By Imam Ghazali

It should be known that there are three grades of fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes,tongue, hands and feet-and all other organs-free from sin.

Extra-special fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but Allah.

See not what displeases Allah

The earth as a mosque

Allah the Exalted has conferred a special blessing upon this ummah - that is, the whole earth has been declared a mosque for it. Therefore, when the time for prayer comes, a Muslim may pray wherever he may be. Abu Dharr asked the Prophet, “What was the first mosque on the earth?” He said: “The Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].” Abu Dharr asked: “which is the next oldest mosque?” The Prophet sallallahu alehi wassalam said: “The al-Aqsa Mosque.” Abu Dharr asked: “How much time was there between [the building of the two].” The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam replied: “Forty years.” Then, he said: “Wherever you may be, at the time of salah, you may pray for it [the earth] is all a mosque.”

(1) The Saum of Ramadhan is Fardh. One who denies the fardhiyat (being Fardh) of the Saum of Ramadhan becomes a kaafir while one who accepts its fardhiyat but neglects its observance is described as a Fassiq.

(2) The Saum of Ramadhan commences when the sighting of the Ramadhan hilal (crescent moon) has been confirmed in accordance with the rules of the Shariah.

THINGS WHICH PERMIT ABSTENTION FROM SAUM

The following things permit one to refrain from fasting:

(1) Extreme old age which renders a person decrepit.

(2) Sickness. If there is danger to life or if the fast will cause the sickness to deteriorate, it will be permissible to abstain from Saum.

(3) Pregnancy, if the health or life of the mother or child is threatened.

(4) Breast-feeding, if the baby is dependent thereon and if the Saum causes the milk to dry out.

THINGS WHICH MAKE PERMISSIBLE THE BREAKING OF SAUM

Breaking Saum becomes permissible only in case of a real need, emergency or danger. When a fast is broken on account of a valid reason qadha of the fast is obligatory. In such cases only qadha is necessary, not Kaffarah.

The following are valid reasons which make permissible the breaking of Saum:

(1) Sudden sickness which endangers one’s life, or which will cause great deterioration of health if the fast is not broken.

THINGS WHICH DO NOT BREAK THE FAST, BUT WHICH ARE MAKROOH DURING SAUM

Some things, while not breaking the fast, are nevertheless Makrooh to do during fasting. Makrooh means detestable and in this context Makrooh things are sinful. Makrooh things bring about a decrease in the thawab of the Saum. It is, therefore, essential to abstain from committing Makrooh acts. The following acts are Makrooh during fasting:

THINGS WHICH DO NOT BREAK THE FAST

1) Eating, drinking or indulging in sexual relations forgetfully. This means that at the time of committing these acts, one does not remember the fast. However, if one continues even momentarily after recalling the fast, the Saum will be nullified.

(2) Applying eye-drops.

(3) Water entering the ears.

(4) Vomiting, no matter how much. This refers to vomiting which is not self-induced. For the rule regarding self-induced vomiting, (see above no. 10).

THINGS WHICH BREAK THE FAST

(1) Eating or drinking breaks the Saum.

(2) Sexual intercourse even if there is no emergence of semen.

(3) Smoking.

(4) Inhaling smoke by one’s own action, e.g. inhaling the smoke of incense, etc.

(5) Application of medication into the anus.

(6) Swallowing any substance or object which is not normally consumed as food or medicine, e.g. pebbles, paper, a coin, etc.

(7) Pouring oil into the ears.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.

وَالضُّحَى (1)

[93:1] I swear by the forenoon,

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى (2)

[93:2] and by the night when it becomes peaceful,

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى (3)

[93:3] your Lord (O Prophet,) has neither forsaken you, nor has become displeased.

وَلَلآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ الأُولَى (4)

[93:4] Surely the Hereafter is much better for you than the present life.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ (1)

[94:1] Have We not caused your bosom to be wide open for you?

وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ (2)

[94:2] And We removed from you your burden

الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ (3)

[94:3] that had (almost) broken your back,

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ (4)

[94:4] and We raised high your name.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً (5)

[94:5] So, undoubtedly, along with the hardship there is ease.