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Q: 127 – Title: 1. When does Ramadan start?...
2. WHO DECIDES WHEN A NEW MOON BEGINS?
Question
1. When does Ramadan start?
2. WHO DECIDES WHEN A NEW MOON BEGINS?
3. What happens at Ramadan ?What is the meaning behind it?
4. What is the aim of fasting?
5. Do Muslims pray more often during Ramadan?
6. Will restaurants be closed at Ramadan?
7. Will working hours be affected?
8. Will shops close?
9. Can I drink alcohol during Ramadan?
10. Are there exceptions to fasting?
11. How should I dress during Ramadan?
12. What is ifter ?can non Muslims attend an iftar banquet?
13. Ramadan culminates in Eid. What is this?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Hereunder is an article on Ramadan, followed by answers to your questions.
1- Article
Every well awaited thing is valued and appreciated. By nature, man does not appreciate and value divine favors, because it comes his way without any effort from his side. First and foremost, we should turn our gaze and ask Allah Ta’ala to grant us the opportunity to witness the great and auspicious month of Ramadan. Secondly, we should make a firm intention to reform our lives and make this Ramadan a turning point in our lives.
Preparation for Ramad?n
The month of Sha’ban is a stepping stone to Ramad?n. The prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) should not fast in any other month besides Ramadan as much as he should fast during Sha’ban. In order for us to prosper spiritually, we need to remove the evil element of sin totally from our lives. If there is a hole at the bottom of a bucket, it will never get filled. Similarly, if we do not abandon sins from our lives, we will never reach the heights of spiritual success irrespective of the amount of good we do.
The Holy Quran
The Quran was revealed during the month of Ramadan, hence, there is a special connection between Ramadan and the Holy Quran. We should remove our Qurans from the shelf and start reciting the Quran. In this way, we will connect ourselves with Allah and develop the habit of reciting the Quran. For every letter of the Quran a person recites, Allah Ta’ala will grant him ten rewards. Imagine the reward he will receive for reciting a complete Surah or a Juz of the Quran. If we can start reciting Quran now, it will not be difficult for us to find time to recite Quran in Ramadan, infact we will be able to increase the amount we were reciting before Ramadan.
Sighting the Moon
Ramadan commences after the crescent of Ramadan is sighted. The Dua to recite when looking at the crescent is:
اللَّهُمَّ أَهِلَّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِاليُمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ ، وَالسَّلاَمَةِ وَالإِسْلاَمِ ، وَالتَّوْفِيقِ لِمَا تُحِبّ وتَرْضَى ،رَبِّي وربُّك الله
O Allah! Let this new moon appear to us with prosperity, faith, safety, and Isl?m and with hope of success to do deeds which you would like and approve of. My lord and your lord (O moon) is Allah.
(Sunun Tirmizi, Vol.2, Pg.183, HM Saeed)
Dua at the approach of Ramad?n
Ubadah bin Samit (radiyallahu anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to teach the Sahabah (radiyallahu anhum) the following Dua at the approach of the blessed moth of Ramadan:
اللّهُمّ سَلِّمْنِي لِرَمَضَانَ وَسَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِي وَسَلِّمْهُ لِي مُتَقَبَّلاً
O Allah! Protect me for observing (the fast of) Ramadan, make the month of Ramad?n clear for me and protect me from sins so that my acts of worship are accepted.
(Kanzul Ummal, Vol.8, Pg.584)
Fasting (Saum)
Fasting refers to abstention from eating, drinking, and conjugal rights whilst having made the intention to fast that day. The fasting day commences at Subhus Sadiq (approximately 90 minutes before sunrise) and ends at senset.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is compulsory upon every Muslim who is sane, mature, healthy and a resident (not a traveler).
Purpose of Fasting
Almighty Allah says:
“O you who believe, Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that you practice self-restraint” (2:183).
The very essence of fasting is to inculcate the quality of Taqwa and to suppress our desires. If we are able to abstain from lawful things whilst fasting, all the more easy it will be to abstain from unlawful things during and after Ramadan. Care should be taken to protect one’s eyes, ears and speech from all types of Haram and unlawful things.
Virtues of fasting
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Every good deed of the child of Adam is increased (in reward) from ten to 700 times”. And Almighty Allah says: “Except fasting, for verily it is for me and I will reward it. The fasting person abstains from desire and food for my sake”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Pg.119, Darul Quran wal Hadith)
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned:
“Whoever fasts in Ramadan with Iman and hoping for reward from Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven”.
(Mishkat, Vol.1, Pg.173, Deoband)
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned:
There are two occasions of joy for a fasting person,
a) pleasure at the time of breaking the fast and
b) at the time when mhe will meet his Rabb.
(Sunun Tirmizi, Vol.1, Pg.159, HM Saeed)
Virtues of Ramadan
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned:
“Whoever does any good in Ramadan, he will get the reward of doing a Fard act out of the month of Ramadan and whoever does a fard act in Ramadan, he will get the reward of doing 70 Fard acts.
(Mishkat,Vol.1, Pg.173, Deoband)
This is a privilege exclusive to the month of Ramadan. We should firstly fulfil all our fard duties and do as many voluntary acts as possible and draw maximum from the Month of Ramadan.
