Makruh and Non-Makruh Acts for a Fasting Person

Question: What are makruh and what are not makruh for a fasting person?
ANSWER
The following things are makruh for a fasting person:

1. It is makruh to brush the teeth with toothpaste.

2. It is makruh to gargle with medicine. If a sore in the mouth prevents one from reciting in the namaz, then it will not be makruh to gargle with medicine because there is an excuse for it.

3. It is makruh to kiss one's wife when there is the danger of ejaculating.

4. If the fast is broken in Ramadan for such reasons as having an injection or vomiting a mouthful by forcing oneself to or if a traveler arrives in the city where he/she lives or if the menstruation of a woman stops, such people must abstain from what breaks the fast, as fasting people do. It is makruh for them to eat or drink.

The following things are not makruh for a fasting person:
1. If one has a nocturnal emission in the night and if there is little time for imsak (the time when prohibition on eating begins) time and if one eats pre-dawn meal first and performs a ghusl after dawn, that is, if one begins fasting in a state of impurity, this fast will be valid. It is permissible to perform the ghusl later.

2. It is permissible to make intention for Ramadan fast after dawn lest kaffarah (expiation) might become necessary if it is broken.

3. If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife in Ramadan and if they sleep late thinking that they will make a ghusl soon and if the sun has risen when they wake up, it does not harm their fasts. However, they must take a bath at the earliest opportunity to be able to perform a namaz.

4. It is permissible to delay the onset of menstruation by taking pills in order not to miss fast-days.

5. If a woman begins menstruating while fasting, she should not avoid eating and drinking like a fasting person; she can eat and drink.

Legal concessions for fasting
Question: Is it permissible to make use of the legal concessions mentioned below to be able to fast?

1. To put water into one's mouth to quench one's thirst; to pour cold water onto the head or to take a bath with cold water to cool down,
2. To apply a nicotine patch to the skin when one feels the need to smoke a cigarette,
3. To spray medicine or to apply ointment on a part with pain or with rheumatic pain; to apply medication or a patch absorbed through the skin on the chest for heart attacks,
4. To insert acupuncture needles into the body or to wear diet patches when one feels hunger [they not only stop the feeling of hunger but also help weight loss],
5. To take pills to delay monthly period so as not to miss fast-days and to observe them fully.
ANSWERAll of them are permissible, but the acts that rank first on the list are makruh tanzihi (makruh of a lesser degree) according to Imam-i A'zam because such acts may be a sign of boredom with this act of worship. However, according to Imam-i Abu Yusuf, there is nothing wrong with doing them because one, by doing so, removes the difficulty to some degree and helps oneself perform the act of worship more easily. Following the statement of Imam-i Abu Yusuf, one can do all of the above-mentioned acts.

What to do if the fast breaks?
Question: If a person's fast breaks in Ramadan, is it permissible for the relevant person to eat or drink?
ANSWERIf one breaks one's fast in Ramadan for any reason whatsoever or if a traveler arrives in the city where he/she lives, that is, if a person becomes settled (muqim) when he/she comes back or if the menstrual bleeding of a woman stops, such people must abstain from eating and drinking until dusk, like fasting people. But if the menstrual bleeding of a woman begins, she should not act like a fasting person; she should eat and drink. Those with excuses that prevent them from fasting should eat and drink secretly on the days when they do not fast.

The Time of Sahar and Sahur Meal

Question: What is the importance of the time of sahar (last portion of the night)? How is it calculated?
ANSWERThe time of sahar is the final one-sixth of the night. That is, it is the final one-sixth of the duration from sunset to the time of imsak (the time when prohibition on eating begins). Let us say for example that the sun sets at 5:30 p.m. and the time of imsak occurs at 5:30 a.m., the night is 12 hours long. The one-sixth of this equals 2 hours. When it is subtracted from 5:30 a.m., it is 3:30 a.m. The time of sahar is from 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. This duration increases or decreases in summer and winter.

