Abdul Nasir Jangda – Welcoming Ramadan
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WA salatu salam ala Rasulillah were under Ali he was so happy at Marina salam Wa alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Inshallah, dear, they're still working on getting the slides presenting properly. But nonetheless, just Inshallah, in the spirit of, you know, time and getting through everything that we need to cover here today, we'll go ahead and get started in sha Allah and I'll try to make it a little bit easier to follow along with and then they'll get the slides up in sha Allah as soon as possible. So first and foremost, obviously wanted to welcome everyone here to the kalam campus. I know a lot of y'all probably come here quite frequently. But for anyone who's here for the first time, we're happy to have you here. And secondly, this program Insha Allah, tonight's or this evening's program is
welcoming Ramadan. So how can we go into the month of Ramadan, properly informed, educated, but also inspired and motivated to make the most of this blessed month, we're just a few, you know, a few days away. So we thought that it would be very appropriate for us to set aside a little bit of time, where we can orient ourselves properly, and cover the requisite the necessary information needed to be able to make the most of this month in sha Allah. So the very first session that we're going to start off with, we're going to cover a few of the just some of the basic information about Ramadan itself. This is a very common dilemma that we have a lot of times where some of the very
fundamentals of Islam like the pillars of our faith of our religion, we they are such a fundamental part of our lives are part of our religion. And oftentimes, we practice them as well, so frequently, but yet we lacked some of the very foundational actual knowledge and information about what we're doing. So I wanted to start off with having a little bit of an introduction as to what is Ramadan itself. So Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the lunar calendar, what we typically usually you know, follow is a solar calendar. But the lunar calendar also has 12 months. Allah talks about this in the Quran, that it's not a Shara Shara and Vicki tabula. There are 12 months in the
lunar calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, but as we have experienced throughout our lives, because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar, Ramadan, see
seems to shift throughout the seasons. And throughout the years, we all probably can. So remember when Ramadan was in the was in the summertime, and now Ramadan is going to be in the springtime. So Ramadan is constantly shifting through the seasons. And that's part of the wisdom as well of the lunar calendar. And it's designed and that's why all the ancient religions actually followed the lunar calendar, the Jewish tradition, they follow the lunar calendar. Even the ancient Christian tradition followed the lunar calendar and the Islamic tradition till today observes and follows the lunar calendar. Because the particular wisdom of that is at different times of the calendar. There
are different special occasions, there are different forms of worship. And the lunar calendar provides the significance is beauty, that everything shifts and moves throughout the seasons. So you get to experience Ramadan at all parts of the year. I know when it's in the summertime, that might not seem like a great idea. But then it's also in the wintertime. But it really completes a person's experience of faith, right? Because the blessings of fasting during the wintertime are different than the blessings of fasting and the lessons that you learn and the experience you have of fasting in the summer months. Similarly praying during the nights taraweeh and things like that in the
summertime is a different experience than in the wintertime when you have a lot more time to be able to invest into your Quran in your prayer. So that's part of the beauty and the wisdom and the significance of the lunar calendar. The word Ramadan itself, right where did that name even come from? It literally comes from the root Ramadan. Rama BA in the Arabic language around Baku. It refers to something being very hot, scorching heat.
