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In order not to Regret the Passing of Ramadan
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 09-01-2023

 

Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is decorated with lights and lanterns celebrating the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. A sign of joy and pleasure for receiving this honorable guest who brought with it acts of devotion that bring a servant closer to His Lord. In this blessed month, Muslims observe fast following the command of Allah declaring their servitude to Him and attachment to His religion. Coming closer to Allah through observing this act is the true joy since this is what Ramadan represents in a Muslim`s mentality.

Unfortunately, some Muslims fail to grasp the true message of Ramadan by thinking that this month is all about food, drinks, feats, soap operas or Ramadan nights tents, and deviate from the straight path to that of worldly pleasures and desires. On the contrary, Ramadan comes to curb desires and pleasures; not to cause a Muslim to indulge in them. Being a season for obedience and worship, a Muslim should rejoice at its arrival and not have a sense of fear or discomfort for having to observe fast during the summer heat and long days nor complain from thirst or hunger. Rather, a Muslim should seize this golden opportunity that brings him/her closer to the Creator of the universe, Allah. This closeness is tantamount to food for the soul and tranquility for the heart. Allah Says {What means}: "Say: "In the bounty of God. And in His Mercy, - in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard." {Younis/58}. 

A Muslim should pray that Allah Lets him/her witness the blessed days of Ramadan in which good deeds are multiplied, evil deeds are erased, and people are pardoned and emancipated from Hell fire. In simple terms, Ramadan is a door for goodness that every Muslims wants to pass through. In addition, there is a great deal of recompense for supplication, which is an act of worship. It is also a means of asking Allah Who has the power to achieve anything; however, one should trust that Allah will answer his/her prayer. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" {Ghafir/ 60}.

Witnessing the blessed month of Ramadan is a great blessing that Allah bestows on His servants as they are given an extra opportunity to repent and multiply their balance of good deeds. It is unfortunate to say that many of our Muslim brothers passed away without having witnessed this month and received its great reward. Therefore, it is the duty of every servant to be grateful to Allah for this generous blessing and through this attitude; he/she becomes entitled to more and more blessings.

A Muslim should take advantage of this month successfully and a successful investment needs successful planning because the general rule says: "Failure to plan is planning to fail." Ramadan is very short for its days are numbered and some Muslims spend it sleeping, eating, drinking, working, and other commitments leaving no room for worship and obedience. Ramadan is like a spectrum; no sooner it arrives than it departs.

This blessed month needs a Muslim to arrange his/her time, divide duties, observe priorities and give precedence to the most important. Failing to do so means having missed a great opportunity to be emancipated from Hell fire and having a great sense of regret at a time when regret will be of no avail.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the age of the Aqiqa or the Udhiyah?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The minimum age for a sacrificial animal (Udhiyah) and the birth sacrifice (Aqiqa) is as follows:
 
Camels: Five years old, entering their sixth year.
 
Cattle and Goats: Two years old, entering their third year.
 
Sheep: One year old, entering their second year; however, it is permissible for a sheep to be six months old provided it is large in size and plump.
 
And Allah the Exalted knows best.

A man wishes to offer more than one uḍḥiyah (sacrificial offering), and intends by these sacrifices "on behalf of everyone whom Allah and His Messenger love." Is this intention valid?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The uḍḥiyah (sacrificial offering) is not valid with this intention, because if the sacrificial animal is from sheep or goats, it suffices for one person only; and if it is from cattle or camels, it suffices for seven persons.
However, one may sacrifice it on his own behalf, and then gift the equivalent of its reward to whomever he wishes.
Imam ar-Ramlī (raḥimahullāh) says: "Ash-Shāfi‘ī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh) said: It is within the vastness of Allah's bounty, the Exalted, that He rewards the one giving charity as well. From this, the scholars of the madhhab said: it is recommended for a person to intend the charity on behalf of his parents, for example — for Allah, the Exalted, will reward them, without this diminishing his own reward in any way." He then relates, as the relied-upon position, the permissibility of saying: "O Allah, convey the reward of what I have recited specifically to so-and-so, and to the Muslims generally." Az-Zarkashī said: "For reward varies in degree — its highest form is what one designates specifically, and its lowest form is what one dedicates generally [alongside others]." [End of quote from Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on the follower (*maʾmūm*) reciting Sūrat al-Fātiḥah behind the imam?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
In our school of Islamic thought, the Shāfiʿī school, reciting al-Fātiḥah is obligatory in every rakʿah of the prayer for the imam, the follower (maʾmūm), and the one praying individually (munfarid), because it is one of the pillars (arkān) of the prayer. Whoever does not perform it, his prayer is invalid, whether the prayer is silent (sirriyyah) or audible (jahriyyah), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “The prayer of the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb) is invalid.” Agreed upon.
It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik, one of the books of the Shāfiʿī school: “He recites al-Fātiḥah in every rakʿah, whether he is the imam, the follower, or the individual worshipper.”
The jurists of the other schools hold a different opinion, which was previously explained in Fatwa no. (3169); please refer to it. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible for a woman in her menstrual period to recite from the Mus-haf (copy of the Quran ), or to recite by heart?

A menstruating woman is permitted neither to recite nor to touch the Quran according to what Ali Bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported about the Prophet (PBUH) who was only held from reciting the Holy Quran by Janabah (Major impurity) [Al-Tirmizi in a sound Hadith]. Although Janabah and menstruation are major impurities, a menstruating woman is permitted to supplicate Allah (Duaa`) and make Zikr (Tasbihat ), even if these involved saying words from the Holy Quran, provided that she does not mean the words for themselves but as a supplication, or Zikr. Moreover, she is rewarded for not reciting the Quran during her menstrual period because she abided by the injunctions of Allah.

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