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AL-SAUM
Fasting
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FUROO'
AL-DEEN
Acts of Worship
(the Rituals) |
1. Salat (Prayer) |
| 2. Saum (of Ramadhan) (Fasting) |
| 3. Zakat (Poor-due) |
| 4. Khums (Fifth) |
| 5. Haj (Pilgrimage) |
| 6. Jihad (Striving for
Islam) |
| 7. Al Amru Bil Ma'ruf
(Enjoining to the good) |
| 8. Al Nahiyu unn Al Munkar
(Forbidding evil) |
Saum is an Arabic word for fasting.
Like Salat, fasting is a way of worshipping Allah through bodily endeavors. Saum means fasting during the month of Ramadhan,
though because of special circumstances it may be done at other times of the year too.
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Fasting
is an act of worship. Through it a person can learn a great deal and can discover many things about himself or herself and others.
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During
fasting a person will remember Allah all through the fasting day. A fasting person will undergo a certain feeling inside, since abstaining
from food and drink will make him or her continually aware that he or she is obeying Allah through an injunction, an Islamic duty. This
subtle form of continuous remembrance of Allah is a manner of compliance to the order of Allah, a manner to remember obedience to Him. In
itself, this awareness is a manner of worship.
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Through
fasting a person develops a sense of peace and serenity inside, an assertive feeling of spirituality, and a positive feeling of spiritual
elevation. Through fasting a person also develops a feeling of closeness to Allah.
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Fasting
also enables a person to develop his capacity of self-control and self-denial whereby he learns to master himself to a considerable extent.
It is a form of self-denial whereby a person controls and masters many of his wishes and desires, not only of eating and drinking, but many others.
By so doing, a person will discover many dormant powers within himself. He will discover that he does not have to be the slave of the
dictates of self, that his will is mightier than his desires and wishes. His will, therefore, is the one in command.
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Through
fasting we willingly and obediently sacrifice ourselves, since during the daytime we forego eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual contact between
the spouses. Fasting teaches us self-discipline, and in the process we become the masters of ourselves for the love of Allah and out of
obedience to Him:
We wish to eat but we control
ourselves and don't eat even if we are hungry.
We are thirsty but we control
ourselves and don't drink even if we are thirsty.
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Therefore,
we learn patience, we feel calm, good, and pure inside. Not only that but during Ramadhan we become especially careful about our manners and
conduct. We watch ourselves and try to reach the ideal of being good. Ramadhan is a great teacher, it teaches us to be good and
helpful, to act and behave very well, to be nice to people and not to talk behind their backs, to be accepting and not accusing, to be people of
patience, and to be very considerate.
SO WHAT DOES FASTING TEACH US?
When you have fasted you will feel that
you have become a better being. You will feel that you have become spiritually greater and morally better. You will feel good inside
because you have been successful in obeying Allah's order of fasting during the blessed month of Ramadhan. Ramadhan is not just to make you
feel hungry and thirsty. Through Ramadhan we learn:
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To control our tempers and be in control of ourselves,
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To be patient with others and more considerate of them,
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To be kind, nice and helpful, and
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To be humble and to watch what we do carefully.
During Ramadhan we learn to be more
complete Muslims. Also we should read the Holy Quran during this holy month and learn about its meaning. It is recommended that the
Holy Quran be read in its entirety so we develop a sense of enlightenment and feeling of accomplishment.
IS FASTING OBLIGATORY?
Fasting during
Ramadhan is an act of worship and is obligatory. Fasting is compulsory for all adults, and once a child reaches physical maturity (as is the
rule with Salat) he is obliged to fast regularly. It is advisable, however, that the child fast before reaching the age of physical maturity,
to give him or her a chance to fast for a few days, or longer, even for the whole month.
WHEN DOES RAMADHAN OCCUR?
Ramadhan is a
lunar month which means it keeps advancing almost eleven days every year just like all other lunar months. Therefore, Ramadhan may fall
during any season of the year, be it winter, summer, spring, or fall.
When people in
North America fast during summer time because Ramadhan happens to fall at this season, the people in South America will be fasting during winter
time since their seasons are opposite those of the Northern hemisphere. This way, people all over the world will have their equal share of
fasting during all seasons.
HOW DO WE FAST?
As you know,
fasting is a duty upon every Muslim after having reached a certain age. We are obliged to fast during the month of Ramadhan, every year, year
in and year out. That is, of course, if we are healthy and capable, and if there are no special reasons for us not to fast.
We eat
before dawn, at a special set time. The family gets up from their sleep, prepares the food, and the fasting people eat and drink until they
have had enough. This meal always takes place before dawn, in the very early hours of the morning when it is still dark outside. This
is called
Suhoor.
When it is time to stop eating and start fasting, (Imsaak),
a fasting person cannot eat, drink, smoke, etc. This will continue all through the day even though he feels hungry, thirsty, or wants to
smoke, etc.
When the sun sets and it gets slightly dark outside, the time for breaking the fast becomes due. It is called Iftaar.
