The 4th Pillar: Sawm " to abstain " - Fasting in Ramadan
Allah Says :
" O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);" ff]2:183]
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: " When there comes the month of Ramadan, the gates of Mercy are opened, and the gates of Hell are locked and the devils are chained." ]Muslim : 2361]
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying in connection with Ramadan: " Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break fast till you see it; but if the weather is cloudy calculate about it." ]Muslim: 2363]
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:" Take meal a little before dawn, for there is a blessing in taking meal at that time "]Muslim : 2412]
'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: " When the night approaches and the day retreates and the sun sinks down, then the observer of the fast should break it." [ Muslim : 2421]
Muslims are prohibited from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual intercourse from dawn (Fajr) to sunset (Maghrib). Fasting is essentially an attempt to seek nearness to Allah and increase one's piety. One of the remote aims of fasting is to sympathize with those less fortunate ones who do not always have food and drink readily available. Also one must try to avoid cursing and thinking evil thoughts. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling one's desires (of hunger, thirst, sexuality, anger) and focusing more on devoting oneself to God.
Sawm also carries a significant spiritual meaning. It teaches one the principle of love: because when one observes Fasting, it is done out of deep love for Allah "God".
Ramadan: The Holy Month
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and it is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is the month of fasting, in which participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from true dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of Allah "God", and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.
NAME ORIGIN
The name "Ramadan" is the name of the ninth month; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like "ramida" or "ar-ramad" denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations. It is the most venerated month of the Islamic year. Prayers, fasting, charity and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramaḍān are kept throughout the month.
Night of ( Laylah ) AL-QADR
Laylat al-Qadr, considered the most holy night of the year, is the night in which the Qur'an was revealed to Muhammed. Muslims believe it to have occurred on an odd-numbered nightduring the last 10 days of Ramadan, either the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th .Ramadan ends with Eid ul-Fitr, with much celebration and feasts. During the month followingRamadan, called Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days, known as as-Sitta al-Beeḍ, or "the white six."
PRACTICES DURING RAMADAN
FASTING
The most prominent event of this month is fasting. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and perform the Fajr prayer. They have to stop eating and drinking before the call for prayer starts until the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib. Muslims may continue to eat and drink after the sun has set until the next morning's Fajr prayer call. Then the process starts all over.
Make the Intention!!!
Muslims must make " say "- " intend " the intention:
One must make the intention in the appropriate time in order for the fast to count. The time of the intention is from Maghrib of the previous night to before the Islamic midday of the following day. This is providing that one did nothing that would invalidate the fast from the start of Fajrtime. Scholars confirm that it is superior for one to make the intention the night before one fasts (i.e. any time from Maghrib to the entering of Fajr). It is sufficient to intend to fast without specifying if the fast is obligatory, necessary, sunna, recommended, or nafl.So making anintention for every fast of Ramadan (in the heart) is a condition that validate the fast.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Deeds (their correctness and rewards) depend upon intentions, and every person gets but what he has intended. So whoever has emigrated for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), his emigration is for Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he who has emigrated for worldly benefits, or for a woman to marry, his emigration is for what he has emigrated for."
On the authority of Hafsah, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who has not made the intention to fast a day in the preceding night his fast is invalid.” ( An-Nasa'i and Abu Dawud)
Ramadan is a time of reflecting and worshiping Allah " God ". Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. Sexual thoughts and activities during fasting hours are also forbidden. Purity of both thought and action is important. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to Allah " God ".
The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and sympathy for those who are less fortunate. It is also intended to makeMuslims more generous and charitable. A certain level of self-control can be lost by those who suffer from eating disorders.
The elderly, the chronically ill and the insane are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed one poor person each day in place of their missed fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women, women during the period of their menstruation, andwomen nursing their newborns, all of whom must make up the days they miss at a later date. While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood, many children endeavor to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life. Lastly, those traveling are exempt, but must make up the days they miss.
PRAYER and READING of THE QUR'AN
In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (juz, which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited. Therefore the entire Qur'an would be completed at the end of the month.Prophet (pbuh) said : "The one who observes the tarawih salah at night during Ramadan with complete faith and devotion only for the sake of the recompense of the hearafter, will have all of his previous sins forgiven by Allah." (Bukhari, Muslim)
Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, establishing a link between themselves andAllah through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others.
Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it; this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect involved – the preparing of special foods and inviting people for the Iftar meal (the meal to break the fast).
EID AL-FITR
The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, as per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast; a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor ‘Zakat al-Fitr’, everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed to the compulsory five daily prayers.
الجمعة يونيو 14, 2013 8:30 pm