The Rulings of Ramadan: A Comprehensive Guideline

Contents

FOREWORD

1. INTRODUCTION: THE BLESSINGS ARE HERE

2. AL-HILAAL (Sighting of the New Moon)

• New moons determine Islamic Dates
  
• Witnesses needed to establish the month
  
• Astronomical Evidence
  
• Misconception: The true beginning of a month
  
• Unification of Sighting Locations

3. ALLAH (T) WANTS EASE FOR HIS SERVANTS AND NOT HARDSHIP

• Those for Whom the Fast During Ramadaan Is Not Obligatory
  
• The Traveller
  
• The Sick person
  
• States of Menses or Post-childbirth Bleeding
  
• The Old Man and Old Woman
  
• The Pregnant and the breast-feeding women

4. RULINGS RELATED TO THE FAST OF RAMADAAN

• Important Issues Dealing with the Month of Ramadhaan
  
• Counting the Days of the month of Sha'baan
  
• Whoever fasts on the day of doubt has disobeyed Abul-Qaasim (Muhammad)
  
• Witnesses needed to Establish the Month
  
• Niyyah - the Intention
  
• Performance of an obligatory action is dependant on the ability to do it.
  
• The Duration of Fasting
  
• Beginning of fasting
  
• End of Fasting

5. AS-SAHOOR

• The Wisdom of Sahoor
  
• The Sahoor is Barakah (blessed)
  
• Allah (T) and the Angels send Salaah upon the people who take the Sahoor (pre-dawn meal)
  
• What is the best thing the Muslim can eat for Sahoor
  
• Delaying the Sahoor
  
• The Ruling for Sahoor

6. RULINGS FOR AL-IFTAAR

• When a person lawfully break his fast
  
• Hastening the breaking of the fast
  
• Hastening to break the fast earns good
  
• To hasten the breaking of the fast is the Sunnah of the Messenger (S)
  
• Hastening the breaking of the fast is a way to be different from the Astray (the Christians) and those whom Allah is angry with (the Jews)
  
• Breaking the fast before the Maghrib Salaat
  
• What is recommended to eat to break the fast?
  
• What should be said at the time of breaking the fast?
  
• Feeding a fasting person

7. PERMISSIBLE THINGS FOR THE FASTING PERSON

• The fast is valid for any person who wakes up in a state of sexual defilement
  
• Cleaning the mouth with the miswaak
  
• Washing the mouth and nose
  
• Kissing and foreplay with one's wife (for the one who can control is desire)
  
• Blood Testing and inoculations other than inoculations for nourishment
  
• Al-Hijaamah (Extracting blood from the head or other parts of the body as a medicinal practice)
  
• Tasting food as long as it does not go down the throat
  
• Pouring cold water on the head or taking a complete bath (ghusl)
  
• Applying kuhl or eye drops to the eyes even if the taste of any of these reaches the throat

8. THINGS WHICH INVALIDATE THE FAST

• Question: In what situation is one permitted to break the fast of Ramadaan?
  
• Question: In which situations is the fast involuntarily disrupted?
  
• Question: What acts invalidate the fast?
  
• Question. What acts do not invalidate the fast, even though many people think they do?

9. WHAT MUST BE AVOIDED DURING FASTING

10. THINGS THAT NULLIFY THE FAST

• Intentional eating and drinking
  
• Intentional vomiting
  
• Menstruation and post-childbirth bleeding
  
• Nutritional feeding from other than the mouth
  
• Intentional sexual intercourse

11. THE TARAWEEH PRAYER

• Establishing the night prayer during the nights of Ramadaan
  
• The Number of Raka'at for the Taraweeh Salaat

12. AL-I'ATIKAAF (Seclusion in the mosque)

• The meaning of I'atikaaf
  
• Its Ruling
  
• Its conditions
  
• What is allowed for the one who is doing I'tikaaf

13. THE NIGHT OF QADR (Decrees)

• The Virtues of the Night of Decrees
  
• Its time
  
• How should the Muslim establish this Night?
  
• The Signs of the Night of Qadr

14. AL-QADAA: (Making up the issued days of Fasting)

• It is not compulsory (waajib) to make up the missed days of Ramadaan immediately
  
• It is also not compulsory to make up the missed days on successive days.
  
• The scholars of this Deen agree that if someone is unable to fast, then he should feed one poor person for everyday he misses and that no one should fast on his behalf during his lifetime
  
• Whoever dies and he had some fast for an oath that he did not yet do, then it is allowed for the same amount of people to fast for the same amount of days that he has to make up for

15. KAFFAARAH (Expiation for breaking a fast) AND FIDYAH (Ransom for the inability to fast)

• Kaffaarah (Expiation)
  
• Al-Fidyah (Ransom)

16. 'EED-AL-FITR

• Sunnahs of 'Eed
  
• Bid'ahs of 'Eed

17. ZAKATUL-FITR HOW WILL YOU BE PAYING?

• Who should pay Zakaat ul-Fitr
  
• When should it be paid?
  
• What is its amount?
  
• How should it be given?

18. DOES RAMADAAN END WITH EED AL-FITR?