THE HOLY PROPHET’S SERMON IN RAMADAN AND MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON LAW ACCORDING FASTNG ANSWEARED BY AYATOLLAH SHEICKH MOHAMMAD MUSA AL YAQOOBI

O People! The month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.
This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab (heavenly reward) of 'Tasbeeh' (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab of worship.
Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders.
Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers), as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything, it is accepted by Him.
O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for Istighfar (repentance/forgiveness). Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who fast and offer Salat in this month and perform 'sajda' (prostration), and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the Iftar (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.
Then the companions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so?"
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) told them: - Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for 'Iftar', though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the 'Siraat' (Bridge) in 'Qiyamat', though his feet may be shaking.
Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Whoever offers 'Sunnat' (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will give him a certificate of freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one 'Wajib' Salat in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, which were offered by him in any other months.
Whosoever recites repeatedly 'Salat and salam (Salawat)' on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness.
Whosoever recites in this month only one 'Ayat' (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Holy Quran in the other months.
O People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell are closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened. During this month Shaytan (Saten) is imprisoned so ask your Lord not to let him have power over you.

The Holy Quran regarding Ramadan:

Surah Al Baqarah:2/183-186

(Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need - but whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know - (184) The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful. (185) And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.

General aspects which invalidate fasting:

 Deliberately eating and drinking
 Deliberately staying in a state of ritual impurity caused by sexual intercourse (janabat) or the end of menstruation (hayz) after the break of dawn (if a person is sick and cannot perform ghusl because of his sickness, he should do tayammum before dawn).
 Swallowing water while brushing teeth

Questions about fasting answered by his Eminence Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Musa al Yaqoobi:

General questions about behavior during fasting

Question: If one breaks the fast a few minutes early by mistake, must the fast be repeated?
Answer: No.
Question: Is one permitted to sleep by day and get up in the evening shortly before iftar only to ease fasting (e.g. in the summer months)?
Answer: Yes, this is permitted.
Question: What is the opinion on inhaling steam during fasting?
Answer: This is not permitted if the steam is concentrated.
Question: Is it to smoking cigarettes during fasting permitted?
Answer: No, this is not permitted.
Question: Is fasting valid if one drinks or eats accidently?
Answer: Yes, the fasting is still valid.
Question: What is the opinion regarding those who fast but do not pray? Is their fasting valid?
Answer: In this case the fasting is valid, but Allah (swt) only accepts fasting from those who fear him.


Questions about hygienic and medical care during fasting

Question: Is getting injections which do not include food during fasting permitted?
Answer: Yes, it is permitted.
Question: Does a sudden nosebleed invalid fasting?
Answer: No.
Question: Is visiting the dentist allowed if this treatment involves blood running into the mouth if one rinses the mouth out with water and doesn’t swallow it?
Answer: This is allowed, but one must omit it if it’s not necessary.
Question: What should people do who have diabetes and need regular meals, for example, every three hours? They may never fast. Must they pay money?
Answer: Yes, they are required to pay money during the month of Ramadan and to only eat as much as absolutely necessary. If they have the possibility to fast later on, they must make up for the missed days.
Question: May women break fasting if they are not feeling well?
Answer: Pregnant women may break their fast if they feel that their fasting harms or affects the natural development of their unborn child.
Question: May we brush our teeth while fasting? What should we consider?
Answer: You may brush your teeth. However, you must remember to not let anything (e.g. water) reach your throat.



Questions about fasting during work and school

Question: Is a cook allowed to taste food with the tongue and neither chew nor swallow?
Answer: Yes, this is allowed.
Question: Is not fasting because of hard work allowed when, for example, the work is heavy and physical and the non-fasting employer has no sympathy?
Answer: “There is to be no obedience towards any creature if it involves disobedience towards the Creator”. If it’s unbearable, he should eat and drink as much as necessary so he is able to do his work. After he has eaten and drunk enough, he must continue fasting and make up for missed days.
Question: Many teachers in Europe believe that children who fast are less concentrated at school. Some teachers encourage the children to eat or drink. How should the parents react without harming the atmosphere in class?
Answer: One suggestion is to prevent children from fasting early (e.g. let them fast once in a while). It is also advisable to contact the school and seek a solution that does not break the fast.

Questions about making up for missed fasts
Question: What is the opinion regarding those who stay in the state of ritual impurity after the break of dawn (e.g. sexual intercourse, menstruation)? Must they pay kaffarah if they had the opportunity to cleanse themselves early?
Answer: In this case one must make up for the missed day and pay kaffarah.
Question: How does one calculate the kaffarah? How and to whom should that be paid?
Answer: As a precaution, one should nourish 60 people in need by personally offering each person a serving or authorizing someone to do this on his or her behalf.


Question: Is making up for missed fasts within one year until next Ramadan a duty for women?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Must the missed fasts be done in a row?
Answer: No.
Question: If you are not sure how many days of fasting you missed (e.g. not fasting for many years) are you obligated to make up for the days you believe you missed as long as you are living or can you instead make paymanet?
Answer: If you intentionally missed fasting, you have to make up for the missed fasts and pay kaffarah (nourish 60 people in need). Now if you had a legitimate reason for not fasting (e.g. travel, illness), you must just make up for the days you missed. And if you are not sure about the number of days you missed, you just make up for the fasts you remember.
Question: Is it possible to fast for a deceased person who missed fasts in life?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Must one make up for breaking the fast a few minutes early?
Answer: No.
Question: Is fasting valid if one drinks or eats accidentally?
Answer: Yes, the fasting is still valid.
 

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