It is better to perform the namazes of tahajjud (voluntary late night namaz) and witr at the time of sahar. It is declared in hadith-i sharifs:
(Whoever fears that he will not be able to wake up in the last portion of the night, let him perform the witr in the early portion of the night. Then let him go to sleep. Whoever thinks that he will be able to wake up in the last portion of the night, let him perform the witr then because Angels of Compassion are present when he wakes up for it in the last portion of the night.) [Muslim]

(The du'a [supplication] made in the last portion of the night and the du'a made after namazes are accepted.) [Tirmidhi]

(Allahu ta'ala declares in the last portion of the night: "Isn't there anyone to make repentance, so that I shall forgive him? Isn't there anyone to ask, so that I shall give what he wants and accept his supplication?") [Muslim]

The time of sahar is a time when supplications and repentance are accepted. When one gets up for sahur (pre-dawn meal) in Ramadan, one will have gotten up at the time of sahar. One should deem it a great opportunity to make supplication at this time. In praising good people [in the Qur'an al-karim], Allahu ta'ala says, "They ask for forgiveness in the last portion of the night" (Adh-Dhariyat 18).

Ya'qub alaihis-salam said to his sons, "Soon [at the time of sahar], I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord" (Yusuf 98).

In the 17th verse of Al-i Imran Sura, those who show patience, those who are truthful [in their speeches, deeds, and intentions], those who perform namaz, those who give zakat, and those who ask forgiveness in the last portion of the night are praised. The reason why those who ask forgiveness are mentioned after all others is that humans should consider their every act of worship as defective and should always implore for forgiveness.

Opportunity is a windfall. We should not waste our lifetimes on useless pursuits. Instead, we should spend them on things Allahu ta'ala is pleased with. We should perform five daily namazes with tadil-i arkan and in congregation, offer the namaz of tahajjud, and should not let the last portion of the night pass without imploring for forgiveness. We should not be overcast with the slumber of oblivion, but meditate death and afterlife. Turning away from prohibited worldly affairs, we should direct ourselves towards otherworldly deeds. We should engage in worldly earnings as much as indispensably necessary, and at other times we should fully occupy ourselves with making our afterlife better. (Maktubat-i Ma'thumiyya)
Question: Is it sinful to fast without getting up for sahur (pre-dawn meal)?
ANSWERIt is not sinful, but it is much reward-deserving to get up for pre-dawn meal. It is good to get up for it even if one gets up just to drink a sip of water. It is declared in hadith-i sharifs:
(Sahur meal is blessed. The whole of sahur is blessing. Get up for sahur even if you drink just a sip of water. Allahu ta'ala and His angels shower salat and salam upon those who get up for sahur.) [Imam-i Ahmad] (That is, Allahu ta'ala forgives those who get up for sahur and angels pray for them.)

(Get up for sahur; there is blessing in it.) [Bukhari]

(Aid yourselves in fasting by eating a meal at sahur.) [Bayhaqi]

(Getting up for sahur meal is a blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you. Do not miss it.) [Nasai]

(Providing that what they eat is halal [lawful], three people will not be called to account: a person who fasts, a person who eats sahur meal, and a person who keeps guard in the way of Allah.) [Nasai]

(Certainly sahur meal is blessed.) [Ibn Hibban]

(Have sahur meal even if it is just a morsel because there is blessing in it.) [Daylami]

(How excellent are dates as a Believer's sahur.) [Abu Dawud]

(Allahu ta'ala showers mercy upon those who get up for sahur.) [Tabarani]

Fasting and Remaining Hungry

Question: Some people say, "What can the benefit of remaining hungry and thirsty be?" What is the purpose of fasting?

