Abdullah Hakim Quick – New Muslim Corner – Understanding Ramadan
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The importance of Islam in shaping behavior and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption is emphasized, along with the use of salt in people's foods and the importance of avoiding bad behavior during fasting. The speakers emphasize the need for everyone to be safe during fasting, particularly during the time of breastfeeding. The transcript is not related to a conversation or interactions between speakers, but rather a recording and a transcription of a webinar about a video game called game of Thrones and a character from the show Game of Thrones.
AI: Summary ©
Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim and hundreds if not belong to me. Paul Solly was salam ala says walima ocarina BNN Mohammedan by the Allah He was happy about it was all praise the due to Allah Lord of the worlds and peace and blessings be constantly showered upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad to master the first and last, and his family as companions and all those who call to his way and establish his sunnah to the day of judgment as to what follows my beloved brothers and sisters, As Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah Alhamdulillah. This is the next part of our series on Ramadan itself. And this is part of the new Muslim corner. And the no Muslim corner is established to enable those
who have recently embraced Islam. Even those who are interested in Islam,
to get familiar with the basic pillars, and foundations of the faith. It's also a forum where people who are reviving themselves, Muslims who were born in Muslim families,
but didn't really accept Islam, until maybe they were 25 or 30 years old.
So this is an open forum. And I want to deal with some of the issues in the month of Ramadan. To make it easy. Again, there are some differences of opinion
on a higher level of Islamic teachings, but we are dealing with the basics. And our intention is to give a type of middle road perspective. And that is, especially for new Muslims, to avoid any differences of opinions, which sometimes are just cultural differences. But to give you something based upon the actual
sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon the actual base. So you can judge what happened to Muslims or their opinions, once you have a good foundation. So basically, what we understood is that fasting is done by people for many different reasons. There are those who fast for medical reasons, some fast for political reasons, there is now the intermittent fasting. There's all types of fasting that people have. But the fast of Ramadan is a special fast. And we learned that the essence of the fast is to gain the consciousness of God. That is the reason why we're fasting. It is not
a race to see who can make the best Iftar in the evening, or it's not to prove yourself, but it is to get closer to the Creator.
And the fast is not meant to be a punishment. So there are some cultures where in order to release the body from desires, the people punished himself. So he literally put them through themselves to difficulties in order to sort of like, kill their desires. That is not the Islamic way. The Islamic way recognizes desire,
but controls it.
So this is one of the key issues in the fast are one of the key benefits from the fast is self control,
self control and consciousness of Allah. And
in terms of the some of the details that we went through last week, just as a slight review, for those who may be new online are those who are new presently,
in terms of the sun, and we say Sundar meaning the way of the Prophet, where he encouraged in the fast itself. Number one, it is that we should when the sun sets, we should break out fast immediately and not try to do more type of fastings and there's even a thing called sama whistle where some of the companions wanted to prove themselves and they fasted straight through.
So they go to the next day and they still didn't eat or drink. And this was frowned upon and is not really allowed to do someone with salt. Because this is not meant to be a punishment for the body. Okay. Secondly, that is we tried to break the fast with water with dates. If you can't get that Then something very, you know, light. Water of course, is is preferred
because it's neutral.
Look doesn't have any chemicals or regular chemicals in it.
And if you can't get dates, some countries don't have dates. So maybe it's some light fruit or something like this, that you break your fast with. Okay? And in terms of what we learned, we make a prayer. And we're breaking the fast. And the prophetic prayer is Allahu Allah consump to where Allah risk because of Tartu. So that is, Oh Allah for your sake, I have fasted, and with the food you have provided, I break my fast.
Okay, so that's something that we do.
Now, again, in review, because this can get a little complicated, and when Ramadan starts, Inshallah, we can be fast, then you're going to see some questions, they're going to come up, right. Some things that you heard now, you didn't recognize it to you start faster.
So the more we go over, this is better for you to be able to
really understand. So the things that you need to stay away from if possible. So this is called mcru, which is undesirable. So there are actions that are undesirable that we should try to avoid. And one thing is close with fasting from everything right, no drink, no food.
And so as excessive gargling, so people gargle, even when you're making a blue ocean, there is a form of gargling that we do when we make a blue shirt, but this time, it should be just in front of your mouth. Okay, and even heavily putting water up into your nostrils. Try to avoid this. Also in the sense of husband and wife, in that case, kissing and hugging. And that because, you know, we're trying not to arouse any desire in Ramadan. And we also learned that chewing chewing gum,
or chewing tobacco
or any substance that people chew. In East Africa, they chew a plant
which is called cut, or Mira. They call it in Swahili.
That's not permissible. In India, they also have a thing called pan
and the pan is a leaf. The leaf in itself does nothing but they put things substances in the pot.
Okay, so pond chewing also,
we should not be doing while we're fasting. Next, we learned that tasting food that if you're a cook, when you're cooking, it's undesirable to be tasting the food because there's a possibility it might go down.
So you have to just go with your instincts, the amount of salt that you normally put in and hope that your husband or wife will not be upset
when they taste the biryani whatever it is, right. This is Ramadan, we have to be merciful. And cupping or bloodletting. That is a practice it's still done, where they actually cut the blood
and take out the bad blood from the body as a medical
practice undesirable things that break your fast any liquid or food that is going into inside your mouth down into the JioFi. So that means down inside your body areas firstly the stomach area. It is not
it this will break your fast. Okay. And then the onset of
menstruation. When that comes, that will also break the fast and deliberate inhaling of tobacco or drugs. This is not permissible. This will break your fast literally. Okay, any questions up until now? This is a forum so if you have any questions on the floor is open for any questions. Yeah. For y'all that's pregnant, they're not permitted to fast right?