And why is it be why is this month called that? There's a lot of discussion about it that at the time when they named it Ramadan was in the summer months, so they called it that, but once again, there's a wisdom and a significance to it. And that is just like when something is hot and burning and scorching. It burns and it removes things. It eradicates things, Ramadan as a month removes the evil from us. It purges us and cleanses us of our sins and our misdeeds and our bad habits. Just like when you heat up something you would remove the impurities of it in the month of Ramadan removes our spiritual impurities from us. Now what specifically makes Ramadan so significant for us
as Muslims is what Allah says in Surah Al Baqarah you have Latina amanu quotevalet como se Amal Kumar, coochie vallila Dinham and publikum the Allah come to chacun that's one thing number one is that what makes Ramadan so significant is Ramadan is a month in which we have been obligated and mandated to fast. Right and that is the first significance of the month of Ramadan, which we're going to get into a lot more detail about. And the second significance of the month of Ramadan is the revelation of the Quran began in the month of Ramadan. Bismillah the Halacha we were just there, not even a full week ago with Anwar group where we climbed up Jabba * and went to the cave of
Hadar and discussed and reflected upon the revelation of the Quran Ikara that occasion where the prophets Allah the son received the first revelation of the Quran, that was in the month of Ramadan. That's why Allah says shahada Ramadan, Allah, the Zilla fecal Quran, the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was sent down and revealed. So that's the other significance and we're going to have a special session dedicated to talking about the relationship between Ramadan in the Quran, and inshallah we'll have a session later today dedicated to that. What I'm going to focus on is the first point, and that is fasting, fasting in the month of Ramadan. What is fasting called fasting is
called a psalm. or it's also called cm. So Yama is not the plural of Psalm. Rather, CR means fasting and so means a fast and linguistically speaking, what does it mean to do a Soma practice? So Yum, fasting, what does that literally mean? In the Arabic language it literally means to abstain, to refrain to abstain or refrain from something anything, but technically in Islam, what it means is, it means with the intention made in the heart for someone to abstain from the things that nullify the fast from the break of dawn until the setting of the sun and we're gonna get into the things that nullified the fast but as a very
Quick note, there are three things. So it is number one intention in the heart. Number two, the timing from the break of dawn until the setting of the sun. And number three, you abstain from three things, what are those three things, eating, drinking, and *, those things are completely abstain from and that is what constitutes fasting that is the definition of fasting. Now, who has to fast who is mandated and obligated to fast? Well, there are five conditions, five conditions that must be present in a person at that time
on every particular day of Ramadan, for fasting to be mandatory upon that person number one, obviously, is that the person is a Muslim. A person has professed faith in his song. Number two is the person is an adult. So fasting is not mandatory upon children. All right, yes, there is the Hadith of the prophets a lot. He said, um, that talks about inculcating and ingraining, the practice and the habit of good habit of fasting within children, so that they have an easier time to do it once they come into adulthood. But it is not technically mandatory or obligatory upon them, that only comes into effect when they reach puberty when they become adults. Number three, that a person
is mentally sound, right. So if the person has some kind of developmental challenge, a person is not fully mentally sound or capable of managing their own affairs, then obviously, those folks are absolved from the responsibilities and the obligations of the religion. Number four is physical health, a person is physically capable of enduring the fast, if a person has some kind of a terminal illness, a chronic illness, a chronic condition, that would not allow a person to fast without causing detriment to their self to their health, then they are not obligated to fast, what is done, instead of that, we're going to talk about that in just a moment. And number five, which also we're
going to have a session discussing these issues a little bit more. But the fifth condition is particularly
applicable in the case of women. And that is that women who are on who are in their days of menstruation or the postnatal period, they are not obligated to fast on those days. Rather, they will be making them up later. And we will get into the specifics of that in a later session in sha Allah. So those are the five conditions, Muslim adult, mentally sound physically healthy. And then in the case of women, that they are not in the days of menstruation or in the postnatal period. Now, the one of the things that I mentioned was the timings of the fast what are the timings of the past. So it is from the start of Fajr time, which is called a superhero saw that right in the Arabic
language, which means the true break of dawn, the true morning, or the break of dawn, fasting begins from that time, so a person needs to cease eating and drinking, by that time. And the easy way to kind of mentally note, when is that time, whenever you open up your prayer app, or you know, your Salah chart or calendar, etc, whatever is the starting time of Fajr that is when the fasting begins, all eating and drinking needs to be concluded before that time. Number and then when does fasting conclude when does the fast end, the fast ends with the setting of the sun, that again, for an easier reference, if you go again into your prayer app, etc, whatever is the Maghrib time, the time
that Maghrib prayer comes in, that is the time when we open our fast when we break our fast when the fasting is done.
Now, when does the month of Ramadan, basically come into effect I've already kind of alluded to this that we that Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. So that means with the new moon of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, Ramadan begins from an Shahida Minko Mushara fully assume who Allah talks about this in the Quran, and then with the subsequent New Moon that will bring into that will bring us into the 10th month of the lunar calendar, the month of Shawwal. That's the very end. So that brings us into the month of Ramadan.
Now, how do we what is kind of the practical layout of fasting? Now this is not saying that all these items that I'm about to mention necessarily are mandatory. Most of them are but still I'm laying out a very kind of practical, recommended structure of fasting
Obviously we begin for the month of Ramadan to begin, there is no kind of starting a couple of days in advance etc, right, the actual fasting of Ramadan will happen on the first day of Ramadan, which is for us will be in sha Allah the day of Thursday.
Number two, will you make an intention, you make an intention to fast now there is a little bit of a difference of opinion and I will highlight and then also some of the subsequent sessions, there will be kind of a highlighting of some difference of opinion. We do that because that is the academically honest thing to do to mention where there is some discussion amongst scholars and a healthy debate amongst the scholars academically speaking, but at the same time, you don't need to necessarily, you know, concern yourself with it or be burdened by it, but you can basically take a general practice and and I will make a recommended practice.
