Umm al_khair Posted September 26, 2005 Ramadhan A blessed month is coming, Islam is the deen of nourrishment, of faculties and every worship in Islam has a wisdom ( and/or wisdoms), some of it apparent by text or by the intellect. Some of these wisdoms may not be clear to some but may be clear to others from the people of knowledge, and this is why we are commanded to ask the people of knowledge in that we do not know of. The collective wisdom in worship are all directed to the purification of the soul, purifying it from its defects, and every worship in Islam done in the legal way has its influence on the self but that differs in accordance with the degree of attachment of the worshiper and when worship does not influence the soul and man's action then such worship is like a body without a soul. Certainly fasting is one of the great worship in Islam and many are the wisdoms of fasting, many wisdoms are clear and many wisdoms are known to some but not to others. The master of months is the month of Ramadan and it is the school for the believers, a school nourishing the heart as well as the tongue and the limbs. Certainly and without a doubt the fasting of this month in accordance with the way prescribed will give its fruits. these fruits can be summarized as follows -> • firmness on the truth • increase in faith • strength in certainty • establishment in good manners • The exertion of the actions of the heart from fear, hope, love and longing. The blessings of this month are diverse and reflect on the creed of the Muslim and his manners, and it is a mean of protection from deviation. In it the Muslim tries to fulfill the rights of Allah upon him as well as the rights of mankind in other to perfect his true slavery. This is the coming month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, Fasting -> linguistically means restraining al imsak 19:26 "So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allâh) so I shall not speak to any human being this day. Fasting -> legal meaning: the worship of Allah by restraining from taking all things that nullify the fasting, from the time of fajr (start of true dawn) until sunset. Rulings of Fasting in Ramadan The fasting of Ramadan is obligatory by textual proofs from the Qur'aan and the sunnah, as well as from the general consensus of the muslims. Proof from the Qur'aan verses 2:183-185 -> 2:183 O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). 2:184 [Observing Sawm] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. 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 Miskin (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know. 2:185 The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, 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 Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm must be made up] from other days. Allah intends for you ease and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him. Islam is founded upon 5 pillars 1. testimony of faith -- 2. prayer --- 3. due charity --- 4. fast --- 5. hajj the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: if you see it (the crescent of the new moon of ramadan) then fast. Proof from the general consensus of the muslims -> The fasting of the month of Ramadan is an obligatory worship and that it is one of the pillars of Islam. Anyone who denies its obligation becomes a kafir unless he lives in a remote place whereby he does not know anything about the rulings of Islam, then he is to be taught and if then insist, after the proof is established upon him, then he commits kufr. Anyone abandoning the fasting due to laziness however he testifies to its obligation then he is in a grave danger Some scholars say he is an apostate kafir, however the preponderating opinion is that he is a rebellious fasiq and he is in a grave danger When Was Ramadan Ordained The command concerning the fasting of the month of Ramadan was in the second year after hijrah [the migration of the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)], so the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) fasted 9 years The ordainment of fasting was in two stages 1. Giving a choice between fasting and feeding the poor, however giving preference for fasting over feeding 2. Assigning fasting without a choice And whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm must be made up] from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him. verse 2:184 was abrogated by verse 2:185 "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 that month" Wisdom Behind the Fasting 2:183 O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). The wisdom is to achieve taqwa (al muttaqeen: those who have taqwa). taqwa -> to abandon what is unlawful, in a general way taqwa encompasses the execution of what is commanded and the abandonment of what is prohibited. Therefore this asserts that the believer upon fasting should comply with the ordinances of Allah swt, abandoning the unlawful of sayings and actions (no backbiting, no lying, no spreading of mischief, no selling of unlawful, all prohibited matters) and if the person does this for a period of one month then his self will become upright and will train on uprightness for the rest of the year. Unfortunately many of those who fast do not differentiate between the days of fasting and their regular days of none fasting, they take it as a habit and you don't feel that they have been influenced by the fasting and of course there are those who fast the entire month with little benefit such as that by the time the month is over, you see them returning to their "normal state" Wisdom for the Fasting Being in Ramadan 2:185 The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an ...And this is far greater in its magnitude than the sending of rain, because the ummah cannot be upright and established on the deen except with this type of worship in this specific month in this month there is a testing of the truth of intention and of compliance. Will the person comply or he will continue to comply