Date Archive
Fasting Ramadan
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March 11, 2024
- Posted by: admin
Introduction :
The E-aalim institute has their think tank who prepare books focusing on Ibadat. one of such series of books is the fasting books. in this series, books one speaks about fasting during the month of Ramadan. book one is really useful for junior and adult muslims who want to know more about fasting. Fasting is to willingly abstain from the unprohibited pleasures for the sake of Allah. Fasting is not a new Ibada. The nations before Islam practiced fasting for the sake of Allah. Allah says in the holy Quran: “Oh, you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed obligatory for you in the same way it was prescribed obligatory for those who preceded you.” Therefore, fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed obligatory for Muslims in the second year after the prophet’s migration to al-Madina.
What Muslims abstain from :
During the daytime, adult Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and other halal things by day. Fasting is a special Ibadah in Islam. This is because only Allah watches a Muslim when they are fasting. No one else can judge if the Muslim is fasting or not. A Muslim can be seen in the mosque performing the daily five obligatory prayers. A Muslim can be heard saying the testimony. A worshiper can be beheld while they are paying Zakat. A Muslim can be watched while they are performing al-hajj. However, some dishonest people can claim to be fasting while they are not doing so. Therefore, Allah says: “All a muslim’s deeds are for them, except for fasting. fasting is for My sake and I reward for it.”
Fasting gives pleasure and happiness:
Fasting is a cause of the satisfaction and pleasure of Allah. Muslims go fasting to attain the degree of piety. When they do so ,they please and satisfy their Lord. On the other hand, a fasting Muslim has two occasions on which they feel joy and happiness. The first occasion on which a Muslim feels happy is when they end their fasting day successfully. At breakfast, at sunset, a Muslim feels very happy that they managed to complete their day of fasting. Meanwhile, it is the time when Allah answers a fasting Muslim’s prayer. On the Day of Judgment, a Muslim feels very happy while other humans are shaking with fear and horror on that horrible day. Moreover, there is a gate in paradise called Arrayan through which only the fasting Muslims are admitted.
Allah loves the fasting servants:
Allah has praised the Muslims who practice fasting for their Lord’s sake. The breath of a fasting Muslim is sweeter to Allah than the scent of musk. This denotes the importance and significance of fasting for a Muslim. Therefore, Muslims are keen on fasting during the month of Ramadan. Allah boasts that His slaves are fasting. Allah says to His angels: “See how My servants have abandoned their food and drink for Me! Bear witness, My angels that I have forgiven them.”
Ramadan, the lunar month :
Ramadan is the ninth lunar month on the Muslim Hiiri calendar. A lunar month is either twenty-nine or thirty days. No lunar month can count either twenty-eight or thirtyone days. This fact makes the lunar year eleven or twelve days shorter than the solar Gregorian year. Consequently, while the solar months have fixed times during the solar year; lunar months don’t. Therefore, a month like Ramadan may occur in summer, spring, autumn or winter. That is why Muslims may fast the month of Ramadan in winter or in summer. Worthy mentioning, the word “Ramadan” comes from the Arabic root “Ramada” which means very hot sand. This is because Ramadan often comes in very hot seasons. Also, the climate in the Arabian peninsula is often very hot.
A muslim's daily routine during Ramadan :
For Muslims, a day doesn’t start at midnight. Hijiri and lunar days start at sunset. Therefore, Ramadan starts after the sunset of the last day of the month of Shaban. Likewise, Ramadan ends after the sunset of the last day of Ramadan. Consequently, the month of Shawwal starts with the last sunset of ramadan. A Muslim prays al-Taraweeh prayer after the first Isha in Ramadan. After that, a Muslim gets ready for “Suhoor”. Suhoor is a meal which Muslims eat late at night, or preferably just before dawn. After Sohoor, Muslims go to mosques to pray al-fajr. They start their new fasting day. They don’t eat or drink till the sunset of the following day.