So, I will make a recommendation about what what should be practiced. So there is an opinion a minority opinion that says, you make one intention at the start of the month of Ramadan. And that intention carries you throughout the entirety of the month of Ramadan. However, the majority opinion, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion and this was generally the practice of the companions of the Prophet peace be upon him is that a person should make a new intention for every facet of the month of Ramadan. And that's what I recommend that you have a an intention for every fast every day of the month of Ramadan. When is the recommended time to make that intention, the
recommended time to make that intention is before you go to sleep at night. Because again, in the Islamic kind of lunar calendar by virtue of it being the lunar calendar, right? The day begins with the setting of the sun. So after maghrib you're already into the next day, the day actually concludes that the following sunset. So the day in the Islamic structure in the Islamic, you know, per view is from sunset to sunset. So making the intention at whatever time you're going to bed at night 10pm 11pm midnight, etc. That's the best time to make your intention for fasting the next day what we call, but that's the ideal time to make that intention just so in case somebody over sleeps,
misses their alarm, etc, that you do not compromise your fast because you had the intention already in place. All right. So that's the recommended time now what does it mean to make an intention? Right? A lot of folks might be familiar with no way to be so me if I didn't mean chatty Ramadan, some kind of standard verbiage that is recited. There's nothing wrong with reciting that verbiage. Because what does that verbiage mean? It literally means I make the intention to fast the next day. Right? So there's nothing wrong with it. However, it is important to note that verbiage saying those exact words in Arabic or any kind of phrase in English or in Arabic or no to do or in any language
is not mandatory. nega in the Arabic language is I'm a little it is an action of the heart. So as long as you just have that intent within your heart that I'm going to be fasting, then that will count as your valid Nia. So that hopefully simplifies things a little bit. Because people can find that a bit cumbersome like oh, I don't have that knee, memorize what do I do? No, no, you just need to have it in your mind that I'm going to fast. And that's it. That's the near number three. The third thing to do in a practical recommendation of the structure of the fast is to wake up a little while before Salatin Fajr and have the pre Dawn meal. So who So who'd alright eating something
before
you know the time of Fajr comes in the break of dawn occurs? Now that's not mandatory. That's not required. If you don't do that. There's no harm. There's no harm you're fast will be totally valid. Regardless, however, it is very strongly recommended in a hadith found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says narrated by anisum nomadic Radi Allahu Anhu the Prophet sallallahu sallam said that the Sahara, wake up before the break of dawn and eat something. Why for inofficial hudi Baraka 10 Because there is blessing in the food that you consume at that time. And part of the explanation of that that had been Hotjar Imam and Novi and the other scholars
of Hadith also provide is that part of the blessing is that that time is also known as tahajjud time, the young lady that's also very blessed at time about the acceptance of prayers and wait
Think about that time further ensures that you will pray your fajr prayer on time, which is going to be the next point that we touch on. Right so there's a lot of blessing. The prophets Allah the sermon another narration even said that, if nothing else, but just taking a sip of water. So waking up, even if it is just a couple of minutes before Fajr time comes in, we're all you're going to do is take, take, take a drink of water, the prophets, Allah, the some said do so there's blessing in that time, you'll get an opportunity to make dua at the most valuable time of making dua. And also, you'll ensure the performance of your budget on time as well.
Now, the fourth item in the ideal kind of structure of fasting,
it's not really kind of like a one thing, but just an item that I that I wanted to mention here. And that is our five daily prayers, our five times daily prayers, right, that's very, very important. Obviously, that's mandatory all the time. But particularly in the month of Ramadan, we want to be very, very on top of that, performing them at their appropriate times at the correct time, and just have an extra level of vigilance about that.
The next thing is in the structure of fasting is at the sunset, we will be breaking our fast, we will be opening our fast we will be concluding our fast, which is called if thought if thought. And when it comes to the Iftar there's one thing to be very kind of mindful in particular about there's a hadith found inside the body. In which
Salmond sad a Saturday Radi Allahu Anhu he narrates that the profit to lobby some said lawyers Alan Naseby, Hayden, ma jello, Al fitrah, he said that people will remain upon good so long as they open their fast as soon as the sunset occurs.
And to understand that what's being said there. So if I'm gonna use just a hypothetical example, let's say that sunset is at 6pm or 7pm, okay? What that means is, as soon as the clock strikes 7pm, we open our fast, there is no righteousness, there is no virtue, there is no value. And then kind of extending our fast beyond that. In fact, that is something that is very problematic, because now you're basically fabricating the religion from yourself. You're basically just making up the religion, you know, as you go along your freestyle freestyling the religion and that's not how this works. Fasting is an act of obedience. Fact. Fasting is an act of devotion. Fasting is an act of
submission. We're giving a food and water you know, permissible halal food and water, we're giving that up why because Allah said so.
