Most Read in the Category of Ramadan - Fasting

The fast is not broken because of kissing his wife or any other one, but the fast is broken if man or woman ejaculates because of kissing, caressing, embracing or etc… If something ejaculates without any desire from his/her sexual organs the fast is not broken.

Permitted Acts of Fasting:
    * Pouring water over oneself and submerging oneself in water.
    * Applying kohl, eye-drops, or anything else to the eyes.
    * Kissing, provided that one has self-control.
    * Rinsing the mouth and nose, without swallowing any water.
    * Tasting a liquid, food, or something else that one wants to buy. However, anything edible must not be swallowed.
    * Chewing gum (unlike something that has no sweetness or fragrance) is disliked but does not invalidate the fast.
    * Eating, drinking, or having sexual intercourse during the night until dawn.
    * If one eats due to forgetfulness, the day does not have to be made up later or expiated.
    * Performing ghusl before dawn is not required, but it is advisable to be pure before fasting.
    * If a woman’s menstrual or post-childbirth bleeding stops during the night, she can delay ghusl until the morning and still fasts. However, she must perform ghusl before the dawn prayer.
    * Those who are fasting can use a tooth stick or a brush to clean their teeth. It does not matter if this is done at the beginning or at the end of the day.
    * Smelling perfumes.
    * Swallowing anything wet with saliva remaining in the mouth after rising.
    * Swallowing only a few drops of tears and sweat, the taste of which one does not feel.
    * Eating anything edible remaining between teeth and which is smaller than a chickpea.
    * Anything that is inedible and enters the mouth without intention (e.g., smoke, dust, and the taste of medicine put on teeth) does not invalidate the fast.
    * Kissing, touching, and stroking the opposite sex, provided that no ejaculation occurs, as well as any sexual activity that does not result in ejaculation. Any ejaculation that is the result of looking and thinking does not invalidate the fast.
    * Having a wet dream during the day or any ejaculation of seminal fluid.
Forbidden Acts Requiring a Make-up Day:
    * Eating due to a mistake or coercion.
    * Swallowing the blood more than the saliva with which it is mixed and the taste of which one feels.
    * Swallowing more than a few drops of tears and sweat the taste of which one feels.
    * Removing from the mouth anything edible that remains between the teeth and which is greater than a chickpea, and then eating it.
    * Vomiting a mouthful. Anything less and which goes back into the stomach does not invalidate the fast. However, if one intentionally takes it back, the fast is broken.
    * Ejaculation that occurs with pleasure by kissing, touching, and masturbation.
    * Menses and post-childbirth bleeding, even if either begins just before sunset.
    * If one eats, drinks, or has intercourse, thinking that the sun has set or that fajr has not occurred.
    * Any injections, whether for feeding or for medicinal purposes. It does not matter if the injection was intravenous or underneath the skin, or whether what was injected reaches the stomach.
    * Any drink or medicine that passes through throat or nose. However, water that passes through the ears is allowed.
    * Any fluid going into body through the rectum.
Acts that Invalidate the Fast and Require a Make-up Day and Expiation:
Intentional eating, drinking, and having sexual intercourse during the day require making up the day and an expiation. Expiation is defined as freeing a slave if one can do so; if the person has no slaves or cannot free one for a valid reason, he or she must fast for 60 consecutive days; if one cannot do so, he or she must feed a poor person for 60 days or 60 poor people for one day with meals that are similar to what one would eat at home.
Most scholars say that both men and women have to perform acts of expiation if they intentionally have sexual intercourse during the day even if they had intended to fast on that day. If they engaged in it out of forgetfulness, coercion, or having no intention to fast, they do not have to perform any act of expiation. If the woman was raped or coerced by the man, only the man has to make an act of expiation.
All scholars agree that people who intentionally broke the fast and made expiation, and then broke it again in a way that requires another expiation, they must perform another act of expiation. Similarly, they all agree that if people break the fast twice during a day, before performing the expiation for the first act, they need to perform only one act of expiation. If people break their fast and then repeat it during the same Ramadan without expiation, they only have to make expiation one time. The reason for this is because there is a punishment for acts that are repeated, and if the expiation or punishment is not carried out, all of these acts are combined into one.

Although it is a grave sin, fasting is not invalidated as a result of watching or looking.

Masturbation invalidates the fasting and requires a make-up day. Ejaculation that occurs with pleasure by kissing, touching, and masturbation invalidates the fasting.

Forbidden Acts Requiring a Make-up Day:
    * Eating due to a mistake or coercion.
    * Swallowing the blood more than the saliva with which it is mixed and the taste of which one feels.
    * Swallowing more than a few drops of tears and sweat the taste of which one feels.
    * Removing from the mouth anything edible that remains between the teeth and which is greater than a chickpea, and then eating it.
    * Vomiting a mouthful. Anything less and which goes back into the stomach does not invalidate the fast. However, if one intentionally takes it back, the fast is broken.
    * Ejaculation that occurs with pleasure by kissing, touching, and masturbation.
    * Menses and post-childbirth bleeding, even if either begins just before sunset.
    * If one eats, drinks, or has intercourse, thinking that the sun has set or that fajr has not occurred.
    * Any injections, whether for feeding or for medicinal purposes. It does not matter if the injection was intravenous or underneath the skin, or whether what was injected reaches the stomach.
    * Any drink or medicine that passes through throat or nose. However, water that passes through the ears is allowed.
    * Any fluid going into body through the rectum.
 

Forgiveness of Sins in Ramadan 

Abu Said, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates:

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:

“There are three things which do not invalidate the fast: hajamat (getting blood drawn from one's body), vomiting, and ihtilam (getting ejaculation during sleep).” (Tirmidhi, Sawm 24)

A person who reaches puberty discharges four kinds of fluids:

1- Urine, 2- Mani (sperms), 3- Mazi (fluid during excitement), 4-Wadi (fluid generally after urination)

Among those the only one which necessitates ghusl is mani (sperms). Mani has three qualities:

1- It gushes forth,
2- Satisfaction occurs,
3- When damp, it smells like dough; when dry, it smells like the white of egg.

Wadi is a thick white fluid which is discharged after urination. Mazi is also a white but thin fluid which is discharged when feelings of lust dominate. In short, no ghusl is needed because of the mentioned wadi and mazi.

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Special File of Sexuality Test

What does religion consider about gazing at the obscene images?

Eating "sehri" is Sunnah, not mandatory. There isn't any problem with eating in the previous night and doing niyat (intention) for the Ramadan fasting. Such fasting is acceptable. Detailed explanation is given below.

Virtues of Sehri
by Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya
HADITH NO. 7 Ibn Umar (Radhi Allaho anho) relates: Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: ‘Verily Allah and His Malaa’ikah send Mercy upon those who eat ‘Sehri’ (sower-Suhoor).”
COMMENTARY How great is Allah’s favour upon us that even the partaking of food before dawn for fasting is so greatly rewarded. There are many Ahaadith in which the virtues of “Sehri” are expounded and the rewards mentioned. Allaamah Ain - Commentator on Bukhari - has quoted the virtues of “Sehri” from seventeen different ‘Sahaabah’ and all the “Ulama” are agreed on its being “Mustahab” (desirable). Many people are deprived of this great reward because of their own laziness. Some even go so far as to finish ‘Taraweeh’, eat (what they suppose to be “Sehri’!) and go to bed. What great blessings do they lose! “Sehri” actually means partaking of food shortly before dawn. Some authorities say that the time for “Sehri” commences after half the night has passed (Mirquat). The author of Kash-shaff (Zamakhshari) divided the night into six portions, stating that the last one of these is the time of “Sehri”; so that, when the night (from sunset till dawn) extends over twelve hours, the last two hours would be the correct time for “Sehri”. Then it must also be remembered that to eat at the latest possible time is better and greater in reward than eating earlier, subject to the condition that no doubt remains as to whether “Sehri” had been eaten before the time of dawn. The Ahaadith are full of virtues of “Sehri”.
Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: ‘The difference between our fasting and that of the Ahlul-Kitaab (Jews and Christians) lies in our partaking of food at “Sehri” which they do not.” The Prophet has said, “Eat Sehri, because in it lie great blessings; and again. “In three things, are the great blessings: in “Jama’ah” (company), in eating “Thareed” and in “Sehri”. In this Hadith, the use of the word “Jama’ah” is general, wherefrom we deduce that it includes “Salaat” with “Jamaa’ah” and all those righteous deeds done in company, as thus Allah’s help comes to them. “Thareed” is a tasty preparation, in which baked bread is cooked with meat. The third thing mentioned in this Hadith is “Sehri”. When Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) used to invite any of the companions to eat “Sehri” with him, he used to say: “Come and partake of blessed food with me.” One Hadith says: “Eat ‘Sehri’ and strengthen yourself for the fast. And sleep in the afternoon (Siesta), so as to gain assistance in waking up in the latter portion of the night (for “Ibaadah”).” Abdullah bin Haarith (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that one of the Sahaaba said: “I once visited Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam) at a time when he was busy in partaking of ‘Sehri’. Rasulullah then said: “This is a thing full of blessings, which Allah has granted you. Do not give it up.” Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in urging us repeatedly for ‘Sehri’ has said: “Even though there be no food, then one date should be eaten or a drink of water taken.” Thus, when there are definitely great advantages and reward in ‘Sehri’, Muslims should endeavour to observe this practice as much as possible. However, in all things moderation is important, and going beyond the bounds of moderation is harmful: neither should so little be eaten that one feels weak throughout the period of fasting, nor should so much be eaten that it causes discomfort. Repeatedly, we have been prohibited from filling the stomach excessively.
In his commentary on “Sahih Bukhari”, Ibne Hajar has mentioned various reasons for the blessedness of “Sehri”:
    * Because in it, the ‘Sunnah’ is followed.
    * Through “Sehri”, we differentiate ourselves from the ways of Ahlul-Kitaab, which we are at all times called upon to do.
    * It provides strength for “Ibaadah”
    * It promotes greater sincerity in “Ibaadah”
    * It aids in elimination of bad temper, which normally comes about as result of hunger.
    * ‘Sehri’ is the time when prayers are accepted.
    * At the time of ‘Sehri’, one gets the opportunity to remember Allah, makes Dhikr and lifts up the hand to Him in prayer.
These are a few of the major reasons; there are many others as well. Some ‘Sufis’ are in doubt as to whether the eating of ‘Sehri’ conflicts with the object of fasting or not. They maintain that the object of fasting is to stay away from food, drink and sexual desires, therefore ‘Sehri’ is against the object of fasting. In my opinion the amount to be eaten varies according to different persons and their activities. Foe example, for those students who are busy seeking knowledge of ‘Deen’, too little food at ‘Sehri’ as well as ‘Iftaar’ will be harmful; for them it is better not to have too little, because they seek ‘Deeni’ knowledge, which is very important (for the preservation and spread of Islam). similar is the case of those who are busy with ‘Dhikr’ and other ‘Deeni’ activities. Other people who have no such hard work to do should eat little at ‘Sehri’.
Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu  layhi Wasallam) announced to those proceeding for ‘Jihaad’: ‘There is no virtue in fasting while travelling.’ That was in the month of Ramadhaan, when some Sahaaba were fasting. Allamah Sha’raani mentions in Sharh Iqna: ‘A covenant was made with us that we shall not fill our stomachs (completely) when eating, especially in the nights of Ramadhaan.’ It is better that one should eat less in the nights of Ramadhaan than on other nights. After all, what is the utility of fasting after having filled oneself at ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftaar’? the religious divines have said, ‘Whoever remains hungry in Ramadhaan shall remain safe from the evil of ‘Shaytaan’ throughout the year, until the next Ramadhaan.’
Sharah Ihya Ulumuddin mentions the experiences of some saints, such as Sahl bin Abdullah Tastari, who used to eat only once every fifteen days, while in Ramadhaan he ate only one morsel; but in order to follow the Sunnah, he used to have a drink of water daily for ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftaar’. Shaykh Junayd always used to fast throughout the year. However, when his noble friends would visit him occasionally, he used to break his fast and eat with them, saying, ‘The virtue of breaking fast and eating with (such noble) friends is not less than that of ‘Nafl’ fasting.
Similarly, we can mention the experiences of numerous saints who through eating less used to discipline their inner-selves, but let us bear in mind that it should not be carried to such extremes that the’religious’ activities and responsibilities are neglected, as a result of weakness of the body.

The people who go on a journey, may not fast. After they leave their homes, they are accepted “travelers ” according to Islamic Jurisprudence. But it would be more excellent when the travelers fast. People fast as they wish according to their own condition.

If the travelers intend to stay less than 15 days in that place, they may not fast. But if they intend to stay more than 15 days or learn that they are going to stay more than 15 days then it becomes farz (obligatory).

BEING A MUSAFIR (TRAVELER)

It means traveling, making a journey. As a fiqh term, traveling means covering a certain distance. That distance is a three-day or eighteen-hour distance with a medium walking style. That distance is also called three-phase distance.
There are two different views as to when someone becomes a musafir:
1- Those considering the distance. According to that view, if a person travels to a distance of 90 km, he shortens his prayers because he is regarded a musafir.
2- Those considering the time. According to them, a three-day journey makes a person musafir. They can only shorten their prayers then. Otherwise, they cannot shorten their prayers.
According to Hanafis, a musafir has to shorten the four-rakat fard prayers to two rakats. However, if he prays it as four, it is valid. According to Shafiis, it is better to pray fully even if one is a musafir. Let us suppose that we perform our prayers fully when we are really musafirs; our prayers will be valid. If we are not musafirs really, then shortening the prayers makes our prayers invalid. Then, we think that it is better to perform the fard prayers fully. However, it is necessary to accept a view and act accordingly and not to criticize the people accepting other views.
Decrees about Musafir
There are some facilities, ease and permissions for musafirs. It is permissible for a Muslim to fast later if he is a musafir. The masah (wiping over socks) period of a musafir is three days and three nights. Musafirs pray the four-rakat fards as two rakats. It is called qasr salah (shortening the prayer).
It is permissible to shorten the four-rakat prayers for a musafir by the Quran, sunnah and ijma (consensus).
Allah, the exalted, states the following: “When ye travel through the earth, there is no blame on you, if ye shorten your prayers, for fear the Unbelievers may attack you." (an-Nisa, 4/101). The fact that the reason of the shortening is limited to the condition of fear is to determine the event at that time because most of the travels of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) were not free from fear. Ya'la b. Umayya (may Allah be pleased with him), from the companions said to Hazrat Umar: Why are we shortening our prayers? We are safe now. Hazrat Umar answered him as follows: I had asked Hazrat Prophet the same thing; he said: "This is a grant of Allah to you. Accept what he has given you." (Muslim, Misafir, 4; Tirmidhi, Tahara, 4, 20; Nasai, Taqsir, I).
The news about Hazrat Prophet that he shortened his prayers in his travels for umra, hajj or war has the degree of tawatur. Abdullah Ibn Umar said the following:
"I accompanied Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) in his travels. He did not pray more than two rakats. Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman did the same" (Ibn Majah, Iqama, 75). It is reported that Hazrat Umar said the following: "The prayer of the musafir is two rakats without shortening with the words of your Prophet." (Bukhari, Taqsir, 11; Kusuf, 4; Ibn Majah, Iqama, 73, 124).
Is it obligatory for a musafir to shorten four-rakat fard prayers or is he free to shorten them or to pray them fully?
According to Hanafis, it is wajib and also azimah for a musafir to shorten his prayers. It is makrooh (abominable) for a musafir to pray four rakats deliberately. However, if he performs two rakats and sits for tashahhud and then stands up and performs two more rakats, he is regarded to have performed the fard and the last two rakats are regarded as nafilah (supererogatory). However, he is regarded to have done something wrong because he has delayed the salutations. However, if he skips tashahhud or if he does not read the Quran in the first two rakats, he is not regarded to have performed the fard. As a matter of fact, the decree about the morning prayer and Friday prayer is the same. The following is reported from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "When the prayers were first enjoined they were of two rakats each. Later the prayer in a journey was kept as it was but the prayers for non-travelers were increased (Bukhari, Salat,1; Muslim, Musafirin,1; Abu Dawud, II, 3). Ibn Abbas is reported to have said the following: "Allah enjoined prayers as four rakats for muqims and two rakats for musafirs with the tongue of our Prophet." (Muslim, Musafirin, 5, 6; Abu Dawud Safar, 18; Nasai, Khawf 4; Ibn Majah Iqama, 75).
According to Malikis, it is sunnah muakkad to shorten prayers while traveling; according to Shafii and Hanbalis, a musafir is free to shorten the prayer or not; it is a permission. A musafir can pray by shortening his prayers or fully. However, according to Hanbalis, it is more virtuous to shorten than to pray fully because Hazrat Prophet and the four Caliphs did so.  
It is permissible to shorten prayers during a journey whether the journey is for worshipping, something permissible or something bad. For instance a person who travels for robbing people, for an illegitimate enjoyment or for committing a haram can benefit from the shortening of the prayer because the verses and hadiths about it are certain; no distinction is made between a legitimate or illegitimate journey in the following verse; "When ye travel through the earth, there is no blame on you, if ye shorten your prayers" (an-Nisa, 4/104) (Ibnul-Humam, ibid, I, 405 et al.; Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Mukhtar, I, 733, 736).
According to most of the mujtahids except Hanafis, permissions like shortening the prayers, combining the prayers, not having to fast, masah for three days, performing nafilah prayers on animals are not in question for musafirs who travel to rob people, to buy or sell wine and other haram things, etc because those people travel to disobey Allah. The rule about the issue is as follows:
"Permissions cannot be used to support evil and bad things." Besides, Allah permits a person who is in real need to eat dead meat with the condition of "without willful disobedience, or transgressing due limits" (al-Baqara, 2/173). Then, permissions cannot be used to support evil and bad things (Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, Cairo 1970, II, 261; Zuhayli, II, 323 et al.; Ibn Rushd Bidayatul-Mujtahid, I, 163).
When a musafir has the intention of staying fifteen days or more in a town, he becomes a muqim and performs his prayers fully. If he intends to stay there less than fifteen days, he continues to be a musafir. The evidence that the decree is compared to is the cleaning period of women. The cleaning period makes it necessary for a woman to restart praying and fasting that she was freed from due to menses. To stay in a place permanently makes it necessary for a musafir to return to some religious duties. Therefore, since the maximum cleaning period is fifteen days, the period of staying in a place should be calculated as maximum fifteen days. That view is based on the following words reported by Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar: If you are a musafir and enter a town intending to stay there fifteen days, perform your prayers fully. If you do not know when you will leave that town, shorten your prayers." (az-Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami wa Adillatuh, Damascus 1405/1985, II, 323)
If a musafir stays in a town and waits to meet a certain need of his, he shortens his prayers even if he waits for it for years. He is regarded a musafir since he has not intended to stay there more than fifteen days. As a matter of fact, Ibn Umar stayed in Azerbaijan for six months and shortened his prayers accordingly. It is reported that some companions did the same.
If an army enters a town and even if the soldiers intend to stay there more than fifteen days, they shorten their prayers because there always exists the probability of staying there or being defeated and leaving that place; thus, the intention related to the period is not valid.
According to Shafiis and Malikis, if a musafir intends to stay four days in a place, he performs his prayers fully because it is explained in sunnah that staying somewhere less than four days will not break the judgment about a journey. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:
"Muhajir stays for three days after he performs his worshipping related to hajj.” As a matter of fact, when Hazrat Prophet performed umra, he shortened his prayers though he stayed in Makkah for three days" (ash-Shawkani, Naylul-Awtar, III, 207 et al.).
According to Hanbalis, if a musafir intends to stay somewhere more than four days or twenty prayer times, he performs his prayers fully. If he intends to stay less than that period, he shortens his prayers. 
In terms of being a musafir or muqim, the intention of the person to be followed (leader) is valid not the intention of the person who follows or depends on someone. Therefore, a soldier, an employee, a student and a wife become a muqim or musafir depending on the intention of the commander, employer, teacher and husband respectively.
The decrees of being a musafir are not valid for a child who has not reached the age of puberty. According to Shafiis, the intention of a mumayyiz child (child who has attained the age of mental discrimination) about being a musafir is valid and he can shorten his prayers.
If a person who is traveling does not know where the person he is following is going and about the intention of that person and if he cannot get an answer from him, he performs his prayers fully for the distance of three days; then, he starts to shorten his prayers. 
If the head of the Islamic state travels around his country for a while without intending to be a musafir, he performs his prayers fully; however, if he intends to travel as long as the period of being a musafir, he shortens his prayers. That is the correct way.
The qada (missed) prayers of a muqim do not change when he becomes a musafir; the qada prayers of a musafir do not change when he becomes a muqim either. Therefore, a muqim performs the prayers that he missed when he was a musafir as two rakats. A musafir performs the prayers that he missed when he was a muqim as four rakats.  
A muqim can follow a musafir imam and a musafir can follow a muqim imam in congregation. When the musafir imam gives salutations at the end of the second rakat, the muqim stands up and, according to the sound view, completes his prayer without reciting the Quran; he does not perform sajdah sahw if he makes a mistake because that muqim is like a lahiq in this situation. It is mustahab (recommended) for the musafir imam to say, "I am a musafir, you should complete your prayer."
A musafir can follow a muqim imam only during the prescribed time of that prayer. He performs a four-rakat fard prayer fully like a muqim when he follows a muqim imam. When he follows the imam during the prescribed time of that prayer, his prayer turns to a four-rakat prayer from two. When Ibn Abbas was asked, "What do you say for the situation of a musafir? He prays two rakats when he prays alone and four rakats when he follows a muqim imam”, he said, "It is sunnah to do like that" (az-Zuhayli, ibid, II, 335).
Nafi said the following: "When Ibn Umar was a musafir and followed a muqim imam, he would pray four rakats; when he prayed alone, he would pray two rakats. " (az-Zuhayli, ibid, II, 335)
A person cannot follow the imam in a four-rakat prayer that he missed while he was a musafir because that prayer had occurred as two rakats.
It is not permissible to perform two prayers at one time due to an excuse like traveling, rain and snow. It is permissible to combine the noon (zuhr) and afternoon (asr) prayer only in Arafat, and the evening (maghrib) and night (isha) prayer only in Muzdalifa in congregation.
According to the three madhhabs accept Hanafis, it is permissible to combine the noon and afternoon prayers, and the evening and night prayers in the form of early or late combination. For instance, the noon and afternoon prayers can be performed either in the time of noon prayer or afternoon prayer together; the evening and night prayers can be performed either in the time of evening prayer or night prayer together, too. All of the scholars accept Hanafis have the opinion that early combination and late combination of prayers are permissible. However, it has some conditions; it is not always valid.
The prayers that are missed when one is muqim do not change when a person becomes a misafir; similarly, the prayers that are missed when one is musafir do not change when a person becomes a muqim. Therefore, the four-rakat prayers that are missed when one is a musafir are performed as two rakats whether the person peforms them when he is a musafir or muqim. The prayers that are missed when one is a muqim are performed fully if they are performed when one is a musafir.  
The end of being a musafir:
When a person returns to watan asli, his state of being a musafir ends. It does not matter whether he intends to stay there or not. When he returns to watan iqama, the intention of staying there is necessary.
There are three kinds of watan.
1. Watan asli: A place where someone was born or got married and decided to live permanently is called “watan asli”.
2. Watan iqama: A place where someone was not born or did not get married and did not decide to live permanently but settled with the intention of living more than fifteen days is called “watan iqama. The places where someone goes to and live for military service, attending a school, working as an employee or official, etc are regarded “watan iqama” due to the intention of staying more than fifteen days.
3. Watan sukna: A place where a musafir wants to stay for less than fifteen days is his watan sukna. Watan sukna is not taken into consideration. It does not change watan asli or watan iqama. Such a traveler is regarded a musafir both during his journey and during his stay less than fifteen days there. During the journeys to watan asli or watan iqama, decrees of being a musafir are valid only during the journey. When a person reaches those watans, he is regarded a muqim.  
Those watans become invalid only by a watan equal to or superior to them in terms of being a musafir. Therefore, watan asli does not become valid by watan iqama or watan sukna. That is, if a person who is in watan iqama returns to watan asli, he does not become a musafir. If a person reaches the place where he was born or the place where his wife settled, he does not become a musafir. Only if the place he will go to is far away enough for the distance of being a musafir, he becomes a musafir only during the journey; when he reaches there, he becomes a muqim.  
If a person abandons a place that he had settled and moves to another place in order to settle there, the new place he goes to becomes his watan asli; the place he abandoned is no longer his watan asli because when Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) went to Makkah, he regarded himself a musafir and said, “We are musafirs.” (ash-Shawkani, ibid, III, 270).
Watan asli does not become invalid by watan iqama. If a person leaves the place where he was born or where his wife lives for attending a school, military service or working in order to stay less than fifteen days, his previous watan asli does not change. When he returns there, he is not regarded a musafir even if he stays there only three days because watan iqama does not invalidate watan asli. 
While living in a city, if a person gets married in another city but does not transfer his family there, both cities become watan asli for him. He becomes a muqim no matter which one of the two cities he goes to. Watan iqama becomes invalid if a person goes to another watan iqama, or leaves that place for a journey or returns to watan asli. That is, if a person who leaves watan iqama returns there again, he is regarded a musafir if he intends to stay there less than fifteen days.  
Watan sukna, which is a place to be stayed less than fifteen days, has no importance. A person is regarded a musafir there. That watan does not change the other two types of watan. A person is regarded a musafir in all of his journeys that will last for less than fifteen days and that have a distance to be regarded a musafir as soon as he leaves the inhabited parts of the town and in the places he goes to. The state of being a musafir goes on until he returns.
If a muqim follows a musafir imam, the musafir imam gives salutations after completing two rakats and the muqim does not give salutations but completes the four rakats. He does not read anything in the third and fourth rakats because he has performed the beginning part with the imam and the fard reading has been fulfilled. (Ibnul-Humam, I, 405; Ibn Abidin, I, 733 et al.; Zaylai, at-Tabyin, I, 215).
Islam Ansiklopedisi