Now, when somebody is pregnant, she can fast. If she's strong enough, you know, to do it, there's nothing wrong with it. However, it should be under the care of a doctor, you know, other family members should watch the person and because the danger is twofold, one, it could be a danger to her health
personally, or it could be a danger to the child.
So therefore, if she's feeling really weak and sick, then she can break the fast.
Some people even do a fast one day and break another day in a fast you know, however, you can.
That person can but it is permissible
For her to,
to fast, it is permissible.
Good question. She has to make up the entire month of fasting for the next year. If what happened, if there was a she's not able to fast.
Right? So So anybody who can't you know, there are other categories I didn't go over because there's way up. If a person is sick, or on a traveling,
then you can break your fast. And so, you know, if she's really weak and whatever, she will be in the category of somebody who's sick, they're not well, so you just make up one day, for each day. So if she missed 17 days, then it just 17 days to make up.
It's based upon how many days?
Yeah,
like a woman is pregnant. And that makes sense after their breastfeeding child. And then you're also allowed to skip on fasting did they also have to make up those days as well? Yeah, so So once she has the baby, and she's breastfeeding, then
if she's breaking the fast, because of her own weakness, then she'd make up a day. But if she breaks too fast, because of the milk,
then she makes up the most Colonsay she makes up the day, and then also pays the future, which means you feed a poor person for everyday because cuz she didn't break it because of her own. So this call to say, you know, just to be safe to the, to both
fast in the venue.
Okay.
All right.
I don't know if there's anything online, if you can check here and there, because he told me he is doing two programs tonight.
So it doesn't seem like anything right now. And so what are some of the actions permitted, while fasting, it is permissible to brush your teeth.
And generally, people will have a miss whack which is a neutral type of stick, try to avoid a peppermint stick, or some of the, in some countries, they have like a toothbrush type of thing, and can actually make suds in your mouth. Some of those have flavor. Try to avoid those. And normally during the day, if you're going to brush your teeth, if you just have the toothbrush without the toothpaste during the day, however it is permissible, say in the morning,
it is permissible to use toothpaste, try try not to use too much of it. But you need to rinse your mouth until you don't taste it.
Right, you'd have to keep rinsing it to your don't taste it and realize that even though you brush your teeth, it's not going to completely
take away you know, get rid of the bad breath that comes from fasting. Because that's coming from your stomach.
It will to a certain extent.
But it won't completely you know take away you know, you know the bad breath. But the Prophet peace be upon him said that the Hulu femicide him that this bad breath of the fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the sweetest perfume misc.
So you're getting a blessing for it. Although you won't get a blessing if you work in an office right? With your colleagues. Right. So you got to try to stay away a little distance from people or whatever. Learn how to move in Ramadan. But again, you can rent your mouth during the day. And if you rent it and everything and use a miswak stick with me, you can be cleaning your mouth.
Also, you can take a shower,
or you could bathe in water, but your head shouldn't go under the water. And you shouldn't be in a position where water can enter into the body.
Okay, and then at nighttime, you eat and you drink until Sunday from sunset to the next time.
Traveling, we also learned if you have a purpose for traveling, then it is permissible to travel. But don't just travel to escape Ramadan because a traveler can break their fest. So people who intend to travel in Ramadan
that's wrong, if they're doing it to you know to escape the fest in Jackson injections are also permitted.
But not the injection that goes into your vein. And it's actually feeding the body. So the one that goes against intravenous, and it's feeding medicine into the body, you know, or nutrients that one
would break the fast and normally that would mean
Just sick anyway.
So as large as logically could have just an injection there, then it's okay. Even, technically speaking, even if you had to take your blood, that in itself doesn't break your fast.
Okay? Every person gets a cut, it doesn't break. The first the only time is that if it's a cut and lot of blood is coming out,
then obviously that person is sick anyway, I mean, they're in trouble. So that you know a lot of blood then know
that that would break the fast. Also using oil or ointments, things like that is permissible. In Ramadan, perfumes, whatever is permissible. And Ramadan. Okay, any questions on this offer is one there.
You're asking if a person who's having problems with an ulcer can avoid fasting with an ulcer.
Okay, depending upon the severity of the also, you know, with a doctor,
but for some people, you know, without having food or liquid in the body, that also can become inflamed or whatever. So if a doctor saying no, then they could break the fast, you know, as a sick person, and then they would feed a poor person for every
day that they miss. Okay, they feed the poor, poor person, sometimes there are ways to overcome the ulcer or comment down with the types of food that you eat.
Or there could be a medicine that you take, and you take it in the morning,
before you start to fast, and then during the day, nothing's coming into your body. And then in the evening, you can take it again. So the doctor will allow that then it is possible.
What is excused,
it is excused to swallow your own saliva. That might sound strange, but some people are so extreme,
that even they're out the liquids, they think that the liquids are in their mouth that their mouth created. If you swallow that is like you swallowed water. So they spit it out. That's extreme.
That's extreme.
Okay, so it is it's excused, and vomiting, if a person just didn't feel well, and, you know, they they vomited, light vomit.
That's a course if it's a heavy, heavy, heavy vomit, you're sick.
