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| The Blessed Month of Ramadan Kareem |
Ramadhan is the annual obligatory fasting, during each day of the month of Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting is a source of self-restraint, piety and God-consciousness. It's an Obligation upon Muslims, and it's one of the 5 pillars of Islam.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, may be 29 or 30 days long. An Islamic month begins with the sighting of the new-crescent in the western horizon, immediately after sunset.
Muslims look toward the western horizon for the new moon on the 29th day of Shaban, the eighth Of Islamic month.
If the new moon is sighted, Ramadan has begun with the sunset but fasting begins with the next dawn. If the new moon is not sighted on this 29th day, Muslims complete 30 days of Shaban and Ramadan begins the following day. And this is how it commences.
One must refrain from eating, drinking, and sex, from dawn to sunset.
SAWM or Fasting develops a believer’s moral and spiritual standard and keeps them away from selfishness, greed,extravagance and other vices.
And Also that,
You should not Think Evil, you should not Do Evil and you should not Hear Evil and You should not Speak Evil!
And one interesting thing is...
Sawm(Fasting) is an annual training program that increases a Muslim’s determination tofulfill their obligation to the Almighty Lord.
Sawm means a fast that begins with dawn and ends with sunset.
Muslims rise before dawn, eat Suhur (pre-dawn meal) and drink liquids for the preparation of Sawm (fasting).
Eating and drinking stops at dawn. During the day No eating, drinking or sexual activity is allowed.
In addition, a Muslim must adhere to the moral code of Islam very strictly as failure violates the requirements of fasting.
Above all the Main Reason of Fasting is Carrying out the Obligation, God has ordained upon the Muslims, For Gaining the Mighty Pleasure of God, and to get All of One's Sins Forgiven by God.
As Ramadhan is a Time when the believers and Sincere Worshipers of Almighty God, Restrain themselves from Eating , Drinking till Sunset. Staying Hungry all day Long for only pleasing Almighty God.
Therefore Allah ( Almighty God ) who is The knower of the Secrets of Hearts , Watching the Sincereity of His worshippers and Believers, and Watching their Sacrifice, Grants Great and Huge blessing upon them and Forgives All there Sins!!
And Write's their Names amongst the People of The Great Place - "Paradise or Jannah "!
He admits all of them in Heaven !
And Not only this, He also Builds in Paradise, for them Lofty Palaces and dwellings Made of Gold, silver and Emaralds and Rubies!
Any the Blessings are Unending!
Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the deeds of worship required of all Muslims who have attained puberty.
Women who are having their menstrual period or who have not fully recovered from childbirth, postpone the fast until they are completely out of their special conditions.
In addition, those who are ill or in travel may choose to postpone their fast, but yes, the Compensation of fasting of similar days of fasting should be made afterwards.
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Why Do Muslims Fast in In Ramadhan?
Muslims fast because Allah has commanded them to do so.
However, they may also think about the benefits of fasting which may include developing control over hunger, thirst and sexual urges, training to be a good moral person and, testing sincerity to the Creator.
It was prescribed by Allah for the Prophets and their followers before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the verses obligating the fast of the month of Ramadaan, Allah has pointed out its goal or purpose:
“O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa [self-
restraint, piety and God-consciousness]”
(Qur’an 2:183).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that fasting is a protection from
the Hell-fire:
“Fasting is a shield from the Hell-fire like one of your shields used
in fighting.”
Furthermore, it will also come as an intercessor on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said,
“The fast and the Quran shall come as intercessors on the Day of Resurrection.
The fast shall say,
‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and drink during the day, so let me inter-
cede for him.’
The Quran will say,
‘I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him.’
Then they will be allowed intercede.”
It is an act that demonstrates one’s sincerity to Allah. Only Allah is aware
if a person truly fasted or not. No one can know if he secretly broke his fast.
