RAMADAN AND ITS RULINGS (PART 1). All perfect adorations and praise be to Allaah, azza wa jal; We beseech His peace and blessings upon the noble prophet Muhammad (alayi ssolaatu wasallam). As we all know that fasting in the shareea is divided into two: 1. Siyaamul Fard (Compulsory Fasting). This fasting is a compulsory one upon every matured, healthy and mentally sound muslim. This is also divided into three categories which are: A. Siyaamu Ramadan. B. Siyaamu kaffaara. C. Siyaamu Nnadhr. However we shall be discussing that of Ramadan inshaa Allaah. The second aspect of the division of Ramadan in the shareea is: 2. Siyaamu Ttatowuu(Voluntary/Non-Obligatory Fasting). As defined above, this is a voluntary fasting. This type of fasting includes: a. Monday and Thursday fasting. B. Fasting on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month. C. Fasting on the day of Arafat. And so on. Siyaamu Rramadan (Fasting in the month of Ramadan). Regarding this fasting, Allaah commanded it in the Quran; Suuratul Baqora Verse 183 that: It has been prescribed upon you (muslims) just as it was prescribed upon those before you so that you might attain piety. Scholars of tafseer say that: This verse guides us to many points which includes: 1. Indeed those before us had also observed some of form of acts of worship like fasting. Although that of the nation of Muhammad (sollallaahu alayhi wasallam) is different in its kayfiyya (method) from that of the rest of the Prophets. 2. Allaah mentioned the reason behind why He commanded us to fast. However this does not permit us to then ask regarding His commandments that why are we commanded to do such and such? as muslims are not permitted to have options regarding Allaahs rulings other than to listen and obey. Some Pillars of Fasting (Ramadan inclusive): 1. An-niyya: The intention to fast in ramadan must precede our fasting in the holy month. However, there is no stated texts in the shareea whether in the Quran or sunnah that guides us to chant anything as below: Nawaytu farda siyaam ramadan liLlaahi taaalaa. The above text and similar ones are not permissible in the shareea. We are only meant to have our intention in the heart to fast Ramadan and thats all. This is as explained by Al-Imaam Bn Sharaf An-nawawee in his explanation of his Mutuun of Al-Arbaeeno an-nawawiyya. 2. As-sahuur: We must endeavour to take sahuur for our fast as established in the sunan. It is not correct for a muslim to decide not to eat sahuur(breakfast) except with an excuse permissible in the shareea. Even if it is a light food or snacks; we should try to use something (halaal) for our sahuur. So the food taken to fast is called sahuur while the time(which contains blessings) during which the food is ate is called suhuur as seen in the hadeeth below. In the hadeeth of Anas bn Maalik(may Allaah be pleased with him) reported by Muslim and others; the Prophet said: Take Sahuur (all of you) for indeed in the time of taking sahuur (which is suhuur) contains Allaahs blessings. Also in the sunan; the Prophet was reported authentically to have said: The difference between our (muslims) fasting and the fasting of the people of the book (christians and jews) is the eating of sahuur (pre-down breakfast). It is established that the time frame for taking sahuur is when the dawn appears; so we must therefore stop eating when the dawn appears. It is reported from the sunan that the time for eating sahuur and rising for solaatu ssubh is a period of time enough for reading 50verses of the Quraan. 3. Al-Iftaar: In the hadeeth reported by Imaam Bukhaari and others, the Prophet said: When any of you breaks his fast; he should break it with date fruit(called dabidun by the Hausa and Yoruba); But if he does not find date fruit; then he should break with water for indeed water is pure. The scholars of hadeeth explained that the hadeeth guides us to the plain apparent fact that we are obliged to break fast with date fruit and if not found we use water. We must however understand that we are not to use oranges, pineapple, grape, apple e.t.c to break our fast. We must rather use the recommended materials to break our fast and then later take the fruits after breaking with any of the two above. We shoud not fix time for breaking fast as some muslims wrongly did by fixing time of breaking to 7oclock. And Verily, would they break their fast when the sun does not set at 7oclock? So we should simply break our fasting when the sun sets. We shall be coming with other rulings of Ramadan Allaah willing. May Allaah spare our lives for Ramadan.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 06:10:00 +0000
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