I`tikaf means ‘remaining’ somewhere.

In I’tikaf the bondsman cuts himself away from everything and throws himself at the threshold , or rather the feet oh his Lord and Creator. He remembers Him, exalts His name and offers earnest repentance to Him, cries over his sins and follies, entreats Him for mercy and forgiveness and seeks His countenance and propinquity. His days and nights are spent in that way.

I`tikaf is a means of great reward. It says in the Fatawa Hindiyya,

“Its excellence is obvious, for the one make such a spiritual retreat:

• Has submitted their entire person to the worship of Allah Most High;
• Seeks closeness;
• Distances themselves from the worldly distractions that prevent one from proximity;
• Drowning their entire time in actual or effective worship, for the basis of its legislation is to wait from one prayer time to the next prayer in congregation;
• It also makes the one is retreat resemble the angels who do not disobey the command of Allah and do what they are commanded, while glorifying Allah by night and day without tiring…” [1.212]

What to do during i`tikaf

One should busy oneself with the beneficial as much as one meaningfully can, such as:

1. Voluntary prayer,

2. Reciting the Book of Allah, with reflection, contemplation, and passion,

3. Remembrance of Allah, in all its forms,

4. Gaining beneficial knowledge, and listening to inspiring religious discourses (which is why it is wise to make i`tikaf in a mosque with people of learning, and good company to inspire one towards the good).

The following acts are permissible for one who is making I’tikaf:

(1) The Person may leave his place of I`tikaf to bid farewell to his wife and a woman  can visit her husband who is in I`tikaf

(2) Combing and cutting one’s hair, clipping one’s nails, cleaning one’s body, wearing nice clothes or wearing perfume are all permissible

(3) The person may go out for some need that he must perform

(4) The person may eat, drink, and sleep in the mosque, and he should also keep it clean. 

Messenger of ALLAH (Blessings of Allah and peace be on him) told us to search for Shab-e-Qadr in the odd numbered nights, in the last ten days of Ramdan. So, the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th night of Ramadan could be Shab-e-Qadr.

The prayers of one night of Shab-e-Qadr are stated to be better thatn the prayers of one thousand nights. It is the night during which the events of the next year are determined and Angels descend on earth thorughout the nigh and visit the Imam-al-Asr waz-Zaman Imam Mehdi(a.s.). Each momin and momina has been suggested to wake up and pray, recite the Holy Quran and ask for the betterment of the current and the life hereafter.

The night is so full of holiness that even the angels in the heavens see it as worthy of witnessing.

It is reported by Abi Hatim, Al Wahidi, and Mujahid, that the Messenger, salla Allahu alahi wa sallam, spoke of a man amongst the Israelites who devoted a thousand years of his life to the worship of Allah.

The Companions were amazed yet saddened because they knew that they could not attain such a level of devotion. So Allah, subhana wa talla, through His mercy, informed them of the Night of Power which is equivalent to a thousand months.

Qadr also means to maintain, appoint, assign, or decree an order. On this night, Allah, subhana wa talla informs the angels of His commands and orders for the universe.  This is also the night of honor and prestige which a faithful servant is rewarded with.

All his or her good deeds will be multiplied through the mercy of Allah.

In a hadith related by Abu Hurairah, radiua Allahu anhu, the Messenger of Allah, sala Allahu alahi wa sallam, said:
“He who spends the night in prayer on the Night of Power, as a sign of His faith, andseeking rewards from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
(Bukhari/Muslim)

This hadith indicates that whether a person is aware of the night or not, Allah will forgive him his past sins.

أَعُوذُ بِجَلالِ وَجْهِكَ الكَرِيمِ

أَنْ يَنْقَضِيَ عَنّي شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ

أَوْ يَطْلُعَ الفَجْرُ مِنْ لَيْلَتِي هذِهِ

وَلَكَ قِبَلِي تَبِعَةٌ أَوْ ذَنْبٌ تُعَذّبُنِي عَلَيْهِ

a`udhu bijalali wajhika alkarimi

an yanqadhiya `anni shahru ramadhana

aw yathlu`a alfajru min laylaty hadhihi

wa laka qibaly tabi`atun aw dhanbun tu`adhdhibuny `alayhi

2. In ’al-Balad al-Amin’, al-Kaf`amiy has mentioned that Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) used to say the following :

اللّهُمّ أَدّ عَنَّا حَقّ مَا مَضَى مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا تَقْصِيرَنَا فِيهِ

وَتَسَلّمْهُ مِنَّا مَقْبُولاً

وَلا تُؤَاخِذْنَا بِإِسْرَافِنَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا

وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ المَرْحُومِينَ

وَلا تَجْعَلْنَا مِنَ المَحْرُومِينَ

allahumma addi `anna haqqa ma madha min shahri ramadhana

waghfir lana taqsirana fihi

wa tasallmhu minna maqbulan

wa la tu´akhidhna bi-israfina `ala anfusina

waj`alna mina almarhumina

wa la taj`alna mina almahrumina

3. In ‘Iqbal al-A`mal’ Sayyid Ibn Tawus has narrated on the authority of Ibn Abi-`Umayr on the authority of Murazim that Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) used to say the following at each of the last ten nights of Ramadhan:

اللّهُمّ إِنّكَ قُلْتَ فِي كِتَابِكَ المُنْزَلِ

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ القُرْآنُ)

(هُدَىً لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيّنَاتٍ مِنَ الهُدَى وَالفُرْقَانِ

فَعَظّمْتَ حُرْمَةَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

بِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ فِيهِ مِنَ القُرْآنِ

وَخَصَصْتَهُ بِلَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ

وَجَعَلْتَهَا خَيْراً مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

اللّهُمّ وَهذِهِ أَيَّامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَدِ انْقَضَتْ

وَلَيَالِيهِ قَدْ تَصَرّمَتْ

وَقَدْ صِرْتُ يَا إِلهِي مِنْهُ إِلَى مَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّي

وَأَحْصَى لِعَدَدِهِ مِنَ الخَلْقِ أَجْمَعِينَ

فَأَسْأَلُكَ بِمَا سَأَلَكَ بِهِ مَلائِكَتُكَ المُقَرّبُونَ

وَأَنْبِيَاؤُكَ المُرْسَلُونَ

وَعِبَادُكَ الصَّالِحُونَ

أَنْ تُصَلّيَ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

وَأَنْ تَفُكّ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّارِ

وَتُدْخِلَنِي الجَنّةَ برَحْمَتِكَ

وَأَنْ تَتَفَضّلَ عَلَيّ بِعَفْوِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ

وَتَتَقَبّلَ تَقَرّبِي،

وَتَسْتَجِيبَ دُعَائِي

وَتَمُنّ عَلَيّ بِالأَمْنِ يَوْمَ الخَوْفِ

مِنْ كُلّ هَوْلٍ أَعْدَدْتَهُ لِيَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ

إِلهِي وَأَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ الكَرِيمِ

وَبِجَلالِكَ العَظِيمِ

أَنْ تَنْقَضِيَ أَيَّامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَلَيَالِيهِ

وَلَكَ قِبَلِي تَبِعَةٌ أَوْ ذَنْبٌ تُؤَاخِذُنِي بِهِ

أَوْ خَطِيئَةٌ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتَصّهَا مِنّي لَمْ تَغْفِرْهَا لِي

سَيّدِي سَيّدِي سَيّدِي،

أَسْأَلُكَ يَا لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

إِذْ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

إِنْ كُنْتَ رَضِيتَ عَنّي فِي هذَا الشّهْرِ

فَازْدَدْ عَنّي رِضَىً

وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رَضِيتَ عَنّي

فَمِنَ الآنَ فَارْضَ عَنّي

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

يَا اللّهُ يَا أَحَدُ يَا صَمَدُ

يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ.

allahumma innaka qulta fi kitabika almunzali:

(shahru ramadhana alladhy ‘unzila fihi alqur’anu

hudan lilnnasi wa bayyinatin mina alhuda wal-furqani)

fa-`a¨¨amta hurmata shahri ramadhana

bima anzalta fihi mina alqur’ani

wa khasastahu bilaylati alqadri

wa ja`altaha khayran min alfi shahrin

allahumma wa hadhihi aiyyamu shahri ramadhana slat a’ukhra qadi anqadhat

wa layalihi qad tasarramat

wa qad sirtu ya ilahy minhu ila ma anta a`lamu bihi minny

wa ahsa li`adadihi mina alkhalqi ajma`ina

fa-as’aluka bima salaka bihi mala’ikatuka almuqarrabuna

wa anbiya’uka almursaluna

wa `ibaduka alssalihuna

an tusalliya `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

wa an tafukka raqabaty mina alnnari

wa tudkhilany aljannata brahmatika

wa an tatafadhdhala `alayya bi`afwika wa karamika

wa tataqabbala taqarrubi

wa tastajiba du`a’y

wa tamunna `alayya bil-amni yawma alkhawfi

min kulli hawlin a`dadtahu liyawmi alqiyamati

ilahy wa a`udhu biwajhika alkarimi

wa bijalalika al`a¨imi

an tanqadhiya aiyyamu shahri ramadhana wa layalihi

wa laka qibaly tabi`atun aw dhanbun tu´akhidhuny bihi

aw khathyiatun turidu an taqtassaha minny lam taghfirha li

sayyidy sayyidy sayyidi

as’aluka ya la ilaha illa anta

idh la ilaha illa anta

in kunta radhita `anni fi hadha alshshahri

fazdad `anni ridhan

wa in lam takun radhita `anni

famina al-ana fardha `anni

ya arhama alrrahimina

ya allahu ya ahadu ya samadu

ya man lam yalid wa lam yulad

wa lam yakun lahu kufwan ahadun

4. Repeat the following invocation as many times as possible: 

يَا مُلَيّنَ الحَدِيدِ لِدَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

يَا كَاشِفَ الضّرّ وَالكُرَبِ العِظَامِ عَنْ أَيّوبَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

أَيْ مُفَرّجَ هَمّ يَعْقُوبَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

أَيْ مُنَفّسَ غَمّ يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

كَمَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ أَنْ تُصَلّيَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

وَافْعَلْ بِي مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ

.وَلا تَفْعَلْ بِي مَا أَنَا أَهْلُهُ

ya mulayyina alhadidi lidawuda `alayhi alssalamu

ya kashifa aldhdhurri wal-kurabi al`i¨ami `an ayyuba `alayhi alssalamu

ay mufarrija hamm ya`quba `alayhi alssalamu

ay munaffisa ghammi yusufa `alayhi alssalamu

salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

kama anta ahluhu an tusalliya `alayhim ajma`ina

waf`al by ma anta ahluhu

wa la taf`al by ma ana ahluhu

 5.Recite the following supplication:

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

وَاقْسِمْ لِي حِلْماً يَسُدّ عَنّي بَابَ الجَهْلِ

وَهُدَىً تَمُنّ بِهِ عَلَيّ مِنْ كُلّ ضَلالَةٍ

وَغِنَىً تَسُدّ بِهِ عَنّي بَابَ كُلّ فَقْرٍ

وَقُوّةً تَرُدّ بِهَا عَنّي كُلّ ضَعْفٍ

وَعِزّاً تُكْرِمُنِي بِهِ عَنْ كُلّ ذُلّ

وَرِفْعَةً تَرْفَعُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلّ ضَعَةٍ

وَأَمْناً تَرُدّ بِهِ عَنّي كُلّ خَوْفٍ

وَعَافِيَةً تَسْتُرُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلّ بَلاءٍ

وَعِلْماً تَفْتَحُ لِي بِهِ كُلّ يَقِينٍ

وَيَقِيناً تُذْهِبُ بِهِ عَنّي كُلّ شَكّ

وَدُعَاءً تَبْسُطُ لِي بِهِ الإِجَابَةَ فِي هذِهِ اللَيْلَةِ وَفِي هذِهِ السَّاعَةِ

السَّاعَةَ السَّاعّةَ السَّاعَةَ يَا كَرِيمُ

وَخَوْفاً تَنْشُرُ لِي بِهِ كُلّ رَحْمَةٍ

وَعِصْمَةً تَحُولُ بِهَا بَيْنِي وَبيْنَ الذّنُوبِ

حَتَّى أُفْلِحَ بِهَا عِنْدَ المَعْصومِينَ عِنْدَكَ

.بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَاأَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

waqsim li hilman yasuddu `anni baba aljahli

wa hudan tamunn bihi `alayya min kulli dhalalatin

wa ghinan tasudd bihi `anni baba kull faqrin

wa quwwatan tarudd biha `anni kulla dha`fin

wa `izzan tukrimuny bihi `an kulla dhullin

wa rif`atan tarfa`uny biha `an kulli dha`atin

wa amnan tarudd bihi `anni kulla khawfin

wa `afiyatan tasturuny biha `an kulli bala‘in

wa `ilman taftahu li bihi kulla yaqinin

wa yaqinan tudhhibu bihi `anni kulla shakkin

wa du`a‘an tabsuthu li bihi al-ijabata fi hadhihi allaylati wa fi hadhihi alssa`ati

alssa`ata alssa`ata alssa`ata ya karimu

wa khawfan tanshuru li bihi kull rahmatin

wa `ismatan tahulu biha bayny wa bina aldhdhunubi

hatta a’ufliha biha `inda alma`sumina `indaka

birahmatika yarhama alrrahimina

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) described Ramadan as the month of patience (narrated by Nesa’ee). He also stated that being grateful to Allah is half the faith, and being patient is the other half of faith.

He said: “I wonder for the affairs of the believer, all his affairs is good for him; this fate only belongs to those who believe. If he is enjoying a blessing, he is grateful to Allah, and this is good for him; and if he is experiencing difficulty, he patiently persevere, and this is good for him”

In Ramadan, we go through a good training of patience. We experience high ethics in our own worlds. We accustom our stomach to patience by not eating anything though we are hungry, by not drinking even a sip of water though our throat dries out of thirst.

