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The Catalyst for Ramadan's Change
Author : Dr. Mufti AbdulHakim Tawfeeq
Date Added : 22-10-2024

The Catalyst for Ramadan's Change

 

All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of all Worlds, Who changes and does not change, Who alters and is not altered. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the one who came with a path toward positive change, our master and beloved Prophet Muhammad, and upon his noble family and pure companions.

Undoubtedly, the principle of change in an individual’s life, and thus in society, is firmly established in the religion of Allah and is deeply rooted in the elevated Islamic education. This occurs through the ability granted to individuals to change what is within themselves. When individuals change themselves for the better, it leads to the betterment of society as a whole.

Change begins and emanates from within, that is, within the self. It starts by transforming one's beliefs, values, principles, and thoughts. When this transformation aligns with what pleases the Lord, it reflects on the external behavior of the individual, and consequently, on society. Thus, the transition occurs from one state to another, from the reality we live in to the ideal state we aspire to.

The most significant factor in changing oneself is faith when it firmly resides in the heart. It prepares the soul to accept principles, no matter the duties, sacrifices, or challenges they entail. It changes the objectives, means, direction, behavior, tastes, and standards, making them different from what they were before.

How does Ramadan contribute to the desired change?

No one can deny the significant impact Ramadan has on the change we seek, through the following points:

1. Taqwa (Consciousness of Allah): Fasting during Ramadan plays a key role in creating and strengthening taqwa. The Qur'anic verse explicitly states that the purpose of fasting is to achieve taqwa, it states (What means): "O you who have believed, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous." [Al-Baqarah/183].

2. The motivational factors in Ramadan: Ramadan provides a spiritual atmosphere that encourages one to rise and pursue positive change. The hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasize the rewards of fasting and those who fast, such as the forgiveness of past sins, the acceptance of prayers, entry through the gate of Rayyan, and the many other opportunities for good deeds. During Ramadan, the hearts turn to Allah, the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) is present, and the opportunity for freedom from Hellfire is granted. Are these not enough to urge people to hasten toward good deeds, compete in coming closer to Allah, and abandoning sins and desires?

3. Willpower and patience in Ramadan: Willpower is crucial for change, and Ramadan serves as a school that teaches practical discipline in willpower and patience. Through fasting, Muslims learn to endure hardship, build resilience, and train themselves to obey Allah’s commands and control their desires for an entire month. They graduate from this intensive course successful and victorious in their struggle against their own souls, ready to channel their energy and talents toward fighting their enemies. After Ramadan, they are capable of abandoning what is forbidden and disliked habits.

4. Adopting good deeds and noble morals: Ramadan is a station where people recharge their commitment to good deeds, such as being diligent in the five daily prayers. Many who previously neglected or delayed their prayers, or failed to attend them in congregation, find themselves, during Ramadan, praying with the congregation, frequenting mosques, and filling them with remembrance, recitation of the Qur’an, and night prayers (Taraweeh). From a moral perspective, Ramadan is an opportunity to abandon vices such as selfishness and stinginess.

5. Repentance and turning to Allah in Ramadan: Many sinners seize the opportunity in Ramadan to repent, return to their Lord, and rush toward righteousness, declaring their repentance to their Creator.

In conclusion, those who fast and stand in prayer during Ramadan, with faith and seeking Allah's reward, will find their lives renewed. The positive change they experience will be achieved, and the most important thing afterward is to maintain it, remain steadfast, and strive to increase it in the coming days.

May Allah grant us success in making the most of Ramadan and in experiencing true and lasting change.

