is blessing in suhoor.” Eating before dawn gives the body energy and the needed nutrition to fast for a whole day. If your children are sleepy, the Suhoor doesn’t have to be a long and complicated meal. They can eat a quick healthy snack like a bowl of whole-grain cereal, granola bars and milk, fruit, toast with butter and jam, or any sandwich that they prefer. The summer days are long and hot so you can help your fasting kids by allowing them to sleep in and not wake up too early. They could also take a late afternoon nap if they feel tired. Make sure they drink lots of fluids after sunset until the fasting day starts again.

Young children should not be forced to fast at all, because fasting is only obligatory after puberty. Moreover, when a person is occupied with something interesting, time seems to fly. So older kids can read a good book or work on a 500-or-more-piece puzzle or watch something on TV, but not more than one or two hours per day. We wish all our readers, young and old, a happy, fruitful, and healthy month of Ramadan.

– By Amal Al-Sibai

 

 

No Time Like Ramadan Time: “Golden Hours On Angel Wings”

Soon, once again, the blessed month of Ramadan will be with us; once again, like “golden hours on angel wings”, will descend upon us in its blessed moments. Like every other year since Hijrah, it will summon Muslims, as individuals and as a corporate body, to an intense and sustained life of Fasting and Prayer, of worship and obedience, of devotion and discipline all centered on the Quran which, too, was sent down in these very moments in the custody of ‘noble and trustworthy’ angels. The call will go forth to every believer to take to prolonged companionship with the Book of God. To a life of redoubled endeavor to become what God desires Muslims to be. Ramadan bids our hearts and minds, our society and polity, to come to.

Joyfully and dutifully the Muslims will respond. Every day will be spent in Fasting: from dawn to sunset, for one whole month, not a morsel of food, nor a drop of water, indeed nothing shall pass down the throat; nor will sex be indulged in. Each night. hours will be devoted to standing in Prayers before Allah, reciting and reading His words as sent down in the Quran. During the day, too, reading the holy text will be a cherished business.

Fasting, in one form or another, has always been an important and often necessary part of religious life, discipline, and experience in every faith. As a means par excellence to come nearer to God, to discipline the self, to develop the strength to overcome the temptations of the flesh, it needs no emphasis. Yet Islam turns Fasting, as it does every other act of worship and devotion, into something different and unique, the life-giving center of life.

How does it impart new meaning and force to Fasting?
Put simply: by prescribing for it the time of Ramadan. This may sound like making things too simplistic or trivializing the important. But Ramadan is no trivial event. For it is the month “in which was sent down the Quran: the Guidance for mankind, with manifest truths of guidance and the Criterion [by which to judge the true and the false” (Al-Baqarah 2:185). It was on a night in Ramadan that the last Divine message began to come down: “Read in the name of your Lord…” (Al-Alaq 96:1). That is why you must fast in Ramadan, says the Quran.

Ramadan, therefore, centers the entire discipline of Fasting on the Quran. The sole purpose is to prepare us for receiving the Divine guidance, for living the Quran, for witnessing the Truth and Justice that it perfects, for striving to make the word of God supreme.

How is this purpose achieved?
The fruit of Fasting ought to be that rich inner and moral quality that the Quran calls taqwa. “Ordained for you is Fasting . . . so that you might develop taqwa” (2:183). The most basic condition for being guided by God, too, is taqwa. The significance is plain to see. Fasting, linked to Ramadan in which Allah’s guidance came down, generates taqwa which becomes directed on the supreme goal of entering the world of the Quran and of living therein, instead of being a spiritual ecstasy to be frittered away in the delights of the soul. It becomes the key with which can be unlocked all the doors leading to the blessings which the Quran has to offer; honor, prosperity, and freedom from fear and anxiety in this world; success, Paradise and God’s good pleasure in the life-to-come. No time for Fasting other than Ramadan could have made taqwa such a potent force.

More importantly, the fulfillment of being guided by the Quran comes about when we strive to discharge the mission it entrusts to us. For, having the Book of God ‘a weighty word’ places on our shoulders a heavy responsibility: to hear is to make it heard, to know is to act, to have is to share, to say shahadah is to do shahadah. This means an unflinching pursuit to create a new self within us, and to create a new world of Quranic ideals outside us.

This is the sole purpose for which a new Ummah was created and charged with the mission of bringing man to God by witnessing to His guidance, ‘so that you be witnesses unto mankind, and the Messenger be witness unto you’ (Al-Baqarah 2: 143). Otherwise, when the Quran came, the world was not devoid of godly men who fasted, and stood in prayers before God and wept.

Discharging that mission requires immense inner and moral resources like knowledge of and devotion to the Quran, strong faith (Iman), resolve, and steadfastness (sabr). For it is no light task. Few have a full and clear understanding of what it means. Let us pause here and reflect on why otherwise we shall never grasp what the Ramadan Fasting is for and what it achieves.