During Ramadan we must control our desire for food and drink and intimate contact, and we pray regularly and offer additional prayers, and we recite the Qur’an often, and we conduct ourselves properly and not harm anyone in word or deed, and we hasten in all good deeds.

All this requires patience, perseverance, determination and commitment. Our priorities change so that pleasing God and getting close to Him is our main goal, everything else becomes secondary. Because Ramadan requires patience and sacrifice, Allah promised a great reward for those who fast this month with devotion and conduct themselves properly.

On the other hand, if we happen to get angry, or if our souls force us to backbite or to tell lies and bad words, we instantly refrain and remember that we are fasting and thus show patience against such evils.

What leads man to certain mistakes, causes him to perpetrate certain crimes, and lies  on the grounds of many calamities that he is faced with is the patience that he could not show in the beginning. If he had shown patience in the first place and persevered,  he could have avoided that calamity. So, “The cure for impatience which doubles the
disasters humans encounter is fasting.”

This training of patience that we carry out during Ramadan makes us recall those whose circumstances are more straitened than ours. This is because however poor one may be, one can by all means still find others poorer and more in need than oneself.

The Prophet sallalahu aalyhi wa sallam would engage in different forms of fasting in the month of Ramadan. Every year, he would revise the Quran with angel Jibreel aalyhi sallam. He was a generous man on ordinary days, but when Ramadan arrived he became even more generous and gave much charity. He engaged in kind acts, recitation of the Quran, prayers, remembrance and retreat during this month.

The Worship and Remembrance of Allah

When the month of Ramadan approached Prophet intensified his efforts. Humbly supplicating to his Lord, he sought help, support, victory and guidance. It was his spiritual power that kept him strong and motivated throughout the day and night.

The Days of Rasoolullah

Prophet (pbuh) busied himself with da’wah in the scorching heat of Arabia. He met people and counseled them regarding their day-to-day affairs. Not only that but he also participated in jihad while fasting. The battle of Badr and Tabouk were fought during this blessed month.

Prophet’s Advice to Have Suhoor

Prophet (pbuh) used to encourage his companions to take meal before daybreak [Suhoor]. He said, “Eat suhoor, for there are blessings in it.”
[Bukhari]
The period before daybreak is considered blessed because it is in the last third of the night, the time of divine descent and forgiveness.

Hasten to Have Iftar

Understanding that our energy levels are depleted by evening, the Prophet (pbuh) practiced and advised his companions to hasten to have iftar.

It was also established that the Prophet used to hasten to have a meal after the setting of the sun.

Fasting While Traveling

Prophet Muhammad traveled during Ramadan fasting and then breaking his fast. In this regard, he gave the companions the choice of fasting or not while traveling.

Last Ten Days

The last ten days of Ramadan were the most beloved and significant to the Prophet(pbuh).Among his practices also was that of retreat and seclusion during the last ten days of Ramadan.

During this time, he limited his contacts with people and intensified his supplication and prayers to Allah, the Lord of all Majesty and Glory. This was his practice to attune his heart towards to Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“In Ramadan there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”

“Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.”

Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and  after it.

Take a vacation for Allah.

We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.

Do I’tikaf.

It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for I’tikaf.

Make this special Dua.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?’  He said: ‘Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.’

Recite the Quran.

Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran.

Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you’ve heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.

Get your sins wiped out.

Don’t just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.

Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and  explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs.

Make long, sincere and deep Duas

One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.

Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation

Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights.

We need a Ramadan, a month of  Tawbaah.

We need a Ramadan, a month of  Maghfira.

We need a Ramadan to correct our behavior, to correct the differences & the difficulties and the envy / jealousies in our relationship between one another.

We need a Ramadan to understand that we have been committing injustice to one and another. And as the Prophet (pbuh) said :

‘Az-Zulm (injustice) . “Zulumaat yawmal Qiyaamah” we’ll be changed physically into darkness on the Day of Judgement.’

Ramadan is a month of Forgiveness.

Ramadan is a month of Rahmah.

Ramadan is the month of Generosity.

Ramadan, the month that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala accepts the Tawbah of the servants, and the month that Allah blesses His servants.

We are in need of Ramadan to correct ourselves, for we have forgotten Allah tabarak wa ta’ala for the majority of the year.

To correct ourselves for we have been neglectful.

To correct ourselves for we are not upon the remembrance of Allaah.

To correct ourselves because our hearts have gotten hard, some hearts are dead, some hearts are sick , some hearts are stone-cold, some hearts are black, getting no benefit whatsoever. Some hearts are so bad, and so ill that they see a good as a Munkar, (as an evil), and they see an evil as a good. These are not as they should be.

We need a Ramadan because our connection with Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala is not correct.

We need a Ramadan because we do not have any Khushoo or devotion in our Salaah.

We need a Ramadan because our Qura’an has dust and is sitting o­n a shelf.

We need a Ramadan because we never read the books of Sunnah.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t fast, and if we fast physically without food or drink, we don’t fast with our eyes by lowering them and our tongue by not slandering and our tongue by not lying and back-biting. We need a Ramadan to get ourselves back in order, to work for the Hereafter, to connect ourselves to Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

We need a Ramadan because relationships brother to brother and sister to sister is in a miserable condition.

We need a Ramadan because we have bad thoughts about o­ne another.

We need a Ramadan because there is backbiting, there is envy, there is jealousy, and there is slander.

We need a Ramadan because we are despicable, because we are sick.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t believe in the promise of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala, or if we do, we do not implement it.

We need a Ramadan because it is time for us to change and become something better then we are now.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t have unity, there’s no brotherhood

We need a Ramadan because there’s no respect for elders.

We need a Ramadan because there’s no real love between us.

We need a Ramadan, full of love and the Mercy of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

A Ramadan like we come in, like in a clinic or a hospital, trying to solve our illnesses, trying to come out of there without the disease we came with, trying to be better than we went in with.

We need a Ramadan, that we come in the Masjid and we face the Qiblah and we say “Allahu Akbar” and we stand in qiyamah a long time until those diseases, that filth, that sickness, that hardness the heart goes away.

We need a Ramadan that reminds us of the Hell-fire.

We need a Ramadan that lets us known that we are servants of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

We need a Ramadan and it is clear.If there is any fear of Allah left in the hearts of ours and if there is any hope of Janah left in us, and if there is any desire to change and to be better and to be righteous and to come to the level of Ihsaan, to come to the level of a Mumim, to have taqwa, to fear Allah

… we need a Ramadan.

Ritual acts of worship, as fasting, are deemed invalid, and are not accepted unless we act correctly. Thus:

Fasting and Perjury:

“Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting by it; then Allah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink.”

“How much of the fasting is not from his fast, except hunger and thirst.”
(Narrated by  Abu Hurayra)

Verily, the fast of common people is to abandon food and drink, ant the fast of believers is to abandon sins and wrongdoings, while the fast of righteous worshipers is to abandon everything except Allah.

“All the works of Adam are for him, but fasting is for Me and I shall reward him for it.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

Piety:

“Piety”, broadly speaking, means obedience to Allah. Actually, when you ask Allah His forgiveness, repent to Him and perform righteous deeds, you are close to Allah during your salah. Then, what are the results of this salah? It is that Allah Almighty will cast a light in your heart that shows you the righteous things as righteous and the wrong things as wrong.

“O you who believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). “
(Al-Hadid, 57: 28)

This light shows you the righteous things as righteous and the wrong things as wrong. Verily, this light is piety.

“O you who believe! Observing as-saum (fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqun (those who fear and practise  self-restraint).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

Piety, as it was defined by Imam al-Ghazzali, may Allah Almighty grant mercy upon his soul, is: “A light that Allah casts in your heart.” It shows you good and evil as they are. In fact, in regard to those people who commit sins and wrongdoings, what did they see before they committed them? They saw them as achievement and pleasure. So whoever disobeys Allah has a wrong vision (a false perception) and there is blindness in his heart. Allah the Almighty says:

“But whosever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and  We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment. He will say: O my Lord, why have You raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)? (Allah) will say: Thus did you…”
(Taha, 20: 124-126)

Which means: thus you were blind (to the truth) in the worldly life, because:

“Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but the hearts which are in their breast.”
(Al-Hajj, 22:46)

Verily, just when you are away from Allah (when you disobey Him), you will lose that light; you see the good as evil, and the evil as good. You will see spending on sadaqah as foolishness; stinginess as prudence, satisfying illicit lusts as intelligence, and
avoiding them as stupidity.

Therefore, in order to see good and bad as such, Allah obliged us to fast in the month of Ramadan.

“O you who believe! Observing as-saum (fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqun (those who fear and practise self-restraint).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

“(Observing saum) for a fixed number of days…”
(Al-Baqarah, 2: 184)

What is Allah’s wisdom behind fasting?

• The first wisdom:

To feel that we are in need of Allah. We are prevented from eating and drinking, there is no prohibition on days other than in the month of Ramadan, so when you feel hungry and thirsty you realize that you are a servant of Allah, and you are in need of a sip of water. Actually, the more you feel that you need Allah, the more will Allah raise your station. As the poet said:

I have no way (to be close to You) except my dire need of You; By my need for You I push away my poverty (my need for other things).
There is no door to knock except Yours (I ask no one but You). But if you drive me away, on which door shall I knock! (there is no other one to help me)

So first, it accustoms us to feel the dire need of Allah.

• The second wisdom:

Fast convinces us that we are loyal to Allah (we are doing righteous deeds only for His sake ) because no law of the world will call you to account if you eat during the day in Ramadan. It is specifically related to the deen. You may come home ( while you are fasting) feeling extremely thirsty, while there is cold water in the refrigerator, and there is no one else in the house, i.e. no one is watching you, nevertheless you never put a drop of water in your mouth (because you believe that Allah watches you).  So:

“Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward him for it.”

Verily, fasting is worshiping with devotion.

• The third wisdom:

There is another thing: fasting strengthens the will, i.e. if you avoid permissible things during the days of Ramadan, that is all the more reason to abandon the illicit  ones. you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you lie; you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you fill your eyes with the beauty of a woman who is not permitted to you; you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you swear a false oath while buying or selling! Actually, when Allah deprives you of the licit during your fast, that is all the more reason to abandon the illicit. It seems as if Allah wanted to strengthen your will and your determination in this noble month.

• The fourth wisdom:

There is something else; Allah wants us to experience the situation of the poor. In fact, you either face the reality or perceive it by your mind, and there is a big difference between the two cases. Just for clarification, if a friend of yours had a quarrel with his wife and consequently she has left home and went to her parent’s  house, you’ve got a notion that your friend’s wife has abandoned him. Your own wife is at home (you have a successful marriage), your food is ready, your children are well looked after, their food is good, their clothes are clean, all your needs are taken care of, and your house is clean. So you do not live the reality of being without a wife, but you realize that your friend’s wife has left him. Thus, perceiving reality is totally different from experiencing it. As the saying goes:

No one knows the feeling of yearning except who has experienced it; and no one knows the burning love except who has experienced it.

Thus, in Ramadan, Allah the Almighty wants us to experience the suffering of the poor.  On ordinary days (other than the days of Ramadan), we eat and drink, and we do not appreciate the value of cold water, and hot (good) food. We always eat and drink, while the poor have nothing to eat.

By Allah, one of my friends told me that he went to the house of one of his relatives,  and he swore that he opened the fridge and found it completely empty, there wasn’t a piece of bread to eat in that house. Hence, when you become hungry (due to fasting) you should remember that there are those who have nothing to eat.Once a woman went to a shop and bought chicken legs, which are only given to dogs. So due to her severe poverty, she bought those chicken legs, and cooked them in order to give just the taste of meat to their food.

One of Ramadan advantages is that it is the month of generosity Brothers, Ramadan is the month of spending on the poor, of righteousness, of  benevolence, of sadaqah, and of zakat. Moreover, the Self-Sufficient and the Judge (Allah the Almighty) never accepts fasting unless zakat al-fitr is paid. Actually, Imam Shafi’i has established that it is preferable to pay zakat al-fitr starting from the first day of Ramadan, because it is food for the poor and an expiation of sins. So Allah wants everyone to give sadaqah in Ramadan, even the poor, i.e. it is imposed upon whoever has his daily food, the food that is sufficient just for one day, so that the poor man may enjoy the taste of spending even if only once a year.

Dear brothers, fasting in Ramadan remains suspended between the heaven and earth (is not accepted) unless zakat al-fitr is paid.

Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah (radhiallahu `anhu) reported that two men came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them  used to partake in Jihad more-so than the other, and so (one day) he fought in a battle and was martyred therein. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he passed away.

Talha said, ‘I saw in my dream that I was at the door of Paradise when behold, I was with both of them (the two men). Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’

Talha woke up and began to inform others about this and they were all surprised. This reached the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).

Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) said, “What are you surprised about?”

They said, “O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one was entered into Paradise before him.”

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Did he not remain behind him for one year?”

They said, “Yes he did.”

He said, “Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?”

They said, “Yes.”

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.”

Make the most of Ramadan, we seriously don’t realise its greatness, worth and reward.

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Zakat (alms) is the name of what a believer returns out of his or her wealth to the neediest of Muslims for the sake of the Almighty Allah. It is called Zakat because the word Zakat is from Zakaa which means, to increase, purify and bless.

The obligation is to give 2.5% of one’s wealth to those in need. Zakat is essentially an act of worship through which Muslims can purify their wealth, cleanse their souls and benefit themselves as well as others – it is a symbol of Islamic social justice.

The obligatory nature of Zakat is firmly established in the Qur’an, the Sunnah (or hadith), and the consensus of the companions and the Muslim scholars.

Allah states in Surah at-Taubah: “O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty – On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- “This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!”

(The Holy Qur’an 9:34-35).

Who should pay Zakat?

Every sane, adult Muslim who possesses equal to or more wealth than the Nisab for one lunar year is eligible to pay Zakat.“Nisab” is an Arabic word which means the minimum value of wealth that one must own to become eligible to pay Zakat; in its current monetary value is equal to 87.48grams of gold or 612.36grams of silver.

Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab.