So then when Allah says, Now Eat and drink, we also eat and drink at that time. And the prophets Allah he says, so long as people remain disciplined about when they stop eating and drinking, and when they you know, continue to eat and drink. This Omar will repaint rule remain upon that, which is good. And further bit of detail about that. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
in a hadith of a Buddhahood the prophets Allah at some further says, either kinda had to come saw Iman, whenever you are fasting for you, for Allah, Tamil, the prophets, Allah, he actually did recommend that we break our fast with dates with dates to him. Right that we we might be under the impression that that's just kind of a cultural thing. Right? They opened it with dates, we open it with some Mossos right, whatever, who cares, right? No, no, this is an actual recommendation from the prophets, Allah the Sunnah. This is an actual recommendation from him. Obviously, it depends on access, not mandatory. First of all, it's not mandatory. Secondly, it depends on whether a person
has access to dates or not. But if that's not an issue, that's not a problem, then even if it is a singular date, one date, there is an actual recommendation from the process. I don't want that for them yet. Tomorrow. The prophets Allah exam said if you cannot get your hands on the dates for Allen Ma, then then break your fast with water. Why for intall Mata Hulan the prophets Allah they said because water is cleansing in nature, water is good for you.
Now we're going to get into the technical issue about the breaking of the fast the nullifying of the fast the violation of the fast what nullifies what violates the fast and what does not. We're going to talk a little bit about that. Before we do that. We're going to discuss a little bit of terminology
Now the terminology isn't necessarily isn't necessary, if you can understand you comprehend the subject at hand. But at the same time, everybody uses this terminology, we hear it all the time. So it's helpful to know the terminology number one. Number two is that terminology generally is important within technical Islamic sciences, right? Because, you know, even take me out on him, Allahu Allah, He famously said that somebody who does not grasp terminology will make very critical errors in the practice of their religion. So it's important to know and acquaint ourselves with terminology, and it's not a whole lot. It's just a few terms. But they are important to know, there
are three terms to start off with that are very important to know. Number one is called law. A law literally means to make up for something to make up for something. All right, the second term is kuthodaw. kuthodaw, a lot of times is translated as an expiation, which is the proper translation. But to give it a little bit of an easier word, it's a penalty, a kuthodaw is a penalty. And number three, the third term is fifth, the fifth year means a payment, a payment, a substitute payment. All right.
So now let's understand where what term applies. So there are three scenarios in which, if a person commits these three things, while fasting, they are a Muslim, adult,
mentally sound physically healthy. A woman who's not in the days of menstruation, or postnatal period, that person who is obligated and mandated to fast, if that person ends up doing these three things, any one of these three things, then that person will have to make up for that day that they violated. And they will have to pay the penalty. And the penalty as listed by the prophets, Allah, He said, I'm in an authentic narration, in Sahih. Muslim, it mentions that a person would have to number one free a slave.
That's not something that is possible in our times in that traditional sense. So number two, is that person would have to fast, two months consecutively.
That's the penalty for violating the fast, fasting two months consecutively. And if the person's not physically capable of doing that, like doctor's orders, that there they have a doctor's note saying, This person will die, if they tried to attempt that, then the person would have to arrange for food, a day's meal, a day's worth of meals, for 60, folks that are in need 60, Moroccan folk are all people in need. So they would have to provide a day's meals for 60 people, all right, whatever the cost of that would be, but it goes in that order. First freeing the slaves, that's not possible than fasting two months consecutively, if they have a look, they have it written, they have it
on from a doctor saying they cannot physically do that, then they can take the option of feeding the 60, Moroccan feeding 60 people in need. But otherwise, they would have to do the two months of consecutive fasting. So that's the penalty. So they have to make up for a day and pay the penalty. What are the three things that would violate at that level? Number one, intentionally drinking something while you are fasting, intentionally drinking that qualifier of intentional is very important, as we're going to talk about in just a minute, but intentionally deliberately, the person knows that they're fasting. They know that they're obligated to fast they understand what they're
doing in that moment. It's not like they got dizzy or they lost consciousness or, you know, they were dazed or confused or concussed or something like that. No, no, this person understood what they are doing, what they're supposed to be doing, what they're about to do, and still do it regardless. Now, they not only have to make up for the day, but they have to pay the penalty. Number two, deliberately, intentionally knowingly eating something, while one is fasting, once again, make up for that day and pay the penalty. And the third item is that
a married couple engaging in sexual *. And I'm mentioning that explicitly why because not all forms of intimacy are prohibited while fasting, but it is specifically the act of * that is prohibited and if they do that, then they will have to not only make up for the day, but they will also have to pay the penalty.