Selling alcohol does not invalidate the fast. But whether someone fasts or not, selling alcohol is prohibited in Islam.

The prohibition was not limited to drinking alcohol only; Buying and selling, that is, the trade of alcohol was also prohibited. Our Prophet (PBUH) stated that alcoholic drinks were damned in ten aspects and said the following in a hadith:  «Alcoholic drinks were damned in ten aspects: the drink itself, the producer, he who wants to produce it, seller, customer, carrier, he who makes others carry it, he who makes a living by the money earned from alcohol, he who drinks it and he who makes others drink it. » Ibn Majah, Ashriba : 6.

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Is it permissible to work in a place where alcoholic drinks are served and sold?

Both fasting and the time of Fajr prayer begin with Imsak (the time when the day's fast begins). So, it does not make any difference whether the adhan (call to prayer) is announced earlier or later.

In the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, since it is more virtuous to perform the Fajr (morning) prayer a little later, in the other months than Ramadan, they start performing the morning prayer after reciting the adhan after the imsak time. However, in the month of Ramadan, it is recited earlier to announce that the time for fasting has started.

If the adhan is recited at the same time with imsak, one must quit eating and drinking as soon as s/he hears the adhan. Otherwise, the fasting may be invalidated. The best way is to quit eating and drinking before the adhan.

The one who eats or drinks while the adhan is being recited by thinking s/he could do so must fast one day as qada after Ramadan.

The time of “imsak” shown in the calendars is the time of fajr sadiq, that is, the time for starting fasting. Time of imsak is also the time when the night ends, the time for the night prayer (isha) ends and the time for the morning prayer starts.  In the month of Ramadan, the adhan for the morning prayer (fajr) is called at the time of imsak in some countries. Therefore, it is necessary to stop eating and drinking when adhan starts.

If the food items that remain in the mouth after the time of imsak starts are smaller than a chickpea, fasting is not invalidated; if they are bigger than a chickpea, fasting is invalidated; it becomes necessary to perform it again as qada. Fasting is not invalidated if a person swallows something very small like a sesame seed or wheat kernel remaining between the teeth. However, if something like that is put in the mouth and swallowed, fasting is invalidated. (Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen, Büyük İslam İlmihali, s. 302)

Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings upon him, said: "Man sama Ramadana imanan wa'htisaban gufira lahu ma takaddama min zanbihi." and gave the good news that whoever believes fully in the fruitfulness brought about by Ramadan, whoever benefits from this month by fasting sincerely and by worshiping and praying and whoever expects its recompense only from Allah; the past sins of such believers will be forgiven. 

The word imanan (believing) in the hadith stresses believing in everything that must be believed in and believing in the religious decrees about fasting wholeheartedly, and that word emphasizes believing without any doubt that the fast is obligatory, that there is great reward in return, and, above all, that it is a means to Allah's acceptance. 

We are the servants of Allah; and it is Allah Whom we worship. The worships and good deeds that we perform toward Him with the intention of worshiping are His right and our duties and responsibilities. And the fast is His command and our duty. He always knows our worships and knows all that we do. Those worships that Allah sees and knows will return to us with multitude when the right time comes. Besides, when we raise our hands toward Him in supplication, as is stated in a hadith qudsi (saying narrated by the Prophet from Allah), Those hands will not be lowered empty. 

While turning to Allah and supplicating Him, before all, we should believe fully that He sees His servants, hears prayers and is capable of providing what's asked for. Otherwise, praying without believing signifies such an understanding: I don't bother whether He gives or not., which is an open disregard and it is obvious that such a call will not be reciprocated. If He wills, He answers such people, too, with His bountifulness, and out of His mercy, which has overcome His wrath; we cannot shortly say that He won't answer. However, the means for His accepting prayers is, first of all, believing in Him wholeheartedly. We should believe, so that when we raise our hand with sincerity, Allah will not turn them down empty, and will not let us down; on the contrary, He will bestow His blessings in such a way that we will come to knock at the same door again. The stipulation imanan signifies such a belief. 

The word ihtisab means expecting the reward from Allah; it signifies not engaging in worldly expectations and means caring only about Allah's acceptance and hoping for the recompense from His mercy. There should not be anything contrary to sincerity in good deeds and worships; one should not act with hypocrisy and affectation. No deed should be based on the applauses and praises of other people; everything should be performed for Allah's sake, and expectations should be only from Allah. And benevolence should be given priority; in other words, the deeds done should not be based on worldly benefits. Actually, with the understanding of the Companions of the Prophet, even when we lose the lace of our shoes, we should ask Allah for it; we should take pains in every deed that we carry out, and make good use of our free wills to the best, but eventually we should want everything from the Supreme Helper. We should not ever forget, while offering our servitude to Allah, that He is the One worshiped, and that we are His servants/slaves; we should ascribe our servitude only to Him, as it is His right only. Therefore, we should not base our worships on our needs and desires, but perform them because they are our duty. 

In reality, it is not our personal right to ask something from Allah; it is among the rights that He bestowed on us out of His bountifulness. He is so bountiful that He let us use those rights toward Him. For example, in a way He said: You perform your servitude to Me, and fulfill your worships and prayers-which is your duty-, and I will make you happy with My blessings in the other world.; He thus made a covenant with us and gave us certain rights; He said: If you fulfill your servitude, you will have certain rights on Me. In this case, the one who gives the right and the one who grants opportunities to use it, is Allah. 

Ramadan is a season of worshipping peculiar to one month every year in which we are ordered to perform fasting, which is one of the pillars of Islam. Fasting is a kind of worship that has many benefits like making us notice that we are slaves, understanding the value of the bounties, educating our souls, understanding the state of the needy people in the community and being a means of diet for the body. We will evaluate some of those benefits in items:

1.       Fasting in Terms of Noticing the Bounties

God Almighty created the earth in the form of a table containing limitless bounties. He surrounded man, who is the most valuable guest in the universe, with the bounties that He created in this table and presented him bounties “from sources he never could imagine”[1].

The honeybee, which is a poisonous insect, makes honey that is much more than it needs for the benefit of man acting upon the revelation of Allah; the silkworm, which has no hands, eats leaves and weaves silk for man acting upon the revelation of Allah. Allah put all of the realm of the beings under the service of man so that we will understand his providing sustenance and lordship.

However, man cannot usually notice those bounties of Allah since he is heedless and since causes function as veils; he can think that things take place based on causes without associating them with Allah. 

In Ramadan, all Muslims wait for the order,“Help yourselves!..” until the evening like guests that have been invited to the feast of their Sustainer. While waiting, they avoid eating, drinking and sexual intercourse, virtually acting like angels. Thus, they have the opportunity to notice the bounties that we have mentioned above and to understand how valuable they are, and they try to fulfill their duty of thanking. The whole earth virtually eats and drinks together like an army, worshipping universally.

I wonder if those who prefer eating and drinking like animals in this lofty season of worshipping instead of spending time worshipping like angels deserve to be called humans.

2.       Fasting in Terms of Fulfilling the Duty of Thanking for the Bounties

One of the wisdoms behind fasting in Ramadan is that it is a means of understanding the value of the bounties and thanking for them.

Bounties reach us through various ways. For instance, let us think how an apple reaches us. An apple goes through various means like the person who grows and picks it, the person who sells it, etc before it reaches us.

We usually think that bounties are given to us by those agents and we do not see God Almighty, the real owner of those bounties. Instead of thanking God Almighty, the one that really deserves thanking, we thank the person who gives us the apple.

In fact, the whole universe was made work for that apple because the sun is necessary, the world has to rotate, the wind has to blow and the clouds have to work for the production of that apple. A lifeless seed that enters the lifeless, colorless, tasteless and odorless soil turns to a living plant and yields sweet aromatic fruits. That is, these unconscious creatures show us God Almighty, who has knowledge, will and power, in the background by acting like conscious beings. 

The state of a person who does not see the real owner of the bounties in the bounties that are sent to him through various means can be understood better through the following example:

Suppose that a sultan sent you some presents through an envoy. If you thank the envoy that gives you the presents and do not heed and think about the sultan at all, it will be a wrong act.

All of the means that bring the bounties to us are like that envoy. The real owner of the bounties is God Almighty. He wants us to thank Him in return for the bounties He gives us. To thank Him means to know that the bounties come from Him, to appreciate those bounties and to need those bounties.

Fasting in Ramadan is the key to a real and sincere thanking because under normal conditions people do not feel the real hunger if there is not an obligation. Therefore, the value of the bounties is not understood if one is not hungry. Those whose stomachs are full and especially if they are rich, do not understand the degree of bounty there is in a piece of dry bread .   

At the time of iftar, that piece of dry bread is a very valuable divine bounty in the eye of a Muslim and its taste is appreciated. Everybody, from the sultan to a very poor person, thanks God spiritually by understanding the value of those bounties in Ramadan. 

Since eating is prohibited during the day, they will say,“Those bounties do not belong to me. I am not free to eat them, for they are another’s property and gift. I await His command.”, appreciating the bounty and thanking.

Thus, fasting is in many respects is like a key to gratitude, which is man’s fundamental duty.

3.       Benefits of Fasting in Terms of Social Life

One of the wisdoms behind the order of fasting is that it helps different layers of the community to understand the lifestyles of one another better.

Human beings have different livelihoods. Some of them are rich whereas some lead a poor life. As a consequence of the difference, God Almighty invites the rich to assist the poor through zakah and sadaqah. In fact, under normal conditions, the rich cannot truly understand the pains and hunger that the poor suffer. They can feel it only by fasting. If there were no fasting, there would be many self-indulgent rich people unable to perceive just how grievous hunger and poverty are and how needy of compassion those who suffer them are.

  Compassion for one’s fellow men is an essential of true thankfulness. Everybody can find someone poorer than himself in some respect; he is enjoined to be compassionate toward that person. If he were not himself compelled to suffer hunger, he would be unable give the person, by means of compassion, the help and assistance that he is obliged to offer. And even if he did, it would be deficient because he would not truly experience the state of hunger himself.

4.       Benefits of Fasting in Terms of Training the Soul

One of the wisdoms behind the order of fasting is that it is the ideal kind of worship for the training of the soul. The soul regards itself free and wants to act freely. It even thinks it has a kind of lordship. It does not want to admit that it is being sustained and trained through innumerable bounties. Especially if it possesses wealth and power in this world, and if heedlessness blinds it, it will devour God’s bounties like a usurping, thieving animal without thinking about the Creator that gives those bounties.

Thus, in the month of Ramadan, the soul of everyone, from the richest to the poorest, understands that it does not own itself, but is totally owned, that it is not free, but is a slave. It understands that if it receives no command, it is unable to do the simplest and easiest thing; it cannot even stretch out its hand towards water. Its imaginary lordship is therefore shattered; it performs its worship and begins to offer thanks, its true duty. 

Besides, fasting in Ramadan strikes direct blows at the soul’s pharaoh-like front, shattering it. It demonstrates its impotence, weakness, and poverty, making it realize that it is a slave.

 Among the narrations of Hadith is the following:

 “God Almighty said to the soul:

 ‘What am I and what are you?’

 The soul replied: ‘I am myself and You are Yourself.’

Then, He punished it and put it into Hell, then asked it again. Again, it replied: ‘I am myself and You are Yourself.’ No matter how He punished it, it did not give up its egoism.

 Finally He punished it with hunger. That is, He left it hungry. Then, He asked it again: ‘Who am I and who are you?’

The soul said, ‘You are my Compassionate Sustainer and I am your impotent slave.’”[2]

5.       Benefits of Fasting in Terms of Making Man Understand His Weakness

Fasting has many benefits in terms of making man understand how poor he is when the plenitude of his needs are taken into consideration and that he is too weak to meet those needs. One of those benefits is as follows:

Man may forget himself through heedlessness. He does not see or does not want to see what a weak, poor and erring creature he is. However, man has endless spiritual needs like love and compassion along with his endless material needs like air and water. He can meet very few of those needs himself. He needs rain for water. Man cannot make it rain. If man wants to eat bread it is necessary for the sun to work, the world to rotate and the clouds function, etc. We all know very well that man is too weak to do them.

     Man does not think of just how weak he is, and how subject to transience and to disasters he is, nor of the fact that he consists merely of flesh and bones, which quickly decline and are dispersed.  Simply, he assaults the world as though he possessed a body made of steel and imagined himself to be undying and eternal. He hurls himself onto the world with intense greed and voracity and passionate attachment and love. He is captivated by anything that gives him pleasure or that benefits him. Moreover, he forgets his Creator who trains it with compassion, and he does not think of his aim of creation; he does not think of the eternal life; and he wallows in dissipation and misconduct.

  Fasting in the month of Ramadan awakens even the most heedless and obstinate to their weakness, impotence, and poverty. By means of hunger, they think of their stomachs; they understand the need therein. They realize how unsound their weak bodies are, and perceive how needy they are for kindness and compassion. So, they abandon the soul’s pharaoh-like despotism, and through recognizing their utter impotence and poverty, perceive a desire to take refuge at the Divine Court. And they prepare themselves to knock at the door of mercy with the hands of thankfulness so long as heedlessness has not destroyed their hearts!

6.       Ramadan is the month of the Quran

Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Fasting was ordered in this blessed month in which the Quran was sent down in order to welcome this divine call in the best way.

In this month, man resembles angels by shunning the lower demands of the soul and trivialities and by abstaining from food and drink. He can read and listen to the Quran as though it was just revealed, listen to the Divine address in it as if it was being revealed that very moment, attaining a lofty state. Some people with lofty spirits can even listen to that address as though hearing it from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), from Jibril, or even from God Almighty Himself, attaining that same holy state. Man can act as an interpreter and convey this divine message to others, spending this time period in accordance with the aim of his creation and with the month in which the Quran was sent down.

 In the month of Ramadan, the whole Islamic world becomes like a mosque. In every corner of that mighty mosque, millions of those who know the whole Quran by heart cause the dwellers on the earth to hear the heavenly address. Each Ramadan displays the verse, “It was the month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was bestowed from on high”[3] in a luminous shining manner. It proves that Ramadan is the month of the Quran. Some of the members of the vast congregation listen to the reciters with reverence, while others read it themselves. 

Following the appetites of the soul and quitting that luminous condition through eating and drinking in a time period when the whole Islamic world turns the earth to a mighty mosque is truly loathsome, as it is expressed in the following example:

 If someone plays a game instead of performing prayers in the mosque and sings a song instead of listening to the Quran, he shows great disrespect; similarly if someone eats and drinks in Ramadan, when the whole Islamic world performs fasting and reads the Quran, he shows great disrespect toward the Quran and those who worship.