How To Give Zakat?

Make a record of all money earned, either daily or monthly, which has reached the nisaab and remains in the treasury. The Zakat of that money would be due one year later on the same day the money was earned and reached nisaab. This means every month’s income must be set aside and assessed for Zakat and so will be the case for the rest of  the months.

The best way is to set a day or a month, preferably Ramadan, for your annual Zakat return calendar, say Ramadan 1st. One year later on the same day of Ramadan, your Zakat is due and payable. Whatever is in the savings is due for Zakat, regardless of whether all the amount in the savings reaches a year or not. This method is the best because it is easy to assess, meets one’s obligation and relieve one’s conscience.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS IMPOSED:

• Gold and silver, in any form.
• Cash, bank notes, stocks, bonds etc.
• Merchandise for business, equal to the value of Nisaab.
• Live stock.
• On income derived from rental business.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS NOT IMPOSED:

• On any metals other than gold or silver.
• Fixtures and fittings of a shop, car, trucks or any delivery vehicle etc., which is used in running business.
• Diamonds, pearls, other precious or semi precious stones which are for personal use.
• There is no Zakat on personal residence, household furniture, pots and pan, personal clothing, whether they are in use or not.
• There is no Zakat on a person whose liabilities exceed or equal his assets.
• Home Mortgage is not to be counted as personal liability for the Zakat purpose.

Who is eligible to receive it?

Knowing who qualifies as recipient of Zakat is an important aspect of Zakat collection in Islam. Fortunately, Allah (SWT) has been merciful to us in that He Himself spelled out the people eligible to receive Zakat.

In Surah Tawbah He stated:
“Alms are for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer (the funds); for  those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.”

(Surah 9: Verse 60 )

• People who are in complete poverty and have nothing.
• People who have some wealth, but not enough to meet their basic needs.
• The people who collect Zakat to distribute to the poor and needy.
• People who are sympathetic towards Islam or wish to enter to Islam, and are needy.
• Zakat may be used to free a person from slavery.
• Zakat can be given to those who are in debt and unable to pay off their debt.
• The people who work in God’s way and strive to give Dawah.
• Travellers and/or wayfarers who are needy.

It is, however, permissible to give Zakat to a wife or family member, provided it is not part of their daily living expense money, but is needed to pay off a debt for one’s wife if she can not pay it. So is the case for one’s parents if they can not pay their debt.

PUNISHMENT FOR NOT GIVING ZAKAT:

Allah says in the Quran: “And there are those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, announce to them a most grievous penalty (when) on the Day of Judgment heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of Hell. Then with it they will be branded on their forehead and their flanks and backs. (It will be said to them) This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves, taste then the treasure that you have been hoarding.”

(Al-Quran 9:34-35)

THE concept of charity assumes new dimension in the blessed month of  Ramadan, especially because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to be most  generous during this month.

Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the most generous of the men; and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril visited him every night and recited the Qur’an to him. During this period, the generosity of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) waxed faster than the rain bearing wind.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Imam Ahmad added to this narration, “And nothing he was asked for but he would give it.”

Furthermore, Al-Bayhaqi reported that ‘Aaishah, may Allah be pleased with her, had said, “When Ramadhan would start, the Prophet would release all prisoners of war and  fulfill the need of every person who would ask him for something.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Spend and don’t count lest Allah counts for you, and don’t hoard up lest Allah withhold from you. Spend what you can.”

If you keep strict account of your charity, Allah will also keep strict account of  His gifts and wealth on you. This principle applies everywhere.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “The Almighty Allah says: O son of Adam! Spend, you will then be spent for.”

You will be given wealth and rewards from the treasures of Allah, in case you give away  in charity, because a cistern when vacated is usually filled up and that which remains filled up without consumption is not at all filled up. The Qur’an says: “And whatever thing you spend, it will be given in exchange.”

Abu Omamah reported that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “O son of Adam! That you spend wealth is good for you and that you withhold it is bad for you, and you should not be backbitten for miserliness. Begin with those who are in you family.”

First of all, every man should provide the necessities to his family members and then there is the question of charity in case of surplus. In such a case, a gift to family members will bring greater rewards than a gift to strangers.

For Muslims the joy of giving in this holy month knows no bound. And it is during this month that the obligatory charity, called Zakat, is distributed to the poor and needy. It enables them to spend the fasting month in peace and comfort.

Spending out of whatever has been given to man stands for charity in a broad sense, i.e., for acts of benevolence to humanity in general. For what Allah has given to man is not only the wealth, which he possesses but all the faculties and power with which he has been gifted.

The most frequently recurring words for charity in the Holy Quran are ‘Infaq’, which means spending benevolently, ‘Ihsan’, which means the doing of good, Zakat which means growth or purification, and ‘Sadaqah’ which is derived from the root ‘Sidq’, meaning truth, and comes to signify a charitable deed.

Charity, in the sense of giving away one’s wealth, is of two kinds, voluntary and obligatory. Voluntary charity is generally mentioned in the Quran as ‘Infaq’ or ‘Ihsan’ or ‘Sadaqah’, and though the Holy Book is full of injunctions on this subject, and hardly a leaf is turned which does not bring to mind the grand object of the service of  humanity as the goal of man’s life.

A charitable deed must be done as a duty which man owes to man, so that it conveys no idea of the superiority of the giver or the inferiority of the receiver. Love of Allah should be the motive of all charitable deeds, so that the every doing of them fosters the feeling that all mankind is but a single family. Only good things and well-earned money should be given in charity.

Charity has value only if something good and valuable is given, which has been honorably earned or acquired by the giver or which is produced in nature and can be referred to as bounty of Allah.

Charitable deeds may be done openly or secretly, although the latter form is better.  Those who do not beg should be the first to receive charity.

Zakat is wealth which is taken from the rich and given to the poor, being so called because it makes the wealth grow, or because the giving away of wealth is a source of  purification. In fact, both these reasons hold true.

It is however, true that the same stress has not been laid on this principle in previous religions, and, moreover the institution of charity, like every other principle of religion, has been brought to perfection, along with the perfection of
religion, in Islam.

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  Ramadan 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.

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 Ramadans, 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.

A woman should not fast – except during Ramadan – if her husband is present without his permission, but if he is travelling then it does not matter.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

It is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept what Allah has decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent her from bleeding. She should be content with what Allah 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. 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.

Istihaadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) does not have any effect on the validity of  the fast.

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. 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.

If a woman becomes clean from nifaas before forty days, she should fast and do ghusl so  that she can pray.  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).

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.

In the case of a woman who is obliged to fast, if her husband has intercourse with her during the day in Ramadan 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 Allah have mercy on him) said:

“In the case of a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in  Ramadan 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.

A woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away from him and not adorn herself during the day in Ramadan.

Women have to make up the fasts that they miss during Ramadan, 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.

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.”

Niyyah (intention) is a required condition in fasts, because the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“There is no fast for the person who did not intend to fast from the night before.”

The intention may be made at any point during the night, even if it is just a moment before Fajr. Niyyah means the resolution in the heart to do something; speaking it aloud is bid’ah (a reprehensible innovation), and anyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadan and wants to fast has made the intention.

If a person intends to break his fast during the day but does not do so, then according  to the most correct opinion, his fast is not adversely affected by this; he is like a person who wants to speak during the prayer but does not speak. Some of the scholars think that he is not fasting as soon as he stops intending to fast, so to be on the safe side, he should make up that fast later on. Apostasy, however, invalidates the intention; there is no dispute on this matter.

The person who is fasting Ramadan does not need to repeat the intention every night during Ramadan; it is sufficient to have the intention at the beginning of the month. If the intention is interrupted by breaking the fast due to travel or sickness – for example – he has to renew the intention to fast when the reason for breaking the fast is no longer present.

If a person embarks on an obligatory fast, such as making up for a day missed in Ramadan, or fulfilling a vow, or fasting as an act of expiation (kafaarah), he must complete the fast, and he is not permitted to break it unless he has a valid excuse for doing so. In the case of a naafil fast, “the person who is observing a voluntary fast  has the choice either to complete the fast or to break it” – even if there is no reason to break it.

If a prisoner or captive knows that Ramadan has begun by sighting the moon himself or by being told by a trustworthy person, he has to fast. If he does not know when the  month is beginning, he must try to work it out for himself (ijtihaad) and act according  what he thinks is most likely. If he later finds out that his fasting coincided with Ramadan, this is fine according to the majority of scholars, and if his fasting came after Ramadan, this is fine according to the majority of fuqahaa’, but if his fasting came before Ramadan, this is not acceptable, and he has to make up the fast. If part of his fasting coincided with Ramadan and part of it did not, what coincided with it or came after it is fine, but what came before is not OK. If the matter never becomes clear to him, then his fasting is fine because he did the best he could, and Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope.

Amongst the special Ibaadah of the month of Ramadan are the fasts and the Taraweeh.  Taraweeh is the special evening prayers are conducted during which long portions of the  Qur’an are recited.

Taraweeh prayers are prayed in pairs of two and can be prayed 20 rakat. Some believe  that 8 can be read. A break is taken after every 4 rakah.

It is customary to attempt a khatm “complete recitation” of the Quran as one of the  religious observances of Ramadan by reciting at least one juz’ per night in Taraweeh .  Taraweeh prayers are considered optional, not mandatory.

Once, in the holy month of Ramadan, the Prophet (PBUH) came out of his home and led  Salat Al-Taraweeh. The Sahabah (R A) who were present at the time, prayed behind him in congregation. The second and the third nights, a larger number of Sahabah (R A) came and performed Salat Al-Taraweeh behind the Prophet (PBUH). On the fourth night,  an even larger number of Sahabah (R A) showed up in the Masjid expecting to pray this new salat behind the Prophet (PBUH). But, he did not come out to lead Salat Al-Taraweeh that night. The Sahabah (R A) waited all night. When the Prophet (PBUH) finally emerged for the Fajr prayer he told them:

“I knew you were waiting for me, but I did not come out to lead Salat Al-Taraweeh last night because I was afraid it might become an obligation (Fard) on the Ummah which they might find difficult to fulfill.”

The great muhaddith, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Rahmatullah ‘Alay), who is well-known for his interpretation of Sahih Al-Bukhari has reported in his book Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer on the authority of ‘Aisha (Radhiallahu anhaa) that the Prophet (PBUH) performed twenty  raka’at Taraweeh on those three nights (Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer, h540).

Imam Ibn Habban (Rahmatullah ‘Alay), on the other hand, has reported a hadith in which it is asserted that the Prophet (PBUH) performed eight raka’at of Taraweeh on those three nights. However, this hadith is extremely weak because one of the people in the chain of narrators is a person named Isa Ibn Jaariyah. Imam Nasa`i (Rahmatullah ‘Alay)
and Imam Abu Dawood (Rahmatullah ‘Alay) have strongly questioned the authenticity of  this narrator. Consequently, both of these Imams of hadith concluded that ahadith narrated by Isa Ibn Jaariyah must never be accepted.

However, even if the hadith narrated by Isa Ibn Jaariyah was not weak, it would still not be adopted because it goes against a clearly established practice and consensus of Sahabah (R A). As a rule of Islamic jurisprudence, any hadith that goes against the clearly established practices and consensus of Sahabah (R A) will not be adopted for practice.

Contrary to many misconceptions, there is no valid evidence that any of the following  acts invalidate the fast (even though some of them might reduce the rewards of  fasting).

• Involuntary ejaculations, like wet dreams.But he should hasten to do ghusl so that he can pray and so that the angels will draw close to him.
• Involuntary vomiting
• Excessive washing of the nose and mouth during wudoo.
• Things that one cannot avoid swallowing, like one’s own saliva, or dust from grinding flour, do not break the fast.
• Tasting food (when cooking), without swallowing.
• Taking a bath or swimming.
• Involuntary, forced or forgetful eating or drinking.
• Using siwaak (toothbrush without tooth paste).
• Using eye-shadows (kuhl), and applying or smelling perfumes.
• Eating before Maghrib (sunset) or after fajr (dawn) because of mistake in time recognition.
• Drawing out blood from the body.
• Having the ears syringed; nose drops and nasal sprays – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• Tablets that are placed under the tongue to treat angina and other conditions – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• Medically required injections and medications placed on wounds.
• Using henna, kohl or oil does not break the fast. This also applies to creams used to moisturize and soften the skin.
• Dental fillings, tooth extractions, cleaning of the teeth, use of siwaak or toothbrush – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• The asthma sprays are permissible to use as it goes to your lungs and not to your stomach and it is a necessity.
• If a person suffers from a nosebleed, his fast is still valid, because this is something that is beyond his control.

There are many things that the fasting person must avoid because if he does them during the daytime of the month of Ramadan his fast would be void, and he would have increased his sins. The following are things that break the fast:

• Eat, drink or indulge in cohabitation intentionally.
• If water goes down the throat while gargling.
• Deliberate inhalation of smoke.
• Vomit mouthful intentionally.
• Any injection which has some nutritional value.
•  Eating deliberately after having eaten mistakenly.
• To swallow something edible, equal to or bigger than a grain of gram, which was stuck between the teeth. However, if it is first taken out of the mouth and then swallowed, it will break the fast whether it is smaller or bigger than the size of the grain.
• Swallow the blood from gums with saliva. However, if the blood is less than the saliva and its taste is not felt then the fast will not break.
• Breaking (iftar) fast without the intention of doing so.
• Lustful kissing of ones spouse.
• Ejaculation, either by masturbation or any other method of ejaculating short of  intercourse, whether the cause was kissing the wife, or hugging her, or by use of the hands, etc.
• Remaining in the state of janabah (uncleanliness due to seminal discharge) till dawn.
• Menstruation and post-partum bleeding. Even if the bleeding starts just before the sun sets.

Other things that break the fast are only considered to do so, if the following three conditions apply:

• If a person knows that it breaks the fast and is not ignorant
• If he is aware of what he is doing and has not forgotten that he is fasting
• If he does it from his own free will and is not forced to do it

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise until sundown abstaining form eating food, drinking and having sexual relations. There are many reasons why Muslims fast during  Ramadan.

• Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, constituting one of the most important spiritual practices designed to empower a human being in overcoming the self  and transcending the ego, the one true veil between a human being and his or her Creator.
• The purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God- consciousness, compassion, the spirit of caring and sharing, the love of humanity and the love of God.
• By fasting in Ramadan, we develop the holy qualities of empathy and compassion, becoming more aware of our intrinsic connection and oneness with all human beings  regardless of borders or labels that create artificial separation among the citizens of  the human race.
• Fasting indoctrinates us in patience, unselfishness, and gratitude. When we fast we  feel the pains of deprivation and hunger, and learn how to endure it patiently.
• Fasting in Ramadan enables us to master the art of mature adaptability and Time- Management. We can easily understand this point when we realize that fasting makes  people change the entire course of their daily life.
• Fasting elevates the human spirit and increases our awareness of God. It strengthens our will-power as we learn to rise above our lower desires.
• It cultivates in us the principle of sincere Love, because when we observe Fasting, we do it out of deep love for God. And a person, who loves God, truly is a person who knows what love is and why everyone on this Earth should be loved and treated justly, for the sake of God.
• In the month of Ramadan, many Muslims try to avoid watching TV, listening to music, and some other leisure activities, which spares them more time and energy to be spent on more productive activities such as intense study of Islam, voluntary prayers, social and humanitarian causes, and a quality time with the family, to name a few.
• One of the greatest benefits of fasting in Ramadan is renewing solidarity and cultivating relationships with one’s family and community. Only one who observes fasting in Ramadan can truly know the beauty and joy of breaking fast with others, celebrating the gift of life daily for thirty days with loved ones.
• Fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health and mental well-being. The time, length and nature of the Islamic Fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. Fasting in Ramadan keeps the body healthy and youthful (provided one does not overindulge when breaking fast).
• Fasting makes us realize how dependent our lives are on things that we often take for granted, such as food and water. It makes us think about our dependence on God and God’s mercy and justice.
• Fasting inculcates a spirit of tolerance in man to face unpleasant conditions and situations without making his fellow-being the victim of his wrath on account of his adverse conditions, such as deprivation of his basic needs of life, which constitutes the common cause of dissension among men.
• Fasting affords lessons in punctuality through man’s strict adherence to various time schedules in the observance of fasts and offering of prayers.
• Fasting enforces in man rigid discipline mental, spiritual and physical a trait of  character which forms an essential ingredient to success in human life.

The opportunity to observe fasting in Ramadan is a gift from God, allowing us to grow and develop as human beings, enabling us to become more compassionate, caring, kind and grateful.

By observing fasting in Ramadan, a Muslim has a profound and unique opportunity to become more peaceful, present and spiritual — the very goal of Islam.

Ramadan the blessed month is a great opportunity for forgiveness, blessing, worship and obedience towards Allah. Muslims should use the period of Ramadan to seek forgiveness from Allah and also forgive those that have offended them in order to gain from the salvation of the Almighty Allah. This makes it a great time to ask God for His Forgiveness. It’s also a wonderful time to open our hearts and cleanse them of grudges and bitterness by forgiving others.

“The smart man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good deeds).”

Allah says,

“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).”

“Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers).”

“And those who, when they have wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:133-136]

“And seek forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate.”
[Al-Muzzammil 73: 20]

“Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:53]

“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Nisa’ 4:110]

“The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers.”
[Ash-Shura 42: 40]

Allah being Al-Ghafour (the All-Forgiving) promises that He will forgive those who ask forgiveness. Part of being human includes committing wrongdoings and incurring sin.The fact that God talks about forgiveness shows how deficient human beings really are. Humans do commit error and do engage in wrong doings, but there is an important facet to this flaw in our own beings, that we may be completed by turning back to God and asking for His forgiveness.

Forgiveness is letting go of the need for revenge, any sense of bitterness or resentment and to let go of the past. While God does this with Perfection, it is in fact harder for us to forgive.

Another dimension of forgiveness is to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness too. Ramadan is the perfect time to do that as during the days of forgiveness, saying sorry becomes more light weight than usual.

The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: Musa, the son of Imran once asked, “Oh my Lord! Who is the most honorable of Your servants? And He replied, the person who forgives even when he is in a position of power” (Baihaqi). Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet.

You may be right. You may be in that position of power mentioned in the Hadith above. But forgiving others, apart from positively affecting our health (less stress) and our minds (one less negative thing to focus on), is a necessary step to closeness to God.

Is there not something strange about asking for God’s forgiveness of our sins while withholding our forgiveness from someone who has hurt us?

So, O slaves of Allah, be among the people of good, following the path of your righteous forebears who were guided by the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so that we may end Ramadan with our sins forgiven and our righteous deeds accepted.

Let us use this Ramadan to open our hearts to those who have wronged us and forgive them as we beg Allah to forgive us.

Muslims have been fasting in Ramadan for more than 1430 years since they were ordered by God Almighty through the Glorious Qur’an:

Oh you who believe! Fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you, so that you may learn self-restraint
(2:183).

The purpose of the fast is meant to purify oneself from thoughts and deeds that counter Islam.

Allah prescribed fasting on many nations before Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet.

The Qur’an tells us that when Zakariyah (pbuh) prayed and asked Allah to give him offspring, he was commanded to fast three days by abstaining from talking.
Likewise,Maryam the mother of Esa(pbuh) was also ordered by Allah to fast the same way when she became pregnant.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told us that Daud (pbuh) used to fast every other day.

Ramadan has a number of significant relations to the Muslims in general.

For it was in Ramadan that the Holy Prophet was first informed of his prophethood

The first revelation of the divine book Al Quran came down in the month of the month of Ramadan wherein the Sura ”Iqra’ bismi Rabbikalla thee khalaq” was revealed .

The connection we have with the month of Ramadan other than fasting is the illustrious battle of Badr which was fought in this month. The first formal military confrontation took place between the idol worshipers of Mecca and the Muslims in Medina.

Before  Hijra, when fasting was practiced by the Prophet in Makkah, there was no such thing as Ramadan. The only kind of fasting that the Holy Prophet and his Meccan companions performed during that period was the ancient form of fasting that had been enjoined upon all the prophets that had come before him namely, to fast three days in each of the twelve months of the year.

Upon his Hijra to Madinah, the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory on the believers in the second year of the Hijra in the form of the ayah that was initially recited.

In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we’ve got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

• Try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
• Open your hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year.Whatever you can give, it’s the intention that counts.
• Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites.Try to memorize new Surahs. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you’ve started, you’ll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one.
• Try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. The community spirit is part of Ramadan’s blessings. Don’t miss it this year.
• It’s hard not to shut our mouths off when someone upset’s us. Stop Swearing And Backbiting.
• Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with.
• After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.
• Even if you feel you’ve got absolutely no time, you can read a page of the Quran you open. The point is simply to connect with God through His evelation in the month of the Quran.
• Go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is great for the soul.
• Keep away from debates and arguments.
• Be nice to those around you, even if you don’t know you. Just smile to people.
• Help someone across the road, carry the groceries for your neighbor.
• Think outside of the box, help a couple to get married, help someone out of debt, buy translated Qurans for new converts.
• Tie your yearly Zakat with Ramadan. Any money or gold that has been in your possession for a year has zakat which should be paid. It might be easier to tie your zakat with Ramadan because it is a memorable date.

Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done.

Remember that Allah is watching during Ramadan and After not Only during Ramadan.

Ramadan is just around the corner! We should start to plan and prepare ourselves for the holy month and get the most out of the blessed days. But, we forget one main concern: food. As with anything important, it is always good to be prepared.

Make Your Weekly Ramadan Meal Plan

Thinking of what to cook takes about as much time and effort as the actual task.Make a schedule for one or two weeks and rotate it during the month, or make it for all 30 days! Put it up on the fridge so you see it constantly, are prepared and in the mindset of what needs to be done, rather than scouring through your recipe books trying to
locate your menu at the last minute.

Stock Up on Dry Groceries

The whole process of making a grocery list, going to the store, shopping and then putting them away is more time and energy consuming than most of us realise. This includes doing the bulk of grocery shopping for things that can be stocked up. Narrowing the list down to just perishables every week,means that the chore of doing groceries does not seem like such a big task anymore and can be done in minimum time.

Share the Workload

Division of labor is a wonderful thing. This applies to making all the samosas/other snacks before Ramadan or even the chores of the house during the month itself. Get your kids involved in cleaning up after themselves, setting the table and helping you around the house within their capacity.Let them know the amount of reward they get with the right intention is multiplied during Ramadan.

Manage your time to Finish your Kitchen Work

This will greatly help maintain your routine. It will ensure that you are not cooking right up until the adhan for the Maghrib prayer. Make sure you start early in order to be done early to make the most of the blessed time before iftar.

 Eat Healthy

• During Ramadan it’s important to eat healthy and stay healthy.
• Drink lots of water. Proper hydration is essential.
• Replace sugar with fruit when possible, Sugar robs our bodies of minerals and vitamins.
• Try eating whole wheat bread and unpolished rice.
• Avoid foods high in salt such as pickles, salty crackers and nuts, and canned foods.
• Do not over eat. This might cause indigestion.
• Choose fresh vegetables as they contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals.
• Use fresh fruits to prepare juices and serve them in moderation.
• Use low fat milk and other low fat dairy products.
• Avoid using butter and ghee in cooking and substitute them with vegetable oils in small amounts.
• Try using lean meat, fish and skinless chicken, and prepare them by grilling, boiling and baking rather than frying
• Try and avoid having a large quantity of starters and sweets which will lead to weight gain
• Walk or participate in some kind of physical activity.

Health FAQs

Should a person with diabetes fast?

• People who have their diabetes under control, either by their diet or using tablets, may fast. However, their GP may require them to change their medication to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Those who need insulin to control their diabetes should not fast

I get severe migraines when I don’t eat and they get worse when I fast. Should I fast?

• People with uncontrolled migraines should not fast. However, managing your migraines is possible with the right medicine and with changes to the person’s lifestyle. Ask your GP for further advice on controlling your migraines.

Should a person with high or low blood pressure fast?

• People with well-controlled high blood pressure may fast. Their GP may require a change to their medicine to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Someone with low blood pressure who is otherwise well and healthy may fast. They must drink enough fluid and have enough salt.

Is fasting harmful when a woman is expecting a baby? Must pregnant women fast?

• There’s medical evidence to show that fasting in pregnancy is not a good idea. If a pregnant woman feels strong and healthy enough to fast, especially during the early part of the pregnancy, she may do so. If she doesn’t feel well enough to fast, Islamic law gives her clear permission not to fast, and to make up the missed fasts later. If she is unable to do this, she must perform fidyah (a method of compensation for a missed act of worship).

Is Ramadan a good time to quit smoking?

• Yes. Smoking is wasteful and seriously bad for your health. Ramadan is a great opportunity to change many unhealthy habits, and smoking is definitely one of them.

Can I use an asthma inhaler during Ramadan?

• Muslim experts differ on this issue. Some say that using an asthma inhaler isn’t the same as eating or drinking, and is therefore permitted during fasting. In their view, people with asthma can fast and use their inhalers whenever they need to. But other scholars say that the inhaler provides small amounts of liquid medicine to the lungs, so it breaks the fast. They say that people with poor control of their asthma must not fast until good control is achieved. Some people with asthma may opt for longer-acting inhalers so that they can fast. See your GP for further advice.

Can a person fast if they are getting a blood transfusion in hospital?

•  No. A person receiving a blood transfusion is advised not to fast on medical grounds. They may fast on the days when no transfusions are required.

Could dehydration become so bad that you have to break the fast?

• Yes. You could have harmful levels of water loss if you were poorly hydrated (not drinking enough water) before the fast. Poor hydration can be made worse by weather conditions, and even everyday activities like walking to walk or housework. If you produce very little or no urine, feel disorientated and confused, or faint due to dehydration, you must stop fasting and have a drink of water or other fluid. Islam doesn’t require you harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, it will need to be compensated for by fasting at a later date.

Can I fast while I have dialysis?

• People on peritoneal dialysis must not fast and should perform fidyah. Haemodialysis is performed about three times a week, and causes significant shifts of fluids and salts within the body. Such patients must not fast and should perform fidyah.

Do people normally lose weight during Ramadan?

• Some people do lose weight, but others may not. It is recommended that meals eaten during Ramadan be light, but most people can’t resist sampling special sweets and foods associated with Ramadan.

I am on regular medication. Can I still fast?

•  If the medicine needs to be taken during fasting, do not fast. If this medication is required as treatment for a short illness, you can compensate for missed fasts by fasting on other days when you are well.If you are on long-term medication then you could talk to your GP whether to change your medication, so that you can take it outside the time of the fast. If your disease is unstable or poorly controlled, do not fast. Those who are unable to do the missed fasts later, due to the long-term use of medication, should do fidyah.

Does a breastfeeding woman have to fast?

• No. Islamic law says a breastfeeding mother does not have to fast. Missed fasts must be compensated for by fasting or fidyah once breastfeeding has stopped.

Procrastination is the big daddy of productivity busters and seems to spare no one from its deadly clutches. It is something that we as humans fall for subconsciously at one time or the other.

As a child I was always told by my beloved mother not to delay what is to be done to a later time as it is something that stems from carelessness and laziness. Procrastination is a habit that is difficult to shake off once developed.

I was always told:

‘Tomorrow’s work do today, today’s work now and now’s work immediately.’