Now, what are the scenarios in which a person
If they do these things, they commit any one of these things, they would have to make up for the missed fast. But they won't have to pay the penalty, they would have to make up for the missed fast, but they won't have to pay a penalty. Okay. Number one is, if a person intentionally vomits, they make themselves throw up the Prophet. So I mentioned that first. Because the prophets Allah, the salam talked about that, unintentionally, unintentionally, they just felt sick, and they threw up, they're fast, they don't, they're fast, technically is not broken. Now, if they feel too sick to continue, that's fine. They don't have to continue on, they'll make up for this day. But if they
deliberately make themselves vomit, then they will have to make up for this day. Number two,
if a person is traveling, if a person is traveling, they are allowed to not fast on that day. Right. And this is talking about the atomic distance of traveling, at which we start to shorten prayers, the usually typically it's mentioned about 48 miles worth of a distance that a person is traveling, then that person is given the concession to dispensation, they don't have to fast on that day, but they will have to make up for that day afterwards.
Number three,
if a person, this is an issue of contention, but if a person
smokes, if a person engages in some kind of, you know, whether it's smoking of a cigarette, or a hookah, or whatever it is, right, that will nullify and violate the fast, but the scholars do not mandate the penalty to be paid, they have to make up for that day, this has not legitimize the practice in any way. It's just a technical point. Number four, if a person starts to feel sick, or ill, they feel sick, they don't feel like they can fast that day, then once again, they are excused from fasting on that day, but they will have to make up for this day afterwards. And if a person ends up having to take some kind of medicine,
you know, inhaler, nose drops, they have to take some kind of medicine orally, or they're undergoing some kind of a medical procedure, etc. Then once again, they are excused from fasting on that day, but they will have to make up for those days afterwards. Now, if and when this becomes a chronic condition, where they're never going to be able to go a day without taking some kind of medication, etc, then we're going to talk about that next. So hopefully everybody understands that if a person violates the fast in any kind of way, or they don't fast, they just have to make up for that day. But if a person starts fasting, and they have no excuse, and they deliberately eat, drink, or commit
*, then not only do they have to make up for the day, but they'll have to pay the penalty on top of that. All right. Now, the fifth year, the third term that I had mentioned was fifth year, which is a substitute payment. That is specifically for people who are who either have a chronic illness where they have to take some kind of medication, let's say, and they are never going to be able to go even 12 or 14 hours without that medication, without the inhaler without whatever the whatever they require, then they are now excused from fasting. And they will make a substitute payment and said I'll talk about that payment in just a moment. Number two, old age if a person
reaches an age where they are no longer physically capable of fasting,
where it would be very detrimental to them and dangerous for their health to fast then they are now excused from fasting while other Latina YouTube guna who fit the Atlanta I'm on my skin, then they will make the substitute payment on behalf of every fast and thirdly is if the person obviously is terminally ill, right? That obviously the person is excused from fasting but a payment will be made for each facet they are not able to keep now what is the payment that is made substitute for the fasting the Quran says to animal miskeen it is to provide a day's worth of food for one person in need. And as a general, there's there's a quite a bit of variance in that because it depends on
where you are and when you are right. But just as a general recommendation our community $10 1210 to 20 $12 is typically the amount that is recommended. It's the same amount that we get for the fitrah at the end of Ramadan. So that 10 to 12 $12 per fast that is not kept. So if
person is chronically ill, terminally ill or elderly and they're not going to be able to fast the whole month of Ramadan, then they will be giving sadaqa for feeding of the poor, they will provide around $300. Now, obviously, there's a follow up question here, What if they can't afford it? So that scenario was already covered at the time of the prophets a lot. He said that somebody was given that instruction and that he said, What if I cannot afford it, then the prophets Allah, He said them said that God does not obligate anyone beyond their capacity. Now you can live for long enough suddenly level. So I like the Quran says. So then obviously, they're excused from that and Allah,
they are not committing a sin, they are not doing anything wrong. Obviously, Allah put them in that condition of illness or sickness or old age, and they don't have the financial means. So there's no burden or obligation or sin, or culpability or liability upon them.
