It gives us and every Muslim much pleasure to have this guest amongst us. Unfortunately, the time will not be long enough for certain reasons that no one knows except the Knower of the unseen and the Witness (Allah Almighty).

We ask Allah, the Most Great, the Benefactor, to help us to honor this guest.

Let us get acquainted with him:

·        Our dear guest, could you introduce yourself?

I am the month of Ramadan. The month of mercy, forgiveness and salvation from Hellfire.

I am the month of fasting. Fasting means to worship Allah Almighty through abstaining from everything that breaks one’s fast from dawn until sunset.

·        When has Allah Almighty enjoined you upon us?

I am the fourth pillar of Islam.

Whoever neglects me will have no share of Islam.

Allah Almighty enjoined me upon the Muslims in 2 A.H.

·        How many times did the Messenger of Allah fast you?

The Prophet fasted nine times.

·        How is your onset determined?

By two things:

1) The sighting of the new moon.

2) The completion of thirty days of Sha‘ban.

    ·     Can you speak to us about the Quran given that you are the month of the Quran?

Allah is the One Whose help we seek. Allah Almighty Says (what means):

- {The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.} [Quran 2: 185]

- {Indeed, We sent the Quran down during the Night of Decree.} [Quran 97: 1]

It is recommended to recite a great deal of the Quran in this month and study it.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said:

“The Prophet was the most generous of people and he was as generous as he could be during Ramadan, when Jibreel (i.e. Gabriel) would meet with him. He would meet him every night of Ramadan and study the Quran with him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Some of our righteous predecessors used to completely recite the Quran every three days during the voluntary night prayers of Ramadan.

Moreover, Ash-Shafi‘i used to complete the recitation of the Quran sixty times in Ramadan, other than what he recited in prayer.

Az-Zuhari used to say, “When Ramadan begins, it is only about reciting the Quran and feeding the poor.”

Muhammad ibn Ka‘b said, “We used to know the one who recites the Quran by his yellow color, indicating his staying up at night and his extended Tahajjud (i.e. praying at night).”

Waheeb ibn Ward said, “It was said to a man, ‘Do you not sleep?’ He replied, ‘The miracles of the Quran prevent me from sleeping.’”

     ·    Allahu Akbar (i.e. Allah is the Greatest), can you mention the Ahadeeth that encourage reciting the Quran and fasting?

Sure, I will.

The Prophet said:

“Fasting and the Quran will intercede for a person on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say, "O Lord, I deprived him of food and desires during the day." The Quran will say, "O Lord, I deprived him of his sleep at night, so let me intercede for him." Then they will both intercede for him.” [Al-Albani: good]

We ask Allah Almighty to include us among the people of the Quran and to help us fast and pray at night.

     • Well said! Can you tell us about the lessons that we can learn from you, Allah willing?

There are many lessons that can be drawn from fasting. I cannot state them in this short time. However, I will state some of them in brief:

1- Patience

2- Trust

3- Mercy, condolence and fulfilling the needs of people

4- Cooperation in righteousness and piety

5- Self-control

6- Piety

7- Softness of the heart

8- I give a great way for change in this month

·        What about the virtue of giving iftar (i.e. food to break the fast) to one who is fasting?

As for the virtue of giving iftar to one who is fasting, I will only mention one hadith and two reported traditions for time is too short.

The Prophet said, “Whoever gives iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his.” [At-Tirmithi: authentic]

Ibn ‘Umar used to break his fast with orphans and the needy.

Most of the righteous predecessors of this nation used to give their iftar to others while they spent the entire night on an empty stomach.

·        What do you say to the foolish people who hate you?

I say: How can they hate me while Allah Almighty forgives sins, pardons misdeeds, responds to supplications, and raises ranks in me? Glory be to Allah.

I would like to say to them that animals are more intelligent than them.

May Allah Almighty render such faces ugly.

·        We ask Allah Almighty to guide them. Well said! What are the things that you and others hate or observe in some people in this month?

These are many. I will state some of them.

1- Intense laziness and sleeping.

2- Staying up late with no apparent need or in disobeying Allah Almighty. This can be clearly observed.

3- Wasting time.