So the person does use your logic, right. But just a little bit, in the first couple of days, your body's gonna go through some changes.
So with just a little bit, then it's excused, okay. And self induced vomiting is not,
you don't do that. self induced vomiting.
Then if you're working on a job, or in an area where you inhale dust or smoke, or things like that, that there's nothing wrong with that. If it's on the streets, or, you know, wherever, it's excused, okay. And if you eat or drink by mistake, and the first couple of days,
people can make mistakes, especially if you're used to drinking at a certain fountain, or a certain time of day. It's the first day of the first year your body may, you know, want to drink because it's a habit.
So once you recognize that you've made that mistake, it's okay.
Continue the fast because according to the Prophet peace be upon him. Allah was was the one who gave you that drink, or gave you that food.
Okay, so these are some of the things that are excused there. So the fasting day, I want to just look again, at in a practical way, let's look at a fasting day. Okay, and
it starts in the morning
with Soho, and Soho is
the early morning meal.
So based upon when
the dawn prayer comes in, if the dawn prayer, for instance, comes in at 605 to st for instance, then you would get up with enough time
to be able to take a light meal.
It's preferable, you know, to
prepare something even before the evening before, you know be structured, don't just get up and say what am I going to eat?
So it's like better to have a plan as to what you're actually going to eat.
And you can eat and drink
right up until the time if it's 605 for instance. You know, it's possible to go right up
until the time,
case over person woke up at
603 their alarm clock went off and they threw it away because they were tired. You know? And then 603 They said, Oh, Allah, you got two minutes.
Okay, what would you eat? If you're caught on this thing? What would you do? For instance?
What would you do?
Water? Water, that's smart.
That's smart, because your body's gonna need what what else could you possibly do?
Right and electrolytes, whatever, you know, if you got that set for years, you only get two minutes, two to three minutes.
A day, it is probably a good eye to idea actually took us days of energy, right? Or a banana or something like that something that's got a lot of energy
in it, don't grab us, most of them. Some will go for a samosa
that probably is not a good idea at that point in time. Okay, so, Sahar,
there's no set
of foods that you have to eat at Sephora. And according to different cultures, they eat different foods. We tend to hear it, you know, it's good sooner, something light but solid.
Okay, so solid oatmeal. You know, if you like eggs, or you know, something like that something solid, you know, but not too much. And it's based upon where you live. I was in Nigeria one year with the Muslim students there in Lagos. And they said, Okay, we're going to do a TV program
before Fajr that's how dedicated Muslims they are, right? There's hundreds of people watching the TV before Fudger.
Right, most of us are dead sleeping, right. So I had to go and do the TV program, right.
So we went, we did the TV program. And then there was some time left, you know, for the support, they give some time for the server. And we went to this Nigeria and and they had food, meat, yams, plantains, salads, like they eat right. And some cultures they eat in the morning, right. And maybe if you're in a culture where you do a lot of physical work
here, then it is good to take, you know, some food.
However,
I would avoid this. Eating too much. Especially spicy food. I know we love our space.
Right? We love the pepper. But what you eat in the morning is going to return later on during the day. When you belch it's in your stomach, right?
So if you ate garlic,
onions,
spicy things, that's what's going to come out of your mouth later on. So your Halluf that bad breath coming out of that garlic eaters mouth is going to be different than the person who had oatmeal right? Just oatmeal and milk.
Okay, so think about this make a plan
and make it according to your health needs as well. Because we have different needs. So structure it the more you structure your your Ramadan use it the more successful it is because we're not shocked to not shocking the body. That's why it's good if you can fast some of the days in Shaban the Prophet peace upon him used to fast you know a lot in this month now going up, although the last three days to three days, then you should avoid fasting in those final days. Okay, so this is the Sahara
in the morning.
Okay, any questions on this morning meal?
This is what the Prophet said to Sahara for in the facility Baraka. He said, Take this morning meal, because in it, there are great blessings. So we consider when you take that meal, you're getting blessing some people so I don't need a meal. I'm strong.
No, you're getting blessings to do this because the object or the methodology in Islam is the middle of road. It's not to overstretch yourself. Because when you overstretch your body, then you can't do other things
to tie it
or too hungry. And the object and Ramadan is to be normal is the function right? So so be balanced as much as you can.
The timing when when it said to stop fasting, does that align with the dawn for Fudger? Or is it just when the beginning of budget yeah so that will align with the dawn whatever it is on your on your prayer chat. Like I say if it said fighters at 605 then you have to break
Before that,
some people in some of the calendars they will do it early
before that, and that's that was done in order to protect your your fest.
But if you woke up after that extra time they gave, and you ate something, it's not wrong. It's wrong when Fajr comes in. So if you are legislating, making if you're fast, on the other times of the year, where you don't have a chart that's from the boss that says exactly what the software does, or stop being, you would just align it with the beginning of ledger, right? However, you determine, you know, you know, the Fajr you know, you do like in in the time of the Prophet SAW Salem, you know, the Quran is saying, you know, that you should eat and drink in the morning until you can distinguish between the white thread and the black thread. That's what the Quran says. Okay,
and so one of the Sahaba is he had a black thread and the white thread and he was like looking at them.
And the Prophet saw him and said, No, no, no, no, no, it doesn't mean that. It means when you look at the horizon, there's a line that goes across the first light Twilight, it's like a lion. That's the white thread.
That is that Twilight.
