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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 on a second congregation [being formed] in the mosque?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is disliked to deliberately seek to establish a second congregation in a mosque that is not one frequented by transient passersby — such as a neighborhood mosque with a regular, appointed imam — unless permission is granted by that imam, since doing so implies criticism and an affront to him. However, if the mosque is one frequented by transient passersby — such as mosques located in marketplaces — then a second or even third congregation is permissible there, whether or not it has a regular, appointed imam, and whether or not that imam gives his permission. This is because such mosques experience a continuous flow of people coming and going, so no implication of criticism toward the imam is perceived in the formation of multiple congregations in that setting. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on making up the regular *rawātib* (sunnah) prayers together with a missed obligatory prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is obligatory to make up (qaḍāʾ) a missed obligatory prayer (farḍ). As for the timed supererogatory prayers (al-sunan al-muʾaqqatah) or the regular rawātib prayers, it is recommended (mandūb) to make them up, even if a long time has passed. Ibn Ḥajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Fatāwā: "It is established in our school that it is sunnah to make up the timed voluntary prayers, by night or by day, even if congregation is not prescribed for them, whether much time has passed or little."
Accordingly, it is recommended to make up the sunan together with the obligatory prayer. And Allah Almighty knows best.
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Note on terminology: Al-nawāfil al-muʾaqqatah (timed voluntary prayers) refers to supererogatory prayers tied to a specific time or cause, such as the rawātib (regular prayers before and after the obligatory ones), Duha, and the like. The ruling given here reflects the Shāfiʿī position.

How should the udhiyah be distributed?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is obligatory to give the poor a portion of the meat from a voluntary sacrifice (Udhiyah al-Tatawwu’), which should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw meat. Other parts do not suffice for this obligation, such as the liver, tripe, or intestines.
It is Sunnah for the one offering the sacrifice to divide it into thirds: one-third for himself and his household to eat, one-third to be given as charity to the poor, and one-third to be given as a gift to friends and neighbors, even if they are wealthy. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Does an internal medical examination for a woman affect her fast?

An internal medical examination for a woman invalidates the fast because it involves the entry of a foreign object into the body cavity (jauf) while fasting.
In this case, the woman must refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day out of respect for Ramadan and make up for the missed fast after Ramadan.
Such an examination should be avoided in Ramadan and other months unless absolutely necessary, as exposing the private parts is only permissible in cases of necessity.
If necessary, a woman should seek a Muslim female doctor first. If one is unavailable, she may see a female doctor from the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). If neither is available, she may consult a trustworthy and competent Muslim male doctor.

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