In hindsight, I understand that it was and is one of the most valuable pieces of advice one could ever receive. Procrastination creates obstacles for you in every walk of life no matter what you are doing: be it studies, work, your religion or any other task at hand. If not dealt with early and effectively, procrastination becomes a way of life and keeps haunting you till you have no time left to do all the things you had or wanted to. Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says in the Qur’an:
“Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: “My Lord! Send me back so that I may do good in that which I have left behind” [Qur'an: Chapter 23, Verses 99-100]

With the precious month of Ramadan just round the corner, we must get serious about beating procrastination if we want to take full advantage of all the bumper rewards that Ramadan is packed with! Give yourself an immensely rewarding challenge: make the intention to beat procrastination before Ramadan, and resolve to start implementing these steps to beat procrastination from TODAY:

1.    The Anti-Procrastination Dua

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) gifted us a beautiful, comprehensive dua to ward off all kinds of mental stress and obstacles that prevent us from reaching our full potential in our spiritual and worldly lives. Memorize this brilliant dua, make it once or more times a day and immediately notice the difference in your productivity:

“Allahumma inni ‘a’udhubika minal hammi walhuzni, Wal’ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, Wa dal’id-daiyni wa ghalabatir-rajal.”

‘O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being over powered by men.’  [Bukhari]

2.   Sleep Early

All high achievers, beginning with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) himself share one quality: going to bed early. Ramadan is a period where a Muslim must strive to be at his productive best. Start training yourself for Ramadan by going to bed early and practice waking up for Fajr so that you face less difficulty waking up when the holy month arrives. Fajr is a basic practice that we all need to adhere to throughout our daily lives but let us face it: how many of us do really wake up for Fajr? Making sleeping early a habit will ensure we wake up for Fajr, and will also ensure that we can wake up easily to have suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and fulfill a sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). 

3.    Start Practicing

Make a list of your shortcomings when it comes to your deen (religion) and start fixing them before Ramadan. Make a habit chart to get rid of negative habits and incorporate productive habits and deeds into your routine. Maybe there is a prayer that you are missing and need to start making a habit of praying, or that you need to stop wasting time online. Let’s not wait to start taking action when Ramadan begins, because it takes several days if not weeks to get used to the new routine. Such procrastination will make you lose MANY rewards. As a bare minimum, start by identifying your shortcomings and the steps you need to take to overcome them.

4.    Set a Schedule

Ramadan is an extremely precious gift from Allah (glorified and exalted be He) to us but it comes with a time limit of just 30 days. Knowing the true value of this month and not making a Ramadan schedule is equivalent to losing out an opportunity that you may not get again in your life. Make sure you schedule all the necessary acts of worship including reading your salah on time, recitation of the Qur’an, praying taraweeh, tahajjud and extra supererogatory prayers. Also schedule your work, studies and other necessities of life but keep only those that are absolutely necessary, so you don’t lose out on the opportunity to maximize your worship. Make sure you stick to and follow your schedule to be at your productive best.

5.    Prayers

Read your salah immediately after you hear the adhan. More often than not, we delay our prayers without any reason, and especially in Ramadan when we are feeling hungry, thirsty, tired and sleepy. We become groggy and delay our salah until we fall asleep or are not able to muster the courage to fight our lack of energy, resulting in lost reward. The easiest way to avoid missing salah or reducing its reward is to pray as soon as possible. Doing so will ensure that you are relaxed and at peace with yourself.

6.    Qur’an Recitation

Reading the Qur’an gives us the dose of daily guidance and productivity boost that we cannot do without, even for a day. Do not let procrastination make you lose out on the divine direction and spiritual energy that you need as a human being to live your life meaningfully. If you’ve set a target to finish reading the entire Qur’an, do not put off your portion for the day. Trust me; I have experience in delaying reading my portion of the Qur’an everyday, and at the end I’ve accumulated so much that its just impossible for me to reach my target of completing the Qur’an.

It is even more important to read as much Qur’an as possible in Ramadan. The Qur’an is divided into 30 juz (parts): you can complete one juz a day by reading 4 pages of the Qur’an after every salah daily, which means you can finish reading the Qur’an in Ramadan, In sha Allah! If Arabic is not something you know, it would be even better to read it with translation and tafsir (commentary). Understanding what you are reading has a profound effect on us and makes us act according to it.

7.    You’ve Got to Do What You’ve Got to Do

Always keep in mind that you must do what you have to do at all costs, even if you do not like to do it. There are things that need to be done and missions that need to be accomplished. Leaving things for later will not make your responsibilities go away. Whatever obligations we have – whether religious, work or family-related – it is better to do them with all your heart than to delay them and do them in half-hearted haste with barely any concentration.

Above all, remember that all this effort at doing things on time and being productive is not for anyone else but for our own benefit in this world and the world hereafter. Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says:

“And those who shall strive for Our Sake, We shall surely guide them unto Our ways.” [Qur'an: Chapter 29, Verse 69]
May Allah (glorified and exalted be He) guide us to the right path and enable us to fulfill our responsibilities with dignity, honor and grace. Aameen!

Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/lets-beat-procrastination-before-ramadan/#ixzz2XUzmPS1r

Imagine for a moment that it’s raining. It is pouring, in fact. And inagine that you are inside your house, watching as it falls. But imagine that there is something very different about this rain. It is unlike any other you’re ever seen. On this day, it is not raining water. It is raining something much more precious to you. Imagine that on this day it is raining hundred rand bills.

What would you do? What would happen in your neighborhood on that day? what would happen in the world?

Would we not run outside, falling all over ourselves, competing to gain as much of the raining money as we can? Would we not stand outside all night to gather as much as possible?

We would do this for money beacause money is precious. But imagine for a moment that it was raining something priceless. Not thousand rand bills, not trillions, but the mercy of Allah subhana wa ta’ala (exalted is He), a currency that no human currency could even measure. The massenger of Allah, Muhammad (saw) said, Ramadan has come to you. It is a month of blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers.

In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in this month of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted.”

In this month, we are shielded from hell-fire, protected from the shayteen, and cleased from our sins. The Prophet said: “Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith, hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all of his past sins will be forgiven.”

In another hadith he said: “When the month of Ramadan start, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of the hell are closed and the devils arem chained.”

Within this month, there is a night that is greater then a thousand months “There is protection from hell fire, at least 70 times the chance to have all our sins erased.” So, what to find ourselves standing in the middle of this massive collecting all we can of Allah’s mercy?

And while this mercy showers on us throughout the blessed month, the last ten days are like no other. Aisha radi Allahu anha reported that with the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the prophet (saw) used to tighten his waist belt (meaning he would wok hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family nawake for the prayes.

But how can we fully take advantage of this blessed month, especially in the last ten day? Here are few ways: Reserve a Private Mkeeting with Allah :
Set a time before or after suhoor to be alone with Allah (swt). Use this time to connect to him by praying, making dua or reading quran. There is no other time like it. The Prophet (saw) said: “When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One, descends towards the lower heaven and proclaims: ‘Is there anyone supplicating to Me, so that I grant his supplication?

Set a time for Reflection: In the midst of our busy schedule, we seldom find time to stop and relax, let alone reflect on the realities of life. Make time to do this.

Take time to step outside of your daily routine and introspect about where you’re going.

Reflect on the creation around you and on the reality of this life, death, and our final meeting with our Creator Choose a time, such as the last third of the night, when there are no distractions.

Take a Trip to Allah: We all need to get away somethings. Use Ramadan as a chance to go away with Allah (swt) as your companion. Aisha (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to practice I’tikaf (seclusion) in the last ten night of Ramadan and used to say, “Look for the night of Qadr in the last ten night of the month of Ramadan”

Don’t miss the night of power: There is a night in the last ten nights of Ramadan that is greater than a lifetime (1000 months, 83.3 years). The Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever prays during the night of Qadr (power) with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.”

It has been mentioned in the Holly Quran that

“Who is an enemy to Jebrail! For he it is who hath disclosed (this scripture) to thy heart by God’s leave, confirming that which was (disclosed) before it, and a direction and glad tidings to believers.”

The archangel Jebrail is one of the most reputed and respected angles which have been created by Allah Almighty. He is the angle who was allotted with the privilege of disclosing Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (SAWW). The main duties which were assigned by Allah almighty to Jebrail were concerned with conveying the messages of Allah almighty to the prophets. He played a prominent role in many of the historic Islamic events especially at the occasion of Meraj which is also known as the night of Ascension Jebrail was the companion of Holy Prophet PBUH.

The night when Meraj took place Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.W was present in the house of Umm-e-Hani when he heard a voice which said that

“This night you have to perform a very unique tour and I have been ordered to stay with you. You will have to pass through different parts of the world riding an animal named al-Buraq.”

This was the voice of Jebrail the archangel who was assigned the duty of taking Holy Prophet PBUH on a historic journey by Allah Almighty. Our Beloved Prophet started this remarkable tour with the assistance and guidance of archangel Jebrail who played the role of his guide, companion and a trusted assistance during the whole tour. They first stopped at Taibah and Jebrail instructed our Prophet PBUH to offer prayer there and told him that this is the place towards which Muslims will travel.

Next they stopped at the Mountain of Sinai and again our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH was instructed to offer prayer there. The journey continued and after sometime Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH was again instructed by the archangel to dismount from al- Buraq this time it was Bait al-Laham the place of birth of Prophet ISA PBUH. The Archangel Jebrail told Prophet Muhammad to offer prayer there as well and also Jebrail introduced the location to him.

The journey continued and the next stop was Baitul Maqdis there Holy Prophet PBUH was introduced with earlier prophets which include Ibrahim, Isa and Musa along with other messengers of Allah Almighty. Holy Prophet also led the prayer at Baitul Maqdis following the instructions of Jebrail.

Next they travelled to the heavens Holy Prophet PBUH was shown the systems of stars and the torture center. Also he met previous messengers of Allah Almighty and several secrets were revealed to him.

Jebrail was there with Holy Prophet all the time for guidance until Sidrat ul Muntaha was reached (it is the point further to which to no one can ascend). Archangel Jebrail told Prophet Muhammad PBUH that he can’t accompany him further. From there Holy Prophet travelled alone to witnessed some grand miracles of Allah almighty. Finally he came back by the same way through which he had undergone the journey at the first place.

Of the twelve months in the lunar year, Ramadan is the only one whose name has appeared in the Holy Quran, and Allah has also mentioned its importance. The days and nights of this holy month carry Allah’s blessings, mercy and forgiveness, and hence, are unparalleled to the days and nights of any other month in the year.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) always instructed his companions to spend every moment of this holy month in Allah’s praise and worship. On one occasion, the Hole Prophet (S.A.W) gave a complete sermon (khutba) to his companions to welcome the Ramadan. This sermon was given on the last Friday of Sha’baan, upon the advent of Ramadan, from the prayer’s pulpit (the prophet’s minbar). This sermon can be found in the book of Al-Sadooq who narrated it. This narration is based on the authority of Imam al-Rida who narrated it upon the authority of his forefathers. In this article, we take an overview of this sermon and the main points laid down by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) in this sermon.

The Prophet’s (S.A.W) sermon began with words about the importance of the then approaching month of Ramadan. These words were meant to make Muslims realize the importance of the opportunity they were placed within this month. This is the opportunity for mental cleansing which leads to piety and virtuousness. The Holy Prophet began his sermon as follows:

“O people! A month has approached you laden with blessing, mercy and forgiveness; it is a month which Almighty Allah regards as the best of all months. Its days, in the sight of Almighty Allah, are the best of days, its nights are the best of nights, its hours are the best of hours.”

In this statement, the Hole Prophet (S.A.W) also told that the first ten days (decade) are for mercy, the next ten days are for forgiveness and the last ten days are for freedom from hell.

In the second part of the sermon, the Holy Prophet emphasized on the practices that Muslims should adopt during this month. The Holy Prophet said:

“… you must invoke your Lord in all earnestness with hearts free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may help you to keep fast, and to recite the Holy Qur’an. Indeed!, miserable is the o­ne who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month. While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst o­n the Day of Judgment. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from sounds that should not be heard.”

Most animals are similar in the way their bodies work physically. In all the animals, food is digested in a similar way and air intake occurs through a similar process. Energy generation, movement and all other bodily functions occur in a similar manner.

What makes humans unique as a race is the fact that their minds are much more developed. Scientists have always connected the functioning of human mind to the processes that occur in the human brain. Unlike animal minds, human minds do not just gather information about food, water and shelter and process it accordingly to reach these things. Human mind carries the powers of visualization and reflection. In this article, we will discuss the possible effects of religious fasting on the human brain.

According to researches carried out at the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore, fasting can help people with mental conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Fasting for one or two days per week can even help people with perfectly sound brain operations. Professor Mark Mattson who is a professor of neuroscience at a leading medical school in the U.S was the lead author of this study. A great part of the study was based on the comparison of humans to other animals, and a lot of deductions of the study were drawn from an analysis of the specific effects produced by different actions in the other animals.

The results of the study were striking. Scientists who carried out this study have compared the effects of a cut on human food (energy) intake on the human brain cells as the effects of exercise on the muscle cells. Although most people think that a carefully crafted and properly controlled diet plan that runs throughout the week is a great way of losing weight. This continuous dieting, however, can affect the brain and some hormones in the body adversely. Scientists who carried out this study suggest that intermittent breaks from meals for one or two days per week work better than continuous dieting plans, because these ‘fasting’ plans help improve the functioning of the brain.

In the following, a few positive impacts of fasting on brain are enlisted:

-          Short term fasting induces an increase in neural autophagy

-          Boost in the production of ketones

-          Reduction in risk of trauma, stroke and depression

-          Calorie restriction through intermittent fasting reduces the risks of Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease.

In some animals, restriction of calorie intake results evidently in a prolonging of lifespan, and most scientists believe that the same is true for humans. However, no concrete evidence of this has been furnished yet.

Religious fasting may help us to not only become better human beings, but also to improve our physical and mental fitness.

“Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon nations before you so that you may learn self-restraint“.

In the month of Ramadan Allah alters the rewards of our deeds. He rewards a Nafl prayer with the reward of an obligatory Farz prayer and increases the reward of a good deed seventy times. A person seeking forgiveness is granted forgiveness and Muslim community is rewarded with the day of Eid for keeping fasts throughout this month. However, abstaining from sins is just as important as committing good deeds.