That's, you know when Fajr is coming in.
Okay.
And like I say, for new Muslims, you get a calendar it's okay, stay with a try to avoid this. There's some slight differences of opinion on things but just avoid these things.
Get a calendar in masjid or a group that you feel comfortable with and that's fine. Go with that your your intention is right.
Okay, so this is now the sahaba.
And next, you come you're fasting
for the complete day.
And that means no eating, no drinking,
no sexual relationships at all.
And you should actually try because our fast is more than just eating and drinking. Try to avoid any bad deeds, any habits, bad habits. If a person smokes cigarettes, this is the time to
finish smoking. Whatever it is, try to do that during the time.
And the Prophet SAW seldom said Aruba saw him and Lisa lumen crme de La Jolla. autoboca. Eman lace. Allahumma PME, Elissa, he said there are some people who fast and they get nothing from their fast but hunger.
That's all they're getting from it. They just hungry, right? And there are others who stand in the night and the night prayer and they get nothing but sleeplessness. What did he mean by that?
He meant that there's something more than hunger in this. In other words, this is a lesson for us. You're you're being made hungry for a reason.
One of them, as we discussed, is to be able to emphasize with the poor, those people who don't have food now you know what it feels like?
To be suffering we can never know, here in Canada, probably you may Allah forbid, the feeling that the people in Gaza have now you know, who are to the point of starvation, you know, in famines, what was in Yemen, and parts of the Sudan now, you know, when you have famine,
but at least we can feel we know what it's like, to be hungry, to be hungry,
to feel the weakness in the body.
You know, and so there's something more to the fast
than just hunger and praying in the nighttime, there's something more you're not just standing up there is not aerobics exercises, you know, you're standing up at night
for a reason.
So we're fasting during the day. Again, make a plan.
So, if you have some control over your life,
try to avoid crowded areas.
Especially walking to malls and places where the smell of food is there.
Try to avoid these places. If you have some control over your life.
Right so make a plan for you know for your fast because you want to do other things.
You want to read the Quran as much as possible with meaning. You know, make your make a plan for yourself say okay in Ramadan, because I'm not spending time looking for lunch, looking for snacks. You know, I have extra time. Make a plan. Say I would like to read this, this book, certain amount of things or the profit. I'd like to do you know
Make some sort of targets for yourself that you can make in Ramadan. This is good.
Some people make targets they say I'm going to lose 10 pounds.
Right? That's not a good target to set.
Okay, you if you do it right, you probably will. But the problem is some people because you know you're fasting and the nighttime comes and you got to eat food. So you know, we'll get a little weak. So some people then you go to visit your friends in discernment you nice foods. So some people gain weight in Ramadan. That might sound strange.
But again, wait, because the eating more greasy, sugary foods in Ramadan because the body say well like I suffered all day, right?
So do something for me. So there's the samosas right? You may not normally eat that many samosas
but some people eat the samosas. I know some brothers, they break their fast with a pile of samosas that's before their meal.
Okay, they wouldn't normally do that.
But they do remember that
that's not really, you know, really getting the most out of the month. Take this as an opportunity for us to spiritual opportunity. And we'll learn more about the spirituality as we go along. Now we want to deal with some of the foundational rules.
So you go all day. And then the next is your Iftar.
So that's the breaking of the fast in the evening. And again, with date, water, light fruit.
Muslim cultures have some really nice things
in the cultures as well. In many other cultures, they have a type of soup that they make. And so you get a nice warm soup, which is good, you know, depending upon which culture you're in,
and
that's a good idea.
There's some have this falooda
it's like a pink, it looks pink, it's milk a lot, you know, with a
pink or reddish thing, it comes out pink falooda. Right. And so there's different things which are nice, within the cultures, you can take the advice is that when you're breaking your fast,
at the point of breaking the fast, it's better to be light.
Right to break the fast with light things and then make press then do your mother in prayer.
And then afterwards, as your body is now accustomed, you know, to the food, you know, then you can eat.
Okay, some people want to do that and is going off, then they have their food is there, they're ready.
And they throw they eat.
But then they have difficulty making multiple salad
and then you're hurting yourself, you're actually harming the body by taking too much at once.
Okay, so, again, make a plan to a system.
And then your body can nicely you know, get into the system.
And really, if we say to ourselves, you know, the less food that we eat is actually better for us.
If we if we just eating lighter, even the normal, it's actually better.
Okay, and watch the foods based upon you know, your, your health needs.
Okay, so this is the fasting day of the person. You have to avoid. I mean, if you traveled to some Muslim countries
that have Islamic culture, but maybe they don't have the real spirit of the Sunnah.
And in some countries, when Fajr comes, okay, now your fasting begins.
They go to sleep.
And they sleep all the way until the whole Korea
now some countries it's hot outside, whatever, but that's what they do to sleep all the way till the afternoon prayer. Then they get up and he makes a lot if Allah had mercy on them
and then they go back to sleep.
And they sleep all the way until our supreme
which is the late afternoon print.
Okay, and then they make the ASA pray of Allah has mercy on them.
Now between us our and Maghreb, they get busy. Now. They're making the samosas and the drinks and everything and then they break their fast and they eat after maghrib they eat and they drink all night
until the fire comes.
Okay, and then make Fajr drop down
sleeping. That's the wrong concept. Because Ramadan, if you look at the life of the province of southern we will be going over certain things, as our classes will continue in Ramadan, right to take you through all the different aspects of it, give you some experiences in Ramadan,
you will see that, you know that the Prophet SAW Selim and his companions and Muslims throughout history made great accomplishments in Ramadan.
