Miscellaneous issues in Ramadan
- Details
- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by Philosofaith M. U. Ndagi
- Hits: 1242
With gratitude to Allah (SWT) for His special grace and mercy, we are today halfway in this year’s Ramadan fast. Muslims in their observance of Ramadan fast have reasons to ask questions as may be occasioned by peculiar circumstances in which they find themselves. It is in view of this and other exigencies that this column decides, this week, to discuss issues that relate to Ramadan fast.
There are some nominal Muslims especially among contemporary youths who observe Ramadan fast without caring about the daily obligatory prayers. Scholars opine that anyone who abandons the five daily obligatory prayers gains no reward for his fast. The faith (iman) of a Muslim who neglects prayers is incomplete and therefore puts him outside the fold of Islam. Imam Muslim narrates a hadith on the authority of Jabir bn Abdullah (RA) in which the Prophet (SAW) mentioned that “the difference between a believer and an unbeliever is prayer (salat)”. Prayer is the pillar of Islamic religion without which a person shall not be called a believer. Other acts of worship, too, shall not be accepted from a Muslim who neglects salat based on the verse wherein Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 9:54 “the only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are: that they reject Allah and His Apostle; that they come to prayer without earnestness: And that they offer contributions unwillingly”.
Some ignorant people developed the false theory of fasting without observing payers, from an erroneous understanding of the hadith of the Prophet (SAW) narrated by Imam Muslim under the chapter dealing with purification, which mentions that one Ramadan and another as well as one Friday congregational prayer and another expiate for all the sins (committed) between them. And so in their myopic comprehension, fasting alone (even without observing the daily obligatory prayers) expiates for the sins committed between last year’s Ramadan and the current Ramadan. But they seem to have forgotten the following clause in the hadith “…provided the person avoids great sins (kaba’ir)” which thus makes the recompense of their sins conditional. Negligence of salat is considered a great sin in Islam. It is therefore of no benefit for a Muslim to fast without observing the daily obligatory prayers.
Scholars in their legal opinions (fatwah) permit the use of inhaler by asthmatic patients in the daytime of Ramadan. This pinion is based on the fact that, contents of an inhaler do not reach the intestines but rather go to the lungs. Similarly, injections received for medication during the daytime in Ramadan do not render the fast void, except if the contents are composed of ingredients that have nutritional values that could earn the body system some additional calories. Blood can be donated while fasting provided the quantity to be given would not have negative impact on the donor as to endanger his fast. However, if a fasting donor is faced with a situation of life and death, which may require him to donate so much quantity of blood that would make it impossible for him to continue with the day’s fast, he is given the concession to eat and drink for the rest part of that day, after donating blood for the purpose of saving a life or lives. He is required in this case to pay back the day’s fast at a later date after Ramadan.
Although scholars permit the use of chewing sticks (siwak) to clean or polish the teeth in the daytime during Ramadan, the user of the siwak must be cautious as not to swallow any substance from the use of siwak including blood that may gush from the gums. However, scholars discourage the use of toothpastes at daytime during Ramadan because they have strong flavors that can penetrate our throat down to the intestines. The removal of a tooth (or teeth) while fasting in Ramadan as well as the loss of blood in the process does not vitiate the fast. The use of perfume does not also vitiate the fast. Nonetheless, it is advisable to refrain from using it if the odor could lead to nausea or similar circumstances that may put an individual’s fast in jeopardy. Furthermore, it is permitted for a fasting believer to swim in the river if there is a genuine cause to do so. Islam does not object to fishermen who earn their livelihood from swimming in the river to catch fishes for sale. Yet, such must be done with utmost caution in order to preserve the purity of the fast.
The flow of the natural blood of women which occurs virtually every month of the year including Ramadan, sometimes prompts relevant questions as it concerns the validity of a woman’s Ramadan fast. If a woman suffers from continuous bleeding (Istihadah) for a period longer than the period of her usual menstrual period, she can still fast during Ramadan. Scholars recommend that she should refrain from fasting and praying only during the period of her regular circle of menses. If, for instance, she used to have her normal period of menses during the first six days of the month, then she would refrain from fasting and praying in the first six days of every month including the month of Ramadan after which she would take her ritual birth and then continue with the Ramadan fast and prayer even though the blood of Istihadah may not have ceased. She is required, however, to perform ablution (wudu’u) for every obligatory (wajib) and optional (nafilah) prayer. Because of the difficulties suffered from Istihadah, such women are allowed to combine and offer Zuhr and Asr prayers at the same time. She may also combine Maghrib and Isha’i prayers, as if she were on a journey even though she is not allowed to shorten any of the payers to be combined. May Allah (SWT) put us among the forgiven ones in this blessed month of mercy, amin.