Therefore, Allah has a special reward for those who fast. This is stated in the
following report in Hadees Al Qudsi that :
Allah has said,
“He leaves his food, drink and desires, because of Me. Fasting is for My sake and I shall reward it. And every good deed shall be rewarded ten-fold.”
By Allah’s grace and mercy, if a person fasts the month of Ramadaan
with faith in Allah and hoping for its reward, Allah will forgive all of his previous minor sins.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith and hoping for its reward shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him.”
But Remember Those People who Carry on with their Wrongth and Evil Deeds (Using Abusive language, Backbiting Others, Slandering etc) whilst Keeping fasts (this is our of Ignorance or Simply only for showoff) , For them Great Punishment of Allah is Awaiting to befall them!
And As a matter of Fact Allah Doesn't needs their So-called Fasts!
Here is a great Hadees Regarding this, where :
Narrated Abu Huraira (A Companion of Prophet (peace be upon them) that -
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)"
(HADITH AL-BUKHARI Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127)
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°Business and Other daily Works.
During the fast, Muslims may conduct their business as usual. However, in the Muslim countries working hours are shortened by a couple of hours a day and the hours are changed to make the work comfortable.
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When is Fast Broken?
The fast is broken immediately after sunset {Just as Soon as the Azaan (Adhan) of Maghrib Salaah (Evening Prayer) is given} , usually by eating dates and drinking water or juice.
However, any lawful food or drink may be used to break the fast.
This is followed by the Maghrib salah (after sunset prayer) which isfollowed by a complete meal.
After a brief rest, Muslims go to the mosque to offer the Isha salah (night prayer) and then a special night prayer, called Taraweeh.
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°The Shaytans (Satans/Devils) are Chained and Locked up in the Month of Ramadhan.
There are Number of Hadeeses Which states that When The Month of Ramadhan commences , God Almighty commands - the Shaytans (Satans) to Be Chained (Locked up).
And all the Gates of Hell are Closed and All Gates of Heavens are Opened and the blessings decends!
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°Ibn Al-Qayyim's's (RaHmatullah Alaih) saying about Fasting In Ramadhan.
Ibn al-Qayim (RaHmatullah Alaih) noted some of the beneficial and important aspects of fasting when he wrote:
"The purpose of fasting is that the spirit of man was released from the clutches of desires and moderation prevailed in his carnal self, and, through it, he realized the goal of purification and Everlasting felicity.
It is aimed at curtailing the intensity of desire and lust by means of hunger and thirst, at inducing man to realize how many were there in the world like him who had to go even without a small quantity of food, at making it difficult for the Devil to deceive him, and at restraining his organs from turning towards things in which there was the loss of both worlds. Fasting, thus, is the bridle of the God-fearing, the shield of the crusaders and the discipline of the virtuous."
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° Warning of the punishment for one who breaks his fast improperly .
There is also a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that warns of
the punishment for one who breaks his fast improperly. In this hadith, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“While I was sleeping, two men came to me and took hold of my arms. They brought me to a steep mountain and said, ‘Climb.’ I said, ‘I am not able to.’ They said, ‘We will make it easy for you.’
So I climbed until I came to the summit of the mountain where I heard terrible
cries.
I said, ‘What are these cries?’
They said, ‘Those are the cries of the inhabitants of the Fire.’
Then they took me further until I came to a people who were strung up by their hamstrings, and their jawbones were torn and flowing with blood.
I said, ‘Who are these people?’
He said, ‘Those are the people who
break their fast before the time it was permissible to do so.’ ”
So Brothers and sisters, Stay Safe, Follow the Sunnah , don't Break the Fast before its Proper Stated Time!!! the punishment for one who breaks his fast improperly is Severe!
May Allah Keep us Guided on the Straight path.
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°Ramadaan Fasting is obligatory upon Whom ?