They did a lot of things that they couldn't do in other parts of the year.
So it should actually be strengthening us.
It should strength if you do it, right, it will become a strength
and not a weakness. If your body feels a little bit weak, don't feel bad. Because it's natural.
It's natural. But if you do it right, Inshallah, by the mid, hopefully by the after the first third of the month, it should become a pattern now. You should be used to it, and you can really start doing a lot of things. And you might find that as you feel lighter and better during the day than you did before.
You don't need to drink coffee.
Or you can get away from a lot a lot of the habits.
Okay, so that's the fasting day for the people. anything online?
Nothing
you want to clarify
what's that?
It's gonna be Sundays. Yeah, so at the end, we'll we'll we'll talk about what we're going to do and
what was
the word
Yeah, it's you know, the Prophet peace be upon him was an Arab living in the Arabian Peninsula.
Okay, so therefore, that partly affects the foods you know, that he ate. So, so there's nothing really prescribed that you you know, have to eat very simple, you know, foods, you know, and he really ate meat.
Okay, maybe
once every two every week, two weeks. You know, now in many of our cultures if there's no meat, there's no food
they need the meat.
Okay, but that's not really the Sunnah
is to eat light.
Okay, but he did like melons things like melon
of course figs and dates
you know things like that. You know he enjoyed
you know, but it's not you can look it up and see some of the things but it's not prescribed the only foods that really is mentioned is water and dates to try to do that
the rest is not prescribed
as often as nutritionist
Muslim
should keep the dates and water all night it was low result and first of all, she has a
nice refreshing okay. Yeah, that's that's a possibility.
Again, you know, based upon what your body needs and whatever you should know you know, for some people if you have high blood pressure, that salt might not be good.
Right? So you got to base it upon you know, your physical needs as well. Okay, now, the next issue that we want to look at and this is part of your fasting day, and that is Tata we Prius and this is something that you will encounter
you know, as a new Muslim right away you're going to encounter this and you know, it's good to have you know, a balanced perspective. You know, of Tata we Prius. Now, the word Tata, we
Pres. Prez, comes from the Arabic Raha
and Raha actually means rest.
It's a restful prayer.
And the Prophet SAW Selim used to say to Bilal, or the alarm on his companion, we used to call make the call to prayer. He used to say a retina, the salaat Yeah, below, relax us with prayer below. In other words, when plot came, it was a relaxing time. Okay. It's not a up and down. It's you're supposed to relax when you pray.
And that's actually how Salado is supposed to be. Some cultures are very rigid, and they go up and down real fast and you know, whatever. But if you look at the prophetic prayer, they actually read slowly, even in between verses, they pause a little bit. And then when they each position, they relaxed until their bones actually joints went into the thing and, and relaxed.
So the whole prayer is supposed to be Relaxation.
So what Tada we is, is extra night press tahajjud is the name of a prayer, which means night prayers, which are extra things you do, but this is night prayers and Ramadan.
Okay, so you get a lot I want to give you a balanced position on this and open the floor for questions because you're gonna get different feelings and different positions but I'm gonna give it to you from the root of this. And that is you go back to the Sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon him it is his house was attached to the to the masjid.
So he used to come out of Asia's house, and then go right into the place to lead the press.
So on one evening, you know, different reports, some in the beginning, some sort of middle, he came out.
And then he led the press.
And then the next evening
came out, let the prayers and then on the third evening, he didn't come out.
He didn't leave it in the group.
Can he made it by himself?
And when I asked him, Why didn't you do it? He said, I didn't want you to think that you had to do this. I did not want to do to think it was obligatory
because tarawih is not obligatory. Highly recommended, strong sunnah. But not obligatory. Okay. That's the first thing you need to know, especially as a new Muslim.
Because as a new Muslim,
this is a struggle and I said like myself many years ago, I embraced Islam.
Right. And I embraced Islam two days before Ramadan.
And I was serious. I was serious. And so I fasted and they took me to the mosque. It was the Jami mosque. If anybody knows the place on Dundas took me to the mosque in 2022. For cuts they don't 20 as I used to play basketball and my knees were hurting me, right. And I saw the brother I said, if this is Islam, I don't know if I can make this fit.
He said no.
Rest.
You don't have to do all of these things. This is an extra prayer in the month.
So there's nothing wrong right? Although some people are rigid with it.
The rigid The reality is the Sunnah is that the Prophet peace be upon him. I usually reported he never prayed more than 13 records is a unit of prayer, right? Normally we do two workouts in a unit. He never prayed more than 13 records on any night. And that includes your extra Witter prayers
and your extra Sunday prayer.
He never prayed more than 13
not recorded. Okay.
You might not hear that when some people are teaching you this right. You might not hear that. But that's the reality.
After his time, because he didn't do anything regular. They will have varying amounts of Tada we have prayers being done by the Muslims. Okay, some were doing eight
which is basically what the Prophet used to do. Eight never did more than eight. Some were doing 1314 some were doing 20 All types of numbers. So the second successor, Calif. Khalifa, Omar Blanca taught by the law one, he wanted to organize the Muslims, because he was the one that really organized the ummah.
