*Ramadan Day 24*
*What have you learnt?*
Alhamdulilah!
Alhamdulilah!! Alhamdulilah!!!
We thank
Almighty Allah to spare our lives to witness this miraculous month (Ramadan). Brothers
and sisters in Islam.
*I just
want to remind myself and yours about ‘’How should people
fast whose day is very long and the sun never sets for them?*
1.0
Question
What should
those people do whose day is twenty-one hours long? Should they work out the
time to fast? Similarly, what should those whose day is very short do? And
those whose day lasts for six months and their night lasts for six
months?
How should they pray, and how should they fast?.
How should they pray, and how should they fast?.
Answer
Praise be to
Allaah.
Those whose night and day add up to
twenty-four hours should fast that day, whether it is short or long, and that
is acceptable from them, praise be to Allaah, even if the day is short. But
those for whom the night or day is longer than that, such as six months, should
work out the time for fasting and prayer, as the Prophet enjoined should be
done on the day of the Dajjaal which will be like a year, and his day which
will be like a month, or like a week. The times for prayer should be worked
out. The Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom examined this matter and
issued a statement no. 61, dated 12/4/1398 AH which says:
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings
and peace be upon His Messenger and his family and companions.
Firstly: Whoever lives in a land
where the people can distinguish night from day by the rising of the dawn and
the setting of the sun, but their day is very long in summer and very short in
winter, are obliged to offer the five daily prayers at the times that are known
in sharee’ah, because of the general meaning of the verses in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Perform As‑Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaah)
from mid‑day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and
‘‘Isha’ 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)”[al-Isra’ 17:78]
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is
enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”[al-Nisa’ 4:103]
And it is proven from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for Zuhr is when
the sun passes its zenith and the shadow of a man is equal in length to him, so
long as ‘Asr has not come. The time of ‘Asr is so long as the sun has not
turned yellow. The time for Maghrib is so long as the twilight has not yet
disappeared. The time for ‘Isha’ is until halfway through the night. The time
for Fajr is from dawn, so long as the sun has not yet risen. When the sun
rises, then refrain from praying, for it rises between the horns of the
Shaytaan.”
And there are other ahaadeeth which
define in word and deed the times for the five daily prayers, but no
differentiation is made between long days and short days, or long nights and
short nights, so long as the times of prayer can be determined by the signs
explained by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
This has to do with the definition of
the times of prayer.
With regard to the times for fasting
the month of Ramadaan, those who are accountable must refrain from eating, drinking
and everything else that breaks the fast on every day of the month from dawn
till sunset in their country, so long as the day can be distinguished from the
night in their country, and the total of day and night is twenty-four hours,
and it is permissible for them to eat, drink, have intercourse and so on only
during their night, even if it is short. The sharee’ah of Islam is universal
and applies to all people in all lands. 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”[al-Baqarah 2:187]
If a person is unable to fast the
whole day because it is too long, or because he knows from signs or by
experience or on the advice of a trustworthy, skilled doctor, or he thinks it
most likely that fasting will cause him to die or to become severely ill, or
will make his sickness worse or will slow down his recovery from sickness, then
he should break his fast, and make up the days that he did not fast during any
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”[al-Baqarah 2:185]
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond
his scope”[al-Baqarah 2:286]
“and has not laid upon you in
religion any hardship”[al-Hajj 22:78]
Secondly:
The one who lives in a land where the
sun does not set during the summer and the sun does not rise during the winter,
or he lives in a land where the day lasts for sixth months and the night lasts
for six months for example, should offer the five daily prayers during each
twenty-four hour period, and he should try to work out their times, based on
the closest land to him where the times of the five prayers are distinct from
one another, because of what it says in the hadeeth about the Isra’ and
Mi’raaj, that Allaah enjoined upon this ummah fifty prayers every 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.” Narrated by Muslim (162).
And it was narrated that Talhah ibn
‘Ubayd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man from among the
people of Najd, with disheveled hair, came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we could hear the sound of his voice
but we could not understand what he was saying, until he drew close to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he was
asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Five prayers each day and night.” He said, Do I have to do any
(prayers) other than that? He said, “No, unless you do them voluntarily
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (46) and
Muslim (11).
And it is proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told his companions about the
Dajjaal, and they said: How long will he stay on earth? He said: “Forty days, a
day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of the
days like your days.” We said: O Messenger of Allaah, on that day which is like
a year, will the prayers of one day be sufficient for us? He said: “No. Work
out the time (for prayer).” Narrated by Muslim (2937). He did not regard
that day that will be like a year as being a single day in which five prayers
would be sufficient, rather he enjoined praying five prayers every twenty-four
hours, and he commanded them to space them out during the time based on the
times on an ordinary day in their country. So the Muslims in the country asked
about here have to define the times for prayer based on the closest country to
them in which night is distinct from day, and thus the times for the five daily
prayers may be known by their shar’i signs (in the closest country) in every
twenty-four hour period.
Similarly they have to fast the month
of Ramadaan, and they should work out the beginning and end of the month of
Ramadaan, and the times to start and end the fast every day, and the time of
dawn and sunset every day, in the closest country to them where night is
distinct from day and the total of night and day is twenty-four hours, because
of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about
the Dajjaal that we have quoted above, in which he told his companions how to
work out the times of prayer. There is no difference in this case between
fasting and prayer. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send
blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and
companions.
Council of Senior Scholars. End
quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(15/292/300).
Source: Islam Q&A 106527
2.0 Fasting in countries where the day is very short
or very long
Question
In some parts of the Scandinavian
countries, the day may be much longer than the night, depending on the time of
year. The night may be only three hours long, when the day is twenty-one hours.
If it happens that Ramadaan comes in the winter, the Muslims fast for only
three hours, but if it happens that Ramadaan comes in the summer, they do not
fast because they are not able to, as the day is so long. Please tell us when
we should have suhoor and iftaar, and on how many days of Ramadaan we should
fast.
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.
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…” [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…” [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….”
[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.” [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…” [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…” [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. And Allaah knows best.
Source: Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa’imah, 10/114
ISLAM Q&A, 1730
3.0 How to pray and fast in countries where the day or
night is continuous
Question
Due to the
inclination of the earth's axis of rotation, regions nearest to one pole
experience continuous day for some months, for example, the trading city of
Tromso (about 50000 inhabitants) in northern Norway (in which 0.4% of its
population comes from islamic countries) where the sun is visible continuously
from late May to late July, while regions nearest to the other pole experience
continuous night during that same period. How do muslims living in Tromso do
for maghrib and esha salaat as night never falls during these few monthes and
also given that the month of Ramadhan falls during this period, how can they
fast?.
Answer
Praise be to
Allaah.
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)”[al-Isra’ 17:78]
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is
enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”[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”[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”[al-Baqarah 2:185]
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond
his scope”[al-Baqarah 2:286]
“Allaah does not want to place you in
difficulty”[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.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and companions?
Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth
al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’.
Source: Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa’imah, 6/130-136
ISLAM Q&A, 5842
And Allaah
knows best.
May Allah
Almighty accept our fast and blessed us
May Almighty
Allah reward us abundantly and accept our Ibadaah. Ameen
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