with that which agrees with his own self and desires or he will transcend that and comply with what pleases Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala. Among the 5 obligatory types of worship -> some are purely physical some are purely financial. >distinguishes the miser from the generous, For some people, praying one thousand rakat is easier than spending even little in charity and for some, it is easier to spend than praying one single rakat that is why the shari'ah came in such divisions and diversity in order to find out who will be in compliance with the worship of Allah and who will be in compliance with his own desires. Prayer is purely physical, saying and actions, there is no spending of wealth in it. zakat is in spending of wealth, purely spending. Wealth is beloved to man, and it is from man's nature this attachment to wealth, 100:6 Verily! Man (disbeliever) is ungrateful to his Lord; 100:7 And to that fact he bears witness (by his deeds); 100:8 And verily, he is violent in the love of wealth. man covets wealth intensely and the giving of what is beloved does not take place except with truthful intention and faith that the giving of this beloved thing is done to attain that which is more beloved and this is the pleasure of Allah swt and to attain his noble abode in Paradise. Since zakat is giving what is intensely beloved to man, Allah lightens its conditions by 1. having the obligatory charity take place only once a year 2. and then it is due only on certain types of wealth, 3. and then only a specified amount depending upon the type of wealth. In fasting there is testing and this is the restrainment of something beloved and it is really intense. The believer restrains from the desire for food and drinks, the desire for legal sexual intercourse and fasting occurs during working hours (it is not specified to the night). The testing during the day is a clear test so therefore the believer abandons his lust for the sake of Allah swt, even if he is to be beaten so as to eat one single date or to drink a class of water, he would not do it. this is why the learned scholars of Islam said : fasting is a secret between the slave and his Lord hadeeth Qudsi -> Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala said: all the deeds of the children of Adam belong to them, except the fasting belongs to ME and I will reward it The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)said : fasting is a shield against hell and sin. a fasting person should not fight and quarrel, if someone upsets him he should rather say " I am fasting" (meaning -> I am not going to fight /quarrel with you). The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: he who does not give up forged speech and evil actions Allah does not need his restraining from eating and drinking. clear wisdom -> achieving piety and righteousness. The hajj is purely physical and whatever is spent on the hajj and the like is related to the fact that it is purely physical, for example the cost of traveling. the jihad is composed of worship, striving through the physical as well as striving in wealth, and it may be done physically independently of wealth and it may be done with wealth alone. The point of mentioning this is that if you comprehend the shari'ah and the legislations, you will find them up most in wisdom and in agreement with that which is beneficial to man. Why This Name For the Month At the time of the naming, this name was given because it coincided to a time of the year where the sun breaks the ground because of the intense heat ramdaa' -> the breaking of the ground due to the sun's heat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Umm al_khair Posted September 29, 2005 lesson on ramadan continues The Prophet {sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam}said, "There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, "Where are those who used to observe fasts?" They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it. this is because the believer abandons the beloved things for Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala (food, drink, legal sexual intercourse) exemplifying his sincere faith and worship to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala the fact that he is realy abstaining from food and drink, both in public and in secret, reflects this honesty and the strong love of Allaah knowing well that Allaah is the All-Knowing of everything and because of this fact, Allaah made the rewards for fasting greater than for any other forms of worship Muslim Book 006, Number 2567: Abu Huraira (radiya Allaahu 'anh) reported Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) as saying: Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allaah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: "with the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake" ... Imaam Ibnul Qayyim commented -> people may see that a person is not eating in front of them but the fact that he is actually abandoning his food and his desires for the sake of Allaah is a thing that nobody can find out about, and this is the essence of fasting Fasting leads to the achiement of taqwa, and this is one of the most important wisdoms of fasting, it enables the person to reach this state of taqwa because it lessens the desires of the stomach and controls the sexual drive, and whoever really fast frequently would overcome these two desires more easily.All of this will lead to a manifestation of a course cautious about sins and assist in controlling the way of life in a way that pleases Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala When fitnah (trials / tribulations) appears then extinguish it with taqwa. One of the great definition of taqwa -> taqwa is to act in obedience to Allaah upon a light from Allaah (meaning : upon a faith from Allaah) hoping in the mercy of Allaah, and taqwa is leaving/ abandoning the acts of disobedience to Allaah upon a light from Allaah due to the fear of Allaah (arousing from the fear of Allaah). this is very important regarding the fasting because if fasting is to be a real act of obedience with respect to the doer, or a means of nearness to Allaah, it cannot start unless with pure eemaan (faith in Allaah), not habits / desires, nor seeking the praise of people. The aim of any action and its goal should be to attain the reward of Allaah and to seek His good pleasure. Therefore, now we know fasting is a means of attaining this because fasting helps to prevent from many sins that one is prone to. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said -> fasting is a shield with which the slave protects himself from the fire (reported by Imaam Ahmad and graded hasan by shaykh Al Albani rahimahullaah) and this incites a very important benefit which we should try to remember After each day of fasting one should ask this question -> Has this fasting made me more fearful of Allaah and more obedient to Him? Did it preserve me and keep me away from sin and disobedience? This is the issue about gaining taqwa, one of the important wisdoms of fasting Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 125: Narrated Abu Huraira radiya Allaahu 'anh: the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said -> ... whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allaah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven (agreed upon hadeeth). In the light of the objectives of attaining taqwa we have a reminder in this. . Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127: Narrated Abu Huraira radiya Allaahu 'anh: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever does not give up lying speech (false statements and acting upon those lies) and acts of foolishness, Allaah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allaah will not accept it from him.)" So it is a cause, a means to attain taqwa, everytime a person is about to indulge in a sin he remembers that he is fasting, if someone abuses him, fights him, insults him, let him say "I am fasting" (as the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam directed) to remind himself that he is in a state of fasting and thus hold himself from confronting this abuse/ fighting/ insult by something similar From the wisdoms of fasting is -> The heart becomes empty of heedlessness and occupied with contemplation and remembrance. Because eating, drinking, and following these desires distract a person and weaken his ties with Allaah and they may render the heart harsh and blind it from the truth and this is why the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) directed us to lighten the taking of food and drinks. the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said -> the son of Adam has not filled a vessel worse than his stomach, suffice for the son of Adam some bites to strenghten his build up and, if it is inevitable, then let him reserve 1/3 for his food, 1/3 for his drink, 1/3 for his breath Saheeh Muslim, Book 037, Number 6623: Handhala Usayyidi (radiya Allaahu 'anh), who was amongst the scribes of Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) reported: I met Abu Bakr (radiya Allaahu 'anh). He said: Who are you? He (Handhala) said: Handhala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allaah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr (radiya Allaahu 'anh) said: By Allaah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and said to him: Allaah's Messenger, Handhala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: What has happened to you? I said: Allaah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allaah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Handhala, time should be devoted to the worldly affairs and time should be devoted to prayer and remembrance. He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice. One of the righteous predecessors said -> the self when it becomes hungry and thirsty, the heart becomes clear; ... and when it is full, the heart becomes blinded From the wisdoms of fasting -> Through fasting the rich would properly estimate the grace of Allaah upon him where Allaah provided for him the food, the drink and the legal sexual intercourse while many from the creation are deprived of that therefore the rich should remember Allaah and praise Him and be in a state of gratitude for this ease and remember that he has a brother, or a sister, poor who maybe went to bed hungry, and therefore he gives, from what Allaah gave him, charity to cover their nakedness and to provide for their hunger. and that is why the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was the most generous and he used to be the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibreel comes to study with him the Qur'aan So, the person experiences the hardship of the poor and thus should be thankful to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala who blessed him with these bounties, and thus he should be more sympathetic and willing to share what Allaah gave him And the poor rediscovers that fasting helps a person to be more devoted to worship and more able to concentrate and ponder. From the wisdoms of fasting -> Training oneself on self-control, strengthening willpower, acquiring patience, holding to the self which is inclined to evil except whomsoever Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala had mercy upon. So if he keeps it without check it will ruin him and lead to his own destruction, and if he keeps it in check and under authority he will be able to lead it to the highest ranks and the noblest objectives. