In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar is Ramadhan. It is the month that is generally known as the month of fasting. It is in this month that Muslims around the world, abstain from eating, drinking and sexual activity from dawn till sunset.
With these abstentions there are much deeper meanings than merely staying hungry. In this act of fasting Muslims from all over the world, from all backgrounds and from all financial levels, together leave aside their most basic needs and turn their attentions to Allah, acknowledging that none besides Him can provide. It is a time when the rich feel the hunger of the poor, and thus increase their alms-giving and their expression of gratitude. It is a time when even the irreligious leave bad habits behind them to present themselves before Allah the All-forgiving.
One automatically notices the increase of religious fervour that Ramadhan brings about. This would be a natural step, judging that Ramadhan brings about an increase in reward of each deed by a minimum of ten times.
Fasting is exclusively for Allah: He states, “Fasting is for me and I shall give its reward. And good is (rewarded) with ten times its like.” (al-Bukhari)
Besides fasting, there is an abundance of ways and actions that a person can adopt to try to please his Lord. These have been presented in this blogs as well as the relevant Masaa’il of Ramadhan. It is hoped that the actions that one finds time to perform in Ramadhan, will be developed as a habit to continue throughout the year.
Note: The Masaa’il presented within our blogs are those generally followed by the Hanafi Madh-hab.
SIGHTING OF THE MOON (HILAAL)
1. The principle on which the determination of the Islamic months are based, has always been the actual sighting of the new moon. This is in accordance to the teaching of the Prophet (PBUH), “Fast when you see it (the new moon) and break your fast when you see it.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)
2. It is possible to prepare correct timetables showing sunset, sunrise, Zawaal and Salah times, but it is not possible to prepare timetables for the sighting of the moon. The timetable is unable to provide the human act of sighting the moon essential for the commencement of the Islamic month. (Derived from the above Narration of Muslim)
3. The ‘Birth’ of the moon or assumed feasibility of sighting the moon are not the principles for determining the Islamic months. (Derived from the above Narration of Muslim)
4. If the moon is not sighted due to poor weather conditions, the Prophet (PBUH), commanded that the month be completed with thirty days. This has been the practice of the Ummah from the time of the Prophet (PBUH). (al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)
5. News of the moon being sighted in another country does not determine the Islamic date in one’s own country. The implications of the Shari`ah is that Muslims should attempt to sight the moon in their own countries. (Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)
O Allah! Let the crescent moon appear over us with security and Iman; with peace and Islam; and with ability for us to practice such actions which You love. (O Moon!) My Creator and Your Creator is Allah. (al-Haakim, Ibn Hibban, (similar wording in at-Tirmidh|)
SOME RULES PERTAINING TO THE MOON
1. It is incumbent on Muslims to search for the moon of Ramadhan on the end of the 29th of Sha`baan. (al-Jawharah)
2. The testimony of a faasiq (open transgressor) regarding the sighting of the moon is not acceptable. (Muslim in his Muqaddamah)
3. If the sky is clear when searching for the moon then the testimony of one or two people is not enough to bring a verdict on Ramadhan starting or ending, but the testimony of a group is needed. If however it is cloudy or extremely dusty/misty, then the testimony of even one person, whether male or female (provided he/she is not a faasiq) is acceptable to bring a verdict on Ramadhan.
(al-Quduri, al-Bidayah, based on Ahaadith found in Muslim)
4. If someone sees the moon of Ramadhan alone, but for some reason his testimony was rejected, he will have to fast on that day. If he does not, he will have to observe Qadaa' of the Fast. However, there is no Kaffaarah (to be explained) on him if he breaks this fast. If he completes thirty days for Ramadhan and the moon for Eid was not sighted, he will have to continue fasting with the people even if it means that he fasts for thirty one days. (al-Quduri, ash-Shami)
Note: One should not take offence if one’s report of sighting of the moon is not accepted by the scholars. Non-acceptance of information regarding the sighting of the moon is not always because of the reporter being a faasiq or unreliable. At times the sighting of a single person or even of a few persons is not acceptable to the Shari`ah. Thus, rejection of testimony is based on Shar`i grounds.