7.       Ramadan is the Best Time Period for the Hereafter Trade

Man was sent to this world to cultivate and trade for the hereafter. The month of Ramadan is the most appropriate time period for this trade because the reward for actions in the month of Ramadan is a thousand fold.  Each word of the Quran has ten rewards when it is read and will yield ten fruits in Paradise.[4] In Ramadan, each word bears not ten fruits but a thousand, and verses like Ayat al-Kursi thousands for each word, and on Fridays in Ramadan, it is even more.[5] And on the Night of Power, each word is counted as thirty thousand rewards.[6]

Indeed, the Quran, each of whose words yields thirty thousand eternal fruits, is like a luminous Tree of Tuba that gains for believers in Ramadan millions of those eternal fruits. So, come and look at this sacred, eternal profitable trade, then consider it and understand the infinite loss of those who do not appreciate the value reading the Quran.

The month of Ramadan is an extremely profitable display and market for the trade of the hereafter. It is an extremely fertile piece of land for the crops of the hereafter. For the growth and flourishing of actions, it is like April showers in the spring. This meritorious period of time is like a brilliant holy festival for the parade of the believers’ worship to the other creatures in the universe and their Creator.   

 Therefore, man was ordered to fast so as not to heedlessly indulge the animal needs of the soul like eating and drinking and not to indulge the appetites lustfully and in trivialities. Thus, it becomes possible for man to be freed from bestial needs and assume the angelic state.

The month of Ramadan comprises and gains a permanent and eternal life in this fleeting world and brief transient life.  Certainly, when it is spent truly, a single Ramadan can produce fruits equal to that of a lifetime of eighty years of worshipping since it contains the Night of Power.

 For example, a monarch may declare certain days to be festivals during his reign, and on those days, he favors his subjects. Similarly, the All-Glorious Monarch of eighteen thousand worlds, who is the Sovereign of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, revealed in Ramadan the illustrious decree of the Quran, which looks to the eighteen thousand worlds. It is a requirement of wisdom, then, that Ramadan should be like a special Divine festival, a dominical display, and a spiritual gathering.

Since Ramadan is a divine festival, man was commanded to fast so that he would be disengaged, to a degree, from base and animal activities.  The most excellent fasting is to make the human senses and organs, like the eyes, ears, heart, and thoughts, fast together with the stomach. That is, to withdraw them from all unlawful things and from trivia, and to urge each of them to their particular worship.

  For example, to ban the tongue from lying, backbiting, and obscene language and to make it fast and to busy it with activities like reciting the Quran, praying, glorifying God’s Names, asking for God’s blessings on the Prophet, and seeking forgiveness for sins make the tongue perform a perfect fast. And for example, to prevent the eyes from looking at members of the opposite sex outside the stipulated degrees of kinship, and the ears from hearing harmful things, and to use the eyes to take lessons and the ears to listen to the truth and to the Quran, is to make other organs fast too.

8.       Benefits of Fasting in Terms of Man’s Personal Life

Fasting in Ramadan has many benefits in terms of man’s material and spiritual life. Fasting is a healing physical and spiritual diet of the most important kind. When man’s soul eats and drinks just as it pleases, it is both harmful for man’s physical life from the medical point of view, and when it hurls itself on everything it encounters without considering whether it is licit or illicit, it quite simply poisons his spiritual life. Furthermore, it is difficult for such a soul to obey the heart and the spirit. It willfully takes the reins into its own hands, and then man cannot ride it, it rather rides man.

Decreasing eating and drinking, and spending time worshipping have an important role on the training of the soul applied by some saints. Fasting in Ramadan helps us train our soul and make it obey the truths.

The stomach that continuously works at normal times by being crammed with food before the previous consignment has been digested takes a rest. And by abandoning eating and drinking, which are licit actions, as it is commanded, the spirit and the soul of man will acquire the ability to listen to the commands of Allah. Thus, his spiritual life becomes more organized.

Moreover, the great majority of the mankind frequently suffer from hunger. Man needs hunger and discipline, which are training for patience and endurance. Fasting in Ramadan is patient endurance of a period of hunger that continues for fifteen hours, or for twenty-four if the pre-dawn meal is not eaten, and it is a discipline and a training. That is to say, fasting is also a cure for impatience and lack of endurance, which increase man’s afflictions.

  Furthermore, man has many material and spiritual organs that are connected to the stomach. If the stomach does not rest for a month every year, the organs connected to the stomach will forget their particular duties and be engaged in eating and drinking. Therefore, saints have accustomed themselves to discipline and to eating and drinking little in order to be elevated spiritually.

  Through fasting in Ramadan, the workers of the factory of the body understand that they were not created for eating and drinking only. In return for the delighting in the lowly amusements of the body, the spirit and spiritual faculties of man take pleasure in angelic and spiritual amusements in Ramadan.

Therefore, in Ramadan the believers experience enlightenment, fruitfulness, and spiritual joys depending on their degrees. Their subtle faculties, such as the heart, spirit, and intellect, make great progress and advancement in that blessed month by means of fasting. They laugh with innocent joy in spite of the stomach’s weeping.  They laugh with innocent joy in spite of the stomach’s weeping.

[1]at-Talaq, 65/3.

[2]al-Hawbawi, Durratu’l-Waizin, p. 11.

[3]” al-Baqara, 2/185

[4]Tirmizdhi, Fadailu’l-Quran, 16; Majmau’z-Zawaid, 7/163.

[5]Daylami, Musnadu’l-Firdaws, 3/130.

[6]see al-Qadr, 97/3.

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Does it invalidate the fast if somebody kisses his wife?

Standing alone and touching each other’s hands is haram for a man and a woman if they are not married.

Permitted Acts of Fasting

Forbidden Acts Requiring a Make-up Day and Acts that Invalidate the Fast and Require a Make-up Day and Expiation

What are the Significant Points in the Relations Between Man and Woman?

There is nothing wrong in applying HENNA to your head while fasting. It is permissible. It does not invalidate your fast. 

Fasting hasbeen spreading outside the Islamic countries rapidly too; while several people are making researches in that subject, the number of the medical specialists recommending fasting for illnesses to be prevented are increasing day by day.

Medical treatments are applied by means of fasting in 29 clinics in West Germany at present. Fasting cures almost every kind of disease and it also helps to get rid of excessive fats from the body in a healthy way. According to Dr Hellmut Lützner, who is known as a specialist of fasting, fasting is the most natural way to throw poisons and filths that body has been storing for years out of the body.

Fasting is as old as the history of humanity and stands out as a common feature of all living beings. A kind of fasting by going hungry for weeks or months can be seen every year in lives of many living beings in nature. And it is impossible for living beings to remain alive without having the capability of fasting.

Today, many developed countries live in abundance. However, they cannot venture any difficulties anymore since they are used to that abundance. Diseases arising from excessive nutrition spread by snowballing in those countries.

Every nation has a food list peculiar to itself. Having a meal altogether with the family improves individuals feelings of allegiance to each other in the family. In fact, the first act the persons who want to know each other for a business requirement perform is meeting in a restaurant. What can supply the feelings of love and respect that are strengthened by sharing same meals at certain times better than fasting?

Saying Getting ready by fasting is necessary to taste the spiritual atmosphere of the religious aids, Jürgen Von Schedit, a psychologist from Munich, goes on his words as follows:

When fasting is no longer deemed as a tradition, the secret values included in it disappear. In other words, when man is too much busy with material things, he cannot even smell the spiritual things.

Another kind of fasting that everyone must be aware of is the one that all living things perform by instinct. Living beings losing their health drop eating and drinking. It is explained as follows: The body meeting a critical situation does not want to be busy with digestion because one third of the energy the body achieves from nutrition is spent for that action. Therefore, the body directs all its power towards defending against the disease.

Dr. Otto Buchinger (1882-1970), who has a great share in disclosing the forgotten values of fasting to the Western World once more, inscribes that he has begun fasting himself as a result of a serious disease, in his book Curative Fasting. Buchinger, who had caught a dangerous rheumatism of joints, began fasting when he noticed that his illness became more severe, his liver got larger while his muscles got thin and weak and his gall bladder got inflamed. Fasting under the control of Gustav Riedl, who was deemed as the most experienced of the German fasting experts, Buchinger fasted and regained his health by recovering completely.

Dr. Buchinger summarizes his researches that he has performed over ten thousands of patients by those words:

Except for diseases such as hypotension, there are no diseases that fasting is not useful for recovering or that fasting does not cause recovering completely. Fasting is an operation without the need for knife.
Dr. Lützner, an expert of fasting, stated that a 54-year-old athlete, who was one of the 10 thousand-metre runners, achieved his best ranks on his 49th fasting day.

Dr. Helga Bühler, one of the fasting experts, indicates the difference between hunger strike and fasting as follows:

The only difference between the two is the persons intention. Fasting is a positive and willing action. However, hunger strike arises from anger and fury. As it is known, anger and nervousness produce gastric juice and gastric juice causes one to feel hungry. Consequently, as the fasting person feels no hunger, the other one faces a great hunger.

While a fasting person gets rid of the endeavor performed for eating, he also gets rid of the bother of preparing a meal and doing the washing-up frequently. By the way, man also understands that he gets rid of some other utterly different things. Psychologist Jurgen Von Scheidt says the followings about that subject:

Getting freedom is extremely important especially for the ones who feel themselves addicted to things. It is possible to acquire such a treasury by the feelings of freedom that fasting supplies. Treatment of all people whose problem is addiction, treatment of people addicted to drugs and treatment of alcoholics are possible by means of fasting and by means of psychotherapy.

Dr. Hellmut Lützner, expresses the following facts in his book called Like New Born thanks to Fasting:

The phases of hunger a fasting person feels are treatment stages in fact. Those phases are the hours that the unhealthy and harmful materials are torn off from the tissues and circulated in the body. Mouth and sweat smells occurring in some bodies during fasting are because of discharging of those harmful stuff from the body.


Dr. Hellmut Lützner continues as follows:
You can taste the pleasure fasting gives better after you learn the following benefits it supplies:

* A strong morale.
* A more and more increasing interest in your own world of spirit and your body.
* An increase achieved in the power of envisagement and remembering.
* Supplying of self confidence and ability to take decisions calmly.
* Strengthening of sense of taste and achieving a much healthier nutrition.

It is really amazing to achieve all those benefits specified above by fasting. The difficulties occurring in the first days of fasting can be eliminated by a simple way. Eating fruits plentifully in the first days of fasting prevent the pieces of meat remaining in the stomach from decomposing, thus ailments such as nausea or headache are eliminated in this manner.
We conclude our article by a phrase of Dr. Buchinger.
Fast is an operation without the need for knife.

Translated from P.M. by Ayhan HALAÇ

As long as you do not swallow any water through your mouth or nose, swimming does not break the fast. But it is more appropriate not to swim in case of swallowing water.

Trimming hair,beard,nails does not break one's fasting. Bleeding while shaving also does not break fasting. But there are things which invalidate fasting.

Avoid the following which invalidate fasting:

• Feeding oneself through mouth, nose, etc and taking medicine knowing that one is fasting.
• Having sexual intercourse knowing that one is fasting.
• Vomiting mouthful.
• Being unconscious or drunk whole day.
• Begin to have menstrual or post-natal bleeding during any time of the day.
• Having abandoned Islam due to a blasphemous act or word.

This statement “the doors of Paradise will be wide open while those of Hell will be closed” has been told to give the good news of blessings to be abundantly bestowed in this month and of forgiveness of the sins previously committed if repented.

If a person who dies in this month is a Muslim, he is expected not to be punished in the grave throughout this month.

If the dead person is an unbeliever or an oppressor, his punishment will be severe although he dies in this month.

We hope that the relative of yours who died in this month will be safe from the punishment in the grave if Allah wills.

Brushing teeth does not invalidate the fast. However, swallowing toothpaste or water invalidates the fast. Considering the possibility for the fast to be invalidated, teeth should be brushed before imsak or after iftar.

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What is the criterion of listening to music in our religion?

Is it Haram to listen to Music?

No, one can not break fast because of failing to wake up sahoor (meal before dawn during ramadan). But if there is a life threat or something serious the fast can be broken.

You broke your fast earlier, so your fast is annulled. Therefore you need to compensate for it by fasting one day at another time.

If the lipstick comes out and is swallowed by you, it surely invalidates your fasting. On the other hand, if there were no swallowing, any substances, be it lipstick or cream, would not invalidates your fasting.

It is permitted to fast outside Ramadan, too. It is very meritorious to fast on the Eve of Eid al-Adha. Surely, the fasts other than Ramadan days are meritorious.
Our Prophet (PBUH) says: “I hope that Allah forgives the sins of the second and following years of the one who fasts on the Eve of Eid al-Adha. However, it is not recommended for the pilgrims standing for prayer on the Arafat Hill on the Eve Day. However,  it is recommended for Muslims except pilgrims to fast on that day." (Muslim, Siyam:1162)

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Can you inform us about the Fast in the month of Dhul Hijjah, ten days, “the ten nights”

Magnificent Opportunity: the First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah; Layal Ashara

There are forbidden acts during fasting that requires a make-up day; Ejaculation that occurs with pleasure by kissing, touching, and masturbation.

An adolescent person has four kinds of fluids.

1-Urine

2-Mani (semen)

3-Mazi (a white sticky fluid that flows from the sexual organs when thinking about sexual intercourse, foreplay, and so on)

4-Wadi (a thick white secretion discharged after urination)

Among these four fluids, only “Mani” (semen) requires Ghusl (major ablution). But the discharge of “Mazi” and “Wadi” do not make Ghusl obligatory; however, wudu breaks.

Hitting someone else does not break your fast. But there are things which invalidate fasting.

Avoid the following which invalidate fasting:

• Feeding oneself through mouth, nose, etc and taking medicine knowing that one is fasting.
• Having sexual intercourse knowing that one is fasting.
• Vomiting mouthful.
• Being unconscious or drunk whole day.
• Begin to have menstrual or post-natal bleeding during any time of the day.
• Having abandoned Islam due to a blasphemous act or word.

Sexual intercourse during fasting from dawn to dusk is not permissible. Sexual intercourse while fasting during the day invalidates the fast. The penalty is to fast an additional period of 60 continuous days. If one is not able to do so then he must feed sixty poor people-one average meal each. But it is permissible to have sexual intercourse after iftar (Breaking the fast after sunset) until the time of imsaq (abstinence).

The fast is not broken because of kissing his wife or any other one, but the fast is broken if man or woman ejaculates because of kissing, caressing, embracing or etc… and this requires only one day qadha but not a kaffarah. If something ejaculates without any desire from his/her sexual organs the fast is not broken.

Permitted Acts of Fasting: (Related with your question)

Kissing, provided that one has self-control.

Kissing, touching, and stroking the opposite sex, provided that no ejaculation occurs, as well as any sexual activity that does not result in ejaculation. Any ejaculation that is the result of looking and thinking does not invalidate the fast.

Forbidden Acts Requiring a Make-up Day:

Ejaculation that occurs with pleasure by kissing, touching, and masturbation.

Please click on the link given below;

Does it invalidate the fast if somebody kisses his wife?

The minimum limit for the state of puerperium is the flow of blood even for a moment; the maximum limit is forty days. The blood flow that continues more than forty days is regarded as istihaza blood (blood due to a fracture in a capillary, due to an illness). Therefore, if there is no blood, you should make ghusl and pray. You don't have to wait for forty days.

Sleeping near an air conditioner does not break fasting. Sorry but your question is not clear enough for us. So if anything you want to ask is not clearly answered, then please ask it in detail.

Eid is a day of joy and cheer. It is one of the nice days that lofty feelings overflow; the feelings of love and respect revive among believers. Solidarity and fusion reach the limits that day.

Eid is one of the best means of bringing people together and integrating them. The spirit of mutual assistance and gift exchange that climax on eid days do not become limited with living people; it reaches to the people in the grave who wait for al-Fatiha. Believers visit graves on eid days to fulfill their wishes; they read verses from the Quran, al-Fatiha and prayers, and please the people in the grave.

Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan Festival) has a different place among believers because it shows the total joy of iftar (meal of breaking the fast) of the fasting of one month like the joy of iftar of the daily fasting. Believers, who make their souls fast for a month, which is a long period of time, especially on hot days when Ramadan comes in the summer, experience the joy of being freed from the spiritual responsibility by being successful in test of patience in Eid al-Fitr.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Sacrifice Festival) were started to be celebrated beginning from the second year of Hegira. Fasting in Ramadan became obligatory that year and believers who fasted in that month celebrated the first three days of the next month (Shawwal) as eid. Therefore, it was called Ramadan festival.

Acting upon the hadith; "The first thing we will do on this day is to perform prayers"(1), Muslims start Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha by performing eid prayers.

Hazrat Prophet said,

The day of Arafa (one day before eid), the day of sacrifice and the days of tashriq are days of eid for Muslims. They are days of eating and drinking. (2)

The Prophet regarded Eid al-Fitr a day like that and he defined it as the iftar day of the Ramadan fasting.(3) That is why it is forbidden to fast on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The fact that it was forbidden to eat a day ago and it becomes forbidden to fast the next day is the most important factor that reminds believers in their world of thoughts and feelings about the real Owner of the bounties.

Everybody fasted based on the command of a Being a day ago and breaks the fast in order to please the same Being today. Everybody realizes fully that He is the real Owner of the bounties and finds a way of thanking Him.

Since eid is the total iftar of the fasting of a month, the sunnah acts of fasting are carried out on eid day too. Our Prophet (pbuh), who broke his fast by eating something sweet every evening, started Ramadan Festival by eating something sweet. He never left his house without breaking his fasting of a month by eating something sweet like dates. (4)

Our Prophet (pbuh), who encouraged us to perform worshipping and good deeds for the hereafter on every occasion, advised getting up and worshipping on both eid nights. He said that being awake on those nights would cause the heart be awake too. He stated the following in a hadith:

The heart of a person who gets up and worships on the nights of two eids does not die on the day when hearts die. (5)

There was an atmosphere of joy on eid days in the Era of Bliss (the period when the Prophet lived). Our Prophet (pbuh) went to the mosque in the morning on eid day. He wanted his wives, other women and children to go to the mosque too. Women stayed at the back side of the mosque.(6) Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that after the performance of eid prayer, our Prophet (pbuh) delivered a sermon. Ibn Masud went on as follows:

"I witness by the Messenger of Allah that he performed the prayer before the sermon. Then, he delivered the sermon. Then, he went over to the women because he thought they could not hear his voice. He reminded them some issues. Then, he read the following verse: “O Prophet! When believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” then:

– Will you give oath upon those?, he asked. One of them said:

– Yes O Messenger of Allah! The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

– Give alms! He encouraged them to give alms. The women who listened to him removed their earrings from their ears and bracelets from their arms, and their rings and necklaces. Bilal al-Habashi spread his garment and said:

–Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Come and give (alms)!”

And they started to cast their bracelets, earrings and rings into Bilal's garment. The garment was full of jewelry. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not wait there after eid and went to his house.” (7)

When one of the companions who narrated that event was asked, "Were the things that the women gave zakat of Ramadan?, he said: "No. What they gave was sadaqah. The women kept on casting their rings."(8)

Mentioning the same event, Abu Saidi'l-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that those who gave the most sadaqah were women on eid day. 

Eid al-Fitr is a sign of joy indicating having been forgiven. Angels give man the glad tidings of being forgiven.

Sa'd bin Aws al-Ansari narrates: The Messenger of Allah stated the following.

In the morning of Eid al-Fitr, angels come down to roads and say: "O the Community of Muslims! Run towards the mercy of your Lord, whose generosity is abundant. He gives you favors and grants. They are given plenty of rewards. You were ordered to worship at night and you fulfilled that order. You were ordered to fast during the day and you fasted. You obeyed your Lord, so take your rewards.

After the eid prayer is performed, a caller calls out as follows:

"Behold! Glad tidings for you! Your Lord has forgiven you. Go to your houses as having been forgiven. The day of eid is the day of reward. Today is declared as the day of reward in the sky."(9)

Since the days of eid are days of joy, legitimate games and entertainment that will show that joy clearly are permitted. There is a separate chapter in ‘Muslim’ about the issue and there are examples. In one of those narrations, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates as follows:

"When a group of Abyssinians came and started dancing, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) called for me. And I went and put my head on his shoulder. I started watching the play of the Abyssinians. Finally, I was the first to give up watching them."(10)

However, it is necessary not to exaggerate the joy and turn it to heedlessness. Entertainment should be within legitimate limits and it should not contain any elements of sin. As a matter of fact, eid is a divine feast given to us by Allah. Therefore, we need to remember Allah and thank Him the most on the day of eid. In the timeline, eid is the beginning of a new change, a milestone and time for reckoning. It is one of the means of reminding us that one more year has passed and we have taken one more step towards the realm of grave.