ANSWERFasting is not just the state of remaining hungry and thirsty. If an animal or a disbeliever is confined in a room and deprived of food and water, this is not considered fasting. In fact, fasting has a connection with other acts of worship, such as patience, giving thanks to Allahu ta'ala, and disciplining the nafs. Therefore, it is stated in a hadith-i sharif, "Everything has a gate. The gate of worship is fasting" (Ibn Mubarak).

The nervous system has a vital place in the human body. Those whose lingual nerves have been paralyzed cannot talk. Those whose nerves in their legs have been paralyzed cannot walk. Our lives are in danger to a lesser or greater degree as per the nervous system disorder we experience. People who suffer from neurosis are restless and impatient. Most of the fights and murders that occur within the community spring from being nervous and lacking patience. The hadith-i sharif, "Fasting is half of patience, and patience is half of faith," states that a fasting person is forbearing. (Abu Nu'aym)

Thus, it is seen that fasting is also from faith. Those who have faith do not commit crimes or sins in accordance with the strength of their faith. They keep their temper. There is a zakat for everything, and the zakat of the body is hunger. Because the desires of those who remain hungry by fasting are restrained, it is easy for them to show patience. Fasting people remain hungry. Remaining hungry, in turn, is beneficial: It develops one's insight (basirah) and enhances one's ability to understand. As a matter of fact, it was declared in hadith-i sharifs, "The comprehension of a hungry person increases, and his intellect is sharpened" and "Meditation [tafakkur] is half of worship, while eating little is all of it" (Imam-i Ghazali).

Those who eat much sleep much, thus spending their lives doing nothing. They are like drunks. Their brains become sluggish, and their intellects and memories atrophy. However, hunger brings tenderness to the heart. A hadith-i sharif says, "The interior of a person who eats little is filled with lights. Allahu ta'ala loves the Believer who eats and drinks little and whose body is light in weight" (Daylami).

In a state of hunger, desires are curbed. Leaving disobedience, our nafses become submissive. On the other hand, overeating causes negligence. Just as it is difficult to subjugate a wild horse, so it is difficult to subjugate the nafs that had gotten out of hand as a result of overindulgence in food. Hunger facilitates training of the nafs. It was declared in a hadith-i sharif:
(The human heart is like crops in a field, and eating is like rain. Just as excessive rain causes crops to rot, so excessive food causes the heart to die.) [Imam-i Ghazali]

Those who are always full up become merciless and ruthless. They cannot imagine what it means to be hungry. Gluttonous people become hard-hearted. It was related in a hadith-i sharif, "Do not kill your heart by eating and drinking much" (Imam-i Ghazali).

Those who keep their temper experience inner happiness. Hunger crushes one's hankering to commit sins and prevents one from doing evil deeds. A hadith-i sharif says, "Fighting against the nafs through hunger and thirst is like fighting in the way of Allah" (Imam-i Ghazali).

Those who eat much drink much water. Those who drink much water, in turn, sleep much. Since such people spend their lives sleeping, this state keeps them from earning material and spiritual profits. This means to say that hunger keeps nerves agile and energetic. Repletion results in imbecility. It inhibits memorization and keeping something in mind. A hadith-i sharif says, "Eating a meal once a day is moderation" (Bayhaqi).

Having meals three times every two days [that is, morning and evening meals on the first day and lunch on the second day] was reported to be standard. (Tashil-ul-manafi)
Most of diseases result from eating much. It was stated in a hadith-i sharif, "Eating and drinking much is the source of diseases" (Dara Qutni).

Those who eat little will have healthy bodies. "He who fasts will have a good health," was said in a hadith-i sharif. (Tabarani)

The feeling of pity in those who consume excessively will lessen. Their sensual desires will increase, and they will engage in forbidden deeds. It is necessary to block off all the paths that excite unlawful desires. Hunger, in this respect, blocks off Satan's path. A hadith-i sharif declares, "Satan circulates in the body like blood. Make his passage narrow by means of hunger" (Ihya).

How should we behave during namaz?

