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Ramadan isn`t Like any Other Month
Author : Dr. Mufti Sa`eid Farhan
Date Added : 10-10-2024

Ramadan isn't like any Other Month

 

Dr. Mufti Sa'eid Farhan 

 

Allah, the Exalted, created the months and distinguished some over others, assigning virtues to each. Among these, Ramadan stands as the master of the months, and in it, He mandated one of the pillars of Islam. His wisdom necessitated that this act of worship holds a high status with Allah as it does among His servants. This great act of worship has distinguished itself from other acts with many characteristics, and I summarize some of these distinctions in the following aspects:

First: Allah, The Exalted, has elevated the status of fasting by attributing it to Himself. As narrated by Al-Bukhari and others, Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said in what he narrates from his Lord, The Exalted: "All actions of the son of Adam are for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I will reward for it." This distinction is unique to fasting, with due reverence to other acts of worship. Thus, the fasting person possesses a noble spirit, high aspiration, and strong determination in their fasting, as they know that this fast is for Allah. They endure all hardships and discomfort to complete their fast in a manner that pleases the Exalted.

Second: Regarding reward: Allah has established a unique reward and accountability for fasting that differs from other acts of worship. Just as Allah has distinguished fasting and attributed it to Himself, He has also granted it a tremendous reward. He says in the Qudsi hadith: "And I will reward for it." The reward corresponds to the one who gives it, which is Allah, The Exalted. Fasting is half of patience, as it has been narrated from him (peace be upon him) in the hadith reported by Ibn Majah and others. Allah Says (What means): "Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account" [Az-Zumar/10]. Thus, the fasting person will receive their reward without account, and as Imam Al-Ghazali mentioned in [Ihya Ulum Ad-Din] regarding fasting: "Its reward has exceeded the limits of estimation and account." Moreover, Allah has granted the fasting person a gate among the gates of Paradise, which is the Gate of Al-Rayyan.

Third: Fasting is an act of worship that only Allah knows about; it is far removed from showing off and hypocrisy. Just as Allah's wisdom decreed that fasting is for Him, it also required that the fasting person is solely with Allah, engaged in a worship that no one else sees. Allah has honored fasting by keeping it free from any impurities such as showing off, hypocrisy, or fame, making it an act of worship hidden from people, unseen, and unrecognized.

Fourth: Regarding the rulings of Sharia: Fasting differs from other acts of worship in certain rulings. The intention for fasting must precede the act, meaning that the intention should come before the act of worship, even if only by a short time. In contrast, for other acts of worship, the intention must accompany the action, and it is invalid if the intention precedes the action.

Fifth: Despite the high status of fasting and its great reward, it is an act of worship based on abstaining rather than action. This grants fasting an additional advantage, which is the ability to combine fasting with another act of worship. The fasting person prays, reads the Quran, and thus fulfills multiple acts of worship simultaneously. All of this is a benefit for the fasting person, increasing their reward and status. All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on praying alone (munfaridan) in a row, and what should I do if I enter the mosque together with another person, and there is only a single gap in the first row with no second row present — should I fill that gap in the first row, or should I stand together with him in a new second row?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person enters [the congregation] and finds no space available in the row, it is recommended for him — after making his opening takbīr for the prayer — to gently pull someone from the row in front of him to pray alongside him, provided he senses that this person would be agreeable to it. If that person does not agree, then he prays alone, and there is no dislike attached to his doing so in that case.
If he ends up praying alone [behind the row], it is sunnah for him to stand directly behind the imam. Then, if someone else arrives, that person stands to his right; and whoever comes after them stands to his left — and so on — such that the imam remains centered in the middle of the row. This is done so that everyone attains the reward of congregational prayer.
As for the case where two people enter the prayer together, and there is a gap in the row wide enough for only one person, then the two of them should pray together in a new row [of their own], and whoever arrives after them should fill that original gap. This is because if only one of the two fills the gap, the other would end up praying alone [which is to be avoided when it can easily be prevented].
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/P.494): "If he does not find space, then it is recommended for him, while still standing, to gently pull a single person from the row toward himself after making his opening takbīr — out of caution, so as to avoid the position held by some scholars that a person's prayer standing alone behind the row is not valid.
Az-Zarkashī and others said: this should only be done if it seems he would agree to it; otherwise, he should not pull anyone — indeed, doing so becomes impermissible, out of fear of causing discord (fitnah). It is recommended for the person being pulled to cooperate and agree, so that he may attain the reward of assisting in righteousness and piety (al-birr wat-taqwā). However, he should not pull one of two people [praying together] from the row, since this would cause one of them to end up praying alone. This is why the 'pulling' described here takes place only after the opening takbīr [i.e., once the person doing the pulling has already validly begun his own prayer]."
Accordingly: it is sunnah for you to pray alongside the person praying alone, and then, if someone else arrives afterward, you may go and fill the gap in the original row. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on public street water if it gets on a person's clothes or body?

The default ruling is that public street water is pure (tahir). If one is certain of its impurity (najasa), then a small amount that gets on the lower part of a person's clothes or body is overlooked (excused). And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the wisdom behind the legislation of fasting?

Fasting is a divine school from which the believer learns much and trains in virtues that may be needed in life. Among these virtues is patience, as it is the month of patience. Fasting also teaches honesty and consciousness of Allah in both private and public, for there is no observer over the fasting person in abstaining from lawful pleasures except Allah alone.
Fasting strengthens willpower, sharpens determination, and nurtures mercy and compassion among the servants of Allah. It is a struggle against the self, a restraint of desires, a purification of the soul, and a cultivation of goodness.
The Prophetﷺ said: "Allah, the Almighty, said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it. Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting on a day, let him not engage in obscene speech or raise his voice in anger. If someone insults him or fights him, let him say: I am a fasting person. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk.’" [Bukhari and Muslim]
 

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