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Ramadan Teaches us the Power of Will and Resolve
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 28-03-2023

Ramadan Teaches us the Power of Will and Resolve

 

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

The holy month of Ramadan is a divine gift manifesting mercy, goodness and blessings. Allah willed that this blessed month be the turning point of change in people`s life taking them from the darkness of ignorance into the light and mercy of Islam, from vice to virtue, from cruelty and disaffection to love, brotherhood and affection. Thus, this religion was initiated by sending Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as a mercy to all creatures. Allah The Almighty Says {what means}: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." {Al-Anbiya/107}. In this holy month, the earth was connected with the heaven and the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) whom Allah sent as mercy to take people out of darkness into the light and out of misguidance into guidance. Allah Says {what means}: "Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting" {Al-Baqarah/185}. This made it the month of mercy and forgiveness.

One of the blessings of this great month is that it is one of the passages of life enabling a believer to revitalize his/her resolve and renew his/her faith. It is also a school of high will, doing righteous good deeds and drawing closer to Allah the Almighty Who told us that the fruit of fasting is the realization of piety and rising to the degree of His pious worshippers. He The Almighty Says {What means}: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint." {Al-Baqarah/183}.

The holy month of Ramadan teaches us to abandon the lusts/desires of the soul and body through quitting food, drink and coveted things. This is in addition to elevating the soul to the realms of spirituality through increasing prayers, worship, remembrance and glorification of Allah. Thus, it gets closer to the status of the angels about whom Allah Said (What means): " who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from God, but do (precisely) what they are commanded." {At-Tahrim/6}. Ramadan is the month of change, offering acts of obedience, worshipping The Most Merciful and reciting the Quran.

This month, Muslims are undergoing a course in self-discipline to attain the piety for which fasting is prescribed. It is a test for changing self and society to the better as well as controlling desires. A Muslim realizes that he/she can quit not only lawful food and water, but also acts of disobedience and fight self that incites him/her to sins, evils and inflicting harm upon others.

From the perspective of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions, Ramadan is the month of work and pivotal achievements in the history of the Islamic Uma. It has never been the month of laziness or inaction. Rather, it is an opportunity to revitalize resolve and receive the glad-tidings of success in all spheres of life. One of these pivotal events is the Battle of Badr, which Allah Called the Day of the Criterion because it differentiated between right and wrong and was won by the Muslims. It took place on the seventeenth of Ramadan. Another example is the Conquest of Makkah through which sanctities returned to the fold of Islam and large numbers of people accepted Islam. This Conquest took place on the twentieth of Ramadan. Therefore, Ramadan is the month of fighting self, curbing desires and competing in righteous good deeds. It is the duty of every Muslim to take advantage of these blessed days through fasting, night prayers and reciting the Quran to win Allah`s Mercy and Forgiveness and return free from sin as on the day a person was born. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith, while seeking its reward From Allah, will have his past sins forgiven." [Agreed upon]. And All perfect praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, and is it permissible to slaughter the ewe if one knows it is pregnant?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a person slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, the fetus becomes lawful (ḥalāl) by virtue of its mother's slaughter (tabaʿan li-ummihā).
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/P.158): "A fetus found dead [after the mother's slaughter], or found alive but in a state resembling that of a slaughtered animal [i.e., dying shortly after], becomes lawful — whether or not it had grown fur — provided it is found in the womb of a mother that was lawfully slaughtered, whether her slaughter was by cutting the throat, or by an arrow or hunting dog sent after her. This is based on the ḥadīth: 'The slaughtering of the fetus is [effected by] the slaughtering of its mother' [narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it ḥasan, and by Ibn Ḥibbān, who graded it ṣaḥīḥ] — meaning that the slaughter which rendered the mother lawful renders the fetus lawful as well, by virtue of following her; and because the fetus is one of her constituent parts, and her slaughter renders lawful all of her parts."
This ruling differs, however, from the case of one who knows from the outset that the ewe is pregnant [and intends to sacrifice her specifically as the udḥiyah while pregnant] — in which case, according to the Shāfi'ī school, she does not fulfill the requirement of a valid sacrifice.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī 'alā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.4/P.335): "A pregnant animal does not fulfill the requirement [of a valid sacrifice], and this is the authoritative position (al-mu'tamad), because pregnancy diminishes the quality of the meat. As for why such an animal is nevertheless counted as complete [i.e., fully valid] in matters of zakāh, that is because the intent there is reproduction (nasl), not the quality of the meat.". And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

If a traveler settles or a sick person recovers while fasting, is it permissible for them to break their fast?

● If a sick person starts the day fasting and then recovers during the day, they must complete their fast.
● If a traveler starts the day fasting and then settles (returns or stops traveling) during the day, they must also complete their fast.
● It is forbidden for both of them to break their fast because the concession (rukhsah) is no longer valid once its reason disappears.

Is fidyah required for someone who breaks their fast due to a valid excuse?

● If the excuse is permanent, such as a chronic illness with no hope of recovery or old age, then fidyah is required. This means feeding one needy person for each missed fasting day.
● However, if the excuse is temporary, such as menstruation, postnatal bleeding, or a temporary illness, then only making up the missed fasts (qada) is required, and fidyah does not apply.

What is the ruling on a vowed animal sacrifice?

A vowed animal sacrifice is to be distributed amongst the poor and needy, and neither the vow-maker, nor those supported by him are to eat from it.

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