How should we behave during namaz? the answer is in this article:

Those who steal from their own namâz

What a great blessing it is when the heart is with Allahu ta’âlâ and the body, together with all the limbs, is embellished with doing the rules of the Sharî’at [Islam]. Recently, most people have been slack in performing namâz. They have been slighting the tumânînat and the ta’dîl-i arkân. For this reason, I have to warn you, my beloved ones, about this matter. Listen well! Our Prophet “sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam” declared: “The worst thief is the person who steals from his own namâz.” When he was asked, “O Rasûlallah! How can a person steal from his own namâz?” he said, “By not doing the rukû and sajda of the namâz properly.”
At some other time he declared: “Allahu ta’âlâ does not accept the namâz of a person who does not bring his waist into its proper position and remain so for a while in rukû and sajda.” Once, upon seeing a person not doing the rukû and the sajda properly while performing namâz, our Prophet said, “Are you not afraid you may die in some other religion than Hadrat Muhammad’s dîn because you perform your prayers of namâz in this manner?” Once again, he said, “When performing namâz, if you do not straighten up your body completely after the rukû’, if your each limb does not rest at its position for a while when you are standing, your namâz will not be complete.” Once again, he said, “Unless you sit upright between the two sajdas your namâz will remain incomplete.”
One day, upon seeing someone not observing the rules and rukns [five of the fards of the namâz are inside the namâz. Each of these five fards is also called “a rukn”] of namâz, not standing upright after the ruku’ and not sitting between the sajdas, our Prophet said, “If you go on performing your namâzes in this manner, on the Day of Resurrection you will not be said to be of my Ummat.” At some other time he said, “If you go on in this manner and die, you shall not have died in the religion of Muhammad (alaihissalâm).”
Abû Hurayra (radiy-Allahu ’anh) says, “The person who has performed all namâzes for sixty years but whose namâz has never been accepted is the person who has not done the ruku’ and sajda properly.”

It is said in the book Awsât by Tabarânî that if a Believer performs his namâz beautifully and does its ruku’ and sajda properly, the namâz will become happy and will be full of nûr. Angels will take the namâz up to heavens. The namâz will pronounce a benediction on the person who has performed it and will say, “As you have protected me against being defective, may Allahu ta’âlâ protect you.” If the namâz is not performed well, it will become black. Angels will snub that namâz and will not take it up to the heavens. The namâz will curse the person who has performed it and will say, “As you have wasted me and put me into a bad position, may Allahu ta’âlâ waste you.” Then, we should try to perform our namâzes properly, observe the ta’dîl-i arkân, do the ruku’, the sajda, the qawma and the jalsa well. Also, we should warn others if we see them do these defectively. We should help our brothers-in-Islam perform namâz properly. We should be an example in observing the ta’dîl-i arkân and the tumânînat. Most Muslims have been depriving themselves of the honour of doing this. This blessing has already been lost. It is very important to revivify this good deed. Our Prophet declared: “He who resuscitates any one of my forgotten sunnats will be given the thawâb of a hundred martyrs.” (Maktûbât, Second Volume, 69th Letter)

The fards that are inside the namâz (rukns)

1- Tahrîma (takbîr of iftitâh): It means to say Allahu akbar when beginning namâz, and it is fard. No other word to replace it is acceptable. This takbîr of iftitâh is one of the conditions of namâz. It is not a rukn. If the takbîr is said too long, like “AAAllahu” in the beginning or “akbaar” at the end, namâz will not be accepted. If you utter the word “akbar” before the imâm does (when performing namâz in jamâ’at), your namâz will not have started.