When in Ramadan the first ray of Divine revelation reached the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, in Hira, its message of Iqra was impregnated with world-shaking forces; he, therefore. trembled. The second revelation made things clear: ‘arise and warn; make the greatness of your Lord the greatest’ (Al-Muddaththir 74:2-3); he, then, took up his task with a single-minded dedication, and encountered stiff opposition. For, the call to ‘let God be the Greatest’ (fakabbir) implied that all false claiments ‘ and every claimant is false ‘ to greatness, to unlimited power, authority and lordship over men and things, to obedience, loyalty, and servitude from God’s creatures be challenged, and dethroned.

This, it is not difficult to see, requires supreme sacrifices in ‘giving up’ (Hijrah) everything one loves and fighting with all that one possesses for the sake of that love of Allah which must be greater than all else (Al-Baqarah 2:165). A life of Jihad therefore necessarily requires important qualities: knowledge of and devotion to the Quran, deep and strong faith (Iman), resolve and steadfastness (sabr), total trust (tawakkul), and, of course, taqwa. Read the Quran and you will find every promise of success here and in the Hereafter conditional upon these qualities.

Fasting, combined with the Quran recital in night prayers, generates these rich resources which Ramadan harnesses to the fulfillment of the Quranic mission.

First, look at taqwa. What is it? Literally, it means saving ourselves from harm. In the moral life, therefore, taqwa must primarily mean. firstly, accepting that some actions and beliefs are harmful, that is to say, right and wrong do exist, and secondly, having the resolve and will to avoid the wrong and do the right. As a consequence, thirdly, his conduct should reflect this consciousness and resolve, if he is not a hypocrite.

To have the Quranic taqwa, which will entitle us to its guidance, we must know that there are realities and values beyond matter, beyond what we are incapable of perceiving by our physical senses, beyond this world, that man needs to be guided to what is right and what is wrong, (yu’minuna bil- ghayb). We should also be prepared to submit, willingly, all that we possess ‘mind, body, wealth’ to the truth that we know and believe (yuqimunas salata wa mimma razaqnahum yunfiqun).

Every moment in Ramadan engraves these lessons on our hearts. Integrates them in our practice. The most elementary physical needs ‘food and water and sleep’ are readily and joyfully sacrificed. Hunger and thirst are no more harmful; God’s displeasure is. Physical pleasures no more hold any lure; God’s rewards do. The scale of values is turned upside down. The measure of comfort and pain, success and failure are radically changed. Without this change, none is entitled to take up Allah’s cause.

To the uninitiated, or an outsider, the devotional regimen of Ramadan may appear harsh and austere, but, in fact, it is eagerly awaited by believers. The sighting of the new moon, the crescent that signals the beginning of Ramadan is met with celebrations and jubilation. Even children ‘ who are not required to fast’ look forward to their first experience of Ramadan fasting. The sick, too, remain restless for having been deprived of this blessing. Such jubilation and eagerness, to sacrifice time, wealth, and life in submitting to whatever God asks of us, and regret and sorrow if prevented from doing so for reasons beyond our control, is highly desirable in the way of Allah.

These qualities spring from genuine faith in the heart. For a Muslim, the fast is primarily a commandment to his person, though its collective aspect is no less important. Little wonder, then, that individuals gladly take on the tribulations of Ramadan as an expression of their faith. Just as Fast is something special between man and his God which only He can reward, so should we take Jihad to be.

Whatever the physical discomfort, the mortification of the flesh is certainly not the desired object in Islam. The gifts of God are there to be enjoyed, but the limits by Him must also be strictly observed ? that is another lesson of taqwa in Ramadan. As the sun sets, the fast must be broken, and sooner the better. All that became forbidden at His command, becomes permissible, again at His command.

Similarly eating before dawn is strongly urged, even though the hour is unearthly. For it provides the necessary strength for the rigors of the day ahead. Fasting and praying are obvious acts of worship but eating, drinking, and sleeping, too, constitute forms of worship. So in the way of Allah: what matters is His command, the whole life must witness to Him.

The month-long regimen of dawn-to-sunset abstinence from food, drink, and sex, for the sake of Allah alone, internalizes the lesson that one must never touch, acquire or enter that which does not belong to one under the law of God. A man can no more remain a slave to his own self-indulgence as he prepares for the arduous journey on the road to his Lord.

For many, it is difficult to see the value of long hours of hunger, thirst, and sleeplessness. Productivity losses are difficult to accept in an age that has tried to make gods of gross national product and economic growth. According to Islam, however, man is created to live a life of total submission to the One and Only God, and this purpose must be paramount in all scales of values. Ramadan fasting is crucial to this understanding. It shows that its purpose, like God’s guidance through His Prophets and Books and all other rituals of worship, is to train the believer in how he must live totally and unreservedly, at all costs, in submission to God.