Now to just kind of quickly list off a few things, some items, that there a lot of times are, you know how, like, sometimes we have like these urban myths. So there are Muslim myths, right? Like, if you look in the mirror, you broke your will do true story. All right.
You know, there's all these weird kind of like, if you, if you watch TV than you lost, your will do, right? You'll hear these things, y'all probably hear him no more. So from your grandparents now, we're used to hearing from our parents, right? So there's a lot of these kinds of Muslim myths, where somebody will say, Oh, you did this. That's it, your fast is broken, right, you have to make up this fast. And it might not be true. So just to cover, we can't cover everything that doesn't break your fast, obviously, because walking and talking doesn't break your fast, like we can't mention everything. But some of the things that there are some times some confusion or
misconceptions about. So number one, bodily functions, right? Just vomiting, somebody throws up or spits up something that did not break your fast, right, swallowing your own saliva. I don't understand what the alternative is.
Nocturnal emissions, that's a very fancy word for. And again, I know that it's a family gathering. So I'll try to talk in a little bit of code. So please follow along. But if somebody experiences, you know, sexual climax, and they find that they have,
you know, sullied themselves sold themselves while they were sleeping, typically what is called the *, right? That the person requires a whistle before they can pray, they have to think about the purification before they can pray. But that did not nullify the past. It is the act of the * that nullifies it fast, okay.
And then any other kind of impurity, meaning if you go to the restroom, that does not violate your fast. Gosh, can you imagine? Alright, number two accidental things, unintentional things, so if somebody accidentally eats something, right, I know, everybody's seen that silly video. It's like, Oh, I was, you know, shit, what do I do the Shawerma like, flew in the air and fell in my mouth. And, you know, not not that kind of nonsense. Okay, accidental eating. what's meant by that is forgetful eating. It's the first day of Ramadan, right? You just have a general habit. Maybe you have some snacks out on the counter. And you know, 9am you're walking by the counter and just per
your habit, you pick up some, you know, some whatever's laying out some nuts, or whatever it is, and you just throw it into your mouth, and then you eat it. And then you walk a few more steps. And you're like, oh, no, right? So what what, what do you do in that situation? Drinking, forget fully drinking as well. That's a very common one, right? You just walk by the water fountain, you grab a sip of water, and then you keep on walking. And then you realize, well as Sahabi came to the profits a lot him and asked him, What do I do the prophets a lot, some said, say Alhamdulillah and keep on fasting because Allah fed you. All right? Allah fed you. So that will not nullify the fast but it
has to be forgetful. The person really just did not remember that they were fasting at that moment. All right, dust.
You know, people sometimes worry, right? You go outside and there's all this dust blowing around or something and something gets into your mouth, right or sand etc. That does not nullify the fast. And same thing if you accidentally swallow a bug, yum, yum. All right. Number three. Applying anything to your body to your skin to your outer body does not nullify the fast oil, lotion, eyeliner, perfume, cologne deodorant, none of that nullifies a fast. Okay, number because the definition of fasting is abstaining from the eating and drinking. My St. Louis Little Jove, right. That's how it was defined in the Arabic language that which would reach the stomach number for hygiene. Okay, that
does not nullify the fast
Please, okay.
Taking a shower washing your face that does not nullify the fast. Obviously, we have to do we'll do we have to pray. All right. However, a little caveat, which we're going to talk about later on about being a little bit cautious. We're going to get to that in just a moment. But the second item here, when it comes to hygiene is obviously the hygiene of the mouth. Right? So that's a big question people have. So what's interesting is, right, because we also know that there's a hadith of the prophets, Allah, the term the Hulu, for me saw me at Yahoo and the LA community in misc, right? That the smell that comes from the mouth of the fasting person, right, because they're not eating and
drinking anything is more beloved or more beautiful to Allah than even the scent of musk, right?
