Some facts about Ramadan

By: Besim Gjonbalaj/Staff Writer

Posted: 12/5/01

In Islam, fasting is a religious ritual that involves abstaining from all food, drink, sexual activity, and certain other specified activities from dawn until sunset.

Fasting during the Month of Ramadan

This communal religious obligation is one of the five pillars of Islam. It

derives its importance from the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that Islam stands on five (pillars) : To witness that there is no god but God (Allah) and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His Prophet, to perform the required prayers, to pay the zakat (poor-due), to fast the month of Ramadan, and to perform the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah.

Who Must Fast Fasting is obligatory upon every adult Muslim who is sane, is able to perform it and is not travelling. If he cannot meet any one of these conditions, he is excused from the fast without any penalty.

Those who embrace Islam are not required to make up the fasts that they missed while they were non-Muslims.

Those who are insane, retarded, or somehow mentally impaired so that they do not (or cannot) function like normal people do not have to fast. They are not penalized in any way. The same is true for those who are very elderly and feel that they are unable to fast.

Invalids, such as very elderly people or people suffering from incurable

Illnesses, are not required to fast. However, they must compensate for this by

feeding one needy person for every day of fasting that they miss.

Those who fall ill unexpectedly and feel that their condition would worsen if they observed the fast are excused. After they recover, they must make up the fast by fasting the number of days that they missed.

Pregnant and nursing mothers do not have to fast if they feel that it would cause them undue and unnecessary hardship or that it might harm the unborn child or the nursing infant. After this period of danger has passed, they must fast the number of days that they missed.

Women who are having their menstrual period or experiencing bleeding due to recent child birth are not required to fast. They must make up the days that they have missed when their period or bleeding has stopped.

Those who are travelling are given the option of fasting or not. Those who choose not to fast during their journey must make it up after reaching their destination. This applies to all types of travel: business, personal or because of one's job (e.g., long distance haulers).

Actions That Affect One's Fast In Islam, there are specific guidelines that must be followed for the fast to be valid. Sometimes, however, these guidelines may be violated unknowingly.

Examples of these are given below.

Actions That Do Not Nullify One's Fast:

Eating or drinking something by mistake, without one's knowledge (e.g., he is

asleep or unconscious), or being forced to do so.

In the words of God

(Allah):

. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error ...

(Qur'an 2:286)

. Except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith ...

(Qur'an 16:106)

. But there is no blame on ye, if ye make a mistake therein. [What counts

is] the intention of your hearts ...

(Qur'an 33:5)

As seen in the above verses, one's intention is critical. Thus, if a person

forgets momentarily that he is fasting and eats or drinks something his fast

will not be broken provided he did not do so intentionally. This is also

true for one who believes that the sun has set or that the sun has not yet

risen and so begins to eat. His mistake is not held against him if he

believed sincerely that the fast was already over or had not yet begun. An

unintentional swallowing of water while gargling or a discharge of semen

while sleeping are also viewed as not violating one's fast.

Actions That Nullify One's Fast:

There are several actions that immediately nullify one's fast. Among these

are the following:

Engaging in sexual intercourse with one's wife or husband during the daylight

hours of the month of Ramadan. If a person is guilty of this, he or she has to

compensate for it by fasting in addition to freeing a slave. If he cannot do

this, he must fast for sixty consecutive days. If this also is not possible,

he must feed sixty poor people who are hungry.

While he is fasting, he should make a greater effort to draw closer to God

(Allah) by increasing his level of adherence to what God (Allah) has asked of

him.

One who is fasting should also perform his obligations and abstain from that

which is prohibited. He should offer his daily prayers on time and in

congregation - if it is obligatory upon him - and avoid lying, backbiting,

deceiving, dealing in interest (usury), or indulging, either mentally or

physically, in that which is prohibited. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "One

who does not give up forged speech and evil actions, God (Allah) is not in

need of his or her leaving food and drink."

There will be a Ramadan awareness dinner on December 6 in the South

Ballroom. All are invited to come.