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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

What is the ruling on someone who is uncertain whether he omitted one of the ab‘āḍ of the prayer, such as being uncertain whether he omitted the first tashahhud?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The ab‘āḍ include the middle tashahhud and the qunūt in Fajr prayer — for which sujūd as-sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness) is prescribed if left out. Whoever is uncertain, during the prayer, whether he omitted one of these elements, should proceed on the assumption that he did not perform it, and should perform sujūd as-sahw accordingly.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 63): "If he is uncertain... whether he omitted a specific ab‘āḍ element, or whether he performed sujūd as-sahw, or whether he prayed three or four rak‘ahs — he proceeds on the assumption that he did not do it, and performs sujūd as-sahw."
The original principle (al-aṣl) for someone uncertain about [having performed] the first tashahhud is that he assumes he did not perform it. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What are the categories of the livestock permissible for Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
An Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is only valid if it is selected from Al-An'am (livestock), which includes: camels, cattle, and sheep or goats—whether male or female, and even if castrated. Allah Almighty says {what means}: "And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] livestock." (Al-Hajj/ 34)
 
In terms of preference, camels are considered the best choice, followed by cattle, then sheep, and finally goats.
A single sheep or goat is valid as a sacrifice on behalf of one person. However, a single camel or cow can be shared by up to seven people. This is based on the narration of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "In the year of Al-Hudaybiyah, we sacrificed along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a camel on behalf of seven people, and a cow on behalf of seven people." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
(Note: The term "Badanah" used in the original Arabic text specifically refers to a camel in this context). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is required of one who doubts the number of rakʿāt during prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person doubts the number of rakʿāt he has prayed, he should build upon the lesser number, as that is what he is certain of. He should then perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) before the final salām at the end of the prayer. ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When any one of you is in doubt during his prayer and does not know whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, let him pray one more rakʿah and then perform two prostrations while seated before the salām. If the rakʿah he prayed was a fifth, these two prostrations will make it even; and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations serve as a humiliation for the devil." (Reported by Abū Dāwūd.)
It is stated in al-Muqaddimah al-Ḥaḍramiyyah — one of the foundational texts of the Shāfiʿī school: "If one doubts whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, he is obliged to build upon the lesser number."
However, if such doubt recurs repeatedly and reaches the level of obsessive whispering (waswasah), he should not build upon the lesser number in that case — rather, he should build upon the greater number. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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