Laylat-ul-Qadr (Last 5 Odd Nights of Ramadhan)

Laylat-ul-Qadr (Last 5 Odd Nights of Ramadhan)

by Ebrahim Saifuddin

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ
And what will explain to thee what the night of power is?

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand:

سَلامٌ هِي حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ
Peace!…This until the rise of morn!
[Quran 97:1-5]

Laylat-ul-Qadr (The Night of Power) is the night when the Quran was revealed. Allah(swt) informs us about the importance and value of this one night. To emphasize on its importance and value, Allah(swt) compares it to be better than a thousand months – Not 1 or 10 or 100 but even better than a 1000 months (about 83 years and 4 months). Muslims are not aware of the exact night but traditions inform us that Laylat-ul-Qadr is one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadhan i.e. the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th:

Narated by Aisha: Allah’s Apostle said, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.” – [Bukhari Vol.3, Book 32, #234]

Is it allowed to use miswak while fasting?

Is it allowed to use miswak while fasting?

by Ebrahim Saifuddin

Islam stresses on cleanliness and using the miswak is important to keep the teeth clean and prevent plaque which is more likely to appear while a person fasts all day. Prophet Muhammad(saw) has been reported of using the miswak to clean his teeth while fasting:

Narated By Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “If somebody eats or drinks forgetfully then he should complete his fast, for what he has eaten or drunk, has been given to him by Allah.” Narrated ‘Amir bin Rabi’a, “I saw the Prophet cleaning his teeth with Siwak while he was fasting so many times as I can’t count.” And narrated Abu Huraira, “The Prophet said, ‘But for my fear that it would be hard for my followers, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth with Siwak on every performance of ablution.” The same is narrated by Jabir and Zaid bin Khalid from the Prophet who did not differentiate between a fasting and a nonfasting person in this respect (using Siwak).
‘Aisha said, “The Prophet said, “It (i.e. Siwak) is a purification for the mouth and it is a way of seeking Allah’s pleasures.” Ata’ and Qatada said, “There is no harm in swallowing the resultant saliva.” – [Bukhari, Vol 3, Book 31, #154]

It is better, however, to spit the resultant saliva because if one would accidentally swallow a piece of wood then his fast will get invalidated.

Can I hug and kiss my wife while fasting?

Can I hug and kiss my wife while fasting?

by Ebrahim Saifuddin

It has been reported through various ahadith that Prophet Muhammad(saw) did hug and kiss his wife while fasting.

‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to kiss (his wives) while fasting and embraced (them) while fasting; but he had the greatest mastery over his desire among you. – [Muslim Book 6, #2439]

However it is important to note that he had much control over his sexual desires. A man who fears that hugging or kissing his wife would cause him to lose control and cross the boundaries set by Allah(swt) for fasting, should not hug or kiss his wife at all. Although if a person has no fear of being aroused in a sexual way when he hugs or kisses his wife then it is permissible for him to do such.

Narated By ‘Aisha: The Prophet used to kiss and embrace (his wives) while he was fasting, and he had more power to control his desires than any of you. Said Jabir, “The person who gets discharge after casting a look (on his wife) should complete his fast.” – [Bukhari Vol.3, Book 31, #149]

However, you cannot kiss your wife where the saliva exchanges. That will invalidate the fast.

Can we start the fast while in a state of Janabah (sexual impurity) and then perform Ghusl later on?

Can we start the fast while in a state of Janabah (sexual impurity) and then perform Ghusl later on?

by Ebrahim Saifuddin

It is certainly permissible to start the fast while in the state of Janabah. Ghusl can be performed later on. The permissibility of such is derived from incidents in the life of Prophet Muhammad(saw) as explained in the ahadith.

Narated By Abu Bakr bin ‘Abdur-Rahman : My father and I went to ‘Aisha and she said, “I testify that Allah’s Apostle at times used to get up in the morning in a state of Janaba from sexual intercourse, not from a wet dream and then he would fast that day.” Then he went to Um Salama and she also narrated a similar thing. – [Bukhari Vol.3, Book 31, #153]

And again:

‘Aisha reported that a person came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) asking for a fatwa (religious verdict). She (‘Aisha) had been overhearing it from behind the curtain. ‘Aisha added that he (the person) had said: Messenger of Allah, (the time) of prayer overtakes me as I am in a state of junub; should I observe fast (in this state)? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: (At times the time) of prayer overtakes me while I am in a state of junub, and I observe fast (in that very state), whereupon he said: Messenger of Allah, you are not like us Allah has pardoned all your sins, the previous ones and the later ones. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I hope I am the most God-fearing of you, and possess the best knowledge among you of those (things) against which I should guard. – [Muslim Book 6, #2455]

We should however try to perform Ghusl as soon as possible so that we can perform the Fajr in congregation.

Is it permissible to take pills in order to delay menstruation and complete all the fasts in Ramadan?

Is it permissible to take pills in order to delay menstruation and complete all the fasts in Ramadan?

by Ebrahim Saifuddin

For women there is ease from Allah(swt) that they should not fast while menstruating. The fasts left are then to be made up, a day for a day missed, by her after Ramadan and during the days that fasting is not prohibited. This means that she will be rewarded equally as much as she would be rewarded if she were fasting during the month of Ramadan. However if she wishes she can use pills in order to delay her menstrual periods in order to fast during the month of Ramadan.

There is no objection in taking pills during Ramadan in order to prevent menstruation with the intention of completing all the fasts. However this permissibility will become void and the taking of pills will become forbidden if the pills would cause harm to the person.

People have different health issues and while to some the pills would be harmless, to others they can cause harm. As a result people must consult their family doctor who would be well aware of their health issues to assess any harmful effects.