Fasting is obligatory upon every sane, adult, healthy, non-traveling Mus-
lim. In addition, women must also be pure of menses and post-partum bleed-
ing. If a person is traveling or ill, he is not required to fast. If he does fast, that
fast will fulfill the requirements of the fast. However, if he does not fast, he
must make up those missed days of fasting later. If a woman has her menses
or post-partum bleeding, she is not allowed to fast, (as she is suffering from Health problems, and Allah (Almighty God) wants nothing except Ease for His worshippers! ) and hence she will make up those days of Fasting later, when she recovers .
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°The Essentials of Fasting In Ramadhan .
The essential components of the fast are only two.
First, the person must have the intention of fasting for the sake of Allah.
If a person simply goes without eating or fasts for the sake of losing weight,
such would not be an act of worship of Allah.
Thus, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “There is no fast for the one who does
not make the intention to fast before Fajr (dawn).”
Second, the Muslim must refrain from anything that breaks the fast from
the dawn of dawn until sunset. The matters that invalidate the fast are the
following six:
° Intentionally (1)eating or (2) drinking Breaks the Fast.
However, if a person forgetfully eats or drinks, then he does not have to make up the fast nor is there any expiation in his case.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever forgets while he is fasting and eats or drinks something should complete his fast, for it was Allah who fed him or gave him to drink.”
°(3) Intentionally vomiting breaks fast. But, If a person is overcome by nausea and vomits, then he DOES NOT have to make up the fast nor is there any expiation in his
case.
°(4) Menstruation and (5)post-partum bleeding. Even if these occur at
the last moment before sundown, they break the fast (according to the consen-
sus of the scholars.)
°(6) Sexual intercourse. The one who commits this act must perform the expiation that is described in the following hadith:
Abu Hurairah (RadiAllahu Anhu) narrated:
While we were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) a man came and said,
“O Messenger of Allah, I have been destroyed.”
He asked him, “What has happened to you?”
He replied, “I had intercourse with
my wife while I was fasting.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then told him, “Do you have a slave that you can free?”
He replied, “No.”
He then said, “Can you fast two months consecutively?”
he replied, “No.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
then asked him, “Can you feed sixty poor people?”
He replied, “No.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then kept silent when a big basket full of dates was brought to him.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) told him, “Take these dates and give them in charity.”
The man said, “To someone poorer than I, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?
By Allah, there is no family between Madinah’s mountains poorer than I.(which means that the man was Poorest Of All) ”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laughed to His talk to such an extent that his premolars could be seen.
He then said, “Feed your family with it.”
°______NOTE______°
From these Hadees (Tradition of Prophet (Peace Be upon him)) we come to Know that who commits Sexual intercourse, Which Should Not be Done , as it's Not Allowed, whilst observing Fasts of Ramadhan, (and is committed Mistakenly Out of Ignorance or Forgetfully). The one who commits this act must perform the Expiation as follows :
Point No. 1)
Free a Slave (Which in Modern Times doesn't Exits, so It's Not Valid point Now)
Point No. 2)
Fast 2 months Consecutively. If One Can. (An Absolutely Valid Point this is).
And if you cannot carry out Any one of the Above the Last Resort Is this Last Point.
"Point Number 3 "
Point No. 3)
Feed 60 (Sixty) poor People.
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Some Extremely Useful Health Advice.
1) When doing the Iftaar (Breaking the Fast after Sunset) Please Don't Eat too much. Don't eat till your stomach is full!
Please eat Less! Better to fill only 1/3 (One-third) of your stomach!
Or Stop Eating when a bit of Hunger is still left, CEASE (stop) eating that time only!
Drink few sips of Water and go and Pray the Maghrib Salaah (Evening Prayer)
2) Don't Drink Cold water or chilled Juices whilst you are Breaking your Fasts!
It's Not at all healthy or Good. You may find the Chilling sensation when you drink Chilled Water when breaking your fast , Damn-Awesome!
But The internal(Inside your stomach) Consequences is Freaking-Bad!
Better to Have some sips of Normal Water and then Pray the Evening Prayer (Maghrib).