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned:
“and it (Ramadan) is such a month, the first ten days are the days of mercy, the middle ten days are the days of forgiveness and the last ten days are the days in which many are emancipated from the fire of Jahannam”.
(Mishkat, Vol.1, Pg.173, Deoband)
Taraweeh Salah
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned:
“Whoever stands in Ramadan (i.e. Taraweeh) with Iman and hoping for reward from Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven”.
(Sunun Tirmizi, Vol.1, Pg.167, HM Saeed)
It is Sunnah Muakkadah for Males and females to perform 20 Rakats of Taraweeh Salah. A person will be sinful for omitting it.
Laylatul Qadr
Hazrat Salman (radiyallahu anhu) narrates that during the last day of Sha’ban, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) addressed the Sahabah (radiyallahu anhum): “O people, an auspicious month has dawned over you. A month in which there is one night which is more superior than a thousand months i.e. ibadat in this night is superior to the ibadah rendered in a thousand months”.
(Mishkat, Vol.1, Pg.173, Deoband)
It is the wisdom of Allah, that the exact night of Laylatul Qadr is unknown. In this manner we will spend many more nights in Ibadah (worship) searching for this auspicious night. If the exact night was known, we would only spend one night Ibadah and there will be no hope for those who missed that night.
I’tikaf
Hadhrat Ali bin Husain (rahimahullah) narrates from his father that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“He who observes the ten days of I’tikaf during Ramadan will attain the reward of two Hajj and two Umrah”.
(Tabrani)
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbass (radiyallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Whoever for Allah’s sake sat for one day in I’tikaf, Allh will keep him away from Jahannam by trenches”.
(Baihaqi)
A person who intends sitting for Sunnah I’tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan should enter the Musjid before sunset on the 20th Ramadan and only leave after the moon for Eid has been sighted. During I’tikaf, a person may only exit the Musjid to answer to the call of nature, Fard Ghusal and to make wudhu. If he leaves the musjid boundaries without a valid reason, his Sunnah I’tikaf will terminate and he will have to make Qadha of one days I’tikaf (24 hours) in the state of fasting (during the day) in or after Ramadan.
How to terminate the month of Ramad?n
Indeed the value of Ramadan only comes to the fore once the month has terminated or will only be realized on the day of Qiyamah. We should beg Allah Ta’ala to accept the little Ibadah we have done in Ramadan, for that act which is accepted by Allah holds lots of merit and significance.
Hadhrat Abu Um?mah (radiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Whosoever observes the two nights of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha with worship and devotion, his heart will be alive on the day of Qiyamah”.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Pg.128, Darul Quran wal Hadith)
Sadaqatul Fitr
Sadaqatul Fitr is Wajib on the following persons:
a) that person upon whom Zakat is compulsory,
b) that person upon whom Zakat is not w?jib but has wealth equal to the nisab of Zakat over and above his basic needs. This is irrespective whether the wealth is for the purpose of trade or not and irrespective whether he had it in his possession for a complete year or not. This Sadaqah has to be paid on or before the day of Eid. If he does not discharge his Sadaqatul Fitr, it will remain as a debt on him and will have to be discharged.
Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) decreed the Sadaqatul Fitr to purify the fasts of vain talk and as a provision for the needy. Whoever discharges it before the Eid Sal?h, it will be accepted and whoever discharges it after the Eid Salah, it will be regarded as general charity.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Vol.1, Pg.227, HM Saeed)
6 Fast of Shawwal
Hadhrat Abu Ayub (radiyallahu anhu) reportes that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Anyone who has kept the fasts of Ramadan and follows them up with six (optional) fast of Shawwal then (he will get the reward for the fast of a whole year, but if he does that always) it is as if he fasted all his life.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Vol.1, Pg330, HM Saeed)
Hadhrat Sauban (radiyallahu anhu) reportes that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
”Joining six days of the fasts of Shawwal is equal to the fast of the whole year. Each good act is equal to ten such acts”.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Pg.124, D?rul Quran wal Hadith)
The reward of each good deed is multiplied at least ten times. Therefore, thirty days of fast in Ramadan equals three hundred days and the six fast of Shawwal equal sixty. Thus, totaling to three hundred and sixty days, which is the total amount of days in a lunar year.
2- Answers
1) Ramadan commences once the crescent of Ramadan is sighted or after completing 30 days of Sha’ban.
2) It is not decided by any person/ committee. It depends whether the moon has been sighted or not.
3) Refer to the above article.
4) Refer to the above article.
5) Taraweeh is an additional Salah exclusive to Ramadan. However, a person is at liberty to perform as much optional Sal?h as he wishes in and out of Ramadan, as long as he does not perform it in the prohibited times.
6) It is not necessary for restaurants to close during the day in Ramadan.
7) Under usual circumstances, working hours are not affected during Ramadan.
8) It is totally upon a person whether he wishes to open his business during Ramadan or not.
9) It is not permissible for a muslim to consume alcohol in or after Ramadan.
10) A person will be excused from fasting due to sickness or he is a Musafir (undertakes a journey more than 78 km).
11) A Muslim should always dress according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
12) Iftar is to partake a meal and open the fast immediately after sunset. It is Sunnah to open the fast with dates or water.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Wassalamu 'alaykum
Ml. Rayhaan Docrat,
Student Darul Ifta
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Ifta, Madrasah In'amiyyah
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