And so he said to obey Him and carb are the law, one who was one of the great readers of Quran, he said, obey lead the salaat and we will pray 20 records
because some were doing more than that, some are doing less. So he thought that a medium number would be 20. So he said do 20 records
and they did 20 And that was established to do the 20
records and the Prophet peace be upon them had said lay can be so nutty, was so little holla qualify Russia did on Monday. He said follow my sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided caliphs.
So that's one of Omar that he said
is a good one to do. It is strong.
Okay, so really the mid range position here, we're supposed to be relaxing, right? So you have the choice to do either eight rockets
or 20 rockets. It's a choice. And you will see that some masjids base
upon their reading, you know, they will do eight, some of them will do 20. And you have your choice to do either of the two, that there's nothing wrong, because the idea of tarawih is to relax.
Okay.
So this is the basic position. So I want to open up the floor for any questions that anybody may have. Yeah.
Okay. There was a question here a sister. Oh, is this how was your class was this last year?
This master does 20. But you will see after ate
a large amount of people, a growing number of people actually, who are leaving after hate that before it wasn't that many, right? But a growing amount of people are leaving, you know, after eight. And, and this again, it's relaxed. You know, we have our lives and they gotta go to work or you know, whatever it is. It's okay.
Okay, but what you got to realize too, though, when when the Prophet did eight, they were long, right?
He was long.
Okay, so but again, it's all based upon relaxation. And what's best now was the Turabian prayer is established. It was established in the time of the Prophet he did, he did turn away
after it's after Isha, so you make Isha prayer.
And then there's two workouts of sunnah that you do after that. And then after that is Tara, which is asking me this was after the five prayers were established. Yes, it's after it was those after the five prison established?
Yeah, question. Is there any like?
Is there anything wrong with doing for a while that
isn't specifically supposed to be either eight or 20? Yeah, you know that there's nothing wrong with doing any any number.
Because it's all based on relaxation. However,
it's good to be following the Sunnah.
You know, we need to condition ourselves to try to be as close to the center as possible. And so therefore, it is good to do you know, if you're tired, or you know, if that's your rhythm of what you believe, do the eight, you know, and then leave or you can do the 20. Either way, you're okay. Like, nobody should feel bad.
You know, with doing one on some masjids you know, after eight rockets, they're leaving and the ones do 20. Looking at them, look at these hypocrites, these hypocrites and leaving stuck for Allah. They say when they say leaving, stuck for law. That's wrong.
It's wrong because the Prophet was never He never did more than eight.
And most people don't know that. Especially in those mustards that are harsh on 20 They don't know the other argument right?
Okay, so either way is fine.
And those masjids were rigid on eight and he said the Prophet did eight I'm only going to do eight now Omar Ibaka top he established 20 And that's the son that that was advised to follow.
So it is it is it is good to do the 20 and you get more blessings too right if you can, you know do it nothing wrong you get and blesses
Okay, so it should be relaxed
and that's the spirit
of Tata we
question what was the Arabic word for relaxation or relaxing Could you spell it out?
Raha Raha is like the verb rah
rah.
Slowly please. Okay, it would be Ra.
lf and then ha
That's that's the verb. So if you look up ra then you see Tada we
your E. Ra, your reo.
Yeah.
I'm getting path grote way or is that also another word for for those three letters? What else is it?
I spelt the wrong. Okay.
No problem. That's good. Yeah. More questions any online?
Okay, let's hold the ones. The other ones. Yeah.
What's the format of the
prayer? What's the form?
The format?
Like multiple requests? Yeah. So So basically, you do Isha prayer. And then you'll see there is two Sunnah prayers, which are your extra prayers that the Prophet saw them used to do regularly after Isha. So you
Do those cylinders and you'll see people standing up for that. And then, tada, we have starts,
okay, and there's no comma, there's no call to stand up, you know, a Salah to Jamia, you know, they'll say that, you know, the prayers begun, and then they'll do two workouts, and then you stop to workouts. And you stop now in the time of the Prophet, salam, and qualify, they used to actually rest after for after the four to two, then they would rest, relax a little bit
and then two, and then two. So it goes like that.
Okay. And what you'll see here is,
you know,
because people because you know, we are on a time framework as well. So you'll see people moving through, you know, the rockets, and then they'll go straight, you know, then eight, eight is the is the gap. And then you'll see a lot of people getting up, don't be shocked.
See, a lot of people get up and then you'll see some people will stay.
And this is this is a mistake to those who get up should not be talking to
they should just leave because they can cause confusion for the people who are praying, they should respect the people who are making the 20 and they should talk outside the Masjid. But the idea is to feel relaxed with both. And this Masjid is one of the mustards. You know, we have, you know, people are relaxed with both.
Okay, there are some mashes that are rigid, with aid, or rigid with 20.
Right, but it shouldn't be like that,
especially for a new Muslim. And if you feel that you can't, it's as long as you're standing up for a while now. If you feel you have to sit down, you're even on a chair, or you feel you can't do more than, say the two or the four. That's okay.
And it's also permissible for a person who does not do it in the mosque, you could actually do your workouts at home.
You could do it at home, too.
And it's alright.
That's the spirit.
The spirit is more important for us than, you know, arguing over some of the details.
Can we want a middle row position? Any any other questions related to this online flows open? Yeah, specific barriers, specific service that you share, you're saying I
mean, in total, we know it's based upon, what you'll see in the masjid is that they will go start from the beginning. And we have because we have Koran readers, and they will go right to it, they'll do a section of the Quran or section and a quarter or so every night. You know, like that, they tried to finish on the 27th night. And you know, you'll see what that means later on.