Allah dislike sins and committing sins in the holy month of Ramadan is even more disliked. Committing a single sin in this month is equivalent to committing seventy sins in any other month. In this way Allah discourages believers from sins and at the same time Allah encourages them to seek forgiveness from their past sins. A hadith says “Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”

Furthermore, in this month Muslims are obliged to observe fasts. Fasting in Islam is not merely abstaining from food and drink; it is also abstaining from any wrongdoing, in general. If a Muslim does not anything from dawn till dusk but takes or any other haram activity Allah does not accepts his fast so when a believer keeps a fast he gets bound to keep himself away from sins. Not only, he has to avoid all haram activities but also control his temperament.

If a Muslim keeps a fast he cannot abusive or insulting language against anyone, also he cannot harm anyone by his hands if he does he violates the basic rules and regulations of the fast. Generally, any individual uses his hands against others when he is in angry so when Muslims keep a fast, they ought to control their anger. In this way fasting teaches Muslims to control their diet and anger thereby learning self-restraint.

In a nut shell, all sources of Islam clarify the fast that fasting makes all believers control their anger and remain away from sins. Allah has used fasting as a tool so that all believers learn self-restraint i.e. they learn to control themselves from evils and Allah gives Muslims several incentives so that they may start following the right path. The following hadith further clarifies the point; it says “One day of fasting keeps a person away from hell 80 years”.

All Muslims are promised a handsome reward by Allah if they surf their abilities in serving Allah and His mankind. This is why Ramadan is always seen as a great opportunity in all Muslim community.

Ramadan is ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered to be the holiest of all. In Quran and Hadith, there are several verses quoting the significance of the Ramadan. All Muslims believe that this month provides them with an ideal opportunity to fight the evil spirit and get uncountable virtue. This is because, firstly, in the month of Ramadan Allah fetters Satan and as a consequence Satan cannot whisper bad ideas in the minds of believers. Secondly, as all Muslims observe fasting so they spontaneously learn tolerance and patience. Fasting also teaches them how to learn self-restraint.

Allah declares this learning of self-restraint the purpose of fasting, the Quran says:

“Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon nations before you so that you may learn self-restraint. “

In this way the month of Ramadan serves as the training platform for fight against evil, as individuals learn self-restraint, commit good deeds and follow the right path. This makes the person a stronger believer and even when the Satan is set free again, the Satan does not finds it easier to make a believer indulge in any wrongdoing. Ramadan purifies believers spiritually as Allah forgives the mistakes of believer and awards them with great reward for their good actions.

Furthermore, Muslims are also blessed with the uncountable virtue in this month. Allah blesses believers seventy times more than he blesses them, for the same deed, in other months. A Nafl prayer is rewarded with a reward equivalent to Farz prayer and Farz prayer is rewarded with the reward of 70 Farz prayers.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Such are the blessings of Allah in this month and hence it can be concluded that Ramadan is the key to defeat evil spirit and avail uncountable virtue.

Have you ever repented on your poor behavior with anyone? Have you ever wanted to control your anger? Have you ever wished to gain patience to avoid this anger? If yes, Ramadan comes as a perfect solution for you. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the whole year for Muslims revolves around this one month.

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory for Muslims, but this fasting is not meant to test them physically, but it is meant to prepare them for the mercy, blessings and forgiveness which form the essence of this month. To understand this you must be aware of the basic rules and regulations of a fast. This short essay will brief you about these rules and it will present an overview of how to use this Holy month for acquiring patience and tolerance.

Let us first understand what patience is, essentially. Shams Tabrezi, a famous Muslim scholar, defines patience as follows:

“Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.”

This is what a Muslim exactly does in fast, it’s not that he cannot feel material instincts; it’s just that he is waiting for the dusk.

Allah says in the Holy Quran

“Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on nations before you so that you may learn self-restraint”.

In the light of this verse it can be concluded that the sole purpose of fasting is to make an individual learn self-restraint. The fundamental rules of fasting in this month are meant to extend the control if human mind over human instincts like food, hunger, sex, anger and frustration. Abstinence from all these things creates an individual who spreads love and tolerance at all times, and practices self-restraint to prevent anger or material desires to overtake his intent.

While fasting, a Muslim has to wait from dawn to dusk to eat or drink anything. He bears this hardship patiently just to acquire the love, mercy, forgiveness and blessings of Almighty Allah. He refrains from abusing or insulting anyone no matter how much angry he is. At times, he bears the misconduct of others but does not use his hand or tongue to act against it since Allah has not allowed this in fasting. He looks for divine justice or forgives the other person, but never commits any wrongdoing since he has to obey the commandments of Allah. All these things actually make him learn patience and tolerance. Not only, he learns them but also applies them during a fast. In everyday life, a man is likely to lose his temper occasionally. However, during fasting since he has to abide by the rules and regulations of the fast so he holds his temper

Thus, it can safely be concluded that Ramadan provides individuals with an ideal opportunity to learn and practice tolerance and patience.

At the end of Ramadan, Allah blesses the believers with the festival of Eid. Eid follows the month of Ramadan, and it is purely a reward for those Muslims who observed fasting and pushed their material instincts under control during Ramadan, to attain a state of greater mental purity. This Eid is known as EidUlFitr, which is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal.
When the month of Ramadan ends, Allah asks the believers to celebrate.It must be ensured that the underprivileged are kept a part ofEid celebrations. Therefore, Muslims distribute ‘Fitrana’ before Eid. Fitrana is a special charity donated at the end of Ramadan amongst poor people so that they can enjoy Eid in a similar manner as the rich.
It is narrated that the Holy Prophet would not sleep in the night before Eid. That night is termed as the night of reward so it is desirable to offer Nawafil prayers and pray to Almighty Allah.One can also engage in other forms of worship, for example, recite of Holy Quran. Muslims start their Eid day by offering a special Eid prayer. This Eid prayer must be offered any time between the Fajr and Zuhr prayer. However, many Muslim scholars suggest that the Prayer should not be delayed and should be offered early morning.

Ideally, Fitrana should be paid before the commencement of Eid prayer, to allow the poor with ample time to buy new clothes and food stuff. Eid prayers are congregational prayers; therefore they are a symbol of unity in Muslims.This prayer help in laying down a relationship of brotherhood as all Muslims, whether poor or rich, stand shoulder to shoulder with one another and offer the prayer.

Eid day is reward for Muslims, and Muslims are forbidden to fast on this day. It is narrated that “Allah’s messenger prohibited two fasts: Fasting the day of Adha and the day of Fitr”. Muslims are not supposed to offer any Nawafil after or before the Eid prayer as well, as the messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S.A.W) never practiced this in his life.

This Eid is the happiest day for Muslims around the world as they celebrate finally after their one month long hardships.

Ramadan is a month of special significance to Muslims because of a number of reasons. It is the month in which the holy Quran was revealed to the final Prophet of Allah and this is the month which is home to the Lail-at-ul-Qadar. Allah rewards believers seventy times more for a good deed than in any other month; the reward of Nafl prayer is raised to the reward of a Farz prayer and the reward of keeping a single fast in this month is more than the reward of keeping fasts in the entire year. Such are the blessings of God during this Holy month. To make things further convenient for believers, Allah orders to fetter the Satan and to close the doors of hell.

Ramadan is truly the month of spiritual purification as it provides every individual with a chance to purify him from the wrongdoings he commits during the entire year. Fasting in the month of Ramadan requires Muslims to practice self-restraint as Allah says in the Holy Quran “Fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to nations before you so that you may learn self-restraint“. This verse also suggests that fasting is an article inherited from the previous Sharias.

The month of Ramadan has been divided in three different decades.  Ashra is the Arabic term for a decade (a period of ten days). Each decade has its own significance and its own purpose. The first decade is the decade of Mercy, the second decade is the decade of Forgiveness and the last decade is the decade for freedom from the hell fire.

At the end of Ramadan comes the day of Eid – the day of joy and celebrations – on the first of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan. Muslims are rewarded with this day as a reward of their profound worship during the holy month of Ramadan. Allah asks Muslims to celebrate the day of Eid with liveliness, joy and cheerfulness. However, He also orders them to look after the underprivileged on this day and to provide them money so that they can buy new cloths and share the happiness of the Eid day with rest of the society.

The Holy Quran says: ”O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on those before you so that you may learn self-restraint“.

In the light of this Quranic verse, we can conclude that  fasting is an old tradition and it was a part of previous religions as well. What makes the month of Ramadhan a month of blessings? This short article will give you a brief answer to this question.

Ramadhan is the Holiest month of Islamic calendar in the respect that this is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the final prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) .The Holy Quran says “Ramadhan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book. Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein.

Those who are ill or traveling may substitute the same number of other days. God wishes for you convenience, not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify God for guiding you, and to express your appreciation”. Several Hadith are narrated by Sahih Bukhari and other Muslim scholars signifying the importance and the blessings of Ramadhan.

One hadith says that in this month of Ramadhan the doors of paradise are opened and the doors of hell are closed. The Holy Prophet also said

”Surely, the month of Ramadhan, the blessed month has come to you. The month whose fasts Allah (has) made obligatory upon you. In it the doors of paradise are opened up and the Satan fettered, and in it is the night of Qadr, which is more virtuous than a thousand months”.

Another Hadith says “ The month of Ramadhan has come to you with blessings, wherein, Allah turns towards you and sends down to you His special blessings, forgives your faults, accepts dua (prayer), appreciates your competition for the greatest goods and boasts to the angels about you. So show to Allah your righteousness, for truly, the most pitiable and unfortunate one is he, who is deprived of Allah’s mercy in this month. “

By analyzing the above Hadith one can come to the conclusion that this month is surely a month of great blessings. Several other ahadith also tell that one good deed in this month is rewarded with the reward of 70 good deeds and offering one Nafl is equivalent to offering a Farz prayer in reward.

The month of Ramadhan is divided in three periods. The first ten days are a period of mercy, the second ten days are a period of forgiveness and the last ten days are a period of being freed from hell. To conclude in the light of all these quotes, surely, this month is a month of blessings as Allah reveals His favor on us far more in this month than in any other month.

The Holy Quran says: ”O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on those before you so that you may learn self-restraint“.

This verse of the Holy Quran tells us the central purpose of fasting to, that is, to learn self-restraint. However, this is not the only advantage one gets from fasting. Many physicians see Ramadhan as a golden opportunity for achieving a healthy lifestyle. Fasting not only helps reduce blood sugar and cholesterol level but it also helps in weight loss. This short article will give you some tips for a healthy diet in Ramadhan.

1. Ramadhan fast starts with Sehri, an early morning breakfast, before dawn. Sehri is an essential part of the ramdhan fast as eating or drinking is strictly forbidden after it, till dusk. Seeing this fact, most Muslims go for an abundant intake of both water and food, often eating more than what they would normally eat. This is a bad practice since this deprives them from the advantages of fasting. To attain the maximum benefits of fasting, Muslims should take a balanced Sehri, possibly with bread and eggs. They can take it with any other conventional food items too. However they must not over eat.  As far as drinking water is concerned, the amount of water intake varies from one individual to other since the rate of perspiration, climatic conditions, and the nature of job is different for different individuals. Nevertheless, one must remember that water should only be drunk before taking Sehri meal. If a large amount of water gets mixed with the meal, gastric problems may result.
2. Secondly, many Muslims either do not work in fasting or they do not work with the same zeal or to the same extent. This deprives them of the major benefits of fasting. Fasting does not stop one from working, in fact, it just stops us from taking meals. If an individual does not work he virtually wastes his fast because he achieves nothing, neither spiritually nor materially. Fasting was made an obligation so that one can realize how our underprivileged class feels when it is deprived of food, and yet has to carry out its work. In a fast Muslims are helpless, they cannot eat anything, and this helplessness is a symbol of their humility towards their Lord. Employing artificial ways to overcome hunger and thrust kills the spiritual benefit of a fast. It also restrains one from achieving materialistic benefits since sitting like an idol does not helps in reducing cholesterol level or weight.
3. Lastly, the Aftaar part arrives. This is where most of us make mistakes. Aftaar, traditionally, has been filled with items containing large amounts of fats or cholesterol. According to the teachings of Islam a fast should be concluded by drinking water. However, nowadays most families prefer cold drinks. A sudden large intake of these drinks  and food items puts a great pressure on our stomach often causing gastric issues. Taking an Aftaar – after a calories-rich sehri – with meals having high levels of cholesterol, sugar content and fats only exacerbates our condition.

In a nut shell, our Seher and Aftaar should comprise of balanced diets. We should neither give up eating nor over eat during Seher or Aftaar.

Let’s begin with seeing what the Islam has to say about this concept. The Holy Quran addresses Muslims and says: ”O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on those before you so that you may learn self-restraint “. Analyzing this you can see that at the time of Prophet (S.A.W), the concept of fasting already existed, and nations before Islam used to fast.

But did they fast in Ramadhan? Ramadhan, historians claim, was a month whose significance existed even before Islam the arrival of Islam. It was called Natiq at that time, a month that fell in the warm seasons. However there is no cogent evidence supporting the claim that Ramadhan held the same importance at that time that it enjoys these days. It only gained importance in the era of Holy Prophet because of the fact that the last revelation Holy Quran was sent down in this month. The Holy Quran has also emphasized on the importance of Ramadhan on many occasions.

If you compare the concept of fasting in all religions, you get to know that all religions prescribe fasting in one way or the other. In Christianity, Christians have been advised to fast. In fact, the Bible says that fasting does not only mean abstinence from food and water, and a fast in which one does not care for the poor is unacceptable. Christian historians have chronicled incidences when the Christ himself kept fast too.

The nature of fasting varies for different sects of Christianity, i.e. some sections abstain from meat and milk only while others fast for an entire day, but the essence remains the same. Even in Islam, a fast is meant to experience the sufferings of underprivileged and for learning self-restraint.

In Hinduism, the concept of fasting is slightly different. However, fasting has been prescribed for them too. Some Hindus fast on Mondays while others fast on Tuesday. Some fast on Thursday too the reason for this variation in fasting is because Hindus fast particularly for a certain goddess or god. Followers of Hinduism fast from after the sunset of previous day to 48 minutes after sunrise. Non-vegetarian Hindus cannot even touch any animal product during fasting; milk is an exception though.