"It is because of this that there are among the narrations many that strongly encourage thanks and remembrance of God at festival times, in order to prevent heedlessness from prevailing and deviation into the illicit. Then at such times, this may transform the bounties of joy and happiness into thanks and make the bounty continue and increase it because thanking increases bounty and dispels heedlessness." (11)

Indeed, the takbirs uttered all together in congregation during the eid prayer is a means of eliminating heedlessness and fulfilling the duty of thanking. When we imagine that not only the people of one country but also more than a billion people all over the world utter takbirs all together, the wonderful situation makes our eids a universal event. At that time, the earth becomes like a single mouth and acts as if it utters takbir and performs a prayer. The raising of those voices that unite in the realm of similitude in this world is the world’s calling out of the oneness towards the heavens like a wonderful chorus.

The disagreements and resentments that occur due to small matters have no place on eid days when such wonderful events take place. Therefore, each believer should renew his fraternity contract with other believers, strengthen it, help the poor, and rejoice children so that the real meaning of the eid will be practiced.

The real adornments and jewels of the eid are takbirs. Each takbir that is uttered revives the spiritual enthusiasm in the spirits and hearts. They make the servant reach lofty feelings before the magnificence of his Lord.

Abu Hurayra narrates: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following: “Adorn your eid by uttering takbirs.” (12)

Getting ready for eids in accordance with sunnah turns that custom to worshipping, and it makes people spend those days of joy in the consciousness of belief.

Therefore, getting ready for the eid beforehand, putting on clean and nice clothes, having a bath, brushing teeth with miswak or toothbrush, wearing nice perfumes, having a cheerful face and eating dates or something sweet before the prayer of eid as they are all present in sunnah will make the eid days assume a different significance.

As a matter of fact, fitrah, which is known as sadaqah al-fitr, is given on the day of eid. If it has not been given during the month of Ramadan, it is necessary to give it on the day of eid. Besides, the name of Ramadan festival is Eid al-Fitr in hadiths, that is, the festival of fitr. It has that name because the duties of worshipping, which are the necessities of being created, are carried out.

The best form of eid is to shake hands and hug other believers whether you know them or not and wish them happy eids. During the Era of Bliss, the companions wished each other happy eids by saying: "Barakallahu lana wa lakum", that is "May the blessings of Allah be upon us and you”.(13) that wishing can be expressed as “blessed eid, happy eid, have a good eid” etc.

References

1) Bukhari, Iydayn: 3; Muslim, Adahi: 7.
2) Ebu Davud, Sawm:50; Tirmizi, Sawm:59; Nasai, Manasik:195.
3) Ibn Majah, Siyam: 32.
4) ibid, Siyam: 49.
5) ibid, Siyam: 67.
6) Muslim, Salatu'l-Iydayn: 11.
7) ibid, Salatu'l-Iydayn, 2.
8) ibid, Salatu'l-Iydayn, 3.
9) at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns. 2:332.
10) Muslim, Salatu'l-Iydayn, 20.
11) Lem’alar (Flashes), 230.
12) at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns. 2:332.

Enes Ibn Malik (R.A.) quotes the Prophet as saying: “Undoubtedly Allah has relieved the travelers of fasting and half of the prayer, and the pregnant and the breast-feeding women of the fast." (Abu Dawud, Sawm: 44, Tirmidhi, Sawm: 21; Ibn Majah Sıyam: 12)
If pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers cannot endure fasting, they don’t have to fast in the month of Ramadan. They can perform their missed fast(s) without any necessary order at a reasonable time after Ramadan.

Even if a person utters the words of intention for fasting, he can eat until the time of imsak starts because fasting starts with imsak. He does not have to utter the intention of fasting again after eating and drinking.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates: 

“Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings upon him, would kiss one of his wives while he was fasting.” (Having said this, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, smiled.)

In another narration, she says:

“Allah's Messenger (PBUH) would perform mubasharat (touching the wife/contact with the wife other than sexual intercourse) while fasting. He was more in control of his soul than all of you.” (Bukhari, Sawm: 24, 23; Muslim, Siyam: 62-65; Muwatta, Siyam: 14; Abu Dawud, Sawm: 33; Tirmidhi, Sawm: 31) 

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: 

One asked Allah's Messenger (PBUH) about mubasharat of the fasting person with his wife.

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) gave him permission. 

After that, somebody else came, he asked the same question, too. The Prophet forbade him from mubasharat (with his wife). 

The one to whom  Allah's Messenger (PBUH) gave permission was an old man; and the one whom he forbade from mubasharat was young. (Abu Dawud, Sawm: 35) 

Jaber, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: 

Umar Ibn-i Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, (came with alarm and) said: 

“O Allah's Messenger (PBUH)! Today I have made a grave mistake; I kissed (my wife) while I was fasting.”

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) answered thus:

“Do you not take water in your mouth while fasting (so as to get Wudu: ablution for ritual purification from minor impurities before salat)? (Does it invalidate your fast)?”

(One of the narrators, Isa Ibn-i Hammad, says in his narration:)

I said: “There is no harm in that.”

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:

“Then why (do you take alarm about kissing)?”

(Abu Dawud, Sawm: 33) 

'Mubasharat' means getting closer and a husband's benefiting from his wife. 

Here, it is used with the meaning of benefiting from one's wife's body except for sexual intercourse. 

While it is permitted for an old person, it is not permitted for young people. This is because a young man may not control himself and may fall into a situation necessitating kaffarah (compensation).

You must fast just one day after ramadhan for that day. You don't have to do anything else.

The fast of spouses, who have intercourse at night and wake up in the morning in a state of Junub, is still valid. But spouses in a state of Junub should perform Ghusl as soon as possible without delaying any prayer. What is obligatory is to perform the prayers on time.

Fasting is invalidated by having intercourse during the day in Ramadan, from just before dawn until after sunset.

One who is healthy enough to fast cannot compensate for his/her missed fasts by paying ransom. He/she has to perform them all as qada. A Muslim who is too unhealthy to fast can pay ransom for each of the missed fasts. That ransom substitutes the fast. Fitrah (alms given in Ramadan) and ransom are equal in amount.

Ransom about fasting which is one of the worships is determined by the following verse: “(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.” (al-Baqarah, 2/184)

As it is understood from the clear expression of the verse, ransom for fasting is paid when one does not have an opportunity to perform it as qada because of illness or old age. If one pays ransom and then recovers from his/her illness, the ransom paid before will not be enough and he/she has to perform the missed fasts as qada. In this sense, if one dies before he/she performs the missed fasts as qada, he/she needs to tell his/her inheritors to pay the ransom on his/her behalf. If one dies before he/she recovers, the ransom paid before will be enough and he/she does not need to tell his/her inheritors about it.

Therefore, one must perform each of the missed fasts as qada. Moreover, one should repent for not having performed a fard worship in time without an excuse.

If one cannot perform the missed fasts as qada because of illness or old age, he/she has to pay ransom for each of them. The amount of a ransom is equal to the amount of fitrah determined for that year.

Sexual intercourse during fasting from dawn to dusk is not permissible. Sexual intercourse while fasting during the day invalidates the fast. The penalty is to fast an additional period of 60 continuous days. If one is not able to do so then he must feed sixty poor people-one average meal each. But it is permissible to have sexual intercourse after iftar (Breaking the fast after sunset) until the time of imsaq (abstinence).

Please click on the link given below;

Is it permissible to do anything sexual with my partner other than sexual intercourse during the holy month of Ramadan?

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and Ummu Salamah inform us that the Prophet took full ablution after imsak.(Bukhari, Fasting, 25). Thus, being unclean (junub) when imsak begins does not harm the fast; taking full ablution does not break the fast, either.

One of the basics of Sufism is Qillah at-Taam (Scarcity of Food) which has the meaning of “eating little”
Eating much damages our physical body; it damages our spiritual life as well.

When a person eats like stuffing oneself,

• Fear from Allah vanishes  from the heart
• Prayers become difficult for him
• He is not much impressed with words of wisdom; he listens to the conversations that are of high wisdom yawning
• His power of impressing people reduces when he is to give advice
• He easily gets sick
• His bodily appetite becomes excessive and it does not obey the heart and mind
• His lustful desires strengthen
• Sleep takes over. His hours that he could spend with religious actions and praying are filled with sleep that resembles death and nothingness.

• Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) fasted on Mondays and Thursday. He also fasted on 13th, 14th and 15th days of every month of the lunar calendar. In the months of Rajab and Sha’ban, he fasted more often. He would not eat much even in the times that he was not fasting. Sometimes, smoke did not come out of his house for months.
The Holy Prophet advises that stomach should be separated into three parts: One third for food, one third for water and the remaining one third for air.

“To eat only when one is hungry and to leave eating without a full stomach” is a significant unavoidable prescription for controlling bodily appetites.

Today’s Muslims who are turning the Month Ramadan into almost an “eating month”, with splendid iftar (the breaking of fast at sunset ) tables, reduce their benefit from this month of annual maintenance for the body and the soul. Nowadays desires and appetites of the body are spoiled with delicious meals, and the souls have become obstinate and disobedient. Eating little which is a common value in almost every mystical movement is what people today ultimately need. In parables of dervishes, we read stories of praiseworthy people who could survive with a single olive for forty days. It seems that a person who has forty olives along with cheese or jam in the breakfast would suspect these parables. However, it would be good not to forget that when a man rises to the level of life of the heart and soul, he becomes a sort of angel, and his need for food reduces to minimum. Besides, this should not be ignored: if the energy in an atom comes out of it, we encounter a huge amount of energy beyond our perception and imagination. Who knows, a similar situation can be the valid for these kinds of praiseworthy people.

From the book Nefis Terbiyesi (Discipline for Bodily Appetites)

Şadi Eren (Doç.Dr.)

As a general rule and definite decree, injecting nourishment through serum in order to provide body resistance to a patient invalidates fasting. Injection in order to reduce the pain or for obligatory treatment invalidates fasting according to Abu Hanifa. However, it does not invalidate fasting according to Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad and other madhhab imams. As a precaution, it is better to carry out those treatments at night. However, that permission can be used for the treatments that have to be carried out during the day. Gynecological examination does not invalidate fasting.

The judgments that the Directorate of Religious Affairs (of Turkey) made regarding the methods of examination and treatment that invalidate and do not invalidate fasting:

The Supreme Committee of Religious Affairs conducted a meeting under the presidency of Deputy Director Prof. Dr. M. Saim YEPREM on 22/09/2005.

The issue of “The Methods of Examination and Treatment That Invalidate and Do Not Invalidate Fasting” prepared by the Committee of Answering Religious Questions was negotiated. As a conclusion of the negotiations, the following decisions were made;

Many people undergo treatment due to various health problems. Today, many methods of treatments that did not exist during the age of Hazrat Prophet have emerged. Some of the patients who undergo treatment want to perform fasting. However, they have doubts whether those methods of treatment and examination invalidate fasting or not, and they ask our directorate about them.

Fasting, which is one of the five fundamentals of Islam, is, according to its definitions in the verses of the Quran, a kind of worship that is performed by restraining oneself from eating, drinking and sexual activity from dawn to dusk. The following is stated in the Glorious Quran, “Permitted to you on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives (...) Eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread.” (al-Baqara 2/187). Hazrat Prophet said; “Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: ‘With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake.’ ” (Muslim, Siyam, 30, H.No: 1151). Accordingly, fasting consists of abstaining from eating, drinking and sexual activity with the intention of worshipping; if one of those is carried out, fasting is invalidated. All of the Islamic scholars agree on it. As for the issues except eating, drinking and sexual activity, there are disagreements because they were either decided by analogy or by acting upon the meaning of imsak (seizing or abstaining) in the word “siyam” by mujtahids (Islamic legislators); many scholars expanded the things that invalidate fasting while some scholars kept them to a minimum acting upon the meaning of fasting in the verse and hadith.

In addition to eating, drinking and sexual activity, nothing that invalidates fasting except vomiting a mouthful intentionally and hajamat (a kind of cupping; drawing blood) is mentioned in hadiths (see Ibn Majah, Siyam, 18; Abu Dawud, Siyam, 28; Tirmidhi, Sawm, 25). However it is mentioned in the hadiths that many acts like having a bath, rinsing out the mouth (mazmaza), brushing teeth (using miswak), tinging with kohl, kissing one’s wife, applying oil on one’s body, wearing perfume do not invalidate fasting (see Bukhari, Sawm, 24, 27; Muslim, Siyam, 12; Tirmidhi, Sawm, 29, 31, 76; İbn Majah, Siyam, 17; …).
Fasting is a kind of worship that all Muslims must know about how to perform, what invalidates and what does not invalidate it. Therefore, as in the other kinds of worshipping, Hazrat Prophet would have explained in detail if there had been other things that invalidated fasting, and his companions would have reported them to the following generation. However, apart from the acts that were mentioned above, there are no other hadiths that were reported whether sahih (sound), da’if (weak), musnad (indexed by Sahaba) or mursal (reported by Tabi’in).

Some acts that are mentioned among the things that invalidate fasting in our fiqh resources like amma (deep wound in the head) or jaifa (deep wound in the abdomen) and huqna (enema) were carried out during the time of Hazrat Prophet and Muslims probably faced them and carried out those treatments but no narration was reported from our Prophet stating that they invalidated fasting. As a matter of fact, it is a necessity of tabligh (conveying the message) that the Prophet must explain the things that Muslims can face. Therefore, only eating, drinking and sexual activity that are stated clearly in the Quran and sahih sunnah invalidate fasting. It corresponds to restraining oneself from the desires of the soul and bodily habits that our religion means by fasting.

In the light of the explanations above, methods of examination and treatment can be evaluated as follows in terms of invalidating or not invalidating fasting:

a) Sprays for the patients of asthma
A very small amount (1/20 ml.) of the spray that lung patients use is delivered into the mouth at one time. Most of it is absorbed by the mouth and the wall of the trachea and disappears. There is no certain information that the rest reaches the stomach with the saliva. When that amount is compared to the water that remains in the mouth during wudu (ablution), it can be seen that it is very little. As a matter of fact, there is a hadith (Darimi, Sawm, 21) and the consensus of Islamic scholars that if the water remaining in the mouth after wudu reaches the stomach, it does not invalidate fasting. In addition, it is inevitable that some bits and chemicals from miswak (natural toothbrush) will reach the stomach but it is mentioned in sahih hadith resources that Hazrat Prophet used miswak while he was fasting. (Bukhari, Sawm, 27; Tirmidhi, Sawm, 29). On the other hand, fasting is not invalidated by something that is not certain whether it reaches the stomach or not according to the rule “what is known as certain is not invalidated by doubt”.

Therefore, if asthma patients do not have any other diseases and if their health is suitable for fasting, their fasting is not invalidated by the medicine containing oxygen that is sprayed into the mouth in order to enable them to breathe easily.

b) Eye Drops
According to the information received from the specialist opticians, a dosage of eye-drop that should be taken over a period of time is very little (50 microliters which is 1/20 of a milliliter), and some of it is thrown out by the blink of an eyelid, and some of it is absorbed in the eye, in the canals connecting the canals between the eye and the nasal cavity and in the mucus through pores, and scarcely any amount of it may arrive in the alimentary canal. When that information is considered together with the explanations above, eye drops do not invalidate fasting.

c) Nose Drops
One drop of medicine dropped into the nose for treatment is about 0,06 cm3. Some of it is absorbed through nose walls and only very little of it reaches the stomach. It can be evaluated as exempt as it is the case in mazmaza.

d) Sublingual Pills
The sublingual pill placed under the tongue in some cardiac diseases is absorbed through the mouth tissue, mixes with the blood and prevents heart attack. Since that pill is absorbed and disappears in the mouth, it does not reach the stomach. Therefore, sublingual pills do not invalidate fasting.

e) Endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound from the anus or vagina
In endoscopy, which is carried out in order to determine the disease in the stomach by inspecting the stomach or carrying out a biopsy, a medical instrument is inserted through the mouth into the stomach, and the instrument is taken out after the procedure. In colonoscopy, which is carried out in order to determine the disease in the colons by inspecting the inside of the intestine or carrying out a biopsy, an instrument is inserted through the anus into the intestines, and the instrument is taken out after the procedure. In colonoscopy, almost always, and in endoscopy generally some water is sent into the body through the instrument in order to clean the area to be inspected.
Although endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound from the anus or vagina do not mean eating or drinking, they invalidate fasting because water is generally sent into the body through the instrument. However, if water, oil or any other thing that has the quality of food does not enter into digestive system during those procedures, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound from the anus or vagina will not invalidate fasting.

f) Inspecting urinary canal and inserting medicine into the canal
The instruments or medicine inserted into the urinary canal do not invalidate fasting.

g) Anesthesia
Preventing transmission in various levels on the neural pathways that transmit pain forms anesthesia. There are three kinds of anesthesia: local, regional and general. In small operations, the anesthesia that is attained by administering drugs that prevent transmission to the immediate surroundings of the region to be operated on is called local anesthesia. The anesthesia that is formed by administering drugs to prevent transmission in the level of spinal cord in larger regions of the body, for instance, below the belt or one half of it to the spinal cord or before the spinal cord on the points of connection formed by a large neuron group is called regional anesthesia. The anesthesia in which the patient is anesthetized and the pain is prevented in the level of brain is called general anesthesia.
Anesthesia is formed through administering drugs into body through air passage or injection. The anesthesia that is carried out through air passage or injection does not reach the stomach, and it is not regarded as eating or drinking. However, in regional and general anesthesia, in emergencies, medicine, liquid and serum are administered through vascular access. Therefore, local anesthesia does not invalidate fasting. In regional and general anesthesia, fasting is invalidated because serum is administered.

h) Ear drops and having the ears washed
There is a canal between the ears and throat. However, since the eardrum blocks that canal, water or medicine does not reach the throat. Therefore, the medicine dropped into the ear and having the ears washed do not invalidate fasting. Even if there is a small hole in the eardrum, the medicine will not reach the stomach or very little of it will reach the stomach. As we have mentioned before, such a small amount is regarded exempt. However,if the eardrum membrane is pierced, water may reach the stomach during when one has his ears washed. Therefore, an amount of water that is enough to validate fasting reaches the stomach, fasting will be invalidated.

i) Suppositories and enema
Suppositories are inserted as painkillers and antipyretics and for some other purposes through the anus, and in order to treat fungal infections and some gynecological diseases through the vagina. Enema is the procedure of injecting liquid through the anus in order to remove the feces in the large intestine before medical operations or in the treatment of constipation.
Digestive system starts in the mouth and ends in the anus; it consists of the alimentary canal and digestive glands. The alimentary canal starts in the mouth. After the mouth comes the pharynx. Then the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus follow. Digestion is completed in the small intestine. In the large intestine, only water, glucose and some salts are absorbed. There is no connection between the vagina of a woman and the digestive system.
Therefore, the suppositories that women insert through their vaginas do not invalidate fasting. As for the suppositories inserted through the anus, although they enter into the digestive system, they do not invalidate fasting because digestion is completed in the small intestine and the suppositories do not have any nutritious properties and they are not regarded as eating or drinking when they enter the body through the anus. .

Two situations occur during enema: since water, glucose and some salts are absorbed in the large intestine, fasting is invalidated if a liquid containing nourishment is administered into intestines or if an amount of water enough to invalidate fasting stays in the intestine. However, if the water is not kept in the intestines and if the intestines are cleaned immediately fasting is not invalidated because the water is taken out together with the feces in the intestines and the water absorbed during that period is very little.

j) Injections, giving serum and blood to a patient
Whether injections invalidate fasting or not depends on the usage purpose of them. Injections are given in order to relieve pain, to treat a disease, to increase the resistance of the body and to give nourishment, etc. The injections that do not give nourishment or pleasure do not invalidate fasting because they are not regarded as eating and drinking. However, the injections that give nourishment or pleasure invalidate fasting. The same rule is valid regarding giving the patient blood or serum.

k) Dialysis
The dialysis that is applied to the patients with renal failure are of two types:peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.
Peritoneal dialysis is the procedure of cleaning the blood from the harmful substances and maintaining fluid balance through a special solution administered into the abdominal cavity. Hemodialysis is the procedure of cleaning the blood through a machine outside the body and giving the cleaned blood back to the body. The blood is drawn through a syringe from the arm of the patient. The hemodialysis machine filters the blood through a dialyser continuously and removes the harmful substances and the extra water. The filtered clean blood is given back to the patient through a second syringe. During that procedure, sometimes, fluid containing nourishment becomes necessary to be given to the patient.
Accordingly, fasting is not invalidated if hemodialysis is carried out without giving any fluid containing nourishment to the patient. In the other forms of dialysis, fasting is invalidated since fluid containing nourishment is given to the body.

l) Angio
The operation known as angio by people is carried out for diagnosis (angiography) and for treatment. Angiography means the imaging of the veins and arteries. A drug called contrast substance that makes the veins visible is administred into the veins and films called angiograms are obtained. Thanks to angiography, the veins fostering the organs are imaged and diagnostic information regarding vascular diseases or the organs fostered by those veins are obtained. The classical method for the treatment of angio is angioplasty. It is carried out in order to reopen the narrowed or blocked veins through a special devices called balloon or stent.