So there's no set
verses that you have to read, you read as much as possible.
Some scholars have allowed,
you know, especially if you're at home, that you could, you know, stand and you could read from the book.
Okay, you stand and you have the book there. And then and then you know, read, you know from it, and then put it down. And that is permissible, although it's much better to read from what you have in your memory.
But scholars have allowed the reading from the book itself.
You don't know many, but you want to like
you can recite more than one or repeat them.
I guess you could, but
it's not necessary. In a sense.
You could actually when you're in, in the bowing position recall or in the prostration you could lengthen the amount of time of tests via in frustration
you can do in the frustration you can do 50 of them you can do long
so you can later later but to repeat a chapter over and over again that doesn't really make sense as isn't it's not necessary to do that.
Yeah, I've seen congregants called almost free through a follow through Well, the last reciting Yeah. Some people do that but that that is not recommended.
He you know that the strongest positions that I've heard, he is the one who's leading the slot. But the ones who are following the slot, there's no reason why they're not leading the slot. So why do they have to do that?
Maybe sometimes there may be somebody who was correcting the mom,
officially.
And that person may have it in order to help the mom there, but everybody just grabbing the thing and everybody's reading late at night because there's extra movements that you're doing. And it's not really recommended for everybody.
They're trying to also finish the Quran. While they're listening to the, by the time he's done
this at least.
So are they reading something different than the email?
But they're also reading along
right?
Right. But the thing is, though, is if you're listening to the mom, then it's done for you to think some people believe English actually.
They read the English you don't understand. Right? Yeah.
That that is not recommended.
That's not recommended. Because that's going to throw you off in terms of
a lot of things even the page turning the pages, it's extra movements that can actually invalidate your prayer
that that will not be recommended.
Okay.
So it is good. However many times that you can come you know to come to them to the masjid or any of them here mustards and make it in a group
some people even do Tada we're in their apartment building or your their families may come together and somebody reads you can do it in different facilities that it does not have to be done only in the mosque
can be done in other facilities.
Okay.
That that that that is the spirit.
Go ahead.
Are we allowed to leave
after the Imam has read this?
Okay, so
in terms of reading,
the opening in the prayer itself, the main part of the prayer is to read the Fatiha the opening chapter.
Okay, so there are different schools of thought. But basically when the Imam does the Fatiha, it is good for everybody behind them.
It's good for everybody. Now, some scholars may just call us in schools of thought they had said that when the Imams finished, that, you know, you need to you can read it yourself to yourself. So you'll see some in some schools like what is called the Shafi school
that
the mom pauses after he reads the fattier he'll pause enough time for people in back of him to read it.
Because because he knows that they're reading it. Other schools, like say, you know, the Hanafi schools get a little advanced, you know, we you don't have to do that. So they
he wouldn't pass that long.
Okay, so, but the point is, is that what the Imam does suffices the group and the proof of that is that if the Imam is standing,
and a person comes into the prayer now
and then he's at the end, and he boughs
and you come into the prayer, and you bow,
right, before he stands back up,
then your prayer that is valid, you caught the prayer in time,
you see,
and, you know, like when you make record.
So if you go because
the time of the Prophet SAW Selim, you know, he was praying. And he has this lateral vision and you know, whatever. And so one of the Sahaba came to the door of the mosque. And the prophet had gone into into record, right. So then, you know, the sahabi came to the mouth at the door, and then went like this. And he walked all the way.
Like, he walked from the door, all the way in.
Right? And so then the province outside London after was over, you know, he, he smiled like, and he told him, No, it's okay. You don't have to do that. They're just meet the prayer. And they're because it's the most efficient for you.
So he didn't have to do that all the way.
So what that proves is that person who caught the record, he's not reading the fattier.
And that's why the majority Imams will say, you don't have to read it.
Okay, so it's not it's not obligatory, to read it yourself. So is it wrong when the
Your boss is saying for you to recite quietly yourself. Should you just be quiet?
Some schools this is getting complex now but in some schools when the Imam says
you know Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen then they say it Al hamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen is Iraq murder Rahim? Did they say it himself Iraq man or, you know like that they say it like that other ones wait till he finishes, and then they do the whole thing.
Okay, but
really, it makes more sense, you know to listen to the mom. And if you are taught to read it, then if he gives you that space to read it, then you read it to yourself. But once he starts on the other recitation stop,
like don't be reading the fattier while he's reading something else. He's supposed to follow what the Imams doing the sea.
Goat award during Ramadan was over a period of time. Yes. So we will read we're gonna go over some highlights as we go through the month.
But yes, there were a number of you know, battles that happened in Ramadan. And they were faster, and they were faster.
So it's about winter. And whether it's prayed after, during the last 10 days, so I guess it's what is what time do you pray winter in relation to that? Yeah, this is a little complex for no Muslims. But the point is, is that there is another extra prayer called Witter, which is the odd prayers. And then it was done after you have Isha for cats for units. Then two cats sunnah, normally, and then there's winter, which is odd. For most of the moms, it's three workouts. In the Maliki school, you could also do one or cut for winter, because it means odd.
And winter is normally done. The process of said make the winter prayer, your last prayer the night.
So that's supposed to be the end of your press. And so in the masjid, they will do the winter. But technically speaking, you shouldn't go home then and pray.