2- Qiyâm:Qiyâm is the first of the five rukns of namâz. It means standing. When standing, the two feet must be four times a finger’s width apart from each other. Those who are too ill to stand, or who will feel dizzy or have a headache or toothache or pain at some other part of their body or cannot control their urination or wind breaking or bleeding when they stand, or who fear that their enemy may see (and harm) them or their possessions may be stolen when they stand, or whose fast will break or speech will be slurred or awrat parts will open when they stand, perform namâz sitting. Also, if you are ill and infer from your own experiences or are told by a specialized Muslim doctor that standing will make your illness worse or delay your healing, you perform namâz sitting. But the doctor who tells you should not be a fâsiq person committing sins or harâms frankly. Such people may sit on the floor in a manner that comes easy to them; cross legged, or knees drawn up with arms folded round the legs or in any other manner. People incapable of sitting in that manner on their own does so with someone else’s help. For the ruku’ they bend forward a little. For the sajda they put their head on the ground.

3- Qirâat:Qirâat is to read (recite) orally. Reading (or reciting) only as loud as one can hear is called khafî. It is called jahrî, that is, loud if it is audible by one’s company. It is fard to say an âyat [a verse of the Qur’ân al-karîm] of the Qur’ân while standing at every rak’at of sunnats and of the witr and at two rak’ats of the fard when performing namâz individually. It brings more thawâb to say a short sûra [a chapter of the Qur’ân al-karîm]. As qirâat, it is wâjib to say the sûra of Fâtiha at these parts of namâzes and to say also a sûra or three âyats at every rak’ât of sunnats and of witr prayer and at two rak’ats of the fard. In the fard [namâzes that are obligatory], it is wâjib or sunnat to say the Fâtiha and the (other) sûra at the first two rak’ats. Additionally, it is wâjib to say the Fâtiha before the sûra. Furthermore, it is wâjib to say the Fâtiha once at every rak’at. If one of these five wâjibs is forgotten, it is necessary to make sajda-i sahw. According to some more dependable information, at the third and fourth rak’ats of the fard, it is sunnat for the imâm as well as for a person who performs namâz individually to say the Fâtiha. It will be all right whether one says the additional sûra, too, or says nothing. When making the qirâat, it is not permissible to recite translations of the Qur’ân. In the other three Madhhabs, it is fard to say the Fâtiha in every namâz and in every rak’at.

4- Ruku’:Ruku’ is to bend forward at the waist, and it is fard. After the sûra, you bend for the ruku’ saying the takbîr [Allahu akbar]. In the ruku’ men open their fingers and put them on their knees. They keep their back and head level. In the ruku’ you say “Subhâna rabbiyal-azîm” at least thrice. If the imâm raises his head before you have said it three times, you must raise your head, too. In the ruku’ your arms and legs must be straight. Women do not open their fingers. They do not keep their head and back level, or their arms and legs straight. It is sunnat for the imâm as well as for people who are performing namâz by themselves to say “Sami’ allahu liman hamidah” while straightening up from the ruku’. The jamâ’at does not say it. Right after saying it, people who is performing namâz by themselves, and the jamâ’at, upon hearing the imâm recite it, must say “Rab’banâ lakal hamd,” and stand upright.

5- Sajda:Sajda is to prostrate. While kneeling down for the sajda saying “Allahu akbar,” put first the right knee and then the left knee, followed by the right and left hands, on the flor (or on the ground if it is performed outdoors). Finally, the nose and the forehead bones are put on the ground. Women also should keep their forehead uncovered during namâz. In the sajda, fingers must be closed, pointing towards the qibla in line with the ears, and the head must be between hands. It is fard that the forehead be touching on something clean, such as a stone, some earth, wood, cloth, and it is said (by savants) that it is wâjib to put the nose down, too. It is not permissible to put only the nose on the ground without an ‘udhr [good excuse]. It is makrûh to put only the forehead on the ground. In the sajda you must say “Subhâna rabbiyal-a’lâ” at least thrice. It is either fard or wâjib to put two feet or at least one toe of each foot on the ground. There are also some savants who say that it is sunnat. That is, if two feet are not put on the ground, namâz will either not be valid or it will become makrûh. If, during the sajda, the forehead, nose, or feet are raised from the ground for a short while, it will cause no harm.