Similarly, the concept of fasting is also present in Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism and other religions. Ramadhan is of enormous importance to Muslims only but fasting has its roots in most religions.

Let’s begin with seeing what the Islam has to say about this concept. The Holy Quran addresses Muslims and says: ”O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on those before you so that you may learn self-restraint “.

Analyzing this you can see that at the time of Prophet (S.A.W), the concept of fasting already existed, and nations before Islam used to fast. But did they fast in Ramadhan? Ramadhan, historians claim, was a month whose significance existed even before Islam the arrival of Islam. It was called Natiq at that time, a month that fell in the warm seasons.

However there is no cogent evidence supporting the claim that Ramadhan held the same importance at that time that it enjoys these days. It only gained importance in the era of Holy Prophet because of the fact that the last revelation Holy Quran was sent down in this month. The Holy Quran has also emphasized on the importance of Ramadhan on many occasions.

If you compare the concept of fasting in all religions, you get to know that all religions prescribe fasting in one way or the other. In Christianity, Christians have been advised to fast. In fact, the Bible says that fasting does not only mean abstinence from food and water, and a fast in which one does not care for the poor is unacceptable. Christian historians have chronicled incidences when the Christ himself kept fast too.

The nature of fasting varies for different sects of Christianity, i.e. some sections abstain from meat and milk only while others fast for an entire day, but the essence remains the same. Even in Islam, a fast is meant to experience the sufferings of underprivileged and for learning self-restraint.

In Hinduism, the concept of fasting is slightly different. However, fasting has been prescribed for them too. Some Hindus fast on Mondays while others fast on Tuesday. Some fast on Thursday too the reason for this variation in fasting is because Hindus fast particularly for a certain goddess or god. Followers of Hinduism fast from after the sunset of previous day to 48 minutes after sunrise. Non-vegetarian Hindus cannot even touch any animal product during fasting; milk is an exception though.

Similarly, the concept of fasting is also present in Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism and other religions. Ramadhan is of enormous importance to Muslims only but fasting has its roots in most religions.

The Holy Quran declares fasting to be obligatory for all Muslim men and women, and as soon as the moon of Ramadhan is sighted, Muslims all over the world indulge in fasting and the various worships associated with it. Ramadhan carries additional importance for Muslims because it is also the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed.

The Quran not only states that it is obligatory for believers to fast during the month of Ramadhan, but it also describes the reason for which Muslims should observe a fast. The Quran says that the Muslim fast is not meant to be a punishment for Muslims, but it is meant to train the Muslims so that they learn ‘self-restraint’. This concept of instilling ‘self-restraint’ in Muslims through fasting is highlighted in the following verse of the Holy Quran:

“O you who believe! Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may learn self-restraint”. (Qur’an al-Baqarah 2:183)

This concept of self-restraint is pivotal in the life of a Muslim. Like all great religions, the fundamental emphasis of Islam is upon restraining the material desires of one self and emerging as a selfless person who is willing to help others, by sacrificing his own needs. By staying away from food, water and other natural instincts during the fasting period, man prepares himself for a greater purpose during Ramadhan.

It is due to this reason that Ramadhan acts as a great opportunity for Muslims to straighten out their lives. During the whole year, man is entangled in his worldly materialistic affairs. During this holy month of Ramadhan, man gains the opportunity of freeing himself from his materialistic needs, and thereby enters the chamber of mental purity. This state of mental purity and peace is essential for straightening out the chores of this complicated worldly life.

If we closely analyze the routine followed by Muslims during Ramadhan, we draw closer towards the conclusion that the central purpose of Ramadhan is to bring the troubled Muslim back to a straight and peaceful life.

From the act of getting up early morning for Seher, to the act of restraining from all negative actions and influences, and other material desires throughout the day, and from the act of indulging in worship all day to the act of finally breaking the fast in Aftaar, whilst thanking Allah, all show man’s humility towards his Lord. This humility is the founding stone of all worldly peace and therefore, it will not be wrong to state that fasting in Ramadhan inculcates all the virtues in a Muslim which he needs to straighten out his life.

It occurs in the third decade or Ramadan. The importance of this night can be understood from the fact that in the Holy Quran, a whole chapter (Surah 97, Al-Qadr) is dedicated to this night. In this chapter, Allah tells the Muslims that the importance of this night alone is greater than that of a thousand months. The verses of this chapter are stated below:

“We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand: Peace!…This until the rise of dawn!”

The exact night on which Lail-at-ul-Qadr occurs cannot be given definitively. There are different views regarding the dates of the nights among which this night has to be found. The Sunni Muslims believe that Lail-at-ul-Qadr lies in the odd nights of the last decade of Ramadan. This means that according to them, Lail-at-ul-Qadr is either the 21^st or the 23^rd or the 25^th or the 27^th or the 29^th night of this holy month. The general belief is that this night lies on the 27^th night of Ramadan.

The Shia Muslims believe that this night lies in the last ten odd nights of Ramadan, but the general belief is regarding the 19^th or the 21^st or the 23^rd night, because the relation of these nights with the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (R.A).

What makes Lail-at-ul-Qadr so special among all the nights? Lail-at-ul-Qadr is also the night in which the Quran was revealed. Muslims unanimously believe that the revelation of Holy Quran concluded in two different stages, the first of which was the revelation of the whole Quran from Allah to angel Jibrail. This first stage was completed in this night. Muslims also believe that the first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) on this night.

Lail-at-ul-Qadr is known by various different names among Muslims. These names include the Night of Power, the Night of Measures, the Night of Value and the Night of Destiny. These names themselves suggest the significance associated with this night in Islam.

In view of the incredible importance of this night, Muslims engage themselves in worships and prayers all night. These prayers often seek Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, and ask Allah to grant the wishes of the believer.

All leading Muslim scholars have written prolifically about the blessings that Allah bestows upon the believers during this month. With the arrival of the month, the Satan gets fettered. This is done in order to help the Muslims do good deeds and be in a better position to control their worldly desires, which must be kept under check while fasting.Every good deed is rewarded seventy times more in Ramadan than the reward of the same deed in another month. The reward for a normal Nafl prayer is raised to the reward for an obligatory Farz prayer.

Every moment of this month is so precious that it must be spent seeking for Allah’s mercy and blessings. The whole month is divided into three sets of ten days, called decades. In this article, an overview of the last decade of Ramadan, which is particularly important as the decade for freedom from hell, is presented.

If you look at the religious importance of the last decade, it appears to precede the significance of the other two decades. The first decade is the period of mercy and the middle decade is the period of forgiveness, and finally, the third decade combines the blessings of the first two by being the period of freedom from hell, which requires both Allah’s mercy and Allah’s forgiveness.

In the last ten nights of Ramadanlies the Night of Qadr. The significance of this night can be understood from the fact that there is a whole chapter in the Quran which is dedicated for this night. In that chapter (Surah Al-Qadr), the Holy Quran tells us that this night is more significant than a thousand months:

“Behold: We revealed this Quran on the Night of Power. And what do you know the Night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels along with the spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord with all kind of decrees. All peace is that night until the rise of dawn.”

The presence of this nightin the last decade makes it somewhat more noteworthy than the other two decades. The night of Qadr is the night in which the Holy Quran was revealed from the heavens. Since the exact night on which Lail-at-ul-Qadr lies is unknown, Muslims spend all the odd nights of the last decade. There are special duas (supplications) for this night and for the last decade.

This is the significance of the last decade of Ramadan. Given its high importance, Muslims must spend it worshipping and practicing good deeds.

All Muslims are urged to seek Allah’s mercy as His mercy is at its peak during the entire month. Muslims are also required to show mercy towards fellow beings, as a hadith says:

“Anyone who does not show any mercy will not be shown any mercy. Anyone who does not forgive will not be forgiven. Anyone who does not turn in repentance will not be turned to nor will he be guarded or protected“.

The second decade is the decade of forgiveness. All Muslims are supposed to seek forgiveness in these days, they have witnessed the mercy in the first ten days and now it is time for repentance. Those who repent on their sins are forgiven by Allah for their bad deeds. The Arabic term for this decade is the ‘Ashra of Maghfirat’. Maghfirat means forgiveness and ashra is the Arabic word for a decade or ten days. This short article will focus primarily on the middle ten days of Ramadan. It will give you a concise description of the blessings of this Ashra and its significance, as narrated inAhadith.
The Holy Prophet used to perform ‘Itikaf’(solitude) in the middle ten days of Ramadan.On one occasion, the prophet (S.A.W) said:

“It (Ramadan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell) “.

This Hadith Clearly portrays the fact that Allah forgives our sins in these middle ten days of Ramadan so it is our duty to seek forgiveness. We are also supposed to forgive others in this decade as Allah does not forgive those who do not forgive others. When a Muslim considers the blessings of Allah in this month, he curses on his past sins, and in an endeavor to purify from all of them he begs to Almighty for a pardon. The mercy of Allah is at peak in this holy month, and by His commandment the Satan is fettered, so it is a wonderful opportunity for the Muslims to exercise Tauba (prayer for forgiveness) because there is a good chance that they may be pardoned with Allah’s mercy.
Along with fasting, Tarawih prayers are another special feature of the month. Muslims usually cover one third of the Holy Quran in the middle ten days of Ramadan by reciting the Surahs (chapters) of Holy Quran in these prayers. These prayers also lead a Muslim closer to his Lord, so his play for forgiveness becomes more effective. In a nut shell, all worships and practices of this month, and especially the middle decade, must focus on asking the Almighty for forgiving the person’s past deeds.

The significance of the first and last decade of Ramadan is generally considered to be greater than that of the second decade, however, in reality, each decade has its own importance which cannot be compared with the importance of the other decades. In this article, an overview of the first ten days of Ramadan is presented, along with a discussion of its importance.

The first decade marks the beginning of Ramadan and hence the commencement of all the practices associated with Ramadan such as fasting and Tarawih. These practices are all meant to inculcate self-restraint in the believers. This concept is highlighted in the Holy Quran in the following verse: “O you who believe! Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may learn self-restraint”.(Holy Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:183)

To incorporate self-restraint as a virtue of believers, these practices are naturally harsh and difficult to observe. Fasting whole day means that the believer has to keep his hunger and other instincts under control, and continue this on a stretch of 29 or 30 days. This is accompanied by praying five times a day and other modes of worship. Once the fast is over, the Muslim men and women have to engage themselves in the long and rigorous Tarawih prayer. This one month of struggle by the believer is necessary for him to be able to learn self-restraint in the month of Ramadan.

It is generally considered that the first ten days of Ramadan are the hardest for the believer because he has to change the whole routine that he has been following for the rest of year. The first decade of Ramadan is, hence, quite fittingly the decade of mercy.

Mercy in Islam carries a very broad meaning which is not just limited to forgiving others. The major Arabic words related with the concept of mercy are Rahman and Rahim. The root word related to mercy is Rhm or (Rahm) which means to spread love, tenderness, forgiveness and tolerance. Muslims are required to demonstrate all these different virtues during Ramadan.

Muslims should pray for Allah’s mercy during this decade. This plea for mercy includes the prayer to Allah for helping Muslims out through the difficult time of Ramadan and to make the fasts easy for them. Muslims should show special mercy towards their follows during this decade by helping them in their affairs.

Thus, we can safely say that the first decade of Ramadan is the most comprehensive period of mercy that occurs within the year.

All worships and pillars of Islam, in one way or the other, help in the establishment of this unity between Muslims.  Let’s begin by taking the example of prayer. Praying 5 times a day, i.e. at Fajr, Zuhr, Asar, Maghrib and Isha times, is obligatory for Muslims. Muslims from all places within a locality pray to the Lord at same time, and bow their heads in the same direction. This is a symbol of unity between Muslims while prayer. Further, praying in congregation is said to be preferable than playing alone, because the former establishes unity and equality among Muslims.

Now let’s take another example to substantiate our point. Zakat is another pillar of Islam, and it is given out to poor Muslims, as a percentage of the wealth or rich Muslims. Zakat, therefore, is meant to create a level economic ground for Muslims, which brings them together on all footings and unites them. Hajj, another pillar of Islam and a very important worship for Muslims, also propagates the same idea of Muslim unity by congregating Muslims from all over the world, and allowing them a platform where they can collectively discuss their problems and seek their solutions.

Just as all these worships, Ramadan and fasting in Ramadan also come as a great source of unity for Muslims. Ramadan is commenced and concluded by moon sighting (or calculation methods) and the month begins and ends at the same time throughout the Muslim country. This commencement and conclusion of Ramadan at the same time bonds the Muslims all over the nation together. Similar practices are observed and similar routines are followed by Muslims all over the country. By freeing themselves of material desires in Ramadan, Muslims afford themselves an opportunity to reflect upon the larger picture of the Muslim nation.

Hunger and thirst that a fasting Muslim endures brings him closer to the pain bore by the poor Muslims whole year. Mosques begin to fill by Muslims, and more and more meetings are held as religious sermons or Aftaar parties. This allows Muslims to meet each other and bond together strongly. In these meetings, religious discussions remind Muslims of their social and religious duties, and refresh their faith. Most Muslims pay their Zakat during Ramadan, which bonds the society together further strongly by bridging the gap between the poor and the rich.

If one considers all the rituals and practices followed in Ramadan, he will find that the impact of the month of Ramadan on Muslim unity and faith is enormous.

The TV series, currently being aired on MBC, depicts the life of Islam’s second Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. (MBC)

Conservative clerics denounce the series, which is running during the region’s busiest drama season, the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Scholars see an undesirable trend in television programming; the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates has publicly refused to watch it.

But at dinner tables and on social media around the region, “Omar” is winning praise among many Muslim viewers, who admire it for tackling an important period in Islam’s history. Some think it carries lessons for the Arab world, which is grappling with political change unleashed by last year’s uprisings.

Salam Sarhan, a columnist at the Lebanese newspaper Diyar, said the show was part of a gradual trend for the Islamic world to re-examine its heritage more critically, and would open the door for more television and cinema productions depicting central figures in Islam.

