ALLAH (SWT) INTENDS EASE AND NOT
HARDSHIP FOR FASTING PEOPLE
ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com
https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana
emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com
SATURDAY 9th RAJAB 1440 AH- 16th MARCH
2019 CE
(PART 2 OF 11: RAMADAN MONTH OF FASTING)
(Part 2 of 2) of 11
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu
Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.
Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah
from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides
will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can
guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that
Muhammad (Sallalhu alaihi Wasalam) is His slave and Messenger.
7.
THE ELDERLY
1) The
very elderly who have lost their strength and are getting weaker every day as
death approaches, do not have to fast, and they are allowed not to fast so long
as fasting would be too difficult for them.
2) Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say, concerning the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning), “And as for those who can fast with
difficulty (e.g., an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to
feed a poor person (for every day)” [Holy
Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:184]: “This has not been abrogated. It
refers to the old man and the old woman who cannot fast, so they should feed a
poor person for every day[1].”
3) Those
who have become senile and confused do not have to fast or do anything else,
and their family does not have to do anything on their behalf, because such
people are no longer counted as responsible.
4) If
they are of sound mind sometimes and confused at other times, they have to fast
when they are OK and they do not have to fast when they are confused[2].
5) For
those who are fighting an enemy or are being besieged by an enemy, if fasting
would make them too weak to fight, they are allowed to break the fast, even if
they are not travelling. If they need to break their fast before fighting, they
can break their fast.
6) The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his Companions
once, before fighting: “In the morning you are going to meet your enemy and not
fasting will make you stronger, so do not fast[3].”
7) If
a person’s reason for not fasting is obvious, such as illness, there is nothing
wrong with him eating or drinking openly, but if the reason is hidden, such as
menstruation, it is better to eat and drink in secret, so as not to attract
accusations and the like.
8
FASTING FOR WOMEN
1. A
woman who has reached the age of puberty, but is too shy to tell anyone, so she
does not fast, has to repent and make up the days she has missed, as well as
feeding a poor person for each day, as an act of expiation for delaying her
fast, if the following Ramadaan comes and she has not yet made up those days.
Her case is like that of a woman who fasts the days of her period out of
shyness, and does not make them up later.
2. If
a woman does not know exactly how many days she has missed, she should fast
until she is fairly certain that she has made up the days she had missed and
not made up from previous Ramadaans, and offer the expiation for delaying for
each day. She can do this at the same time as fasting or separately, depending
on what she is able to do
3. A
woman should not fast – except during Ramadaan – if her husband is present
without his permission, but if he is travelling then it does not matter.
4. When
a menstruating woman sees the white substance – which is discharged by the
uterus when the period is finished – by which a woman knows that she has now
become taahir (pure), she should have the intention to fast from the
night before and should fast.
5. If
she does not have a time when she knows she is taahir, she should insert a
piece of cotton or something similar, and if it comes out clean, she should
fast, and if she starts to bleed again, she should stop fasting, whether the
blood is a flow or just spotting, because it breaks the fast as long as it
comes at the time of the period[4].
6. If
the cessation of bleeding continues until Maghrib, and she has fasted with the
intention from the night before, then her fast is valid. If a woman feels the
movement of menstrual blood inside her, but is does not come out until after
the sun has set, her fast is valid and she does not have to make the day up
later.
7. If
a woman’s period or post-natal bleeding ceases during the night, and she makes
the intention to fast, but dawn comes before she is able to do ghusl, according
to all the scholars her fast is valid[5].
8. If
a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still continue her
intention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast until she actually
sees the blood.
9. It
is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept what Allaah has
decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent her from bleeding.
10. She
should be content with what Allaah accepts from her of breaking her fast during
her period and making those days up later. This is how the Mothers of the
Believers and the women of the salaf were[6].
Moreover, there is medical evidence to prove that many of the things used to
prevent bleeding are in fact harmful, and many women have suffered from
irregular periods as a result of taking them. However, if a woman does that and
takes something to stop the bleeding, then fasts, this is OK.
11. Istihaadah
(non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) does not have any effect on the validity of
the fast.
12. If
a pregnant woman miscarries and the foetus is formed or has a discernible
outline of any part of the body, such as a head or hand, then her blood is
nifaas; if, however, she passes something that looks like a blood clot (‘alaq)
or a chewed piece of meat that has no discernible human features, her bleeding
is istihaadah and she has to fast, if she is able, otherwise she can break her
fast and make it up later on[7].