And Then obviously, when you Return after praying, Grab a glass of Chilled Juice (- Mango Juice with Ice cubes are Awesome!) Have it!! No problem is there !
3) Don't Eat Oily Foods When Breaking your Fast! It's a Destructive thing for your Stomach and your Health !
Instead Eat as much fruits as you can, as it's of Great Benefits ,
As your body needs instant Energy- Carbohydrates, and Not Fats now.
4) Don't eat too much, eat in measure, a limit is always good moderation is always best,!
Eating too much also causes Laziness and Heaviness of Body and Heart!
Remember, you also have to establish your Ishaa Salaah (Night Prayer) and "Taraweeh" Salaah Also!
So please Eat in limit and not all of it!
Note:
Remember Ramadhan is for also the Fine tuning of your Digestive System!
Why you torment your Stomach by Eating Tons of Food and Gallons of Water?
Eat and Drink in Measure.
You'll see the Great benefits you'll Get!
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° The Taraaweh Prayer.
This nightly congregational salah (prayer) is performed after the Isha salah. It is an Extremely Virtuous Act of Worship Ramadan. And God Has promised Huge rewards to those who carry out this Wonderful act of Prayer in Ramadhan - The Taraaweeh Salaah (Prayer).
Traditionally, a Hafiz of the Quran, a person who has memorized the whole Quran which is in Arabic, leads the prayer.
He recites the Quran in small portions, in proper sequence, every night and completes the recitation of the whole Quran before the end of the month of Ramadan.
Every Muslim who attends such prayers regularly gets the opportunity of listening to the whole Quran in a month.
If a Hafiz of the Quran is not available, the Muslim who has memorized the most in a group leads the prayer and recites according to his ability.
Some Islamic scholars cite the report of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that, with the exception of three nights in one Ramadan, he always prayed during the night in his house whether it was Ramadan or not.
Which means that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon him) Loved Praying at Night!
Don't miss it okay!! Pray the Taraweeh at Mosque after Ishaa Salaah ! Gain Huge Rewards!
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° The Zakaah (Compulsory Charity).
Zakaah is a compulsory payment from a Muslim’s annual savings only 2.5%.
An Obligation upon all the wealthy And Well-to-do Muslims of the Society, and
It can only be spent on helping the poor, the needy, and the oppressed,and for the general upliftment of society.
Zakah is one of the fundamental principles of Islamic economy,which ensures an equitable society where everyone has a right to contribute and share. Zakat, a wealth purifying tax , (which is one of the 5 pillars of Islam) , and donations are given at this time of the year for the Help of the Orphans and Needy and Above all since many Muslims wish to take the opportunity of multiplied rewards from God and to gain His pleasure.
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° Laylat al-Qadr.
This is the night of the Qadr. The term Al- Qadr has been frequently translated as "the power".
Another translation of 'Al Qadr' are "the value" or "the decree" because Allah says the value of this night is better than one thousand months, a life time of over eighty-three years.
Allah sends His decrees at this night. This is the night when the Quran was revealed.
Allah says in the Quran:
"We have indeed revealed this (the Quran) in the Night of Power .
And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is?
The Night of Value is better than a thousand months.
Therein come down angels and the Spirit (the angel Gabriel) by Allah's permission with all decrees.
(That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn."
(Qur'an 97:1-5)
The night of value is a gift to mankind from Allah. However, it is not clear which night is Laylat al-Qadr.
Some reports by companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) elude it to be the 27th night of the month of Ramadan, but many more sayings point to any of the odd date nights during the last third of the month of Ramadan. According to authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon him) Muslims are advised to spend the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th nights of Ramadan in worship and doing good works to assure finding Laylat al-Qadr.
A portion of the Muslims stay up all night in Prayers (Salaah) and good works, and Qur'an Recitals, however, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions used to sleep at least one-third of the night.