In the light of that information, since nothing related to eating and drinking take place in both angiography or angioplasty, fasting is not invalidated.

m) Biopsy
Removing tissue from the body (biopsy) in order to analyze it does not invalidate fasting.

n) Donating blood
As to whether donating blood invalidates fasting or not, acting upon the hadith reported from Hazrat Prophet “The one administering the cupping and the one being cupped have both invalidated their fasts” (Abu Dawud, Siyam, 28), some Islamic scholars say donating blood invalidates fasting. Acting upon the narration that Hazrat Prophet was cupped while he was fasting (Bukhari, Sawm, 32; Abu Dawud, Siyam, 29), most of the scholars say that donating blood does not invalidate fasting.

When those two hadiths and other narrations are evaluated together, the hadith “The one administering the cupping and the one being cupped have both invalidated their fasts” should be understood as “The one administering the cupping and the one being cupped bear the risk of invalidating fasting.” The one administering the cupping bears the risk of swallowing blood since he sucks the blood and the one being cupped may feel weak and may have to eat and drink something. As a matter of fact,Anas b. Malik said cupping is not liked because it will weaken the fasting person. (Bukhari, Sawm, 32).
Therefore, donating blood does not invalidate fasting.

o) Ointment and bands containing medicine
Oil, ointment and similar things applied on the skin are absorbed through the pores and capillaries under the skin and mix with blood. However, the skin absorbs them in very small amounts and very slowly. On the other hand, it does not mean eating or drinking. Therefore, the ointment applied on the skin and the band containing medicine that is stuck on the skin do not invalidate fasting.
In conclusion;

a) Our religion permits people who are ill and who are undergoing treatment not to perform fasting. Therefore, people who are continuing their treatment can delay performing fasting until they recover and their treatment is over. However, if they want to perform fasting in the month of Ramadan together with other people and if they do not have any other drawback to fasting, they can have their examination and treatment after iftar (breaking their fasting).
b) The spray used by asthma patients, eye, ear and nose drops, having the ear washed if the ear is not pierced, using sublingual pills, imaging the urinary canal, administering medicine into urinary canal, endoscopy on the condition that water, oil or a similar substance having the property of nutrition do not enter the body, colonoscopy, ultrasound through the anus or vagina, local anesthesia, enema on the condition that water is not kept in the intestines and the intestines are cleaned immediately, hemodialysis without administering the patient any fluid, injections that are not nourishing or that do not give pleasure, angio, biopsy, donating blood, applying ointment on the skin, sticking bands containing medicine on the body do not invalidate fasting.

c) Injections that are nourishing or that give pleasure, administering fluids that have nourishment to the body or enema that lasts so long enough as the water to be absorbed, endoscopy or colonoscopy if water, oil or a similar substance having the property of nutrition enter the body, regional and general anesthesia, having the ear washed if the ear is pierced so that an amount of water sufficient to invalidate fast reaches the stomach, peritoneal dialysis, and hemodialysis administering serum to the vein invalidate fasting.

According to the information received from the specialist opticians, a dosage of eye-drop that should be taken over a period of time is very little (50 microliters which is 1/20 of a milliliter), and some of it is thrown out by the blink of an eyelid, and some of it is absorbed in the eye, in the canals connecting the canals between the eye and the nasal cavity and in the mucus through pores, and scarcely any amount of it may arrive in the alimentary canal. When that information is considered together with the explanations above, eye drops do not invalidate fasting.

There is no such an obligation. They can pray wherever they want.

The following is stated in the Quran:

"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint." (al-Baqara, 2/183)

It is fard to fast in the month of Ramadan because Allah Almighty says, "Fasting is prescribed to you". Besides, there is definite consensus that it is fard.

It is known that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:

"Fasting is a shield that protects man from the fire of Hell just like the shield that protects you from death in war." (Nasai, Sawm, IV, 167)

Fasting is a deed of worship that keeps a believer away from all kinds of lust and that increases his sincerity. It is very important to resist hunger, thirst and other desires of the soul. The believers who believe in Allah and decide to fight in the way of His religion obtain a strong will thanks to fasting. The lunar calendar changes based on the movement of the moon and hence Ramadan comes ten or eleven days earlier every year. Therefore, a believer sometimes fasts in winter in a very cold weather and sometimes in summer in a very hot weather. In a sense, the believer makes the following promise: "I am ready to fulfil the commands of Allah both in freezing cold weather and scorching hot weather." Besides, it is something very important for man to refrain from the lustful desires of his soul for a month to attain Allah’s consent.

Excuses that make it permissible not to fast in Ramadan:

The following decree is stated in the Quran:

"O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint.― (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more of his own free-will―it is better for him, and it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew. " (al-Bakara, 2/183-184)

If it is noted, it can be seen what states make it permissible not to fast can be seen.

1) Being ill: If a person who is obliged to fast is afraid that he will die or he will lose one of his organs, he does not fast. Imam Marghinani says, "The increase in the illness or lengthening of the illness may sometimes cause a person’s death." He says, in that case, it is necessary to avoid it (increasing or lengthening it), pointing out its sensitivity. An illness becomes certain through experience or the diagnosis of a believing specialist (doctor). 

2) Going on an expedition (Traveling): A person who is obliged to fast and who goes on an expedition in the month of Ramadan does not make niyyat (have the intention) for fasting at night if he does not want want to fast. It is permissible and it is definite by verses. 

3) Being very old and weak: A very old person who is too weak to fast eats every day and pays a poor person fidyah (amount of money necessary for a person to fill his stomach for one day) for each day he does not fast. Imam Marghinani says "What is essential here is the decree of Allah that says “it is necessary for those who cannot fast to pay fidyah to the poor” If he can fast, the fidyah becomes invalid. The condition for the fidyah is the continuation of the weakness.” (al-Hidaya, I, 127).

How old should one be so as not to fast? Fiqh scholars gave different answers to that question. However, being very old and weak changes from person to person. Fatawa al-Hindiyya (I, 207):

"A very old and weak person is someone whose strength decreases day by day and dies before gaining strength again”. It is the definition in Bahru'r-Raiq. People who are in that state can pay their fidyahs at the beginning of Ramadan wholly or pay it at the end of the month. If they gain strength and can fast after paying the fidyahs, their fidyahs become invalid. They have to fast for those days.

4) Menstruation and Post-Partum (Puerperium) Bleeding: It is haram for women who are in menstruation and puerperium to fast. It is recorded that Hazrat Aisha, our mother, (may Allah be pleased with her) said,

"During the period of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), when one of us became clean after menstrual period, she would fast for the days that she could not fast but would not perform the prayers that she missed." (Fathul-Qadir, I, 114).

Therefore, the women in menstrual period and puerperium do not fast as long as they are in those states. Then, (after being clean) they perform fasting for those days.

5) Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: In Durru'l-Mukhtar, the following is written: “A pregnant woman who is afraid that her life or her child’s life will be endangered, or according to zahiru'r riwaya, a breastfeeding woman whether she is the mother or wet nurse does not have to fast." (Ibn Abidin, IV, 338). What is essential here is that, whether pregnant or breastfeeding, the danger of destroying their bodies or their children. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in Fatawa al-Hindiyya: "If pregnant or breastfeeding women are afraid that they or their children can be destroyed they do not have to fast or they can break their fast. Kaffarah (fasting for 60 days as a punishment of breaking fast intentionally) is not necessary; they can fast later one day for each day (ibid, I, 207).

6) Danger of Being Destroyed or Being Bitten by a Snake: A mujahid (Muslim who fights for Allah) who knows that he will fight the enemy in the month of Ramadan and who is worried that he will become weak and will not be able to fight as necessary if he fasts does not have to fast  (ibid, I, 208). In Durru'l-Mukhtar, the following is written, "A person who is forced, who is afraid of being destroyed or going mad and a person who has been bitten by a snake may break their fast." We can think that those states are covered by the expression “who is ill” in the verse. Those who break their fast due to the reasons mentioned above fast later one day for each day because the danger of being destroyed is in question in case of delaying. It is certain that it is an acceptable excuse. 

It is a great sin not to perform fasting in Ramadan apart from the excuses mentioned above. Even if a person fasts later for those days, he will still be regarded responsible. He should both perform fasting for those days, repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. To work during the summer days is not an excuse not to perform fasting.

Another important issue that needs to be known is as follows:

Yes, the fasting that is skipped without any excuse in Ramadan is performed as qada (is made up) as one day for each day. However, the Prophet (pbuh) states that if a person fasted every day in order to attain the thawab of fasting skipped one day in Ramadan, he would not be able to attain it:

“If a person broke fasting during Ramadan without an excuse or illness and if he fasted for all time, his fasting would not make up for it.” (Tirmidhi, Sawm, 27; Abu Dawud, Sawm, 38; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 14)

Therefore, it is a major sin to skip fasting in Ramadan without any excuse; besides, it is disrespect to the month of Ramadan and to all Muslims.

The protective feature of fasting is emphasized both in the Qur’an and in the hadiths.

In the verse from the Qur’an: “O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may deserve God's protection (against the temptations of your carnal soul) and attain piety.” (the Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:183), the protection of fasting is indicated as the main aim and the following is stated in the hadith :“Fasting is a shield” (Bukhari, Fasting, 2; Muslim, Fasting, 162).

It is understood that fasting is not a way of worshipping that only consists of hunger and thirst but has a feature of protective shield.

Principally, we can talk about there aspects as regards to the protection of fasting.

a. Biological aspect

We can explain the biological protection of fasting in this way: The source of “power of animal appetite and power of passion”, which exist in human by nature, is the carnal soul. Both of these forces, which arise bestially and vegetally, always have the potential to become excessive and behave harshly. In order to hinder them to use excessive, unbalanced and disproportionate bestial force against spiritual life, they need to be tamed and to be made to behave in a balanced way. And this is possible through consolidation of spiritual life, which represents the heart, mind and divine sentiments and through weakening material life, which represents the carnal soul, senses and servile emotions. In other words, -in order to make spiritual life predominate over material life – we should reduce the food and logistic support, which are the source of energy for the biological – material body and on the other hand, we should take in spiritual nutrition which feeds the spirit and support divine sentiments like worshipping, invocation and consideration.

In some of the narrations of hadiths, it is stated that devils are chained in the month of Ramadan. ( Bukhari, Fasting, 5). This can be understood that rampant devils are chained and it can also be understood figuratively. In this case, the statement “devils are chained in the month of Ramadan” means a lack of conditions which set the ground for devils to spread their delusions. Devils can deceive people in every way they can.  The first way is repletion, which indulges the carnal soul. By removing this repletion in Ramadan, ways for devils to spread their misgivings are closed and their movement area becomes narrower. This means they are chained. Likewise, in a hadith, the following is stated “Devils wander where the blood of human circulates” (Tirmidhi, Rada, 17:1772). And this shows that lustful emotions of human increase in paralel with the food they take in and cause a way for devils to open; if these vessels are narrowed with hunger, this will hinder devils’ mobility and they will be chained in a sense.

To sum up the matter with a clearer expression, since devils are from the jinn tribe, they can enter any place like air and in the blood vessels as well.

Once the delusions of devil and the desires of the carnal soul merge, it becomes difficult for a person to struggle against them. The desires of carnal soul are mostly about eating and drinking. As it enjoys the taste, it asks for more. It gains resistance with repletion and it insistently tries to do what devils suggest it – since they serve it good. However, when it is exposed to hunger and thirst, it loses its resistance and becomes too powerless to even listen to the delusions of devil.

As stated in an erudite anecdote, after Allah punished the carnal soul and asked it “who am I and who are you?”, it replied as a rampant rebel “ I am who I am and you are who you are”. When He kept it hungry for a while, then, it admitted “you are my Merciful Lord and I am a poor servant of you”.

And this proves fasting to be a protective shield which chains the devils in this sense and tames the carnal soul, which is the companion of the devil and which thus restrains people from inhumane and non-Islamic attitudes.

b. Psychological Aspect              

According to the data of science today, the effect of psychology on the attitudes and behavior of people is unquestionable. It is a proven fact with thousands of experience that there is difference between the condition of hunger and thirst of a person when he does not fast and the condition of hunger and thirst when he intends and fasts. A person who intends to fast, instills himself with a determination and resistance not to eat or drink anything during fasting as a result of the pledge he made to Allah and the agreement he made to himself. Allah grants this psychological resistance which occurs as a result of intention and determination as a manifestation of His dominant name.

A person who restrains from some kind of attitudes and behavior which are forbidden for the time being while fasting even though they are not forbidden in normal times, begins to understand the obligation of staying away from the things that are always on the list of prohibitions and tries to restrain more from the evil deeds as a result of this psychology. One of the aspect of protective shield of fasting is the formation of this psychological awareness.

c. Sociological Aspect

As is known, man is a civilized and social being due to its inborn nature; he can maintain his life only in a social life. Deeds of people who are structurally both active and passive, do not only remain on the basis of individuality but they also affect social structure. For this reason, the conditions of the environment and the status of the community play an important role on the personalities of people. All of the expressions like “he that lies down with dogs will rise up with fleas”, “if everybody swept the front of their houses, there would be no need for municipal services”, “social influence, neighborhood pressure”, are for diagnosing a sociological case.

It is certain by experience that the month of Ramadan makes Muslims well-disciplined thanks to fasting; it increases their sense of compassion and mercy and revivifies the spirit of helping and solidarity. It keeps them away from evilness to the utmost. It makes them breathe the air of the Age of Bliss, when the Qur’an was sent. People beat their wings to become a kind of angel thanks to fasting.  Thanks to the atmosphere in which the heart is predominant over the soul, the mind over the wishes and desires of the soul and divine sentiments over rascal ones, spiritual over material, the brain over the mouth, and the spirit over the stomach, the humane virtues are spread in the community. The community converts from material life into spirituality in this month. In a society in which people are fasting, the mind speaks and devils stop speaking, and the heart speaks and the soul becomes silent… From then on, just like an individual, the society is also protected by the shield of fasting. And this is the social protection of fasting…

Let us end this issue with a hadith which warns us about fasting:

Narrated Abu Hurayra: The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Let him/her crawl on his/her nose whoever does not say “Salawat” (sending peace and blessings to the Prophet) though my name is mentioned in his/her presence. Let him/her crawl on his/her nose whoever is not forgiven though the Month of Ramadan comes and leaves. Let him/her crawl on his/her nose whoever cannot go to Paradise though both his/her old parents or one of them is alive and with him/her (and s/he cannot take good care of them and thus cannot enter Paradise).” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 101)

Performing fard (compulsory) wajib (obligatory) fasts on Fridays and Saturdays as single days is not makrooh (abominable). That is why, there is no drawback for the ones who have skipped fasting or who has offerings to practice fasting in any day of the week of their choice.  

Furthermore, if the eves of eids or the days of the one of the five holy nights happen to be on Friday or Saturday, it is not be abominable to practice fasting on those days. As it is stated in the Hadith “There is no drawback if one of you is practicing the fast that he is accustomed to.” We understand that if those who practice fasting on the days of five holy nights can practice their fasting even if the holy nights are on Fridays. (Naylu'l Awtar, 4, 249; İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, Wahba Zuhayli, v.3, p. 124)
However, fasting within the week only on Friday and Saturday for those who are not accustomed to practicing fard and wajib fasts on eves of eids or the days of holy nights is tanzihan makrooh (somewhat disliked). The hadiths stating the facts on the matter are below: 

“Friday is a day of feast; do not turn your day of feast into day of fast.” (Musnad, 2:303)

“Except the compulsory fast, do not practice fasting on Saturday” (Ibn Majah, Siyam: 38)

“Saturdays and Sundays are days of feast for polytheists, I would like to oppose them.” (Nasai, Jumu’a: 1)

“Among the nights do not assign only Friday night for praying; again, among the days, do not assign only Friday for fasting. However, if any of you is practicing the fast he is accustomed to, then it is an exception.” (Naylu'l Awtar, 4, 249; İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, Wahba Zuhayli, v.3, p. 124)

Those hadiths only advise not to practice fasting on Fridays and Saturdays. However practicing your fast on those days, in other words, practicing your fast on Fridays and Saturdays is tanzihan makrooh. It is not tahriman makrooh (strictly abominable).   

However, on those days, by performing fasting adding one day before or one day after to that day you can simply prevent it from being abominable. If one wants to practice his fasting on Friday, he should start practicing his fasting on Thursday or he should continue his practice on Saturday as well. Again, if someone wants to practice his fasting on Saturday he should add either Friday or Sunday to his practice. Fiqh scholars explain that matter as it is mentioned above:

If the one practices his fasting on Sunday without showing respect to that day, because it will be easier to practice his fasting on Sunday since its holiday, there is no drawback to that practice. However practicing fasting on Sunday considering it as a respectable day is inappropriate.

If fasting gives harm to one's health, it is permissible for him  not to fast, but when s/he gets well he must fast for each missed days. If the ilness or the reason that avoids fasting is permanent then s/he must pay ransom (fidya).
If one is healthy enough to be able to fast, paying ransom (fidya, the feeding of one that is indigent) instead of fasting will not save him from the duty of fasting. He must perform fasting that he missed for each day. A Muslim, who is incapable of fasting, must pay ransom (if can afford) instead of each days that he didn’t fast. This ransom is current instead of fasting. The amount of ransom (fidya) is equal to the amount of fitra (special form of Islamic alms-charity).
Ransom (fidya) of fasting is testified directly by the Quran; “(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew. (el-Bakara, 2/184)
Also, if it is testified by a pious doctor that one can not fast, s/he can pay ransom instead of fasting.
The limit of illness which make not to fast permissible has been listed by our Islamic law scholars as follows:
1-Having so much difficulty by fasting,
2-Having a life-critical because of fasting,
3- If ilness becomes intensfied or the cure delays because of fasting.
Nowadays, according to the depandable doctor’s statements, some of the certain ilnesses which make not to fast permissible are those:
1- The extremity heart illnesses.
2- Tuberculous and the disase of lung ichor
3- The disease of canser,
4- Intense kidney inchor,
5- Urethritis with having stone in it,
6- Extremity arterioslerosis,
7- Extremity diabetes disase (1)
8- Having ulcer with the stomach and bowel,

(1) el-Fıkh'ul-Islâmi and Edilletuha v. 2, p. 645

You must start fasting and break it according to the local prayer schedule defined by The Directorate of Religious Affairs. You must follow the prayer schedule for the area you live.

The aim of the first 10 days of Zilhicca which is mentioned in the hadiths is its first 9 days. Because, the 10th day of the Zilhicca is the first day of the Sacrifice Holiday. It is not permissible to fast that day. However that day is a worship day as well. The acceptable fast is the first 9 days before Sacrifice Holiday. The night of the Sacrifice Holiday is included in the 10 nights. Because nights come beforehand.

It seems that you are not an adolescent yet because you are only (11), so you are exempt from Ramadan fasting.

Please read the information given below;

WHO IS EXEMPT FROM SAWM?
Fasting is mandatory on every Muslim who is sane, adult, able and resident. The following exemptions apply:
1. the insane;
2. children who are not adolescent yet;
3. the elderly and chronically ill for whom fasting is unreasonably strenuous; Such persons are required to feed at least one poor person every day in Ramadan for which he or she has missed fasting.
4. pregnant women and nursing may postpone the fasting at a later time;
5. the ill and the travellers can also defer their fasting.
Please click on the link given below;

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FASTING

Prayer of iftar can be recited either at the beginnig or at the end. But reciting the prayer at the time of iftar is Sunnah. (the way and the manners of Muhammad (Pbuh).