4- Overeating at iftar, which renders one unable to perform the taraweeh (voluntary, communal night) prayer.

5- Many people strive hard at the beginning of the month but become lazy by the end of it.

6- Series and game shows through mass media and the spread of songs.

These, along with many other things. We ask Allah Almighty to reform our conditions.

We ask Allah Almighty to bless us through you, O Ramadan. And if we live to see you again, we ask that Allah Almighty causes us to attend you and helps us to fast and pray at night.

Now, let us move on to some questions:

Question: Who is obliged to fast?

Answer: Praise be to Allah Almighty, fasting is an obligation on every adult, sane, residing (i.e. not travelling) Muslim who is able to fast and has nothing to prevent him or her from doing so.

The non-Muslim; the insane; the incapable one who is afflicted with an unexpected illness; the pregnant, breastfeeding woman; and anyone who is traveling are not obliged to fast. Allah knows best.

Question: Can astronomical calculations be relied on in order to confirm the beginning and end of the month?

Answer: Astronomical calculations cannot be relied on to confirm the beginning and end of the month. This is the opinion of Shaykh Ibn Baz . Rather, Ibn Taymiyyah reported the consensus of the scholars on its impermissibility.

Question: What things invalidate the fast?

Answer: There are eight things that invalidate the fast, and they are as follows:

1- Intercourse.

2- Deliberate eating and drinking.

3- Ejaculation if it takes place while awake and is done through masturbation or direct contact with one’s wife.

4- Receiving nourishing substances that replace food and drink via a syringe. However, injections that do not offer any source of nourishment do not affect the fast whether they are intravenous or intramuscular (i.e. injected into a vein or a muscle) and whether one finds it’s taste in his throat or not.

5- Blood transfusions.

6- Menstruation and post-partum bleeding.

7- Releasing blood by means of cupping or bleeding or by withdrawing it for a donation or to aid a sick person. Releasing it unwillingly, however, such as because of a nosebleed, pulling out a teeth, and the like, does not invalidate the fast.

8- Deliberate vomiting.

Question: What things are allowed for the fasting person and do not affect his fast?

Answer: Things that are permissible for the fasting person are as follows:

1- Swallowing one’s own saliva does not break one's fast. One should spit out thick phlegm and not swallow it.

2- Emitting Mathiy (prostatic fluid) also does not affect one's fast.

It is permissible for the fasting person to use perfume. Nevertheless, it is not permissible for him to inhale bukhoor (incense) because it consists of particles that can be found in the fumes that it emits, and these might reach the stomach.

3- It is permissible for the fasting person to use toothpaste although one should be careful when doing so.

4- According to the most correct opinion of the scholars, it is permissible to use eye-drops and ear-drops.

5- It is permissible to use inhalers as a treatment for asthma.

6- Taking a blood sample is permissible for analysis and the like.

7- Taking suppositories is permissible for a fasting person, and it does not affect the fast.

8- Tasting food if there is a necessity. It can be put on the tip of the tongue to make sure that it is suitable, but one should not swallow any of it.

9- Kissing his wife, if a man is able to control himself, does not invalidate his fast. If he were to ejaculate, however, then his fasting becomes invalid.

Actually, this speech is attractive and its presentation is good. However, time is short.

Before concluding, we would like to say one last word:

O you who spend your life in something other than worship. O you who neglect your month, rather, your lifetime, and spend it in vain. O you who usually delay and neglect worship. What a bad condition you are in.

Every fast that is not protected from false speech and acting upon it gives its performer nothing but hatred.

Every prayer at night that does not prevent evil and misdeeds increases its performer in nothing but farness.

It may be that all a fasting person obtains from his fasting is hunger and thirst and that all a person who prays at night gets from his prayer is sleeplessness.

O people, where are the effects of fasting? Where are the lights of nightly prayer?

O slaves of Allah, this is your month, in which the Quran was sent down, and this is the Book of Allah Almighty, which is recited and listened to.

This is the Noble Quran, had it been sent down upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and falling apart. In spite of this fact, is there no heart that can submit to it nor an eye that can weep? This is Ramadan. It has come, and only a devoted worshiper can enjoy it.