Because you made the winter. If you intend to make more prayers at home,
then hold the winter and do it after the prayers at home. You see,
that's supposed to be your last prayer at night. But the masjids will do the wetter to complete everything for the Mussolini's for the people who are praying so they can just go home and they can sleep.
They'll complete everything.
Okay, so they were there was a general question there. That's not dealing with Ramadan. Okay. But before I go to this general question before it's too late.
Next week, Friday, we're gonna we're going to have another class here to continue on. And then
the following week, when Ramadan will begin.
Right? Friday, we will not have the class, but we'll have it on Sunday.
But in this case, it's going to be one hour before the breaking of the fest.
So we'll have and we're going to stream online in case somebody can't make it, you could catch the class online islam.ca It'll be one hour before the breaking of the fast and inshallah we will break the fast here with something light, right, make the prayer and we'll come back and we will have a meal.
So this is a meal for the new Muslim circle and friends.
Because for many non Muslims, or non Muslims, and I've seen this before, Ramadan can be lonely, right? If you don't have a family, everybody goes to their family and they eat and you know, whatever. So this is this is a new Muslim breaking of the fast so you can get the spirit of coming together, you know, with everybody you want to break in the festival Inshallah, we will be doing that, you know, for three Sundays, you know, in the fourth Sunday will be the last 1010 It's a really special time. So we won't do it on the last Sunday.
But the first three Sundays, we will do it in Sharla.
And we're also thinking and planning that at some point on the day or the day after, based on you know, our feedback, we might have some gathering also, you know, for the new Muslim corner.
Okay.
It was a clarification about fasting. So you mentioned earlier that there are circumstances when an adult is not able to or isn't advisable, such as when they have diabetes or high blood pressure. If that is the case.
What do they do in terms of making up the fast or specific actions to calm
See?
Right. So so if a person is sick, if a person is diabetic or has high blood pressure, and they're and they take in hand, they can handle it. So maybe they can do, you know, half the month and break it half the month, the net, we've been making up 15 days, if it is so serious that the person is taking insulin shots, you know, whatever, and they cannot fast
or old age, and they reach the point where they cannot fast. So then that person feeds a poor person for every day of the month. So there would be either 29 or 30 days,
they would just pay the figure for,
they don't have to make it up because they can't
say permanently can't, if a person has a condition
that was it was classified as permanent.
And then they were able to come out of it, some people can come out of diabetes, they can come out of, you know, high blood pressure,
then you can go back like like a normal person, it's okay, as long as it's classified at that point, as permanent and you function as permanent.
Because the idea is that the fast is not meant as punishment.
Right, it is a strengthening time.
It should strengthen our bodies and strengthen our self control.
So this is the idea of the fasting month. So therefore, that's the reason why, you know, Muslims who understand the fast look forward to Ramadan.
That might sound strange to somebody in the outside, you're not going to eat and drink all day, you crazy?
Why are you looking forward to that,
because they don't understand what the fast actually is.
They don't understand it, right. And once you get into the fast, and then overcome your body, then you're going to start getting a type of spirituality that you can't get any other time of the year.
And you'll see it all over the world where Muslims are
sometimes your personality changes
in Ramadan.
Hopefully it doesn't go back after Ramadan.
But you know, is a special spirituality you can get if the fast is done correctly.
Okay.
So let's try to stick with these points. So if they can't afford the 300, the monthly however they need to do is they can't afford it. If they can't afford it, then you know they are they are excused.
And one person came to the process of them said I cannot fast Ramadan, you know, and so he said, Okay, you can feed a poor person for every day of the month, you know, and then the person then the person said, like, you know, I'm, you know, I don't have any money, I can't feed anybody. Then the province obviously said, Take this, then take this. And then the person said, I don't know anybody who's more in need than myself. Right. So that's one of the time the province smiled. And you can see his molars light. Right? He like smiled, said no, take it. So it's okay. And had a question. A person with intellectual disability can be fast.
The pen is raised, you know, if somebody has a intellectual and the pen is raised, and they don't have to fast
if it is debilitating,
right, if it is something that comes on and off with the case of a doctor, then it can be monitored. But again, the idea of the fast is not punishment or it's not to harm ourselves is to strengthen itself. That person can also get involved in other things in Ramadan, they can be reading the Quran, they can basically listen to the Quran being read as much as possible. You know, they can they can do other things that can help them in this month.
A lot of ways the month can help.
Okay, any other question online?
Okay, so the floor is open for any general questions. Anybody has?
This is also a time to ask general questions. Is it mandatory? Excuse me?
Are you
sorry? No, no, no, it's, it's strong. So nuts. It is highly recommended. You should try to do it strong. But it's not obligatory? No, it's not the category.
Because obligatory means, if you don't do it, you've committed a sin.
Yeah, so that that is again, this is a complication, you know, but basically, the majority say
When it's Roger Beaufort, these are two words in Arabic right? So some people say fathered, which means obligatory, and then they say wajib which means strong sunnah.
Right? But in other schools, actually an Arabic wajib and fathers mean the same thing.
You know, so the majority take those two words to be the same, but in the Hanafi school, when they say wajib they mean strong son. That's what it means.
So I'll Hamdulillah we will continue on with our classes. And next Friday, Inshallah, we will continue, and then hopefully, in Ramadan, we will try to have something for you then. Okay, so have a safe journey home for those who are online for those who are here, or I could adapt Juana Alhamdulillah. And Roberto Alameen. wa salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
If there's any