The Prophet’s Prayer of Iftar

Muadh ibn-i Zuhra, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates:

- I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite this prayer when he ate iftar (the meal eaten by Muslims breaking their fast after sunset during the month of Ramadan):

“Allahumma laka sumtu wa ala rizqika aftartu.”

(O my Allah! I have fasted for your acceptance and I am breaking my fast with Your provision.)

(Abu Dawud, Sawm: 22)

Marvan ibn-i Salim narrates from ibn-i Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both:

- The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would say this when he broke his fast:

“The thirst gone, the arteries dampened; the reward has become definite, Allah willing.”

The narrator of the hadith Razin added the word “Alhamdulillah” (Praise be to Allah!) to the beginning of the prayer. (Abu Dawud, Sawm: 22)

Abdullah ibn-i Umar, peace be upon them both, would also pray as follows at the time of iftar:

“O my Allah, forgive me for the sake of your rahmat (mercy) which encompasses the whole universe and forgive me my sins.”

It is makruh tahriman (disliked close to forbidden) to fast on the first day of the Ramadan Festival and on the four days of the Feast of Sacrifice. There are also people who deem it forbidden to fast on those days. In this respect, they may be called forbidden fast. Those days are announced by Allah as festivals for His slaves.

There is no drawback in fasting on the second day of Ramadan Festival. May Allah accept it!..

Nadr Ibn Shaiban (peace be upon him) quotes the Messenger Muhammad (upon whom be peace and blessing) as saying: “Allah Almighty has made it fard (obligatory) to fast in Ramadan. And I make it Sunnah to perform the Tarawih prayer and be awake in the night to read the Qur’an.”

Whoever sincerely fasts in the Ramadan expecting the thawab (reward) from Almighty Allah only, and is awake in the night performing the Tarawih prayer and reads Qur’an shall be purified from all of his sins like he was newly born.” (Nasai, Siyam: 40; Musnad, 1:195)   

The Tarawih prayer is a lovely worship which enlightens and gives meaning to the nights of Ramadan. The believers clean their hearts with this spiritual air.

Besides, at the table of iftar (fasting breaking dinner in Ramadan), one feels his movements are slower. However, thanks to the Tarawih prayer this distress disperses and digestion becomes easier. Man reaches freshness both bodily and spiritually.

 The Tarawih prayer is a “muakkad sunnah” (practices the Prophet always did) for all muslims, both men and women.

The Tarawih prayer is not the sunnah of fasting but the sunnah of the time. So those who could not fast due to sickness or travelling can perform the Tarawih prayer.

Performing the Tarawih prayer is like spending the whole night worshipping.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) states this truth as follows:

“The one who completes the Tarawih prayer to the end with Imam gets rewards as if s/he spent the whole night worshipping.” (Tirmidhi, Ibni Majah, Ibn Khuzayma)

Muslims are obliged to be more careful in this century. As Muslims are widely considered to be supporters of violence, their first duty in Islam is to advice people the right with a gentle language. We should know that good communication does not include physical oppression over those whom we address and using words which could insult them. Victory against civilized people is won through persuasion not by force. So, we ourselves should first learn the importance of fasting and after that with a gentle use of language, we should tell it to others.

Those who do not fast might be having problems in belief – if they do not have other valid excuses. We should tell such people about the truth of belief. We cannot expect those who do not believe to commit religious deeds.

As a human being, the duty of those who do not fast in the month of Ramadan is not to obviously reveal that they are not fasting. There are some annotations of hadiths which show that a Jewish person won his/her chance –by saving his/her belief – to enter Paradise because of his/her respect toward a Muslim who fasted.

As people who fast, we should keep it in mind that we will not be serving Islam by being angry with, bearing enmity against and fighting those who do not fast. To consider one’s behaviour to be unpleasant and to dislike it on behalf of God is different than to be angry with such people.
 

As pointed out above, good deeds which consist of fulfilling Allah’s command and keeping away from His prohibitions is the outcome of a strong belief. Fasting or other ways of worshipping or having good morals can only be achievable by believing in the truthfulness of Islam in order to obey the universal principles of Islam. For this reason, if we desire to raise perfect people in every aspect, we must add good values to their belief with all efforts  we can give.

Today’s wretched situation of Islam is beacuse of the wretchedness in belief. This is the purpose of the conveying the message of Islam that is the most important thing in Islam : teaching and learning. The basic of the knowledge is the principles of belief. Knowing the priorty of importance, measuring our speech with the scale of wisdom, analysing the character of those whom we address with our perception, not touching their sore spots, agreeing with them in common subjects which they like, complimenting them and doing all for the sake of God is of utmost importance in this issue.

Your fast is still valid. You can continue fasting.

Such a distance is regarded as a journey and it is permissible for the traveller (musafir) to break his fast in Ramadan. But you have to make up that day; 

"if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you He does not want to put you to difficulties." (al-Baqarah 2:185)

There is no certain time for the performance of the fasts that were missed. However, it is necessary to perform them as soon as possible because it is not definite when a person will die. As those who die without making up for the fasts they missed will be indebted; they will be responsible. In order to be free from the debt, they should perform fasting immediately.

A person should fast for the days he has missed by estimating the days. He can complete his fasting by fasting on Mondays and Thursdays or every other day easily.

Nevertheless, except the first four days of the Feast of the Sacrifice and the first day of the Ramadan Feast, it is permissible to fast on every day of the year.

You can recite this supplication while breaking your fast in iftar:

“My Allah! I have fasted for your acceptance. I believe in you and I seek refuge in you and I have broken my fast with the food you gave. Thanks for the food, health and appetite you gave to me. Do not withhold your mercy and help from us. Bestow on us with strength to live on and to resist. Your might can overcome anything. Amin.”

As it is answered before, you are still considered a  traveller (musafir). So from the beginning to the end of your journey including the flight, that is to say 4 days, you are permitted not to fast. But you have to make up that 4 days later on.

Please click on the link given below;

In which situations is a person permitted not to fast?

There is no drawback in sleeping because of an illness or fatigue. The fasting person can sleep on condition that s/he does not skip such obligations as the prayers.

Those who are worried that if they fast their illness will deteriorate or will be lengthened, and those who suffer when they fast because of their illness, are permitted not to fast in the month of Ramadan and to compensate for it (by fasting at another time) after they recover.

This verse in the Qur'an points out that:

“O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may deserve God's protection (against the temptations of your carnal soul) and attain piety. (Fasting is for) a fixed number of days. If any of you is so ill that he cannot fast, or on a journey, he must fast the same number of other days. But for those who can no longer manage to fast, there is redemption (penance) by feeding a person in destitution (for each day missed, or giving him the same amount in money). Yet better it is for him who volunteers greater good (by either giving more, or fasting in case of recovery), and that you should fast (when you are able to) is better for you, if you but knew (the worth of fasting)” (The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah, 2:183-184)

The person, who is notified by a specialist that if s/he fasts, s/he will become ill, is also considered as ill. 

There is no sin which may not be forgiven provided that you repent for it. The repentances which satisfy the conditions are always accepted. You must repent sincerely with the determination of not committing the same sin again.

Allah forgives every repented sin. If an infidel repents for his infidelity, he becomes a believer and all his sins are forgiven. If a believer commits every kind of sin, even associates partners with Allah and then regrets and repents, finds Allah all-forgiving. It is stated in the Quran : “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (az-Zumar 53)
The Repenter is to be forgiven

It is stated in the hadiths as follows:
One, who repented, is as if he has never committed any sins.
Allah ordained: “Even if the sins of my slave reaches the skies, I forgive him, on condition that he does not despair of me”

“Allah accepts your repentance, when you repent, even if your sins reach the skies”
“Hell is forbidden for the one who firmly believes that Allah is the Lord and I am the Messenger”

Allah ordained: “I get enraged for the one who assumes that his sin is greater than my forgiveness”
A transgressor who does not despair of Allah’s mercy, is closer to mercy than the worshipper who despairs of Allah’s mercy

Can anyone be desperate of Allah’s mercy while it is so plentiful?
Make Allah loved by His slaves, so that in turn, Allah will love you.
Allah forgives His sinful Muslim slaves with a mercy that no one can imagine. (Bayhaqi)
Allah ordained: “O my servant, if you seek forgiveness, I will forgive you regardless of multitude of your sins. I will forgive them even if they reach the clouds. If you come with plenty of sins, I will welcome you with plenty of forgiveness as long as you come as a true believer”
It is a clear indicator of perfection of a man if he always recalls Hell and balances his life accordingly. However, this recollection must not cause an unbearable life and result in despair of Allah’s mercy. Thereby, man will acquire the feeling of controlling his every single step. He will be able to interrogate himself continually. He will be always on alert with the thought: “I wonder if this deed of mine leads me to Hell”

Allah did not create some people for Hell. On the contrary, He created Hell for some people. For example, the state builds a prison. But this construction is not for confining some people in it. It is constructed for anyone who deserves to be put in it. Likewise, Allah built Hell for the ones who deserve it. Otherwise, the statement “I prepared Hell for such and such men” is not compatible with justice and wisdom of Allah because those men will have the right to object, if they have not deserved Hell.
The word “Hell” scares many people. And it must. However, we must always be on alert, because we do not know who will go to Hell or Paradise. We must evaluate every single word that we utter.

Being between hope and fear is a balance which is required for every human. Although we are Muslims, it is always possible to die as an infidel and go to Hell. Likewise, even if we live as a sinner for the whole life, in the end, it is possible to repent and we may die as a true believer and go to Heaven. Hazrat Abu Bakr (A companion of the Prophet (PBUH)) is reported to have said: “If I hear from the skies: “All human beings will go to Heaven except one, I fear to be that single man. Similarly, if I hear that everybody will go to Hell except one, I hope to be that person” A Muslim’s faith must be between hope and fear. No one may feel safe from the torment of Allah. However, they hope to gain His mercy and fear His wrath. They seek to reach His forgiveness and abstain from His punishment. We should maintain this equilibrium. We must perform our religious services fully and hope that Allah will put our names among the list of people who will go to Paradise.

Please click on the links given below;

What is the sincere repentance (tawbah nasuh)?

Can the person committing sins be saved from them if he asks Allah for His forgiveness?

What is the meaning of Having a good opinion about Allah and being between hope and fear”?

Forgiveness in the Month of Ramadan

The minimum limit for menstruation is 3 days and the maximum limit is 10 days. If the bleeding does not start again in three days, it is regarded as the blood of istihaza. In that case, you must perform fasting if the bleeding has stopped. If it starts to bleed again in three days after the first bleeding, it is regarded as the blood of istihaza. Then, you must regard those three days as menstruation days and perform qada fasting for those three days.

It is permissible to have sexual intercourse after iftar (Breaking the fast after sunset) until the time of imsaq(abstinence).

But sexual intercourse during fasting from dawn to dusk is not permissible. Sexual intercourse while fasting during the day invalidates the fast. The penalty is to fast an additional period of 60 continuous days. If one is not able to do so then he must feed sixty poor people-one average meal each.

For more information please click on the link given below;

Is it permissible to do anything sexual with my partner other than sexual intercourse during the holy month of Ramadan?

The Prophet is also a human being and a servant of Allah. As he is an example to people in every case, he is also an example in serving Allah and worshipping Him.

He sets an example to us with his words “observe your prayers how you see me observe them and perform your Hajj how you see me do it” and informs us that we should observe our prayers and other ways of worshipping Allah according to his way of performing them. Since, details of the forms of worshipping are not included in the Qur’an, the Prophet’s (pbuh) applications are important to us. How do you think can a non-fasting Prophet be an example to the believers?

The Prophet (pbuh) paid a lot attention to his prayers and other forms of worshipping even though all of his sins were forgiven and he was content with being a servant to Allah. He replied those who asked why he observed prayers a lot although all of his sin were forgiven : “Should I not be a servant worshipping Allah?”

One who does not worship Allah cannot be a prophet. A person becomes superior by getting close to Allah by worshipping Him.

In that case, you must perform kaffarah (60 days for 1 day) fasting. In addition, you must calculate and perform qada (1 day for 1 day) fasting for all of the days that you did not fast. If you do not know how many days you missed, you can estimate. 

Islam held people responsible according to their strength and introduced facilitating decrees on cases in which people may have difficulty and which may cause them trouble. Those who have such excuses as the following are not held responsible for fasting and they are permitted perform it later; or they may pay fidyah instead.

a) Journey

Journey is considered as an excuse for not fasting in Ramadan. Those who cannot fast during a journey can perform it later. The following is stated in the Qur’an: “O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may deserve God's protection (against the temptations of your carnal soul) and attain piety.(Fasting is for) a fixed number of days. If any of you is so ill that he cannot fast, or on a journey, he must fast the same number of other days. But for those who can no longer manage to fast, there is a redemption (penance) by feeding a person in destitution (for each day missed, or giving him the same amount in money). Yet better it is for him who volunteers greater good (by either giving more, or fasting in case of recovery), and that you should fast (when you are able to) is better for you, if you but knew (the worth of fasting).” (the Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:183-184)

Those who intend at night to fast and set on a journey during the day may break their fast or they may continue it if they wish. Those who intend at night to fast but who have to go on a journey during the day might break their fast if they have problem in fasting. However, it is better to continue it. When the Prophet set on the journey to conquer Mecca, he broke his fast when they arrived at a place called Qadid. (Bukhari, Sawm, 34; Muslim, Siyam, 15). This shows that fast may be broken while on journey.

b) Illness

Those whose illnesses may get worse or prolong due to fasting and those who have difficulty in fasting due to their illnesses are permitted not to fast and to perform it when they recover. The verse mentioned above points out to it. If an expert doctor states that person is going to be ill if he fasts, he is regarded as an ill person.

c) Pregnancy and suckling

Provided that fasting may damage them and their children, pregnant women are permitted not to fast. Nursing women are also permitted not to fast for fear that their milk runs out and their children may be damaged. The Prophet permitted this. (Nasai, Siyam, 50-51:62; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 3)

d) Doing hard and tiring jobs

Those who are afraid of getting ill due to fasting are permitted not to fast. Such people may fast on their day-offs or perform their fast when they have the opportunity to do so. Those who do hard jobs as an obligation may perform their fast when they have the opportunity to do so on condition that their health comes under risk if they are to work fasting.

This issue is explained in the Qur’an as follows: “O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may deserve God's protection (against the temptations of your carnal soul) and attain piety.(Fasting is for) a fixed number of days. If any of you is so ill that he cannot fast, or on a journey, he must fast the same number of other days. But for those who can no longer manage to fast, there is a redemption (penance) by feeding a person in destitution (for each day missed, or giving him the same amount in money). Yet better it is for him who volunteers greater good (by either giving more, or fasting in case of recovery), and that you should fast (when you are able to) is better for you, if you but knew (the worth of fasting).The month of Ramadan, in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for people, and as clear signs of Guidance and the Criterion (between truth and falsehood). Therefore whoever of you is present this month must fast it, and whoever is so ill that he cannot fast or is on a journey (must fast the same) number of other days. God wills ease for you, and He does not will hardship for you, so that you can complete the number of the days required, and exalt God for He has guided you, and so it may be that you will give thanks (due to Him).” (the Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:183-185)    

e) Old Age

Those who are too old to fast can pay fidyah instead of fasting. In the 184th verse of the Surah Al-Baqarah, it has been decreed that those who cannot manage to fast should pay fidyah instead of fasting. The sick people who are not expected to recover are subject to the same decree.

A person intending to fast does not only stop eating and drinking. He makes his mouth and stomach fast; and he also sends his other faculties to help  them.

Anyway, is not the perfect fast the one fasted in that way? Namely, along with the stomach the other faculties such as eyes, ears, the heart and imagination also perform a kind of fasting. Each of them starts performing its particular worship.

The fasting of tongue is abstaining from lying, back-biting, and indecent words, and being busy with worships such as Qur’an, dhikr (remembrance of Allah), glorifying Allah’s names, asking for Allah’s blessings on the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and praying to Allah for His forgiveness.

The fasting of eyes is not looking at what is forbidden. The fasting of ears is not listening to unnecessary words. Instead of those, eyes try to look in order to take lessons and ears try to listen to the true words and the Qur’an. Faculties such as heart, imagination and mind also think about favorable things.

In this way, since all faculties fast along with the stomach, man does not keep away from eating and drinking in vain and he approaches the perfect fast as a result.

According to Abu Hurayra’s (may Allah be pleased with him) relation, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated as follows:

“There are some fasting people whose only benefit from their fasting is remaining without food and water.

There are some people who get up in the night and perform salat (prayer) but can not obtain anything except not sleeping enough.” (Ibn Majah, Siyam: 21)

You are supposed to start and break fasting and in short all timings regarding the fast of Ramadan should be practiced according to the place where you are. Finally if you were to be in Belgium, you need to take the Belgium time into consideration.

Fasting means not eating, drinking and not engaging in sexual activity during the time period between the time of fajr sadiq (the second/real fajr; the time of the day when there is light in the horizon before sunrise) and the sunset.  

Oruç, which is the Turkish word for fasting, is borrowed from Persian. The original Persian word is “ruza” Over time, the word has changed to “oruza” and finally to “oruç”. Its Arabic equivalent is sawm and siyam.

Fasting is also called “imsak”. Imsak means keeping the soul/self away from the things it wishes and not doing them. The antonym for imsak is iftar, which means breaking the fast. 

The Religious Decree of Fasting 

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. At the same time, it is one of the great signs of Islam. It was made fard (obligatory) in Madinah, one and a half year after the Hegira (Migration from Makkah to Madinah) and on the 10^th day of the month of Shaban. Its obligation is established by the Book (the Qur'an), the Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet) and by Ijma' (consensus of the ummah/community or the ulama/scholars of Islam). 

In the Qur'an, the following is stated:

“O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you...” (The Qur'an, Al-Baqarah, 2:183) 

for more information please click on the link given below;

The Ibadah (Worship) of Fasting 

Ramadan in 2009 will start on Friday, the 21st of August and will continue for 30 days until Saturday, the 19th of September. The 20th of September is the first day of Eid ul-Fitr

The movements of the sun and the moon are accepted as criteria in today's communities for the calculation of the year and the month. The lunar calendar is based on the movements of the moon in reckoning the month and the year. The times of the fasting and Hajj (Pilgrimage), which are among the essential worships of Islam, are measured according to the moon's revolutions around the earth. In the Qur'an it is stated: “They ask you (O Messenger) about the new moons (because of the month of Ramadan). Say: "They are appointed times (markers) for the people (to determine time periods) and for the Pilgrimage.” (The Qur'an, al-Bakarah, 2:189)
The twelfth of the lunar months, Dhi'l-Hijja, is the month when the worship of Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is performed. The period from the first day of this month till tenth, are the “layala-i ashara (the sacred ten days)”. And the tenth day of this month is the first day of the Festival of Sacrifice, (Eid al-Adha or Īd ul-Kabīr).

A niyyah like that is valid for missed fasting. In fact, niyyah is a deed related to the heart; it is better to express it by the tongue.

The best way for a person to make niyyah for the missed fasting of Ramadan is to say, "I intend to perform the first fard fasting I missed". However, it is enough to make niyyah without saying "the first" or "the last" missed fasting.

Having a wet dream does not invalidate fasting. However, it is not permissible to remain junub so long as to miss a daily prayer. Therefore, it becomes necessary to make ghusl even if a person is fasting. Such a person does not gargle when he washes his mouth. He only rinses his mouth.  

When a deed of worship is explained, its best form is described. However, when it is related to another deed of worship, it is necessary to act accordingly. The ghusl and wudu of a fasting person is one of them.

Having a bath, having a shower and swimming do not invalidate fasting. However, it is necessary not to take water into mouth carelessly and not to swallow water. According to narrations, the Prophet (pbuh) made ghusl/had a bath when he was fasting.  

Rinsing the mouth does not invalidate fasting. If the water put into the mouth is swallowed, fasting is invalidated. When a person who is fasting washes his mouth and nostrils, he should be careful to prevent water from going down the throat. He should put water into his mouth and nose in a way that will not go down the throat.   If water goes down the throat by mistake, fasting is invalidated; it becomes necessary to perform it again as qada (one day), not as kaffarah (61 days).

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:

They asked our Prophet (pbuh):

“O Messenger of Allah! What month is the most meritorious other than Ramadan in terms of fasting?”

