By Allah’s grace, Ramadan is due to commence in a few days’ time. Allahu Akbar. Although fasting is not new to Muslims, we have reasons to remind ourselves of some dos and don’ts of fasting each time the season approaches; at least, to preserve the sanctity of our Ramadan fast. While Islam encourages the practice of specific virtuous deeds in Ramadan, it cautions believers against indulging in acts that could vitiate or jeopardize their fast.
Ramadan actually goes beyond physical abstinence from food, drink and conjugal relationships between dawn and sunset. Spiritual upliftment in this consecrated month can only be guaranteed if a believer’s Ramadan fast is genuinely accompanied with a heart filled with the fear of Allah (SWT); a conscience full of sincere remorse and repentance; a memory committed to the remembrance of Allah (SWT); a tongue dedicated to the recitation of the holy Qur’an; and a body (mind and spirit) wholly devoted to the worship of only one God, Allah (SWT).
Fasting Muslims are not likely to attain the reward, forgiveness and mercy promised them if they fail to shun sinful acts including telling lies, backbiting, deceit, usurious transactions and indeed every forbidden speech or act. The Prophet (SAW) states that, “Allah (SWT) does not accept the fast of a believer who does not stop telling lies.”
In addition to the tongue, all parts of the human body including the eyes, ears, hands, and legs are required to be kept under surveillance during the daytime of the entire period of Ramadan. Islam warns believers against indulging in any act (particularly during the daytime), which could vitiate their Ramadan fast. This includes watching films on satellite cables or CD players; kissing, hugging and unguarded gaze at persons of opposite gender including their pictures; and listening to sensational music. These are actions that individually have the capacity to stimulate the lust of men (and women too).
The use of toothpaste during the daytime is discouraged during Ramadan. In the case of (Siwak) chewing stick, scholars opine that using it at any time of the day during Ramadan is permissible provided nothing from it is swallowed especially if it gives any taste to the saliva. The use of Siwak before every ablution and prayer to keep the mouth clean is a prophetic tradition in Islam.
Jurists have equally given fatwah that the use of inhaler by asthmatic patients is allowed while fasting. The basis being that, contents of the inhaler do not get in to the intestines but rather in to the lungs. Similarly, intra-muscular injections for medical treatment do not vitiate the fast except if the contents of the injection are composed of elements with nutritional values that could serve as substitute to food or drink. The use of body creams and lotions during Ramadan is also permitted in Islam because their effects do not get in to the stomach but end with the skin.
During Ramadan, a believer may also donate blood or go for blood test provided the quantity taken would not lead to body weaknesses as to make him incapable of coping with the day’s fast. However, fasting is vitiated if the quantity of blood required is large enough to render the donour unfit to continue with the day’s fast. This is based on the analogy that cupping, according to the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), invalidates fasting. But in extremely necessary situations of life and death, which require such quantity of blood to be donated, a fasting believer is permitted to donate and then eat and drink for the rest of that day with a view to paying back that day’s fast at a later date.
If a believer out of forgetfulness eats food or drinks water between dawn and sunset, he is neither liable to do kaffarah (expiation through a consecutive sixty-days fasting) nor pay back that day’s fast after Ramadan. His fast for that day remains valid as long as the eating or the drinking was not intentional. Imam Bukhari relates on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “If anyone of you forgets (during Ramadan) and then eats or drinks, let him complete his fast; verily, it’s Allah (SWT) who gave him to eat or drink.” However, the believer must stop eating or drinking as soon as he remembers that he is fasting. Ibn Abbas (RA) reports that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Allah has for my sake overlooked the mistakes, the forgetfulness of my Ummah (community), and what they are forced to do.”
The fast of a believer is also intact even when, for unavailable reasons, the fajr (daybreak) catches up with him while he is still in a state of major ritual impurity (junub). Aisha (RA) and Umm Salamah (RA), wives of the Prophet (SAW), both relate that the Prophet (SAW) used to get up in the morning with junub from intercourse and not from a dream, in Ramadan, and then he would (continue with the day’s) fast. The day’s fast remains valid as long as a believer does not enter in to the state of major impurity after daybreak. However, if one engages in lustful thoughts or actions after daybreak and thus lands himself/herself into a state of major impurity; he is guilty of a great sin; in which case he must expiate with sixty-days of consecutive fasting in addition to the one he vitiated, giving a total of sixty-one days of fasting.
With the abuse of the social media through the spread of fake news on the increase in our part of the world, we advise against the spread of any unconfirmed news about the sighing of the crescent of Ramadan on the 29 day of the current Islamic lunar month of Sha’aban. Let us wait until an official announcement is made by Amirul Mu’mineen of Nigeria, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
O Allah! Put us among those who will witness and observe this year’s Ramadan fast; making us beneficiaries of His mercies and forgiveness in this sacred month, Amin.