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

In the Sharia-compliant viewing  at a prospective bride (*al-naẓrah al-sharʿiyyah*), is it permissible for the man to see the woman without a veil (*ḥijāb*)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is sunnah for the suitor to see the woman he is seeking to marry within the limits the Sharīʿah permits, namely looking at the face and the hands (palms and backs), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Look at her, for it is more likely to bring about harmony between you.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
The suitor may also ask one of the women to look at the woman he is seeking to marry. In that case, she is permitted to see of her what she is normally permitted to see, which is not limited to the face and hands, and she then describes these matters to the suitor. It is narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umm Sulaym to look at a girl, and said: “Smell her breath, and look at her heels.” Narrated by Aḥmad in his Musnad.
It is stated in Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.7/p.192): “For one who cannot easily look, or does not wish to look himself, it is sunnah to send someone who is permitted to look at her, to observe her and describe her to him, even regarding what he himself is not permitted to look at. He thereby gains through the sending what he would not gain through looking. Because of the added need for this, it is excepted from the prohibition of a woman describing another woman to a man.”
The permissibility of looking is conditional upon his resolve to marry her once he is able to, his predominant assumption that his proposal will be accepted, and his assumption that the woman is free of marriage and of a waiting period (ʿiddah). Otherwise, looking is forbidden.
Accordingly, it is not permissible for the suitor to look at anything other than the face and hands. He may ask one of his maḥram women, such as his mother or sister, to see the woman unveiled, and the Sharia-compliant viewing (of a prospective bride) must take place in the presence of one of the woman’s maḥrams. And Allah Almighty knows best.

A pregnant woman has iron deficiency. When she showers, she becomes very tired and feels cold. What is the ruling on tayammum in this situation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
One should not resort to tayammum (dry ablution) as a substitute for the obligatory ghusl (ritual bathing) so long as it remains possible to use water — for example, by heating the water, warming the place where the bathing takes place, or taking other similar precautions. However, if such measures prove ineffective, or are simply not possible to carry out, and performing ghusl [with cold water] would result in severe harm, then tayammum becomes permissible in that case, due to genuine inability to use water on account of the harm that would result, as described in the question. That said, she must make up (qaḍā') the prayers she performed using this tayammum.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm: "One should not perform tayammum on account of cold unless warming the limbs fails to remove the aforementioned harm, and no means are available to heat the water — such as a vessel, firewood, or fire — and one fears [that using cold water would result in] any of the harms mentioned earlier in the discussion on illness: danger to life, loss of function in a limb, the onset or worsening of an illness, delayed recovery, or the [visible bodily] blemish mentioned in that discussion on illness. In such a case, tayammum becomes permissible due to the harm involved, but the prayer must still be made up afterward (qaḍā'). If, however, warming the body proves effective, or the means to heat the water are available, or none of the aforementioned harms are feared — then tayammum is not permissible, even if using the water causes some degree of discomfort or pain, since mere discomfort alone does not permit resorting to tayammum." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on obtaining financing from Islamic banks by bringing invoices in prior arrangement with the seller, then taking the cash after the financing is approved — with the purpose of settling debts and buying a car?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It appears from the transaction described that its underlying purpose is to obtain cash through resorting to a legal artifice (ḥīlah/tawarruq-style trick), and it is not permissible to engage in such trickery or to coordinate with the various parties merely to obtain liquidity. This is because such artifices bring the sale closer in reality to a ribā-based (usurious) transaction, even if it outwardly appears otherwise.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not commit what the Jews committed, thereby making lawful what Allah has made unlawful through the flimsiest of tricks." This was related by Ibn Baṭṭah in his book Ibṭāl al-Ḥiyal (p. 47), and many scholars have graded it as ḥasan (sound/acceptable).
We have already explained the impermissibility of engaging in such deceptive dealings with Islamic banks in Fatwa No. 516, so please refer to it. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it obligatory to make up all missed prayers?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Making up missed prayers (qaḍāʾ) is a sharʿī obligation, established by the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself — when the disbelievers preoccupied him on the Day of the Trench and he missed the ʿAṣr prayer, he made it up afterward. This is further affirmed by the ḥadīth: "Fulfil what you owe to Allah, for Allah is most deserving of being fulfilled." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.)
Accordingly, a person who has missed prayers should set aside his voluntary and Sunnah prayers and replace them with make-up prayers in their stead. There is no objection to making up one missed prayer alongside each obligatory prayer that is performed — praying the equivalent missed prayer together with each current obligatory prayer as a practical and manageable way of gradually clearing one's debt of missed prayers. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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