When it becomes due, the fasting people will gather to break their fast. Usually they will break their fast on something light such as dates,
soups, etc. After this, many families do their Maghrib Salat, usually in congregation, and then they will eat to their heart's content.
They can eat and drink, smoke and what have you from the time they break their fast until the next day's Suhoor, which is before dawn for next
day's fasting.
HOW MANY HOURS A DAY
DO WE FAST?
The period of fasting during daytime varies from one day to the next. Of course during winter time the days are short, so you may fast no
longer than 11 hours or less. But during summer time the days are longer, therefore the fasting days are longer. During summer time
fasting may even take as long as 17 or 18 hours a day.
When a fasting person feels hungry and thirsty, he or her is indirectly reminded how the unfortunate poor people feel if they do not have the money
to feed themselves well.
DO WE DO ANYTHING
ELSE DURING RAMADHAN?
If
you are lucky enough to be in a town which has a mosque or a Muslim community center,
Du'aa Iftitah is read, usually in congregation.
During Ramadhan the occasion of the wounding of Imam Ali and the night he died are commemorated. When this is done it brings to mind the
great work he undertook for Islam and his tremendous contribution on behalf of Islam, thus the occasions will remind the Muslims of Ali's sacrifice
and efforts and will encourage them to use this as an example. He died on Leilatul-Qadr or the Night of Power. In addition the
magnificent Du'aa Jawshan Al-Kabir is read in congregation. Leilatul-Qadr falls on one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan.
Imam Ali was wounded on the 19th of Ramadhan, and he died on the 21st.
Lastly, each one of us will have to pay a special Zakat before or on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. This is called Zakat-ul-Fitr, and it consists of
enough money to buy a meal to feed one poor person.
WILL I LOSE WEIGHT IF
I FAST?
It
is quite possible for a fasting person to lose some weight. When fasting you will feel better, however, and your weight may bounce back in a
week or so after fasting is finished. However, you don't intend to fast for the sake of losing weight.
People who are overweight will learn that it is possible to control their desires for eating, and they may be able to control their weight problem
with less difficulty. Fasting offers many advantages to your health.
SHOULD I FAST IF I AM
SICK?
No, you should not fast if you are sick. Your doctor will be able to advise you in that regard. You better remember, though, that the
missed number of days of fasting will have to be compensated by fasting an equal number of days later on in that year.
There are other circumstances during which a person should not fast, and they are as follows.
If you are
traveling for business or for special affairs,
A woman during
her monthly period,
A woman who is
pregnant or nursing her baby if fasting harms her or her baby.
The missed
days of fasting should also be compensated for by an equal number of days of fasting later on.
An old and
debilitated person or a person in such a situation where fasting may be harmful to him or her is also exempt from fasting.
WHAT IF I FORGET AND
BREAK THE FAST?
If
out of habit and without intending to, you put something in your mouth, then your fast is valid on one condition and that is to discontinue what
you are doing right away. If you break your fast on purpose, the case will be quite different, since in such cases you will have to
compensate your fasting. For purposeful breaking of the fast, you must either compensate by fasting 60 days or feeding sixty people for each
day of fasting you purposefully missed.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT
RAMADHAN
Ramadhan is a sacred month chosen by Allah specifically for fasting. It is the ninth month of the lunar year. Like other lunar months,
it begins with the appearance of the new moon, and ends with the appearance of the next moon. It keeps moving about eleven days ahead each
year. If you are in a Muslim country, you will see that the restaurants and eating places are closed during daytime, throughout the month of
Ramadhan. But at night, eating places, pastry shops and other kinds of shops will be open, often very late. The bazaars and markets
will become full of life and activity at night. People tend to invite other people to break the fast with them, and people will visit other
people more often at night and enjoy socializing a great deal. After all, this is the month of blessings, this is the month of Ramadhan.
When the sun sets, and if you are in a Muslim country, you will hear the Athan from the Minarets. You will be waiting anxiously for the call
and when you hear the Athan you will break your fast, then pray Maghrib Salat, then finish eating.
Late in the night, you may also be awakened by special prayers called Tamjeed
which means glorification of Allah. They are said loudly in a chanting manner with melody. You will then hear the people in your
neighborhood awakening for the
early meal, the Suhoor.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE
MONTH IS OVER?
There will be three days of celebration during the occasion called Eid-ul-Fitr. People will rejoice for having been able to fast, for having
obeyed Allah in this Islamic act of worship. They celebrate the occasion by being grateful and thankful to Allah. They perform the
Eid-Prayer in the Mosque as a congregation. Children put on fresh clothes. People often visit their friends and relatives at this time
and everyone is happy on the occasion. Not only that but provisions of food for the poor are frequently made by those who are able to.
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Ramadhan is a month of blessing
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Ramadhan is the month of forgiveness
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Ramadhan is the month of mercy.
CAN WE FAST AT OTHER
TIMES?
At
the occasions of the two Eids, no one is to fast. To do so is Haram
(Islamicly Prohibited). It is also Mus'tahab (preferable) not to fast on the day of Arafat
(during Haj), and Ashuraa',
and this is relative only.
Questions