That does not mean you deliberately try to have bad breath. No, that is a misnomer. That is a mistake. Okay, that is a misunderstanding. It's talking about, no matter what you do at some point, because you're not eating and drinking anything. Your mouth is going to start to smell your breath is going to smell a certain way. And at that time, don't be self conscious about that. And don't feel bad about that. Because understand that that is something that is occurring. Why because you decided to devote and dedicate yourself to the obedience of Allah, and that's beloved to Allah. However, Ayesha Siddiqa, Radi Allahu Taala on her in a hadith and Asahi, she actually says that I
tried to count how many times the prophets Allah DISM did his Seawalk the prophets, Allah Islam had the wooden kind of toothbrush, the Seawalk I tried to count how many times in the day of Ramadan, he used this to walk and I lost track of count. I lost track of it. So generally speaking, technically speaking, there's nothing prohibited about brushing your teeth. Okay. Now, obviously, this comes with the caveat of don't swallow the toothpaste. Okay? If you swallow the toothpaste, you might just be a child, okay? So don't sit there and swallow the toothpaste. But again, we're gonna there's another added, you know, kind of point here that we're going to get to in just a moment about being
cautious and being careful. Now, let's move on to the next point. And that is medicinal. Okay. Receiving an injection, or even an IV or taking an insulin shots does not nullify the fast. I know that might seem a little counterintuitive, because that's nourishing the body. But it is a technical matter, my Yossi Lulu Jove, it does not nullify the fast. Okay, people asked a follow up question, well, what if somebody creates a hack for fasting, where they're just basically got like an IV hooked up, and then they don't feel you know, thirsty or anything at all, to that person? I don't even know what to say. Okay. That is beyond stupidity. That's like another realm of human being.
Right? Where you just demented and twisted and you're hacking an act of worship, right, like there's just something missing.
Number six. There is a difference of opinion about things like eardrops and eyedrops. Some of the more classical opinion was that ear drops and eyedrops also would nullify the fast. That was the classical that was the more classical opinion. However, the scholars became a lot more divided on this issue as time kind of went along. Whether or not ear drops and eyedrops would nullify the fast or not.
Like I told y'all, just for academic purposes, I'll share with you where there is a difference of opinion but also share a bit of a recommendation with you eardrops I would recommend against that while fasting. Eye drops are not a problem with fasting. Right. So the the what I would recommend is kind of the issue being split. Well, Lockwood Talana. All right.
Now disliked acts. And this is where I kept referencing some you know that we would touch on a couple of things. So tasting food, I know that once again, everyone has heard that, oh, you can taste the food as long as you don't swallow it. Right. Oh, that if you're cooking food for people, you can go ahead and taste it. Nobody cares. Nobody cares. Okay, if you're in a situation where the taste the specific taste of the food, is that important to you?
That it where it's superseding the significance and the importance of your fasting. Once again, very humbly, if I may, I think that there's kind of an issue there. There's an issue in terms of prioritization. Now, I understand for some folks where it might be their livelihood, and they, you know, there might be financial consequences for them. That's why I guess for those scenarios, ultimately, it does not nullify the fast, but it's something that shouldn't just be done Willy
nilly just for no reason, chewing chewing on things in general, like people sometimes have kind of this habit of just chewing on things. That's obviously like gum and things like that, then you're going to be swallowing the moisture from, you know, the chewing gum. So that would nullify the fast, but just chewing on a piece of plastic on the end of the pen, etc. That does not behoove the fasting person, right. So it's not it's not it's not a good look.
Obviously, things that are generally prohibited and problematic or even more egregious when fasting, right? People sometimes have a hard time understanding this. So we were just add in McCain, Medina. So to explain from that context, like we understand that some places are in some times, the reward of doing good is increased. There are also sacred places and sacred times where the sin and the culpability of doing something bad also increases. Right. And that's what Ramadan is. That's what fasting is. So lying, fighting, cursing, name calling, abusing someone verbally, backbiting about someone, right? All of these things are sinful, in general. But doing them in the month of Ramadan,
doing them all fasting is even more egregious
complaining, what that means is, again, a really kind of terrible thing that's, you know, manifested in our culture is complaining about fasting itself. Right? Where it's, you know, people will talk about, like, Oh, my God, you know, how thirsty they are, and how they're dying from thirst, and, you know, etc. The, none of this is humorous. Because what you're essentially doing is you're using the act of obedience, the act of worship, as the subject matter of whatever attempt at humor this is, and it's inappropriate. All right.
You know, what I mean, by here, no marathons meaning is try to avoid deliberately creating a scenario that will challenge your ability to finish the fast.
All right, so if somebody likes to run, right, they run five miles.
Doing it while fasting, maybe some people aren't capable of doing it, I would die. Okay. So deliberately doing something like that, while knowing that I'm not capable of it, doing it while fasting the doing of it doesn't affect like it's not sinful. But if it's going to lead to me than having to break my fast and drink some water because I was dehydrated. Right? Now I kind of created that problem. And so that's not a smart thing to do.