So It's better you take some rest of 2-3 hours at night, wake up At Midnight and Then offer your Nawafil- Salaah (Voluntary Prayers ).
But if you Think that you cannot wake up and There is a danger that you will not be able to wake up for Prayer at night and will miss the Blessed night's prayer, then Please Don't sleep!! Stay Awake... Pray!
As the Night of Lailatul Qadr Worths More than our Sleep!
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° I'tekaf or Seclusion:
The practice of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the Masjid (mosque).
Following his practice, it is considered a community duty that some people go in I'tekaf (seclusion) in a neighborhood Masjid.
The people in I'tekaf spend their time in various forms of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), such as doing extra salah, recitation and study of the Quran, study of the Hadith, repetition of some phrases of praise and glory to Allah, exhorting each other to be good through obeying Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) .
Since people in I'tekaf are not permitted to go outside the Masjid except for emergencies, they sleep in the Masjid and use available facilities of the Masjid. The food for the people in I'tekaf is provided either by their own families or people in the community.
I'tekaf is terminated, generally, at the declaration of sighting of the moon or the end of the month of Ramadan. For busy people a shorter version of I'tekaf is allowed, such as one night, one day or a few days.
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° Sadaqat al-Fitr
In general, any material help extended to the poor, needy and to those who ask and deserve is called Sadaqah.
Sadaqat al-Fitr, which is also called Zakat al-Fitr is the obligatory material help extended to the poor of the society before the Eid prayers, preferably to be given early enough for the poor to prepare for the celebration.
In North America, the estimated amount is $5 to $8 to be given on behalf of each member of the donor's family, including infants.
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° The Super-Awesome Day of Eid al-Fitr.
The end of the fasting month is celebrated on the first of Shawwal,the 10th month, which follows Ramadan. Traditionally, on the 29th of Ramadan after sunset, people go out in the open looking for a new crescent in the western horizon where the sun sets.
If the crescent is sighted, the end of Ramadan and Eid are declared.
If the crescent is not sighted, Ramadan is extended by one day.
On the day of Eid, people take a bath or shower in the early morning, eat breakfast, wear their best clothes, apply perfume and proceed to the place of Eid congregation while pronouncing takbeerat, saying,
"Allâhu Akbar Allâhu Akbar Laa ilaha illAllah
Wallahu Akbar Allâhu Akbar Wa LillahiL Hamd"
Which means :
"Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest , there is no deity but Allah,
And Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and all praise belongs to Allah."
Muslims pronounce takbeerat in their homes, streets and place of congregation while waiting for the Leader for Prayer (Namaz /Salaah) - The Imam.
It was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم to hold Eid prayer congregations in open grounds. Following the practice of the Prophet(s), Muslims are advised to hold Eid prayers in open grounds.
In the Muslim countries with warm
Climate there are designated Eid prayer grounds. However, in North America Muslims rent halls at convention centers or major hotels.
The Imam rises at the appointed time, leads the prayers and delivers a khutbah, sermon. At the end of the sermon, people supplicate, greet, embrace and congratulate each other for the successful completion of Ramadan and ask Allah for the acceptance of their efforts in His obedience.
During the day, people visit each other and children may receive gifts. In some countries, people go for picnics and other gatherings.
In addition, special Eid celebrations may be arranged at work or in social settings. Essentially, Eid is a day of thanks to Allah, and also a gathering of family and friends.
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These are only the Glimpse of the Brilliance and Awesomeness of Ramadhan.
To feel it, Live it.
And My Muslim Brothers and sisters Please Keep all the Fasts of Ramadhan at its Obligatory at its the command of Allah and so it's one of the five pillars of Islam.
May Allah's Mercy and Bessings Shower Upon You All. And May Allah keep This Muslim Ummah United. And May He Give us the Opportunity to gain His Divine Pleasure. Ameein.
And I hope that We all will Build our Eimaan Great and take our Eimaan to a High Level In this Ramadhan, InshaaAllah , Forever.
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