Once she becomes clean after having an operation to clean the womb (D&C),
she should fast. The scholars stated that the embryo is considered to start
taking shape after 80 days of pregnancy.
13. If
a woman becomes clean from nifaas before forty days, she should fast and do
ghusl so that she can pray. (al-Mughni ma’a al-Sharh al-Kabeer, 1/360).
14. If
the bleeding resumes within forty days after the birth, she should stop
fasting, because this is still nifaas. If the bleeding continues after the
fortieth day, she should make the intention to fast and do ghusl (according to
the majority of scholars), and any bleeding beyond the fortieth day is
considered to be istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) – unless it coincides with
the usual time of her period, in which case it is hayd (menstrual blood).
15. If
a breastfeeding woman fasts during the day and sees a spot of blood during the
night, although she was clean during the day, her fast is still valid[8].
16. According
to the most correct opinion, a woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding is
regarded as being like one who is ill, so she is permitted not to fast, and she
only has to make up the days that she missed, whether she fears for herself or
for her child.
17. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has lifted
the obligation of fasting and part of the prayer from the traveller, and He has
lifted the obligation of fasting from the pregnant and breastfeeding woman[9].”
18. If
a pregnant woman fasts and experiences some bleeding, her fast is still valid;
this does not affect her fast at all[10].
19. In
the case of a woman who is obliged to fast, if her husband has intercourse with
her during the day in Ramadaan with her consent, then the ruling that applies
to him also applies to her. If, however, he forces her to do that, she should
do her best to resist him, and she does not have to offer expiation. Ibn ‘Aqeel
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “In the case of a man who has intercourse
with his wife during the day in Ramadaan whilst she is sleeping, she does not
have to offer expiation.” But to be on the safe side, she should make up that
fast later on. (Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
of the opinion that this did not invalidate her fast at all).
20. A
woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away from
him and not adorn herself during the day in Ramadaan.
21. Women
have to make up the fasts that they miss during Ramadaan, even without their
husbands’ knowledge. It is not a condition for an obligatory fast for a woman
to have the permission of her husband. If a woman starts to observe an
obligatory fast, she is not allowed to break it except for a legitimate reason.
Her husband is not permitted to order her to break her fast when she is making
up a day that she has missed; he is not allowed to have intercourse with her
when she is making up a missed fast, and she is not allowed to obey him in that
regard[11].
22. In
the case of voluntary fasts, a woman is not permitted to start a non-obligatory
fast when her husband is present without his permission, because of the hadeeth
narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No woman should
fast when her husband is present except with his permission[12].”
9
FASTING IN COUNTRIES WHERE THE DAY IS VERY SHORT OR VERY LONG[13]
Islam is perfect and comprehensive.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
“… This day, I have perfected your
religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam
as your religion…” [Holy Quran chapter al-Maa’idah 5:3].
“Say [O Muhammad]: ‘What thing is
the most great to witness?’ Say: ‘Allaah (the Most Great!) is Witness between
me and you; this Qur’aan has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you
and whomsoever it may reach…” [Holy Quran chapter al-An’aam 6:19].
“And We have not sent you [O
Muhammad] except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind….”
[holy Quran chapter Saba’ 34:28].
Allaah has told the believers that
fasting is obligatory (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Observing
al-sawm (fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before
you, that you may become the pious.” [Holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:183].
And Allaah has explained when the
fasting should begin and end (interpretation of the meaning):
“… and eat and drink until the
white thread (light of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread
(darkness of night), then complete your fast till the nightfall…” [Holy Quran
chapter al-Baqarah 2:187].
This ruling is not addressed to
any particular country or type of people; it is a universal law, which also
includes the people asked about in the question. Allaah is Merciful and Kind
towards His slaves and has prescribed for them ways of ease to help them to do
what He has made obligatory. For example, He allows travellers and the sick not
to fast during Ramadaan, to save them from hardship, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“The month of Ramadaan in which
was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the
guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights
(the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadaan, i.e., is present
at his home), he must observe fasting that month, and whoever is ill or on a
journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe sawm (fasts (must
be made up] from other days…” [Holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:185].