5. If the sky is not clear and thirty days of any month have passed then the commencement of the next month will be declared.
(al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)
6. There is no validity in seeing the moon in the day, whether it be before or after Zawaal. (Bada’i` as-Sana’i`, ash-Shami)
THE BLESSED MONTH OF RAMADHAN
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had addressed the people:
"O people! shadowing you is a great month, a blessed month, a month in which is a night greater than a thousand months. Allah has made compulsory fasting in this month and has made staying awake at night rewarding.
"Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any deed of good in it (Ramadhan), he is as one who has performed a Fard in any (time) other than it. And whoever performs in it a Fard, he is as one who has performed seventy Faraa'id in any (time) other than it.
"It is the month of patience; and of patience, its reward is Jannah. It is a month of consoling, and it is the month wherein a believer’s sustenance is increased.
"Whoever in it feeds a fasting person (or provides the means of opening the fast), it will be for him forgiveness for his sins, and the freedom of his neck (i.e. himself) from the Fire. And for him is the same reward (as the fasting person) without his (the fasting person's) reward being lessened in the least."
The companions interjected: "Not all of us have what feeds a fasting person."
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) answered: "Allah grants this reward to one who feeds a fasting person with a single date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk."
(The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) continued:)
"And it is a month the beginning of which is mercy, the centre of which is forgiveness and the end of which is freedom from the Fire.
"Whoever makes things easy for his subordinates, Allah will forgive him and free him from the Fire.
"Increase in Ramadhan four deeds, two of which will please your Lord and two of which you will not find success in besides. The two deeds that your Lord is pleased with are, the (recitation of) Shahaadah, that there is no god but Allah, and your seeking forgiveness from Him. The two deeds that there is no success besides them are, you asking Allah for Heaven and you seeking His protection from Hell.
"And whoever satisfies the hunger of a fasting person, Allah will give Him water to drink from my pool. Such a drink that he will not feel thirsty even when he enters heaven." (Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Bayhaqi)
Once when the moon of Ramadhan was seen, the Messenger (PBUH) said:
“If Allah’s servants knew what Ramadhan was they would wish that it were perpetually Ramadhan.”
A person from the Khuza`ah tribe asked:
“O Nabi of Allah, tell us.”
The Messenger (PBUH) continued:
“Indeed Heaven is adorned for Ramadhan from the beginning of each year till the next. When it is the first day of Ramadhan a wind blows from beneath the Throne, through which the leaves of heaven all rustle.
“The Hoor will see this and ask, ‘O Lord! make for us, in this month, from Your servants spouses who will be the joy of our eyes, and of whose eyes we will be the cause of joy.’
“Allah will reply, ‘The servant who fasts for a day in Ramadhan will be paired with a spouse from the wide-eyed Hoor in a tent made of a (single) pearl.’” (Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Bayhaqi, Abu Ya`la)
The Messenger (PBUH) has said:
“My Ummah has been given five things in regards to Ramadhan which has not been given to any other ummah before them. (One is) that the odour of the mouth of a fasting person is more fragrant, according to Allah, than musk. (The second is) that the angels continuously seek forgiveness on their behalf until they end their fast. (The third is) that Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, everyday adorns His Heaven and then says (to it), ‘The time is near when My pious servants shall be freed from difficulties and (meager) provisions, and they will come to You.’
(The fourth is) that the shaytaan will be shackled and restrained from performing the mischief that they can perform outside Ramadhan. (The fifth is) that they (the fasting) will be forgiven on the last night of Ramadhan.”
It was asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Is that the night of Qadr (Power)?”
The Messenger (PBUH) replied:
“No (i.e. the night of Qadr is additional to all this). But it is that a worker should get his reward upon the work’s completion.” Ahmad)
GENERAL SUNAN DURING RAMADHAN
* To partake of Suhoor (predawn) meals.
* To end fast immediately after sunset.
* To read Taraaweeh Salaah.
* To feed the poor and hungry.
* To increase the reading of the Qur’aan.
* To observe I`tikaaf within the Masjid (for men and the home for
women) during the last ten days of Ramadhan.