Wasting water, deeply inhaling water during will do etc. What the second point I think I'm not sure about the first point but deeply inhaling water during will do. This is something the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam instructed us, when you make will do when you take a bath of purification, then be a little bit more cautious and careful about rinsing your mouth out or putting water in your nose, that Be careful that you do not swallow it. Right. So you have to be a little bit more mindful and careful. That's why I was talking about oral hygiene. That's fine, you can do it. But again, practice caution, because if you are reckless, there's actually a difference of
opinion. Right? The majority said that if you were a little bit reckless, and accidentally you ended up swallowing something, they say that's excused, and I won't nullify your fast, but the Hanafi school, one of the major schools, that is that school is actually of the opinion that if you were reckless, and then you accidentally, that's why I kept saying earlier forgetfulness, eating or drinking something. But if you're reckless, and you accidentally swallowed something that doesn't nullify your fast, you don't have to do the penalty, but that will nullify your fast. So it's better just be a lot more careful and cautious. Missing other ID we talked about this earlier, if you're
fasting, and then you're not praying on time. Once again, there's a disconnect. You don't get the you're not getting the purpose of fasting. And anything else that would compromise your fast, right? For instance, a very kind of like a Ramadan trivia question is, does swimming break your fast? Well, the physical act of swimming will not break your fast. But swallowing water does break your fast, right? So just avoid something like that.
So that you're not compromising your fast. Now,
even though we've already kind of talked about it, there's a very specific point to be made about avoiding disputation, avoiding arguments, avoiding any kind of fighting and quarreling and bickering while fasting. There's a very specific point why? Because the prophets Allah the seminar Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim says either Cana yomo Swami I had to configure Firth what I guess hub, that whenever any one of you are fasting, then do not use foul
Language obscene language, and do not shout and yell at each other. Like don't become, you know, confrontational
for insomnia who hadn't? Oh, gotcha who, but what if somebody comes in gets either verbally or physically confrontational with you, you're not doing it but they are basically confronting you failure pull in the salt and back away and say I am fasting.
So the prophets Allah these have made a very specific point to talk about a lot of the disputes that we get into and the arguing and the yelling and the shouting that we get into with each other, right? That should be completely avoided while fasting.
And then
a very, you know, spiritual kind of point about fasting that the prophets a lot he said, um, makes very beautifully in a hadith Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, malaria, Ebola Zulu, Allah Amelie B, he will Jalla that somebody who fasts physically, they're not eating or drinking from the start of Fajr till sunset, right? They're following those physical technical rules of fasting, but they don't stop using foul language.
Right? They don't stop committing sins with their tongue, lying and backbiting and etc, etc. Well, I'm gonna be here. They don't physically stop committing sins, well Jehle. They don't give up ignorant behavior.
Following Felisa lucky herder, then God has no need. And yet the armor who was shut up but who, God has no need for you to starve and die, and deprive yourself from food and water.
Like Allah doesn't need you to not eat or drink for so many hours. This is not like some kind of collective like, alright, let's preserve, you know, some resources because you know, God's resources are running short while I have the villa. That's not the case. Allah doesn't need you to do anything. It's for your own benefit. But if you are not eating and drinking, you know, from 5am to 7pm, but then you're doing everything else that is sinful and problematic. You missed the point of the fasting.
And finally, to kind of conclude and wrap up things here.
I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the virtues and the benefits of fasting and in general of the month of Ramadan. There's a beautiful Hadith in the Sunnah of Imam and nessa e Rahim Allahu Taala in which he says that that come Sharon, Sharon mobile rockin Sharona are women, that a month has come to you. A very blessed month a very great sublime month
in which Allah has obligated you to fast
in this month fee to sow a wobble Jana, the gates of the of paradise are opened
with Google aku of wobble now, or Allah will Johanna. And the gates of * are closed are shut.
And all the shayateen the demons, right the devil that basically dissuades us and confuses us and makes trouble. They are chained up, they are restricted from interfering with us. And in this month, there is a night which is better than 1000 months. Whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived. Meaning if you can't achieve Allah's blessing
in this remarkable month, then you really need to start reevaluating how you're living your life. Because it's it's, it's too easy.
Right? It's kind of one of those things where they say like it's yours to lose. The blessing of Ramadan is yours to lose.
Like even somebody who's the most mindless person will stumble in fall into the blessing of Ramadan. That's how blessed it is.
But to not achieve blessing during this month to not be able to come closer to Allah during this month, to not be able to rectify your soul during this month to not be able to improve and better yourself during this month.
It's it's almost remarkable.
It's remarkable that somehow somebody is able to do that.
And the objective of the month of Ramadan, which I just alluded to, is in that foundational verse that obligates fasting upon us in verse number 183 of Bukhara, Allah says Allah Allah Contacta Khun that the objective of the month of Ramadan is for you to develop God conscious
SNESs for you to come closer to Allah and become more conscious and aware and connected to your Lord
and
in another Hadith