“If anyone dared to depict these figures 20 years ago, he would have been accused of blasphemy,” he wrote. “Simply put, depicting these revered figures with their mistakes, limitations, rivalries, anger, hunger and thirst will thrust Islamic societies into a new phase.”

FOUR CALIPHS

Mostly filmed in Morocco, the show was funded by the Dubai-based but Saudi-owned MBC Group, a private media conglomerate, and state-owned Qatar TV. The 30-episode series, which an MBC spokesman said cost “tens of millions of dollars” to make, is being watched on satellite television across the Arab world.

It has been praised for its elaborate sets and costumes, visual effects and battle scenes which involve elephants and hundreds of extras.

But for many viewers, the production values have been outweighed by the fact that actors in the series play Omar and three other close companions of the Prophet Mohammad who were the first rulers of an empire that expanded out of the Arabian Peninsula.

Historically, Muslim scholars have discouraged the depiction of revered figures in art, and some argue it is expressly forbidden, on the grounds it could be misleading or encourage idolatry. This is why mosques are adorned with elaborate plant and geometric patterns instead of human and animal images.

Though some close companions of Mohammad have been portrayed on screen in the past, the productions have mostly been by Shi’ite Muslims. The Omas series is believed to be the first time that a drama depicting all four caliphs has been made by Sunni Muslims, who form the majority across the Gulf and North Africa and have historically taken a strict line against depiction of such figures.

“Depicting the closest companions of the Prophet was a shock to the (Arab) societies,” said Suaad al-Oraimi, professor of sociology at UAE University.

Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti, the highest religious authority in the country, harshly criticised the series in a sermon, while Cairo’s prestigious seat of Sunni learning, al-Azhar University, also came out against it.

“The Guided Caliphs were promised the heavens … Their lives cannot be depicted by some actor,” Ahmed al-Haddad, Dubai’s grand mufti, wrote in an emailed statement to Reuters.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed became one of the show’s most prominent opponents by tweeting: “I will not watch the Omar Ibn al-Khattab series.” His comment was retweeted thousands of times within a few days.

Sheikh Hamad Wael al Hanbari, a prominent Muslim scholar based in Istanbul, said he was concerned that the reputations of the caliphs could become contaminated.

“It’s completely unacceptable,” he said. “These actors would go on to play other roles – in action movies, for example – and would forever be associated with the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This is very dangerous. Their image has to be protected.”

DEFENDERS

The show does not lack defenders, however. Saif al-Sahabani, a columnist at Saudi Arabia’s Okaz newspaper, dismissed the idea that portraying prominent companions of the prophet was forbidden under Islam’s sharia law.

“The show has revealed a gap in the Arab and Islamic collective consciousness, especially among those who rely on tradition rather than their own minds,” he wrote.

Sahabani cited endorsements of the show by a number of senior Islamic scholars, including Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Yousef al-Qaradawi, well-known in the Arab world for his weekly programme on Al Jazeera television. Qaradawi was on a committee of religious scholars that reviewed the script of the series.

Some viewers rejected criticism of the show because they saw it as an attack on their personal freedom.

“Fed up with the extremists’ point of view … Who are you to judge us because we watch the Omar series?” tweeted Yasmine Medhat, identified by her Twitter profile as an Egyptian Muslim.

Hatem Ali, the director of the series, said his team braced for controversy before the first episode was aired.

In this article, a short discussion of the common routine followed by Muslims is presented, along with the description of the various ways in which this routine helps a Muslim in gaining physical fitness and mental cleanliness. The routines followed by Muslims all over the world vary in different regions, because the physical requirements of fasting and culture are different for different places. The fundamental routine, however, is quite similar, and revolves around the Seher and Aftaar timings.

Muslims begin their day by getting up atSeher (Suhoor). This is the time before dawn and Muslims get up around this time in order to take in meals and water to fulfill the bodily requirements for the fast of the upcoming day. The women generally get up before men because they have to handle all the cooking responsibilities. In some households, food for seher is prepared in the night to prevent the risk of skipping seheri (seher meal) the next morning due to late awakening. The Seheri food is mostly simple breakfast food supplemented with servings of water/juices to make up for the liquid intake of the rest of the day. The kind of meal served in Seheri differs in different cultures, but it is generally simple food comprising of bread, eggs and fruits.

The time for Seher gets over with the call (azaan) of Fajr, after which Muslims offer the Fajr prayer. From Fajr time to early morning, Muslims enjoy free time with no religious or worldly obligation. Some Muslims resume their sleep during this time while others use it to complete their work, projects or assignments. However, the majority of Muslims use this time to engage in worship and in reading the Holy Quran.

After this time, Muslims go to their works and begin their business/office activity as usual. Some Muslims begin their work a bit later in the morning during Ramadan to make up for the sleep lost during Seher. They continue their work activity till evening, taking two breaks for prayers for Zuhr and Asar prayer. Most Muslims like to offer these prayers in a congregation during Ramadan.

In the evening, Muslims return back to their homes as Aftaar time approaches. This is the time for feast for Muslims, as they eat ravenously to make up for the lack of food during the fast. This is not a good approach because taking such high amounts of food negates the very essence of fasting, i.e. to inculcate self-restraint in Muslims.

After this, Muslims rest for a while and then go off for Isha prayer after which they offer Tarawih prayers.

This is the routine commonly followed by most Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Holy Quran and Ahadith have emphasized the great importance of fasting for a believer, and in one of the Ahadith, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S.A.W) said that fasting is for Allah and its reward will be set by Allah Almighty Himself.

The significance of the month of Ramadan is also enormous. Ramadan is set apart from the rest of lunar calendar as a month of purity and piety, where material desires are pushed back and a desire to attain greater inner purity through faith is expressed. The three ten day periods of Ramadan each carry its own significance. Blessings, mercy and forgiveness define the three 10 day periods in Ramadan. The significance of Ramadan can be understood from the fact that Allah chose this month to complete the revelation of Holy Quran.

In view of these facts, it is not surprising that Muslims are never willing to lose any fast. The punishment of skipping or breaking a fast is great, and is prescribed by the Shariat (Islamic law). However, Islam allows Muslims to skip fasts under certain permitted conditions, or break the fast before time if a genuine need arises. In such a case, the person is due to keep a ‘Qaza’ fast after the end of Ramadan and before the next Ramadan.

If the person breaks the fast due to a failure to control his material desires, he is due to pay a ‘kaffara’ (punishment). In this article, a description of the Qaza and Kaffara matters is given to guide Muslims about the conditions in which both of them applicable and the prescribed ways in which both the Qaza and Kaffara should be offered by Muslims.

Qaza Matters: Muslims are allowed to skip a fast under special circumstances. Women who are feeding a baby, or are pregnant and unable to fast or undergoing similar feminine complications may skip the fast. Similarly, old men and women who are too weak and are unable to fast are also allowed to skip the fast. Adults who are very ill and for whom their physicians fear that fasting and lack of water may exacerbate their position,may also skip the fast.

People who undergo the fast but are unable to complete it due to sudden medical complications (e.g. unpredicted illness) may break their fast before Maghrib. All these groups of people are only required to offer a Qaza fast later in the year after the end of Ramadan.

Kaffara Matters: People who intentionally break their fast as a result of failure to control their instincts for food or sexual pleasure are required to offer Kaffara for their broken fast. This Kaffara can be offered by fasting for 60 continuous days or by feeding 60 poor people twice a day (or giving them equivalent cash for eating twice a day). If any one day from this chain of 60 days is skipped, the whole chain has to be restarted from the scratch.

“O you who believe! Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may learn self-restraint”.(Qur’an al-Baqarah 2:183)

 

This self-restraint is the key to piety and mental purity. As soon as man discovers a way to control his inner desires, he rises above his material needs and becomes a person with a pure mind, always eager to help others, even if this help comes at the cost of sacrificing some personal interest. This selflessness and humility forms the essence of all rituals and worships in Islam, and fasting is an ideal way to attain these virtues.

People interested in maintaining healthy diets and exercising will also notice another point in the aforementioned details. The concept of self-restraint lies at the heart of most diet plans and weight loss schedules. Workouts and exercise plans require the same ‘self-restraint’ principle. Therefore, one may identify that Ramadan not only brings blessings for mental purity, but also brings a complete code for physical fitness.

It is unfortunate that most Muslims miss out on taking full advantage of the physical fitness code of Ramadan. This is because most Muslims never fully identify the essence of Ramadan i.e. self-restraint. In fact, the most glaring violations of self-restraint, sadly, occur in this month. Seher and Aftaar are considered as occasions for feast and Muslims eat ravenously at these occasions. In this article, a brief overview of a physical fitness plan is presented, which can be adopted by Muslims who choose to explore and fulfill the real essence of fasting and Ramadan.

Meal plan:

Seher time:  Take 3 servings of water (2-3 full glasses), 2-3 eggs with bread and a few pieces of fruits.

You may replace the egg-bread combination with any other combination having a similar calorie value.

Aftaar time: Keep track of your hunger. Most people do not keep track of exactly how hungry they are until they eat too much. Leave a part of your hunger unfulfilled.

Exercise plan:

Do not change your walking/jogging routine.

It is better to work out an hour or two before Aftaar. This helps to absorb the nutrients you later take in Aftaari, and the thirst after workout is bearable because aftaar is only an hour away from workout.

Keeping in view all these things, man can attain both physical fitness and mental purity from Ramadan.

What is the history of Ramadan?

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Arabian calendar. The term Ramadan literally means scorching in Arabic. It was established as a Holy Month for Muslims after the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in 610 CE on the occasion known as Laylat al-Qadr, frequently translated as “the Night of Power.

Observance of Ramadan is mandated in the Quran, Surah 2, Ayah 185:

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.”

What are the dates of Ramadan?

Because the cycle of the lunar calendar does not match the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan shifts by approximately 11 days each year. In 2011, Ramadan began on August 1st. In 2012 Ramadan is likely to begin on July 20th.

The ending of Ramadan is marked by the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, which takes place either 29 or 30 days after the beginning of the month. On Eid ul-Fitr, morning prayers are followed by feasting and celebration among family and friends. This year Eid ul-Fitr will most probably fall on Sunday, August 19th.

What are the daily fasting requirements?

During the month of Ramadan, most Muslims fast from dawn to sunset with no food or water. Before sunrise many Muslims have the Suhur or predawn meal. At sunset families and friends gather for Iftar which is the meal eaten by Muslims to break the fast. Many Muslims begin the meal by eating dates as the Prophet used to do.

This ritual fast known as, Sawm, is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires that individuals abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual intercourse.

To find the specific times for Ramadan fasting, click over to this helpful tool provided by IslamiCity that allows you to calculate prayer schedules — including sunup and sundown — by entering your city or zip code.

What are the expectations towards charity?

Charity is an important part of Ramadan. The fast emphasizes self-sacrifice and using the experience of hunger to grow in empathy with the hungry. During Ramadan, Muslim communities work together to raise money for the poor, donate clothes and food, and hold iftar dinners for the less fortunate.

What scriptural study do Muslims take part in?

Many Muslims use Ramadan to read the entire Quran or read the Quran daily. Many communities divide the Quran into daily reading segments that conclude on Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan.

Can non-Muslims participate?

Non-Muslims are free to participate in Ramadam. Many non-Muslims fast and even pray with their Muslim friends or family members. Non-Muslims are often invited to attend prayer and iftar dinners.

Those wishing to be polite to someone who is fasting for Ramadan may greet them with Ramadan Mubarak or Ramadan Kareem, which mean Have a Blessed or Generous Ramadan.

Should Muslims with diabetes fast?

Fasting during Ramadan is discouraged for patients with diabetes by the American Diabetes Association.

“In keeping with this, a large epidemiological study conducted in 13 Islamic countries on 12,243 individuals with diabetes who fasted during Ramadan showed a high rate of acute complications.”

However, the study says this was not conclusive. Many diabetic patients fasted with no complications. Patients with diabetes should work with their doctors to figure out a strategy if they choose to fast.

What is the ‘goal’ of Ramadan?

In general, the practices of Ramadan are meant to purify oneself from thoughts and deeds which are counter to Islam. By removing material desires, one is able to focus fully on devotion and service to God. Many Muslims go beyond the physical ritual of fasting and attempt to purge themselves of impure thoughts and motivations such as anger, cursing, and greed.

Do all Muslims take part in Ramadan fasting?

Most Muslims believe Ramadan fasting is mandatory, but there are some groups that do not. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, people who are seriously sick, travelers, or those at health risk should not fast. Children that have not gone through puberty are also not required to fast during the month Ramadan.

Source:huffingtonpost.com

Lebanese orphans play traditional drums during a ceremony to celebrate the coming Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Beirut.
ANWAR AMRO / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Muslim female detainees offer prayers during a gathering in the yard at the Narathiwat jail in Thailand’s restive southern Narathiwat province. The Thai government opened the doors of a prison for relatives to visit their loved ones, welcoming the holy month of Ramadan.
MADAREE TOHLALA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A vendor cleans Ramadan lanterns displayed for sale at a shop ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo.
AMR ABDALLAH DALSH / REUTERS

Iraqis shop for food at a market as they prepare for Ramadan in Baghdad’s Sadr City.
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Laborers put up a tarp to shade the area in front of the Dome of the Rock in preparation for Ramadan on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa mosque (not seen) also stands, in Jerusalem’s Old City.
DARREN WHITESIDE / REUTERS

A Bahraini woman gestures as she prepares treats and refreshments for children and passersby inside a decorated area in front of her home in the western village of Malkiya, Bahrain.
Hasan Jamali / AP

A Bahraini man arranges decorations in Malkiya for a celebration of the birthday of Imam Mahdi, grandson of Islam’s founding prophet. The event, known as Nasfa and most widely celebrated in Shiite Muslim areas, is held on the full moon night midway through the Islamic month preceding the holy month of Ramadan.
Hasan Jamali / AP

Source: washingtonpost