Our Prophet (pbuh) replied:

“It is the fasting in Shaban in order to show respect to Ramadan.” (Tirmizi, Zakat: 28)

According to the statements of the companions of the Prophet, primarily Hazrat Aisha, our mother, the Prophet sometimes fasted in the whole month of Shaban and he often fasted on most days of Shaban.

Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fasted so much in some months. We even thought he did not break his fast in that month. In some months, he broke his fast so much that we would say he did not fast on any days in this month.”

“I did not see the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fast in the whole month except Ramadan. I never saw him fast in any month more than he did in Shaban.” (Bukhari, Sawm: 51, Abu Dawud, Sawm: 59)

In another narration, Hazrat Aisha says the following regarding the issue:

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) never fasted in any month more than he did in Shaban. And he said the following:

“Do the deeds that you can afford. Unless you get tired of them, Allah will not regard you as you have got tired. The best deed in the presence of Allah is the deed that a person constantly does even if it is little.” (Muslim, Siyam: 177)

In another narration in Ibn Majah, Hazrat Aisha said, “He (the Messenger of Allah) fasted in the whole month of Shaban and connected it with Ramadan.” stating that he fasted more in that month. (Ibn Majah, Sawm: 4)

From both narrations, the judgment that it is permissible to fast in the whole month of Shaban or to fast on some days of Shaban is reached.

Usama ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) asks the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) this question:

“Oh Messenger of Allah! I never saw you fast in any other month as much as you did in Shaban.”

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:

“This month is between Rajab and Ramadan; People are ignorant of this month, which is between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I want my deeds to be presented to Allah when I am fasting.” (Nasai, Sawm: 70)

Besides, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) worshipped more in Shaban in comparioson to the other months. He exalted the value of the month of Shaban by saying;

“Shaban is my month.”, “Shaban is the cleaner of the sins.” (Kashfu’l-Khafa, 2:9)

The translations of the two hadiths regarding the issue are as follows: 

"Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting. By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times."(Bukhari, Sawm, 2).

Allah says, "All the deeds of Adam's sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.”

Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should not utter bad words and quarrel. If somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting.'

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is' The unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk.

 There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord." (Bukhari, Sawm 9; Muslim, Siyam 163)

The meaning of the sentence in the hadith, “All the deeds of Adam's sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me” is as follows:

All of the other deeds and worship generally have some aspects that are related to outward appearance; so, there may be hypocrisy or show off in them. However, fasting is worship that is based on intention and related to the heart. Hypocrisy or show off is not in question in fasting because it has no aspects related to outward appearance. A person may eat at home and act as if he is fasting outside. Therefore, if a person fasts, it means he fasts for Allah.   

Since fasting is a sincere act of worship based on the consent of Allah, its reward will be special; the criterion “ten or more rewards for one deed” will not be applied for fasting; it will have a criterion unlike and beyond the other criteria and it will be presented like a divine surprise. (see Ibn Hajar, the explanation of the relevant verse)

That is the meaning of “fasting being a kind of worship done only for the sake of Allah” means a kind of worship that is free from hypocrisy and show off that cannot be known by others unless the person fasting mentions it. For, fasting does not have an aspect that can be seen and understood from the outside.

On the other hand, the polytheists in history did not have any kind of worship for their idols similar to fasting. That is, no idolater worshipped idols by fasting. In this sense, fasting is a kind of worship performed only for Allah.

Another different aspect of worship from other worship is that its reward will be determined by Allah - in a way superior to the criteria declared before.  

Both properties are enough for us to understand the virtue and superiority of fasting.

The hadith states and declares that the reward to be given for fasting is beyond and superior to the criterion of ten to seven hundred times for one good deed and that it will be determined by Allah, indicating the exceptional place of fasting and its virtue in our religion. The virtue of fasting originates from the fact that our Lord said, "Fasting is for me" and "I will give the reward for it", opening the door of endless grace and generosity to the person who fasts. Such honoring and compliments are superior to anything. It forms the glad tiding in the hadith.  

"All the deeds of Adam's sons are for them." The reason why the sentence above is stated by Allah is that all of the worship except fasting has an aspect that man takes pleasure from, that he cannot hide from others and that he might want to show. That fasting does not have these properties shows how sincere and special worship it is. This is the main determination regarding the hadith in the question.

Accordingly:

- The only worship about which Allah says, " I will give the reward for it" is fasting.

- No sacrifice and deed done for Allah remains without reward.

- A person who fasts means a person wearing a shield against sins and torture in Hell. For, the Prophet said, "Fasting is a shield."

It is permissible to start fasting in the state of janabah (when one is junub); it does not invalidate fasting. However, it is not permissible to remain in the state of janabah long enough to cause a daily fard prayer to miss; therefore, it is necessary to make ghusl.

Mouth is also washed while making ghusl. One should wash his mouth in a way that will prevent water from going down the throat. Gargling is not necessary.

Contact lenses and their water do not prevent fasting; the fast of the person who uses them is not invalidated.  

Current things that do not invalidate fasting:

- To trim nails, to cut hair, to shave. To clean one’s body, to dye hair, to apply nail polish, to tinge with kohl, to apply make-up on the face, to smell flowers, essence and musk, to kiss.

- To laugh, to joke, to shout, to cry, to swallow unaccumulated saliva, to brush teeth, to put in eye drops, to wear contact lenses, to place false teeth in the mouth, to feel the taste of a gingival bleeding, to swallow the phlegm from a cough, to swallow the water that comes from the stomach to the throat as one belches, to swallow the mucus in the nose through the nasal cavity, to swallow a piece of food smaller than a chick pea that remained in the mouth before the start of fasting time.  

- To hug or kiss one’s spouse while seeing him/her off, to hug children and to kiss them, to play with children.

- To gossip, to tell lies (a person commits sins by doing so), to wash one’s hands and face or to have a shower in order to cool, to ejaculate while looking or thinking.

Fasting starts as soon as imsak time starts and when the time for the evening prayer  ends, fasting ends. Therefore, it is not appropriate to eat and drink until adhan ends at the time of suhur. If adhan is read just in time, it is necessary to stop eating and drinking as soon as it starts.  

If adhan is read when imsak time starts and if a person continues eating and drinking, he needs to perform one day as qada if it is not deliberate. However, if he knows that his fasting will be invalidated but he continues eating, kaffarah also becomes necessary.

When the time for the evening prayer starts and when the dinner is ready, it is mustahab to eat dinner and to perform the evening prayer after that.

For, peace of the heart is necessary for the prayer. The dinner at the table might arouse the soul and eliminate the peace of the heart in the prayer. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following regarding the issue:

"When dinner is ready and the table is laid, eat it before performing the evening prayer."

The following is stated in a similar narration:

"When the table is laid for dinner, start eating it before performing the evening prayer." [Bukhari - Muslim: from Anas b. Malik (ra) İslam Fıkhı, Celal Yıldırım]

- Should a person who fasts eat iftar (dinner) first or perform the evening prayer?

If it is definitely known that the time for the evening prayer started, it is better to break the fast by eating dates or drinking water first; then, the evening prayer is performed. It is also appropriate to eat the dinner quickly and then perform the evening prayer. However, when there are several kinds of food at the dinner (iftar) table, the evening prayer will have to be performed late.

To perform fard prayers when the time for a fard period starts is the best. Therefore, it is more appropriate to perform the evening prayer immediately after breaking the fast.

However, there is also the view that it is makruh to eat when a meal is ready. As we have mentioned above, what is meant by this view is the fact that a person cannot perform a prayer properly if his mind is busy with the food. It is appropriate to do so if the dinner does not delay the evening prayer very much. However, as we have mentioned above, the best way is to break the fast (with some dates and/or water) and to perform the evening prayer after it so as not to delay the evening prayer very much and to eat dinner after the prayer. Thus, one breaks his fast early in accordance with the Prophet (pbuh) and performs the evening prayer on time.

- It is makruh tahrimi (strictly abominable;close to haram) to perform fasting on five days. They are the first day of eid al-fitr and all four days of eid al-adha. 

The fasting performed on these days are still regarded as fasting but it is not necessary to perform them again if one breaks it. For, it is not reasonable for something that is makruh to be regarded as debt (obligation).  

- It is makruh tanzihi (slightly abominable) to perform fasting only on Friday or only on Saturday. For, Friday is eid day. It is necessary not perform fasting to join the eid day of the believers. Saturday is the special day of Jews. It is not appropriate to perform fasting only on that day so as not to resemble Jews. 

"It is not abominable for you to perform regular fasting when it corresponds to a Friday or Saturday." (Naylu'l-Awtar, IV/249)

It is understood from the hadith above that those who habitually perform fasting on the days of holy nights can perform fasting only on Friday if that holy day corresponds to a Friday. It is also valid for those who perform fasting like the Prophet Dawud (David), who performed fasting every other day. 

- It is similarly makruh tanzihi to perform fasting only on the tenth day of the month of Muharram, that is, on the day of ashura. Fasting performed only on that day is abominable but it is not abominable if one performs fasting on the tenth day together with the ninth or eleventh day. 

- It is also makruh to perform fasting only on the day of "Nawruz" (the first day of spring) deliberately. If a person’s regular fasting corresponds to the day of Nawruz, it is not abominable to perform fasting only on that day.

Yawm ash-shakk (doubtful day) is the day that cannot be known whether it is the first day of the month of Ramadan or the last day of the month of Shaban. It is makruh to perform fasting on such a doubtful day since the intention is not certain. If there is no doubt in the intention, if it is known that it is the last day of the month of Shaban and if one intends to perform a supererogatory (nafilah) fasting, it is not makruh. If it is known later that it was the first day of the Ramadan, this supererogatory fasting replaces the fard fasting.  

However, fasting cannot be performed with an ambiguous intention like the following: “I intend to perform fard fasting if it is Ramadan or supererogatory fasting if it is not Ramadan." It is necessary to be careful about it.

It is not makruh to perform fasting only on Sunday if it is not performed with the intention of respect.

Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) advised his Companions to perform fasting on the ninth, tenth and eleventh days of the month of Muharram. The Prophet said,  

"The most virtuous fasting after the month of Ramadan is the one performed in the month of Muharram, which is honored by being attributed to Allah." (Riyadu's-Salihin, II, 504).

It is stated in other hadiths that fasting on the day of Ashura, which is on the tenth day of the month of Muharram and on which many incidents took place, will be a means of forgiveness of the mistakes and sins committed in the last year." (Riyadu's-Salihin, II, 509).

The fasting mentioned in the hadith is fasting on the 9th, 10th and 11th days of the month of Muharram.

It is not necessary to cook ashura (Noah's pudding); however, you can cook it and give some of it to your neighbors.

If any liquid like water or blood goes down to your stomach, your fasting is invalidated and it becomes necessary to perform fasting for one day to recompense it; otherwise, it is not invalidated. Fasting is not invalidated if an injection is made for anesthezia while the tooth is filled.

Whether an injection invalidates fasting or not can be evaluated based on the reason why it is used. Injections are made for various purposes like relieving pain, treating, increasing the resistance of the body, feeding the body, etc. Injections that do not give food and pleasure to the body do not mean to eat and drink; therefore, they do not invalidate fasting. However, injections that give food and/or pleasure to the body invalidate fasting. Giving serum or blood to a patient is subject to the same decree.

The following is stated in the Quran:

"And eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears." (al-Baqara, 2/187)

What is meant by the appearance of the white and black thread is the brightness of the day and the darkness of the night being separated from each other.  

According to a narration, when the verse was sent down, the phrase "minal-fajri (of dawn)" did not exist. Some people who intended to fast tied a black thread to one foot and a white thread to the other and would continue eating and drinking at suhoor until they became visible. Then, God Almighty sent down the phrase 'of dawn' in order to inform that what was meant by the example of thread was “night and day”.(1)

The Prophet (pbuh) explained that what was meant by the example of thread was night and day. The following is reported from Adiyy b. Hatim (d. after 60/680):

"When the verse above was revealed, I took two strings, one black and the other white, and put them under my pillow. I looked at them at suhoor and when it was bright enough to distinguish them, I stopped eating and drinking. In the morning, I went to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and told him what I had done. He said,

"What a large pillow you have! What is meant in the verse is the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn. How can you place them under your pillow?" (Bukhari, Sawm, 16).

Imsak, which is the beginning time for fasting, is also the beginning time for the morning prayer. That is, when the time for fasting starts, the time for the morning prayer starts too. The evidence about the time of imsak is the following hadiths:  Abdullah b. Umar (d. 74/693) states the following: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Bilal calls adhan at night. Eat and drink until Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum calls adhan."

The person who reported the hadith said, “Ibn Umm Maktum was blind. He would not call adhan until he was told, "It is morning time."(2)

Bilal's adhan aimed to warn those who were eating suhoor and Ibn Maktum's adhan informed people about imsak and hence time for the morning prayer. The first adhan was called at fajr kadhib (false dawn) and the second one at fajr sadiq (true dawn).

According to the preferred view of Hanafi madhhab, it is not permissible to call adhan before the time for the morning prayer starts as well as the other prayers. Bilal’s calling adhan before the time for the morning prayer does not aim to call people to prayer but to awaken those who are asleep, to remind those who want to fast to eat at once and those who are performing tahajjud prayer to stop it and start to perform witr prayer. (az-Zabidi, Tecrîdi Sarih, trnsl. Ahmed Naim, Ankara 1983, II, 581). The following hadith reported from Abdullah b. Mas'ud makes the beginning time for imsak clearer:  

"Bilal's adhan should not prevent you from eating suhoor because he calls adhan when it is still night. Its aim is to inform those who are performing tahajjud prayer that morning is approaching and to awaken those who are asleep."

Fajr, which is the time of imsak is something else and, is as follows: "Then, the Prophet pointed with his fingers and raised them up (towards the sky) and then lowered them (towards the earth). Then, he put his index finger and middle finger on each other and then stretched them to the right and left."(3)

The first gesture the Prophet (pbuh) made with his fingers aimed to describe fajr kadhib because the brightness that appears in the horizon in the east toward the morning thins as it goes up. After a while, that brightness disappears; that is why it is called fajr kadhib (false dawn). It is also called fajr awwal (first dawn) and vertical brightness. The second gesture describes fajr sadiq (true dawn), which spreads to the whole horizon in the east. It is also called fajr thani (second dawn) and horizontal brightness. (see az-Zabidi, ibid, II, 586)

Those who ask for forgiveness at the time of suhoor are praised in the Quran (Aal-i Imran, 3/17); the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged people to wake up for suhoor. The following is stated in a hadith:  

"Eat suhoor. There is definitely blessing in suhoor."(4).

On the other hand, we are advised to delay suhoor and hurry for iftar. (Nasai, Siyam, 23, Ahmad b. Hanbal, V, 147).

It is mustahab to wake up for suhoor for a person who wants to perform fasting; it is also regarded as intention (niyyah) for fasting. However, it is regarded mandub to say the intention with the tongue. It is permissible to make the intention for fasting from the beginning of the night to the mid-morning but if something that invalidates fasting occurs after the time of imsak, the intention is no longer valid.

References:

(1) see Bukhari, Sawm, 16, Tafsiru Sura II/28; Muslim, Siyam, 35; Ibn Kathir, Mukhtasaru Tafsiri Ibn Kathir, Tahqiq wa ikhtisar, Muhammad Ali as-Sabuni, Beirut 1402/1981, I/165.
(2) see Bukhari, Adhan, II, 13, Shahadat, II, Sawm, 17; Muslim, Siyam, 36-39; Tirmidhi, Salah, 35; Nasai, Adhan, 9, 10, Siyam, 30; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II/9, 57, 123, VI/44, 54, 185, 186, 433.
(3) see Bukhari, Adhan, 13, Ahad, 1, Talaq, 24; Nasai, Adhan, 11; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 23; Ahmad b. Hanbal, l/386, 392, 435.
(4) see Nasai, Siyam, 18, 19; Ibn Madjah, Siyam, 22; Darimi, Sawm, 9; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II/377, 477, III/32, 99, 215, 229, 243, 258, 28 1).

It is permissible to start fasting or to perform fasting when a person is junub (a person who has to make ghusl); fasting is not invalidated. However, it is not permissible to remain junub so long as to miss a daily prayer; therefore, it is necessary to make ghusl.

It is necessary to wash the mouth while making ghusl. One should wash his mouth without allowing water to go down the throat, that is, without swallowing. It is not necessary to gargle.

If a person who does masturbation when he/she is fasting, his/her fasting is invalidated; when such a person learns that it invalidates fasting, he/she must repent at once and decide not to do it again. He/she needs to perform it as qada after Ramadan as one day for each day.

It is written in Hindiyya, Bahr, Durrul-Mukhtar and other fiqh books that masturbation invalidates fasting but that only qada (fasting for one day) is necessary.

It is haram and a major sin not to fast in Ramadan or break a fasting without completing it though it is fard.

Fasting is an education of the will in terms of keeping away consciously from the desires of the soul. It is an effective way of controlling the desires of the soul and elevating the spirit by purifying it. It becomes clear that those who are overcome by their lustful desires fail in the education of the will.  

That masturbation does not necessitate kaffarah (fasting for two months) does not show that it is an unimportant sin. On the contrary, those who break fasting without an excuse commit a major sin. (Zaylai, Tabyin, 1/323; Ibn Nujaym, al-Bahr, 2/293)

It is necessary to perform fasting again if a person breaks any supererogatory fasting. It does not matter whether a person breaks his fasting deliberately or not.

Accordingly, if a woman who starts supererogatory fasting but has to break it due to having menstruation, she needs to perform it again according to the sound view. For, it is necessary (wajib) to continue a deed of worshipping and a religious duty and not to give it up.

According to Shafiis, such a person does not have to perform fasting again; however, if she wishes, she can perform it again. For, she started a deed of worshipping that is not wajib for her. Performing an extra (supererogatory) deed of worshipping again is not necessary.

It is makruh because it is not appropriate to put anything that has a flavor and scent into the mouth. If the flavor goes to the stomach, fasting is invalidated; if the flavor is felt only in the mouth, it is makruh but fasting is not invalidated. It can be compared to the chewing gum.

The following conditions are necessary for chewing gum not to invalidate fasting though it is makruh:

a. Sweetness, etc. must not go to the stomach from the chewing gum through the wetness of the mouth.

b. The chewing gum must be white chewing that has been chewed before.

c. The chewing gum must not be of the type that melts and dissolves in the mouth.

The chewing gums that do not fulfill the conditions above invalidate fasting. If chewing gum is used for treatment, the following is in question:

If a person who is fasting in Ramadan has a toothache and puts a clove into his mouth to alleviate the pain and the saliva that occurs goes down the throat, his fasting is not invalidated. If he swallows the clove, his fasting is invalidated but only qada (fasting for one day) becomes necessary. (Ibn Abidin, 2:98; Nimet-i İslâm, p. 466.)

Applying nail polish does not invalidate fasting. However, since it forms a layer on the nail and does not allow water to penetrate, it prevents wudu.

Having a wet dream does not invalidate fasting. Having a sexual intercourse in one's dream does not invalidate fasting; ghusl is not necessary if sperm do not come out. 

If sperm come out from a man or a woman while they are asleep or awake with lust, ghusl becomes necessary.

Somebody asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh),

"Is it necessary for a person to make ghusl if he finds wetness on his clothes but does not remember having a wet dream?"  The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Yes, it is." Then, he was asked about the state of a person who sees a wet dream but does not find any wetness on his clothes. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Ghusl is not necessary for him." (Abu Dawud, Taharah 95; Tirmidhi, Taharah 82)

Both fasting and the time of Fajr prayer begin with Imsak (the time when the day's fast begins). So, it does not make any difference whether the adhan (call to prayer) is announced earlier or later.

In the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, since it is more virtuous to perform the Fajr (morning) prayer a little later, in the other months than Ramadan, they start performing the morning prayer after reciting the adhan after the imsak time. However, in the month of Ramadan, it is recited earlier to announce that the time for fasting has started.

If the adhan is recited at the same time with imsak, one must quit eating and drinking as soon as s/he hears the adhan. Otherwise, the fasting may be invalidated. The best way is to quit eating and drinking before the adhan.

The one who eats or drinks while the adhan is being recited by thinking s/he could do so must fast one day as qada after Ramadan.

Vomiting a mouthful does not invalidate fasting. If the puke that comes to the mouth returns to the stomach itself, fasting is invalidated according to Imam Abu Yusuf but it is not invalidated according to Imam Muhammad.