Obedience, let there be no misunderstanding. is not limited to mere outward conformity with the letter of law. The law must be observed, but evil, in all its forms, must be eschewed. lbn Maja the great Hadith scholar, reports that the Prophet said: When the month of Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are flung open while those of Hell are closed. All the shayatin (satans) are put in chains and a herald cries out. ‘O you who seek good come here and those who desire evil desist’.

Imam Bukhari, the most renowned Hadith scholar narrates: Eyes should refrain from seeing evil, ears from hearing evil, heart from reflecting evil, tongue from speaking evil. The Prophet said: “One who does not give up speaking false words and acting by them is not required by God that he give up only his food and drink.” On another occasion, he said: “Many are the observers of fast who gain nothing from their fast but hunger and thirst” (Darimi).

As a collective experience Ramadan suffuses the entire life of communities with the spirit of taqwa; even the air, it seems, is changed with a new fervor. In Ramadan, we can see a beautiful example of how Islam unites the individual and the society under the sovereignty of One Lord alone.

In Ramadan, therefore, the demands of Allah take precedence over all other demands; no part of the personality, no aspect of our life remains outside His writ, even aspects as mundane as timings for eating and going to bed. Thus, a will is strengthened, a determination is reinforced, the spirit of sacrifice is intensified, self-control is heightened.

But, above all, the life in Ramadan revolves, as it must, around the Quran which, as the Word of God, must become the core of all devotional activities. At least one reading of the Quran is a required duty during nightly Prayers, after the ‘Isha.’ But it ought to be extensively recited both within and without ritual prayers. Ramadan is not only the annual celebration of the coming down of the Quran by disciplining every moment of life into the surrender of God, it is also the occasion for heart and mind to get absorbed in its words and teachings.

Closely linked to fasting is the nightly prayer. Sleep is deliberately avoided to enter into communion with God’s words, to prostrate before Him, and thus to move nearer to Him. It is during the quiet and calm of the night that we can dwell upon God’s words, and the truths which might otherwise elude us can be grasped.

No time is like Ramadan time. For in it lies that night which is ‘better than a thousand months, the ‘Night of Destiny … in it the angels and the Spirit descend’ (Al­Qadr 97:1-4). It is ‘that blessed night in which was made distinct everything wise’ and ‘a warning’ and a ‘mercy’ was sent down which God has always sent for mankind (Al­Dukhan 44: 3-6).

That is why Fasting is placed in Ramadan. In this technological age, when the clock has become the only measure of time and every concept of the sacredness of time has been erased from human memory, some may find it difficult to visualize how every moment of Ramadan encompasses centuries in it, how it allows us to draw nearer to God at a much faster pace. Acts of virtue during the month are especially rewarded; an obligatory act (fard) increases seventy times; a voluntary one (nafl) is rewarded like the obligatory. Each of its moments offers the immense possibility of great spiritual journeys. As the poet Iqbal said:

Far though the valley of love may be,
a long and terrible way,
The path of a hundred years maybe
traveled at times in a sigh.

If Ramadan is blessed because the Quran began to come down in this month; it is blessed, too, because the Quran triumphed in this month. The Quran is the al-­Furqan (criterion by which to judge the truth and the falsehood); in Ramadan falls that day which the Quran calls the Yawmul Furqan, Day of Criterion, on which the truth and the falsehood were judged, and the Truth triumphed. That was the Day of Badr when the Prophet, blessings, and peace be on him, beseeched God for help and victory thus: O God if this group perishes today, You will not be worshipped anymore’ (Ibn Ishaq). This was both a petition and a pledge; an expression of the final goal of all of his strivings, and of what our lives ought to be devoted to. Only an inattentive mind can ignore the significant link between al-Furqan descending in Ramadan. and Yaum al-Furqan falling in Ramadan.

Thus, to come back to the center: Ramadan reminds us of our mission, the only purpose of our existence as Muslims. It prepares us to discharge that mission; it deepens our consciousness, brings us closer to Quran and the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, strengthens our resolve, schools us to taqwa and patience.

The end of Ramadan brings Eid-al-Fitr. the feast of the breaking of the fast, which celebrates the revelation of the Quran. The Quran makes it clear: ?that you complete the number, and proclaim the greatness of God for His having guided you, and that you render your thanks’ (2:185). Man’s response to the Divine initiative of guidance must be gratitude and extolling Him as the Greatest. That is why constantly on lip is the tasbih: Allahuakbar. . . walillahil-Hamd.

Even so, the heart still remembers wistfully the trying days and the silent, busy nights when the soul was engulfed in the dawn of light and cries out:

Stand still, you ever-moving
sphere of heaven,
That time may cease, and
midnight never come.