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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.

 

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

If someone fasts on the White Days with the intention of making up for missed fasts (qada), will they receive the reward for both voluntary and obligatory fasting?

Making up missed obligatory fasts (qada) is mandatory, and the intention for qada must be specified.
If a person makes up their missed Ramadan fasts on the White Days, they must intend qada, but they may also intend to fast the White Days, and Allah willing, they will receive the reward for both.
This is similar to entering a mosque and praying an obligatory prayer, where the person also earns the reward of Tahiyyat al-Masjid (greeting the mosque) if they intend both.
● If the person missed their fasts due to a valid excuse, they may wait and fast on the White Days.
● However, if they missed the fasts without a valid excuse, they must make up the fasts immediately and should not delay them until the White Days.

Is a woman`s prayer considered invalid if non-Mahrams (marriageable men) saw her offering it?

A woman`s prayer isn`t invalidated if non-Mahrams saw her offering it, but she had better pray in isolation.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the best manner in distributing the meat of the Aqeeqah?

It is better to divide all of it as cooked meat amongst the poor and the needy. Dividing it into three portions is a Sunnah, but it is permissible to keep all of it provided that a portion, even a small one, is given to the poor and needy (one kilo for example).

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