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Some Secrets of Fasting
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 24-03-2025

Some Secrets of Fasting

 

The month of Ramadan comes once every year, and there is no doubt that it enjoys a great status. It is one of the five pillars upon which Islam is built. So, what is the secret behind the lofty position that this month holds?

To answer the above question, we must reflect on the meaning of fasting, which is abstaining from things that break the fast from dawn until sunset along with intending to fast. The main things that break the fast are food, drink, and marital relations.

So, is the purpose to make a person suffer by abstaining from what they are accustomed to, such as eating and drinking during the day? The answer is, of course not. Allah, the Most High, is Merciful to His servants; He bestows His mercy and kindness upon them. He does not intend to make them suffer, for He is entirely self-sufficient and not in need of them.

However, abstaining from food and drink during the day in Ramadan carries a number of important messages, the most notable of which are:

Feeling the blessings of Allah: A person does not truly realize the greatness and value of a blessing until they lose it. Through fasting, a person voluntarily experiences the absence of these blessings, which allows them to recognize their worth due to the natural need for them. This, in turn, positively impacts their behavior by fostering respect for the blessing, appreciation for it, and a commitment to preserving it. This reinforces the principle of maintaining wealth in any form and by any means.

Moreover, the feeling of empathy for the poor and the needy, who may have endured long nights of hunger, is strengthened. The fasting person, by experiencing hunger, enters into the emotional state of the hungry poor. This leads the wealthy fasting individual to feel more inclined to help their impoverished brothers and sisters, as they have tasted the hardship of hunger themselves. This reinforces the principle of social solidarity.

It is also clear that abstaining from food and drink during the day in Ramadan strengthens the self-discipline of believers. By refraining from what is permissible, it encourages the self to refrain from what is forbidden. Maintaining the fast, even when one has the ability to eat, trains the soul to exercise self-control, demonstrating the importance of self-monitoring in keeping away from that which Allah has forbidden.

From all that has been discussed, we can see that fasting has a profound philosophy in the life of both the individual and society. Preserving blessings, social solidarity, and self-monitoring are some of the key principles that individuals embody and that hold the community together.

Additionally, when a person experiences hunger, thirst, and an empty stomach, they naturally become more restless and receptive to wisdom. This makes them present in their worship and more closely connected with their Creator, thus making fasting nourishment for the soul.

The fasting person cannot achieve these benefits if they eat to excess. If they overindulge at Iftar and Suhoor, they may suffer from discomfort during the day. In this case, fasting loses its intended meaning, which is something we must be cautious of.

In conclusion, I ask Allah, the Almighty, to accept from us and from you all righteous deeds.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

Should a person feel pleased, or have a virtuous vision after offering Istikhara (guidance prayer) in order to do what he/she had offered it for?

The result of the Istikhaarah is not necessarily that a person sees something (in his dream), or feels pleased, but the most important result of the Istikhaarah is whether a person is enabled to do a given matter or not.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to give multiple mudds (portions) of fidyah to a single person?

Yes, it is permissible to give multiple mudd of fidyah to a single person, because each day of fasting is considered an independent act of worship.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on someone who wakes up in a state of janābah (major ritual impurity) near the very end of the prayer's designated time, during cold weather — should he heat water in order to perform ghusl, even though the prayer's time will expire as a result, or should he perform tayammum instead?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If the water is cold, and cannot be used due to fear of harm that is not ordinarily tolerable, or that would result in illness, then in this case it becomes obligatory to heat the water — even if heating it causes the time for Fajr to expire — and no sin is incurred in doing so, due to his valid excuse. He may not resort to tayammum (dry ablution) instead, since water remains available [and merely needs to be heated].
Imam Shihāb ad-Dīn Aḥmad ar-Ramlī (raḥimahullāh) said: "He was asked regarding a person who, if he were to use cold water, would experience harm that permits tayammum, and who has access to something with which he could heat the water — but if he heats it, the prayer's time will expire. Is it obligatory for him to heat it even if the time expires, or should he pray with tayammum within the prescribed time? He answered that it is obligatory for him to heat the water, even if the time for that particular obligatory prayer expires." [Fatāwā ar-Ramlī, Vol.1/P.98]
Imam al-Bājūrī (raḥimahullāh) said in his Ḥāshiyah on Sharḥ Ibn Qāsim (Vol.1/P.173): "And if he fears [harm] from using cold water, and is currently unable to heat it, but knows of a place where firewood is available, such that if he were to go there he would not return until after the prescribed time has expired — what appears [to be the correct position] is that it is obligatory for him to go and seek the firewood, even if the time expires as a result, as this is the position ultimately settled upon by ar-Ramlī, and as related from him by Ibn Qāsim." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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