So every responsible adult Muslim
who is present when Ramadaan comes is obliged to fast, no matter whether the
day is short or long. If a person is unable to complete a day’s fast, and fears
that he may die or become ill, he is permitted to eat just enough to keep his
strength up and keep himself safe from harm, then he should stop eating and
drinking for the rest of the day, and he has to make up the days he has missed later
on, when he is able to fast.
10
ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN EXTREMELY HOT REGIONS OBLIGED TO FAST EVEN THOUGH IT IS
DIFFICULT FOR THEM?
When the month of Ramadan begins,
every Muslim who is accountable, not travelling and in good health is obliged
to fast. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So whoever of you
sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is
present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is
ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm
(fasts) must be made up] from other days”[ holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:185].
So fasting is obligatory even at
times when it is hot, because fasting Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam.
If a person fasts and then suffers intense thirst in which there is the fear
that he may die, he may break the fast by drinking enough to keep him alive,
then he should refrain from eating and drinking, and make up that day at
another time. And Allah knows best.
And Allah is the source of
strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his
family and Companions? End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic
Research and Issuing Fatwas. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz,
Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh ‘Abd
al-‘Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd. Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah – vol. 2, 9/145. Reference https://islamqa.info/en/129831
Fatwa No. 2769 was issued by the
Council of Senior Scholars and the Standing Committee concerning an issue
similar to the one you are asking about. This is the text of the question and
answer: Praise be to Allaah alone and blessings and peace be upon the one
after whom there will be no Prophet.
The Standing Committee for
Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas has read the question that has been sent
to the General Secretary by the Secretary the Union of Muslim Students in
Holland, and which has been passed to them by the Secretary of the Council of
Senior Scholars. The text of the question is as follows:
We hope that you can provide us with
a fatwa concerning the way of determining the times of Maghrib, Isha’ and Fajr
prayer, and also the first day of Ramadaan and the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
That is because the way the sun rises and sets in the countries of Northern
Europe that are close to the North Pole is different from the way it rises and
sets in the eastern Muslim countries. The reason for that has to do with the
timing of the end of the red and white twilight. It may be noted that in summer
the white twilight lasts almost the whole night, so it is difficult to
determine the time of ‘Isha’ and the onset of the dawn.
They replied:
The Council of Senior Scholars in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued a statement on the determining of the times
of prayer, determining the start of dawn each day, and the end of the dawn in
Ramadan, in countries such as yours. This is what it said:
After studying, researching and
discussing the matter, the Council decided the following:
Whoever resides in a country where
the night can be distinguished from the day by the onset of dawn and the
setting of the sun, but the day is extremely long in the summer and extremely
short in the winter, is obliged to perform the five daily prayers at the times
known in sharee’ah. That is because of the general meaning of the words of
Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Perform As‑Salaat (Iqamaat‑as‑Salaat)
from mid‑day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and
‘Ishaa’ prayers), and recite the Qur’aan in the early dawn (i.e. the — Fajr Morning
Prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Qur’aan in the early dawn (i.e. the
morning — Fajr prayer) is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of
mankind of the day and the night)”[Holy Quran Chapter al-Isra’ 17:78]
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is
enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”[ Holy Quran Chapter al-Nisa’ 4:103]
And because it was proven from
Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the times of the prayers, and he
said to him: “Pray with us for these two” meaning two days. When the sun passed
its zenith, he told Bilaal to give the adhaan, then he told him to give the
iqaamah for Zuhr. Then he told him to give the iqaamah for ‘Asr when the sun was
still high and clear white. Then he told him to give the iqaamah for Maghrib
when the sun had set. Then he told him to give the iqaamah for ‘Isha’ when the
red afterglow (twilight) had disappeared. Then he told him to give the
iqaamah for Fajr when the dawn had appeared. Then on the second day, he told
him to delay Zuhr until the extreme heat had passed and he did so. He prayed
‘Asr when the sun was high, delaying it beyond the time he had previously
performed it. He prayed Maghrib before the twilight had vanished; he prayed
‘Isha’ when a third of the night had passed; and he prayed Fajr when there was
clear daylight. Then he said: “Where is the man who was asking about the time
of prayer?” The man said, “Here I am, O Messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for your prayer is within
the limits of what you have seen.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and
Muslim)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for Zuhr is from when the sun has passed
its zenith and a man’s shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time
for ‘Asr comes. The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow. The time
for Maghrib lasts until the twilight has faded. The time for ‘Isha’ lasts until
midnight. The time for Subh (Fajr) prayer lasts from the beginning of the
pre-dawn so long as the sun has not yet started to rise. When the sun starts to
rise then stop praying, for it rises between the two horns of the Shaytaan.”
Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh.
And there are other ahaadeeth
which have been narrated concerning the definition of the times of the five
daily prayers through the words and actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). It makes no difference whether the night and day are
long or short, so long as the times of the prayers can be distinguished by the
signs which were identified by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
This is with regard to the timings
of the prayers. With regard to the timings of their fast in Ramadaan, those who
are accountable should refrain from food, drink and everything else that
invalidates the fast each day of Ramadaan, from the time of dawn until sunset
in their countries, so long as the night can be distinguished from the day, and
when day and night together add up to twenty-four hours. It is permissible for
them to eat, drink, have intercourse, etc during the night only, even if it is
short. The sharee’ah of Islam is universal and applies to all people in all
countries. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and eat and drink until the white
thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness
of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall”[ Holy Quran
Chapter al-Baqarah 2:187].
Whoever is unable to complete the
fast because the day is so long, or who knows from experience or from the
advice of a competent? trustworthy doctor, or thinks it most likely that
fasting will lead to his death or make him severely ill, or will make his
sickness worse or impede his recovery, may break his fast and make up the days
that he misses in a month when he can make them up. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“So whoever of you sights (the
crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his
home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a
journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must
be made up] from other days”[ Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:185]
“Allaah burdens not a person
beyond his scope”[ holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:286]
“Allaah does not want to place you
in difficulty”[ holy Quran chapter al-Maa'idah 5:6]
Secondly:
Whoever lives in a land in which
the sun does not set during the summer and does not rise during the winter, or
who lives in a land in which the day lasts for six months and the night lasts
for six months, for example, has to perform the five daily prayers in each
twenty-four hour period? They should estimate their times based on the nearest
country in which the times of the five daily prayers can be distinguished from
one another, because it was proven in the hadeeth of the Isra’ and Mi’raaj
(Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascent into Heaven) that Allaah enjoined on this
ummah fifty prayers each day and night, then the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) kept asking his Lord to reduce it until He said, “O
Muhammad, they are five prayers each day and night, and for each prayer will be
the reward of ten, that is fifty prayers…”
And it was proven in the hadeeth
of Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: A
man from Najd with unkempt hair came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we heard his loud voice but could not
understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that
he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, “(You have to offer) five prayers each day and night.” The
man asked, “Do I have to do anything else?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “No, unless you want to offer voluntary
(naafil) prayers”…
And it was proven in the hadeeth
of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: We were
forbidden to ask the Messenger of Allaah (S) (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) about anything, so we used to like it when an intelligent man from
among the desert people came and asked him a question in our hearing. A man
from among the desert people came and said, “O Muhammad, your messenger came to
us and said that you claim that Allaah sent you.” He said, “He spoke the
truth.” … The man said, “And your messenger claimed that we have to offer five
prayers each day and night.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, “He spoke the truth.” The man said, “By the One Who sent you, has
Allaah enjoined that upon you?” He said, “Yes” …
It was proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told his companions about the
Dajjaal (antichrist). He was asked how long he would stay on earth, and he
said, “Forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a
week and the rest like your days.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allaah, the day
which is like a year, will the prayers of one day be sufficient for us then?”
He said, “No, estimate them.” So the day which will be like a year is not
regarded as one day in which only five prayers will be sufficient, rather we
are obliged to offer five prayers in each twenty-four hour period. He commanded
them to offer the prayers at intervals as on a regular day.
So the Muslims in the country
mentioned in the question have to define the times of prayer in that land,
basing those times on the closest country in which the night and day can be
distinguished from one another and the times of the five daily prayers are
known according to the signs described in sharee’ah, within each twenty-four
hour period.
Similarly they also have to fast
Ramadaan. They can set the time for their fast and determine the beginning and
end of Ramadaan and the times of starting and breaking the fast each day by the
dawn and sunset each day in the closest country in which night can be
distinguished from day. The total period must add up to twenty-four hours,
because of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) about the Dajjaal mentioned above, in which he told his companions how to
determine the times of the five daily prayers. There is no difference in this
regard between fasting and prayer. Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth
al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
6/130-136.
[3] (Reported by Muslim, 1120, ‘Abd al-Baaqi edn.
This is also the preferred opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. The
scholars of Damascus also issued fatwas to the same effect when their city was
attacked by the Tatars)
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