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) made it clear that the month of Ramadan is the month of patience because it increases one's willpower to control desires and the selfishness of the soul, The benefit is rendering the self more submissive to the obedience of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala From the wisdoms of fasting -> Breaking the arrogance of the self so that it submits to the truth and yields Too much eating, full stomach, and much of the legal sexual intercourse, may lead to arrogance and haughtiness because the self, when it is in need of these, busies itself with attaining them and if it attains them then it feels that it really achieved its goal and thus it would feel pleased but in a blameworthy manner leading to arrogance. The saved one is the one whom Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala saved. From the wisdoms of fasting -> The blood vessels become more restricted because of hunger and thirst and thus the pathway for shaytan within the body also becomes more restricted because the shaytan takes a path within the son of Adam, that of the path of blood (as affirmed in the two saheeh from the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and therefore through fasting the whispers of shaytan will settle and the ignited desire for lusts and anger will be broken. Saheeh Muslim, Book 8, Number 3233: Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) (radiya Allaahu 'anh) reported that Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to us: 0 young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains eyes (from casting evil glances) and preserves one from immorality; but he who cannot afford It should observe fast for it is a means of controlling the sexual desire. From the wisdoms of fasting -> There is the health aspect, the body acquires strength and endurance, depriving the body of food for a period of time helps its defense and endurance mechanisms and this in turn protects the body from certain diseases Fasting also gives rest to the digestive system for a period of time and helps to clear away some harmful matters. Research finding concerning fasting -> It increases the level of HDL ("good" cholesterol) in relation to the LDL ("bad" cholesterol) such that the ratio of HDL to LDL is favorable, lowering the risk of cardiac diseases. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Umm al_khair Posted September 29, 2005 3rd lesson A person should not fast on the last one or 2 days of Shabaan, unless this person regularly fasts for example on mondays or thursdays and this comes one of the last two days of Shaaban one year Day of doubt -> last day of shaaban, day 30th of shaban, fasting is forbidden on that day Whoever fasts the day of doubt has disobeyed Abul Qasim. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would have the intention to fast during the night before dawn and he commanded this to his ummah. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:"whoever did not intend his fast during the night then there is no fast for him" this is limited to the obligatory fast As for voluntary fast, then it is not essential to have the intention before, for voluntary fast intention can be made when a person has not yet eaten that day. it is permissible for a person to have intent for voluntary fast during the day before the sun sets, if the person has not done anything yet that day which would invalidate the fast. During the night the person can eat and drink until the true dawn occurs Two kinds of dawn -> the false dawn, the true dawn. 2:187 ... "eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread" ... white thread of dawn A person can finish the drinking and eating while hearing the adhan -> he can finish eating from the dish in his hand and from the drink in his hand until he has enough of it. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used to hasten in breaking the fast and delay the predawn meal (the suhuur) and he commanded this for his ummah Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 178: Narrated Sahl bin Sad: Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast." my ummah will not cease in good ... The religion will not cease to be manifest ... it means to begin taking your iftar as soon as the disk of the sun disappears don't delay the breaking of the fast until the redness disappears from the sky and the stars become visible, this is the way of the Jews and the shi'a The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would delay the pre-dawn meal until the end of its time, such that occasionally the companions would hear the pre-dawn adhan for fajr and they were having their suhuur. Anas radiya Allaahu 'anh was asked: "What was the interval between the Suhur and the Adhan?" He replied, "The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Quran." (reported in al Bukhari and in Muslim). The Prophet's: (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) breaking of the fast was very light not such as some people do today, eating for iftar until they get indigestion. the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would break fast with an odd number of ripe dates, if none then dried dates, if none then water, then he would stand for prayer during its appropriate time. He would not delay maghrib beyond its time, as some people do, being busy with their iftar which is more like a meal, Then staying home for the congregational prayer and delaying maghrib until right before isha and then being lethargic during prayer because of having eaten too much all of this contradicts the teachings of the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would say -> "the thirst has gone, the vessels are moistened and the reward is confirmed in sha Allah" Dhahaba Ad-Dhamaa' wa Ibtalat al 'Uruq wa thabatal-Ajru in shaa' Allaah. he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would give iftar for one fasting and he ordered it saying: "whoever gives iftar for one fasting person then he gets same rewards as the fasting person without decreasing the reward of this person" ( reported by at Tirmidhi and others and shaykh al Albani rahimahullah graded it as saheeh). He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ordered the one breaking his fast to say du'a for his host saying: "may the fasting break their fast in your home and may the dutiful and pious eat your food and may the angels send prayers upon you" Reported by Ibn Majaa and Ibn Hibban and declared as saheeh by shaykh al Albani. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used to invited others for suhuur, even if only for a glass of water. Calling it the "blessed meal" And he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: take suhuur for there is surely blessing in suhuur. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: indeed the angels say salah upon those taking suhuur. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) had good manners during ramadhan and commanded this for the fasting person. The fasting person should abstain from anger and the like abstain from saying what is not true Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127: Narrated Abu Huraira radiya Allaahu 'anh: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allaah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allaah will not accept his fasting.)" And if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, "I am fasting". The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was most kind with his family during ramadhan. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would sometimes start fasting and then perform ghusl. the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would sometimes kiss his wives during fasting but ... he was the one with the most control over his desires. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would help his wives in their work, minding the sheep, mending his shoes, etc. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would eat the food if he liked it, and not eat it without complaining if he did not like it The messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used siwak while fasting He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) did not forbid using siwak either before noon or after it. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said the siwak is refreshing for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would clean his mouth with water during fasting but warned against exaggerating in this. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said; exaggerated in washing the mouth and the nose with water except during fasting. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) teaching about travel during ramadhan shows the utmost guidance. during travel the companions would either fast or break the fast sometimes the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would command them to break the fast to be strong when facing the enemies. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also encourage them to break fast during traveling, saying fasting during traveling is not part of righteousness He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) broke his fast during the travel for the victory of Makkah. With respect to the fasting the following three matters should be beneficial to remember. If fasting or breaking the fast are same in their degree of easiness upon the person, then fasting during traveling is better for him however breaking the fast is permissible If fasting is difficult for the person, then breaking the fast is more proper If the degree of hardship is intense such that he may fear harm for himself, then it is forbidden for him to fast during the travel. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) gave permission for the elderly men and woman, the pregnant and nursing to not fast He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) told them to feed one such measure per day. he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also pour cold water over his head due to intense heat during fasting he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also forbade to fast without eating at night. The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) did even more worship during fasting ramadhan. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would not pray more than 11 rakaat during ramadhan or otherwise. But his praying was more serious than the one of some people who might recite only one verse per rakaa in taraweeh. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) encouraged his companions to journey for umrah during ramadhan and said that umrah in ramadhan is equal to hajj And in another version: equal to hajj with me. During the last 10 nights of ramadhan the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would perform 'itikaaf He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) it during 20 days in ramadhan during the last year of his life and performed it in shawwal also. he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) permitted his wives to perform 'itikaaf with him he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would not perform 'itikaaf without fasting and the scholar consider fasting part of the seclusion in the mosque. During the last year of the prophet's life, Jibrayl went over the whole qur'aan twice The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) forbade reading the whole qur'aan in less than three days. He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said that the one doing it in less than three days does not comprehend the qur'aan When ramadhan began, imaam Malik would cease his classes to be dilligent in teaching the qur'aan Saying: this is the month of the qur'aan he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was more generous than a “soothing breeze" He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would give from his possessions without fear of poverty. Some people spend ramadhan in front of TV or playing cards and in other useless activities. Out of nine ramadhan, the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) fought 6 battles Ramadan should not be an occasion of eating, drinking and fulfilling desires during the final days of ramadhan before 'eid prayer there is the charity to be given zakat ul fitr to be paid for everyone : old , young, etc. If paid AFTER THE 'EID PRAYER then it is usual sadaqa, it is not zakat ul fitr. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