Articles
Miscellaneous issues in Ramadan
Category: Philosofaith Written by Philosofaith M. U. Ndagi Hits: 1242
With gratitude to Allah (SWT) for His special grace and mercy, we are today halfway in this year’s Ramadan fast. Muslims in their observance of Ramadan fast have reasons to ask questions as may be occasioned by peculiar circumstances in which they find themselves. It is in view of this and other exigencies that this column decides, this week, to discuss issues that relate to Ramadan fast.
There are some nominal Muslims especially among contemporary youths who observe Ramadan fast without caring about the daily obligatory prayers. Scholars opine that anyone who abandons the five daily obligatory prayers gains no reward for his fast. The faith (iman) of a Muslim who neglects prayers is incomplete and therefore puts him outside the fold of Islam. Imam Muslim narrates a hadith on the authority of Jabir bn Abdullah (RA) in which the Prophet (SAW) mentioned that “the difference between a believer and an unbeliever is prayer (salat)”. Prayer is the pillar of Islamic religion without which a person shall not be called a believer. Other acts of worship, too, shall not be accepted from a Muslim who neglects salat based on the verse wherein Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 9:54 “the only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are: that they reject Allah and His Apostle; that they come to prayer without earnestness: And that they offer contributions unwillingly”.
Some ignorant people developed the false theory of fasting without observing payers, from an erroneous understanding of the hadith of the Prophet (SAW) narrated by Imam Muslim under the chapter dealing with purification, which mentions that one Ramadan and another as well as one Friday congregational prayer and another expiate for all the sins (committed) between them. And so in their myopic comprehension, fasting alone (even without observing the daily obligatory prayers) expiates for the sins committed between last year’s Ramadan and the current Ramadan. But they seem to have forgotten the following clause in the hadith “…provided the person avoids great sins (kaba’ir)” which thus makes the recompense of their sins conditional. Negligence of salat is considered a great sin in Islam. It is therefore of no benefit for a Muslim to fast without observing the daily obligatory prayers.
Scholars in their legal opinions (fatwah) permit the use of inhaler by asthmatic patients in the daytime of Ramadan. This pinion is based on the fact that, contents of an inhaler do not reach the intestines but rather go to the lungs. Similarly, injections received for medication during the daytime in Ramadan do not render the fast void, except if the contents are composed of ingredients that have nutritional values that could earn the body system some additional calories. Blood can be donated while fasting provided the quantity to be given would not have negative impact on the donor as to endanger his fast. However, if a fasting donor is faced with a situation of life and death, which may require him to donate so much quantity of blood that would make it impossible for him to continue with the day’s fast, he is given the concession to eat and drink for the rest part of that day, after donating blood for the purpose of saving a life or lives. He is required in this case to pay back the day’s fast at a later date after Ramadan.
Although scholars permit the use of chewing sticks (siwak) to clean or polish the teeth in the daytime during Ramadan, the user of the siwak must be cautious as not to swallow any substance from the use of siwak including blood that may gush from the gums. However, scholars discourage the use of toothpastes at daytime during Ramadan because they have strong flavors that can penetrate our throat down to the intestines. The removal of a tooth (or teeth) while fasting in Ramadan as well as the loss of blood in the process does not vitiate the fast. The use of perfume does not also vitiate the fast. Nonetheless, it is advisable to refrain from using it if the odor could lead to nausea or similar circumstances that may put an individual’s fast in jeopardy. Furthermore, it is permitted for a fasting believer to swim in the river if there is a genuine cause to do so. Islam does not object to fishermen who earn their livelihood from swimming in the river to catch fishes for sale. Yet, such must be done with utmost caution in order to preserve the purity of the fast.
The flow of the natural blood of women which occurs virtually every month of the year including Ramadan, sometimes prompts relevant questions as it concerns the validity of a woman’s Ramadan fast. If a woman suffers from continuous bleeding (Istihadah) for a period longer than the period of her usual menstrual period, she can still fast during Ramadan. Scholars recommend that she should refrain from fasting and praying only during the period of her regular circle of menses. If, for instance, she used to have her normal period of menses during the first six days of the month, then she would refrain from fasting and praying in the first six days of every month including the month of Ramadan after which she would take her ritual birth and then continue with the Ramadan fast and prayer even though the blood of Istihadah may not have ceased. She is required, however, to perform ablution (wudu’u) for every obligatory (wajib) and optional (nafilah) prayer. Because of the difficulties suffered from Istihadah, such women are allowed to combine and offer Zuhr and Asr prayers at the same time. She may also combine Maghrib and Isha’i prayers, as if she were on a journey even though she is not allowed to shorten any of the payers to be combined. May Allah (SWT) put us among the forgiven ones in this blessed month of mercy, amin.