Vomiting a mouthful intentionally invalidates fasting. Fiqh scholars agree unanimously on it because some puke will return to the stomach. Only qada is necessary in that case.

If a person vomits intentionally and if it is less than a mouthful, fasting is invalidated according to Imam Muhammad but it is not invalidated according to Imam Abu Yusuf. (Nahrul-Faiq - Ibn Nujaym)

If the puke is the food that has been eaten, or bile or bitter fluid, the decrees mentioned above are valid. If it is phlegm, fasting is not invalidated even if it is mouthful according to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad. It is invalidated if it is mouthful according to Abu Yusuf. Abu Yusuf’s view is regarded as more appropriate. (Fathul-Qadir - Kamal Ibn Humam.) (Celal Yıldırım, Kaynaklarıyla İslam Fıkhı, Uysal Kitabevi: 2/227.)

When some puke comes up to the mouth if it is not mouthful and if it returns to the stomach spontaneously, fasting is not invalidated according to all scholars. However, if it is made return to the stomach, fasting is invalidated according to Imam Muhammad. It is not invalidated according to Imam Abu Yusuf because it does not invalidate wudu and fasting since the amount is a little. (see Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen, Büyük İslam İlmihali, Oruç, 114. madde)

As for the issue of brushing the teeth with toothpaste, a toothbrush is like a miswak. According to fiqh, a brush is regarded as a miswak. According to Hanafi madhhab, a person who is fasting can use it whether it is dry or wet, and at any time whether before or after noon.

However, according to some narrations, Abu Yusuf states that it is makruh for a person who is fasting to use a wet miswak. According to Shafii madhhab, it is permissible to use it before noon. It is makruh to use it after noon. To sum up, it is permissible to use a toothbrush any time of the day according to the preferred view in Hanafi madhhab.   

According to Imam Abu Yusuf, it is makruh for a fasting person to use a miswak or toothbrush that has been wetted by water. However, according to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad, it is permissible for a fasting person to use a miswak or toothbrush that has been wetted by water.

It is definitely makruh to use a toothbrush on which toothpaste is spread for a fasting person. It is necessary to avoid it. However, fasting is not invalidated unless a person swallows the toothpaste.

If a bleeding occurs and if a person swears/curses, fasting is not invalidated.  However, swearing/cursing decreases the thawab of fasting.

According to Shafii madhhab, eating deliberately invalidates fasting but it does not necessitate kaffarah. However, a person who does so needs to spend the remaining part of the days fasting and perform fasting one day as qada (missed) fasting.

Kaffarah and tazir become necessary for a person who performs a sexual intercourse in Ramadan while he is fasting. Kaffarah and tazir do not become necessary for a person who performs a sexual intercourse outside Ramadan while he is performing nafilah, vow, qada or kaffarah fasting.

The things that invalidate fasting according to Shafii madhhab are as follows:  

1. Eating and drinking.

If a person eats or drinks deliberately, his fasting is invalidated no matter how little he eats or drinks. However, if he eats or drinks by forgetting, his fasting is not invalidated no matter how much he eats or drinks. For, the Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

"If a person eats or drinks by forgetting, he needs to complete his fasting. For, Allah has made him eat and drink."[1]

2. Something visible entering the human body.

The word "jawf" mentioned in the hadith means the passage from the throat to the stomach and intestines. What is meant by something entering the body is what enters the body through the mouth, ears, the front and back passages of the body.

From this point of view, eye drops put into the eyes do not invalidate fasting because the eyes are not open holes. 

An injection given through "Sharajiyya" (rectum) invalidates fasting because it is regarded as an open hole. However, an injection given from a “warid” (vein) does not invalidate fasting because it is not an open hole.

The things that are not mentioned are compared to the ones above.

They invalidate fasting when they are done deliberately. If they are done by forgetting, they will not invalidate fasting because they are like eating and drinking by forgetting.  

A fly or dust that enters human body does not invalidate fasting because it is very difficult to avoid them. If the gums of the teeth bleed and the saliva becomes dirty and if the mouth is not cleaned by washing, swallowing this saliva invalidates fasting even if it is white.

The water that enters the throat during mazmaza (rinsing the mouth) and istinshaq (rinsing the nose) that are done normally does not invalidate fasting. However, if mazmaza and istinshaq are done in an exaggerative way and water enters the mouth, fasting is invalidated. For, it is forbidden to do so in Ramadan.

If something that remained from a food that was eaten and that is impossible to remove enters the throat with saliva unintentionally, fasting is not invalidated. However, if it is not removed though it is possible and if it enters the throat, fasting is invalidated.    

The fasting of a person who is forced to eat or drink is not invalidated because he does not do it by his own will.

To vomit deliberately invalidates fasting even if nothing returns to the throat. However, if a person vomits unintentionally, his fasting is not invalidated even if some of it enters the throat again. 

Hz. Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

"Fasting as qada is not necessary for a person who vomits unintentionally; however, if he vomits intentionally, qada is necessary."[2]

3. To have a deliberate sexual intercourse even if no sperm comes out. 

The evidence for this is the following verse:

"…And eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques." (al-Baqara, 2/187)

What is meant by ´the white thread´ in the verse is daylight and by ´the black thread´ is darkness of the night. Fajr is the light that occurs horizontally in the horizon and that shows that night has ended.

What is meant by the phrase "do not associate with your wives" in the verse is not having a sexual intercourse with women during itikaf. If a person has a sexual intercourse with his wife by forgetting, his fasting is not invalidated. This forgetting resembles eating or drinking by forgetting.

4. Istimna

Istimna means sperm coming out as a result of kissing or touching one’s wife or through masturbation. If it is done deliberately when a person is fasting, his fasting is invalidated. However, if it occurs unintentionally, fasting is not invalidated. It is makruh tahrimi for a person who will be aroused when he/she kisses his/her spouse to kiss his/her spouse. For, there exists the risk of invalidation of the fasting. This is like trying to invalidate fasting deliberately. It is better even for a person who is not aroused by kissing to avoid kissing.

The following is reported from Hz. Aisha:

"Hz. Prophet kissed me when he was fasting. Which one of you can control his soul as much as he does?"[3]

Scholars interpret Hz. Aisha’s statement as follows:

"It is better for you not to kiss your wives. Do not think that you are like the Prophet. Do not think that what is permissible for the Prophet is permissible for you. For, Hz. Prophet was able to control his soul; he was sure that he would not be aroused and he would not have an intercourse. You can never be sure that you would not do any of them."

5. Menstruation and Puerperium

Menstruation and puerperium are excuses that prevent the validity of fasting. Therefore, when a woman who starts to menstruate or gives birth during the day, her fasting is invalidated. She has to perform it again as qada later. 

When Hz. Prophet was asked why the religion of a woman was incomplete, he said,

"Does a woman not abandon prayers and fasting when she is in menstruation and puerperium?"[4]

6. To lose consciousness and to exit the religion

To go mad and to exit the religion invalidate fasting. For, they prevent a person from being held responsible. Besides, it is necessary for a person who is fasting to keep away from the things that will invalidate fasting. Fasting starts at dawn and ends at sunset. If a person who is fasting does one of the things that invalidate fasting thinking that it is not dawn yet but if it is understood later that it was dawn, his fasting is invalidated. However, he should not eat and drink anything until the evening that day in order to show respect to Ramadan; and he has to perform it again as qada later.

If a person breaks his fast thinking that the sun has set, his fasting is invalidated if it is understood that the sun has not set yet. He has to perform it again as qada later.

Only one day of qada fasting is necessary for the things that invalidate fasting except sexual intercourse. However, those who invalidate fasting by sexual intercourse need to perform both qada fasting (one day) and kaffarah fasting for two months.

Footnotes:

[1] Muslim/1155, Bukhari/1831, (from Abu Hurayra)
[2] Abu Dawud, 2380; Tirmidhi, 720 and other hadith scholars (from Abu Hurayra)
[3] Muslim, 1106
[4] Bukhari, 298; Muslim, 80, (from Abu Said)

The following is stated in the Quran:

"And eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears." (al-Baqara, 2/187).

What is meant by the appearance of the white and black thread is the brightness of the day and the darkness of the night being separated from each other.  

According to a narration, when the verse was sent down, the phrase "minal-fajri (of dawn)" did not exist. Some people who intended to fast tied a black thread to one foot and a white thread to the other and would continue eating and drinking at suhoor until they became visible. Then, God Almighty sent down the phrase “of dawn” in order to inform that what was meant by the example of thread was “night and day”.(1)

The Prophet (pbuh) explained that what was meant by the example of thread was night and day. The following is reported from Adiyy b. Hatim (d. after 60/680):

"When the verse above was revealed, I took two strings, one black and the other white, and put them under my pillow. I looked at them at suhoor and when it was bright enough to distinguish them, I stopped eating and drinking. In the morning, I went to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and told him what I had done. He said,

What a large pillow you have! What is meant in the verse is the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn. How can you place them under your pillow?" (Bukhari, Sawm, 16)

Imsak, which is the beginning time for fasting, is also the beginning time for the morning prayer. That is, when the time for fasting starts, the time for the morning prayer starts too. The evidence about the time of imsak is the following hadiths:  Abdullah b. Umar (d. 74/693) states the following: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Bilal calls adhan at night. Eat and drink until Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum calls adhan." The person who reported the hadith said, “Ibn Umm Maktum was blind. He would not call adhan until he was told, ’It is morning time’."(2)

Bilal's adhan aimed to warn those who were eating suhoor and Ibn Maktum's adhan informed people about imsak and hence time for the morning prayer. The first adhan was called at fajr kadhib and the second one at fajr sadiq. According to the preferred view of Hanafi madhhab, it is not permissible to call adhan before the time for the morning prayer starts as well as the other prayers.

Bilal’s calling adhan before the time for the morning prayer does not aim to call people to prayer but to awaken those who are asleep, to remind those who want to fast to eat at once and those who are performing tahajjud prayer to stop it and start to perform witr prayer. (az-Zabidi, Tecrîdi Sarih, trnsl. Ahmed Naim, Ankara 1983, II, 581). The following hadith reported from Abdullah b. Mas'ud makes the beginning time for imsak clearer:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Bilal's adhan should not prevent you from eating suhoor because he calls adhan when it is still night. Its aim is to inform those who are performing tahajjud prayer that morning is approaching and to awaken those who are asleep."

Fajr, which is the time of imsak is something else and, is as follows: "Then, the Prophet pointed with his fingers and raised them up (towards the sky) and then lowered them (towards the earth). Then, he put his index finger and middle finger on each other and then stretched them to the right and left."(3)

The first gesture the Prophet (pbuh) made with his fingers aimed to describe fajr kadhib. Because the brightness that appears in the horizon in the east toward the morning thins as it goes up. After a while, that brightness disappears; that is why, it is called fajr kadhib (false dawn). It is also called fajr awwal (first dawn) and vertical brightness. The second gesture describes fajr sadiq (true dawn), which spreads to the whole horizon in the east. It is also called fajr thani (second dawn) and horizontal brightness. (see az-Zabidi, ibid, II, 586)

Those who ask for forgiveness at the time of suhoor are praised in the Quran (Aal-i Imran, 3/17); the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged people to wake up for suhoor. The following is stated in hadiths:  

"Eat suhoor. There is definitely blessing in suhoor."(4).

"He who wants to fast should eat or drink something at suhoor." (Ahmad b. Hanbal, III, 367).

On the other hand, we are advised to delay suhoor and hurry for iftar. (Nasai, Siyam, 23, Ahmad b. Hanbal, V, 147).

It is mustahab to wake up for suhoor for a person who wants to perform fasting; it is also regarded as intention (niyyah) for fasting. However, it is regarded mandub to say the intention with the tongue. It is permissible to make the intention for fasting from the beginning of the night to the mid-morning but if something that invalidates fasting occurs after the time of imsak, the intention is no longer valid.

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References:
(1) see Bukhari, Sawm, 16, Tafsiru Sura 2/28; Muslim, Siyam, 35; Ibn Kathir, Mukhtasaru Tafsiri Ibn Kathir, Tahqiq wa ikhtisar, Muhammad Ali as-Sabuni, Beirut 1402/1981, I/165.
(2) see Bukhari, Adhan, II, 13, Shahadat, II, Sawm, 17; Muslim, Siyam, 36-39; Tirmidhi, Salah, 35; Nasai, Adhan, 9, 10, Siyam, 30; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II/9, 57, 123, VI/44, 54, 185, 186, 433.
(3) see Bukhari, Adhan, 13, Ahad, 1, Talaq, 24; Nasai, Adhan, 11; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 23; Ahmad b. Hanbal, l/386, 392, 435.
(4) see Nasai, Siyam, 18, 19; Ibn Madjah, Siyam, 22; Darimi, Sawm, 9; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II/377, 477, III/32, 99, 215, 229, 243, 258, 28 1).

Contact lenses and the liquid of lenses do not prevent fasting. The fast of a person who uses lenses is not invalidated.

Current things that do not invalidate fasting:

- Trimming nails, cutting hair and shaving.

- Cleaning the body, dyeing hair, applying nail polish, applying kohl on the eyes, applying make-up on the face.

- Smelling flowers, perfume and musk; kissing.

- Laughing, joking, shouting, crying.

- Swallowing the saliva that has not accumulated in the mouth, brushing teeth.

- Using eye drops, wearing contact lenses, placing dentures in the mouth.

- Feeling the taste of gingival bleeding in the mouth, swallowing the phlegm coming to the mouth with the cough, swallowing the gastric juice coming to the throat with belching, swallowing the mucus in the nose by inhaling it through the nasal passage.

- Swallowing a small amount of food that is smaller than a chickpea remaining between the teeth from suhoor.

- Hugging and kissing one’s spouse while seeing him/her off; hugging and kissing children, and playing with them.

- Gossiping, telling lies (one commits sins by doing so).

- Washing the hands and face or taking a shower to cool off.

- Ejaculation while looking or thinking does not break fasting.

When the blood comes from between the teeth, it does not invalidate fasting if it is a little and if it does not go down the throat because it is not possible to avoid it. Even if the blood is more, it does not invalidate fasting if saliva is more than blood.  

However, if blood is more than saliva and if the taste of blood is felt or if blood is as much as saliva, fasting is invalidated if it is swallowed. The same decree is valid for the tooth that is pulled.

In addition, it is necessary not to squeeze the lips and the mouth. If one avoids it, blood can be less than saliva.

(Ömer Nasuhi BİLMEN, İslam İlmihali, p. 294)

Yes, it is sunnah to remain awake on the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. Therefore, spending at least, some part of the night by worshipping, meditating, reading the Quran, uttering salawat, especially on the last ten nights of Ramadan means acting in accordance with the sunnah.

As a matter of fact, according to what is narrated from Hz. Aisha, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) tried to worship more in Ramadan than in other months. He worshipped more than the other days of Ramadan in the last ten days of Ramadan. (Muslim, I'tikaf 8; see. Tirmidhi, Sawm 72; Ibn Majah, Siyam 57)

According to another narration from Hz. Aisha, with the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would pray all the night, and would keep his family awake for the prayers. He would worship a lot and avoid sleeping with his wives. (Bukhari, Laylatul-Qadr 5; Muslim, I’tikaf 7)

It is reported that the Prophet worshipped a lot on the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, encouraged the people of his family to do so and worshipped fully.

First of all, we should state out that the expression “kullahu” is used in the hadith above but it means “a large part”. For, Hz. Aisha definitely states that the Prophet did not spend any night awake until morning.

However, when the month of Ramadan started, the Prophet (pbuh) would worship more than other days. Especially in the last ten days of Ramadan, he would immerse himself in worship more than the other days of this holy month. Those statements show that he worshipped most on the last ten nights of Ramadan.

This deed of the Prophet (pbuh), more precisely, this actual sunnah, shows that the Night of Power (Laylatul-Qadr) is within those days and that he tried to worship a lot in all the days that are likely to include the Night of Power in order to benefit from it. In addition, the fact that he avoided sexual relationship with his wives on those nights and that he awakened them to worship show that those nights are a golden opportunity.

When the other narrations regarding the issue are also considered, it can be said that the following issues stand out:

- The Night of Power is one of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan.

- Those who want to worship on the Night of Power should worship on the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.

- The Prophet (pbuh) pointed out with both his words and deeds that the Night of Power is on the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.

- It is sunnah to be careful not to miss out on exceptional opportunities such as the Night of Power and it is necessary to warn the household about it.

- It is the sunnah of our Prophet (pbuh) to worship more than usual in the month of Ramadan and to try to worship more in the last ten days than in other Ramadan days. Thus, it is necessary to try to follow him regarding the issue.

Ramadan is the holiest month of Muslims. It is necessary for all believers to show respect to this month. If a person is travelling or if a woman is in menstruation period, they should not eat in a place where other people see them. If a restaurant is open in Ramadan, it is possible that people who have no excuses will eat there along with travelers and women who are in menstruation and puerperium periods. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful.

However, it is permissible to keep a restaurant open in Ramadan during the day in order to serve food to children, travelers, the Muslims for whom fasting is not fard and non-Muslims or to prepare food for iftar. Therefore, it is permissible for places like restaurants and patisseries to sell and serve food to excused people like women, travelers and ill people in Ramadan. However, it is not permissible to sell and serve food to a person who has to fast but eats deliberately. For, it is a sin to help a sin to be committed.

If a person who runs a restaurant, patisserie, etc in a bus terminal, city center, etc, it is permissible for him to sell and serve food to the customers who are travelers or who do not have to fast or to non-Muslims. However, if the customer is a person that has to fast, he cannot sell or serve food to him.   

(see Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar)

1. The decree that fasting is invalidated if the blood coming out from the gingiva is swallowed is valid for the four madhhabs. However, fasting is not invalidated if the blood is not swallowed.

When the blood that comes from between the teeth, it does not invalidate fasting if it is a little and if it does not go down the throat because it is not possible to avoid it. Even if the blood is more, it does not invalidate wudu if saliva is more than blood. However, if blood is more than saliva and if the taste of blood is felt or if blood is as much as saliva, fasting is invalidated if it is swallowed. The same decree is valid for the tooth that is pulled.

2. If the blood that comes out of the mouth in a flowing state, it invalidates wudu if the blood is more than or equal to saliva. It has nothing to do with spitting it out or not. The normal rule is as follows: Wudu is not invalidated unless the blood that comes out of the body flows or unless it spreads around the place it comes out. (cf. İSAM, İlmihal, 1/199)

The decree “Wudu is not invalidated due to the bleeding in the mouth unless one spits it out” is deduced from the decree “unless it spreads around the place it comes out.”. However, if it comes out from gingiva it means it has flown into the mouth from the place it comes out even if it does not come out of the mouth. Therefore, we do not think that this decree is appropriate. It is necessary to spit in order to understand whether a bleeding that occurs in the mouth invalidates wudu or not.

3. It is not appropriate to limit making wudu with a certain period of time.  There is a difference in terms of time between making wudu with water from a jug and water coming from a tap; similarly, there is a different between an old person and a young person. What matters is to make wudu by paying attention to the fards and sunnahs of wudu. It may sometimes take a short time but sometimes a longer time. Another important point is to think that one will enter into the presence of Allah after making wudu and make a spiritual, hearty and mental preparation accordingly. When Hz. Ali made wudu, the color of his face would change. When they asked him about it, he would say, “I will enter into the presence of Allah now.” If there are people waiting for wudu in line, “wudu should be proper but light (fast) like a bird.” Prayer “should be heavy (slow) like a stone and be performed in awe” as much as possible. Maybe this is meant by that statement.

To reach the morning as junub:

To become junub before dawn due to any reason and to reach the morning like that does not harm fasting. However, it is necessary to make ghusl before the sun rises and perform the morning (fajr) prayer. For, it is not permissible to remain in the state of janabah more than a time period of a prayer.  

To have a wet dream while sleeping during the day:

To have a wet dream while sleeping during the day does not invalidate fasting because it occurs involuntarily. It is necessary to make ghusl before the time period for the prayer passes. (al-Muhit - Bahr ar-Raiq - Ibn Nujaym - Ibn Abidin)

(see Celal YILDIRIM, Kaynaklarıyla İslam Fıkhı, Uysal Kitabevi: II/214-215)

No. Smelling some food or perfume does not invalidate fasting.

If the medication one uses does not reach the stomach, it does not invalidate fasting only by spreading it in the mouth.