The pillars of Islam by which Islam is identified and upheld are:
1. The Declaration of Faith - Kalimah syahadah - to testify that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger
2. Performing the Daily Prayers - the five daily Solah
3. Paying the Zakah – obligatory welfare dues or alms
4. Sawm - Fasting in the month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Makkah, for those who are able to do so.
Fasting is obligatory upon Muslims in the month of Ramadan every year.
What is fasting?
It means to avoid eating and drinking and to abstain all matters which nullifies the fast. Fasting begins at dawn (Fajr) and ends at dusk (Maghrib). We make the intention to fast and to follow the rules of fasting. This is done for the sake of Allah only.
Conditions for fasting:
Fasting is in the lunar month of Ramadan. We have a clear intention and we abstain from food, drink, sex and matters which nullify fasting during the daytime. A fasting person should be of sound mind, of a mature age to be able to differentiate good and bad, a Muslim and for women are those who are not in menstruation or childbirth.
Islam is a religion of conviction and purpose based on sincere intentions. A fasting person is required to make intention to fast by generally conforming to the following : "I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan because of Allah”. The intention is made on the night before dawn.
When do we begin fasting in the month of Ramadan?
Ramadan starts following the appearance, the sighting of the new moon (Hilal). Calculations (hisab) of the lunar calendar are used for determining it, in place of the sighting. Fasting begins at dawn (fajr) and breaking the fast is at sunset (maghrib) . The meal to break the fast is called iftar.
Conditions that nullify fasting (during the daytime):
- Eating or drinking intentionally even if it is just a little. Unintentional actions or forgetfulness is excused.
- Inserting anything into the body’s orifices
- Intentionally vomiting
- Menstruation and childbirth
- Insanity and apostasy
- Sexual relations
Hadith - sayings of the Messenger of Allah - Rasulullah s.a.w.:
“Whoever eats or drinks because of forgetfulness, fasting is not nullified. It is a blessing from Allah..”
Sunat - The added benefits, encouraged and supererogatory deeds to perform beyond the required and expected degree:
- Eat Sahur- the pre dawn meal and to delay it to as close as approaching dawn
- To promptly break fast and read a prayer - do'a
- Performig extra worship, pray solat tarawih, read more do'a, perform more prayers - solat sun
- Increase good deeds and welfare work
- Give charity and being kind and benevolent as much as possible
- Read and study the Qur’an
- Perform group recitation of Qur’an – tadarrus – mutual checking of proper recitation
- Provide meals to others especially the needy for iftar (breaking of fast)
- Abstain from immoral deeds and behaviour
- Avoid gurgling and teeth brushing (during the daytime)
- Undergo a religious retreat in a Masjid, carrying out - iktikaf - staying in a mosque for the last 10 days of Ramadan
- Controlling anger and steadfastly being patient
On anger management, the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. has taught us:
If people bother us, scorn, scold or make fun of us, our patient response and reply is : “I am fasting”. It may be difficult in many circumstances but this is most noble, being God conscious and a sign of strong faith – iman. Allah loves those who are patient and can control their anger
The character of a person who fasts according to a Hadith of Rasulullah s.a.w.:
"If a person fasts but still engages in lying and doing bad deeds, Allah has no need of the person’s fasting."
Rasulullah's kindness and generosity:
Rasulullah s.a.w. is the most generous person and his generosity is even more becoming in Ramadan. Rasulullah s.a.w. carries out lots of charitable work and does it as fast and rapid as the blustery wind
The fasting person is special and exceptional beyond comprehension in the sight of Allah swt:
According to a Hadith of Rasulullah s.a.w.: “The unpleasant breath of a fasting person’s mouth is more precious to Allah than rich perfume.”
Those who are exempted from fasting but must be restituted, to make up the missed days (qada):
- The sick, the ill
- The traveler , those on journeys – Musafir
- The pregnant woman – if she fears her health or for sake of the baby’s wellbeing
- The nursing mother
- Women during menstruation or childbirth
Those who are excused from fasting and need not make up the missed days but pay alms, instead - fidyah:
- The chronically ill, permanently incarcerated
- The very old, the elderly
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