In the sajda, it is sunnat to bend the toes and turn them towards the qibla. Men must keep their arms and thighs away from their abdomen. It is sunnat to place the hands and the knees on the ground. It is sunnat to keep the heels a four-finger-width away from each other in the qiyâm, but in the ruku’, qawma [standing upright after the ruku’] and sajda, they must be kept together. For doing this, when bending for the rukû, the heel of the left foot is brought near the right foot (but this applies to men; women do not join their feet together). They are separated again when standing up for the qiyâm after the sajda.

Sajda is done for Allahu ta’alâ only. It is performed towards the direction of Ka’ba, but not for the Ka’ba. One who makes sajda for the Ka’ba becomes a disbeliever.

6- Qada-i-âkhira:It is to sit as long as it takes you to say the prayer “Attahiyyâtu” in the last rak’at. When sitting, men put their left foot flat on the ground with its toes pointing towards the right. They sit on this foot. The right foot should be upright, with the toes touching the ground and pointing towards the qibla. It is sunnat to sit in this manner. Women sit by “tawarruk.” That is, they sit with their buttocks on the ground. Their thighs should be close to each other. Their feet should jut out from their right.

It is written in Durr-ul-mukhtâr:
“You do not make a sign with your fingers while sitting. The fatwâ says so.”

To observe the ta’dîl-i arkân

Ta’dîl-i arkân means remaining motionless for a while after becoming calm at five places in namâz, namely, at ruku’, at two sajdas, at qawma, and at jalsa. According to Imâm-i Abû Yûsuf, it breaks namâz to omit the ta’dîl-i arkân deliberately. However, according to the Tarafayn, that is, Imâm-i A’zam and Imâm-i Muhammad, even if it does not break namâz, it is wâjib to perform that namâz again as you have omitted the wâjib deliberately. If you omit it as a result of forgetfulness, then it is necessary to make the sajda-i sahw [two sajdas done as soon as namâz is over in order to have some errors that may have been done while performing namâz forgiven].

In the book Ethics of Islam, some of the disastrous consequences of not observing the ta’dîl-i arkân are listed as follows:

1- It causes poverty.
2- You are canonically discredited as a witness.
3- The place you have performed namâz will testify against you in the Hereafter.
4- It results in dying without îmân [faith].
5- You will have been the thief of your namâz.
6- Your namâz will be thrown back at your face like an old cloth.
7- It deprives you of Allahu ta’âlâ’s Mercy.
8- It causes the thawâb of your other acts of worship to perish.
9- You will have acted as a trigger for religiously ignorant people to omit the ta’dîl-i arkân. In this respect, religious men’s sinning brings about much more torment. [For example, if a man of religion performs namâz without wearing a headgear, this act of his is more offensive when compared with others’ because he will turn out to be a role model for religiously ignorant people.]
10- You will incur Allah’s Wrath.
11- You will please Satan.
12- You will become distant from Paradise but close to Hell.
13- You will have behaved cruelly towards yourself.
14- You will hurt the angels on your right and left.
15- You will upset our Master, the Prophet “sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.”
16- You will have a detrimental effect on all creatures. Because, on account of your sin, it may not rain or may rain out of season, thus doing more harm than good.

Remaining motionless for a while after becoming calm at ruku’, sajda, qawma, and jalsa is termed ta’dîl-i arkân. For example, when you bend for the ruku’, you must not straighten up directly. The situation is the same with the qawma. That is, when you straighten up from the ruku’, you must remain upright for a while. It is also as such in between the two sajdas. These are called ta’dîl-i arkân. Recitation (the certain tasbîhs) is not an impediment to your remaining motionless. When we say the tasbîhs (in the ruku’ and sajda) three times, automatically, we will have waited; there is no need to wait further. In the qawma, when we say “Rabbanâ lakal hamd,” we will have waited, too.