Shirk & its Types (part 1 of 3)


Introduction

The Arabic word shirk [1] is the opposite of tawheed, Allah’s oneness and uniqueness, and is more inclusive than polytheism and idolatry. Shirk contradicts the very purpose of creation as expressed in the Quran:

“I have not created jinn or mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

Prophets were sent with the mission to eradicate shirk and to invite humanity to single out Allah in worship.

What is Shirk?

Shirk is to associate someone other than Allah in those aspects which are unique to Allah and His exclusive right. Shirk is to worship created beings like Allah is worshipped, to venerate created beings like Allah must be venerated, and to assign a portion of His divinity to someone else.

Severity of Shirk

There is no issue upon which Islam is so strict as the one of tawheed (monotheism). Therefore, shirk is considered the greatest violation with which the Lord of the heavens and the earth is defied. The severity of shirk can be summarized in the following points:

(1) Shirk makes the Creator like His creation, in that matters that are exclusive to Allah are associated with others who have no right to it. Therefore, Allah declares shirk to be the greatest wrong,

“Indeed to ascribe partners (unto Him) is a tremendous wrong.” (Quran 31:13)

(2) Allah has declared that He will not forgive the sin of shirk unless the person repents from it,

“Surely Allah forgives not that a partner should be set up with Him, and forgives all besides that to whom He pleases.” (Quran 4:48)

(3) Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who do not repent from committing shirk, condemning him to Hell for eternity,

“Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, Allah has forbidden to him Paradise and his abode is the Fire.” (Quran 5:72)

(3) All the good works a person may have done are lost, become worthless, and are rendered vain if a person dies unrepentant of shirk,

“And certainly, it has been revealed to you and to those before you: if you should associate (anything) with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65)

(4) Shirk is the deadliest of all major sins. On one occasion, the Prophet, may Allah praise him, asked his companions if they knew what was greatest of all major sins. He then explained to them,

“The major sins are: shirk, not being kind to one’s parents…” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Types of Shirk

(1) Greater Shirk (Shirk Akbar)

(2) Lesser Shirk (Shirk Asghar)

Definition of Greater Shirk

Greater Shirk is associating others with Allah in those aspects which are unique to Allah in his person taking a rival or associate unto Allah and making it an equal to Allah.

Shirk in Allah Being the Lord

This category includes:

(i) Atheism (the belief that human beings have no Lord).

Pharaoh denied the existence of Allah and claimed his own self to be the Lord over Moses and the people of Egypt. He announced to people:

“I am your Lord, Most High.” (Quran 79:24)

Modern day philosophers that deny the existence of Allah or scientists who consider the universe created itself or has no beginning or end fall under this category. Also, the idea that nature itself is God, or that God dwells within His creation is also shirk.

(b) The belief that Allah shares His rule and control over the creation.

People who fall into this category are those who may believe in Allah’s powers and abilities, but also believe that Allah is several “persons,” that He is somehow “split” into different beings. An example is Christians who believe that Allah is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all at the same time. Also, Hindus believe in One God who takes the forms of Brahma – the creator-god, Vishnu – the preserver-god, and Shiva – the destroyer-god. Islam teaches that Allah is One in every sense: perfect, indivisible, and complete.

Another example of this shirk is held by people who pray to the dead. They believe the souls of the saints and other people can meddle in the affairs of mortal men, that somehow the departed souls can cause change in the life of men and women by answering their prayers or in other ways. The truth is that the dead have no power over the lives of the living; they cannot answer anyone’s prayers, nor protect them, nor grant their wishes.

Greater Shirk: Shirk In Allah’s Names & Attributes

Making Allah like the creation or making the creation like Allah is the essence of shirk on Allah’s Names and Attributes. It can be further classified into two types:

(i) Humanizing Allah by giving Him attributes similar to humans is shirk. Depictions of God in paintings and sculpture are of this type. Christianity, the major religion of the West, views God in human terms, as Jesus is considered God incarnate by them, so it naturally produced the likes of Michelangelo who depicted the Face and Hand of ‘God’ in paintings. Hindus worship countless idols as forms of God. On the contrary, the Muslim tradition has been clear on this point because of the Quran’s clear teachings,

“There is nothing like Him, and He sees and hears all things.” (Quran 42:11)

(ii) Another form of this type of shirk is when human beings are deified by giving them divine names or qualities. For example, the Christians raise Mary, the mother of the Jesus, to a divine status by giving her some of Allah’s attributes, such as the Merciful. They also call Mary the mother of God, ‘God’ being a reference to her son Jesus. The latter they have called the Living God, the First and the Last – Names reserved for God alone. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah praise him, said:

“Allah Almighty has said: ‘The son of Adam… reviled Me and he had no right to do so… As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allah has taken to Himself a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I beget not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me.’” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, An-Nasai)


Footnotes:
[1] The “I” is pronounced like the “I” in the word “dip”

Belief in Allah (part 2 of 2): Shirk, the Opposite of Tawheed

The Arabic word shirk is the opposite of tawheed, Allah’s oneness, and is more inclusive than polytheism and idolatry. It means associating Allah with other deities. Shirk is to associate others with Allah in certain aspects designated as unique to Him and exclusively His in the Quran and Sunnah.

There is no issue upon which Islam is so strict as the one of monotheism (tawheed). Associating partners with God (Shirk) is the deadliest sin, the greatest violation with which the Lord of the heavens and the earth may be defied. Death in the state of shirk permanently severs a person from divine grace:

“Surely Allah forgives not that a partner be set with Him (i.e. the sin of shirk), and forgives all besides that to whom he pleases.” (Quran 4:48)

Shirk has many forms, some of which will be discussed below.

The Greater Shirk

Acts which fall under this category of shirk are regarded as unforgivable. Allah will not forgive them unless one repents.

“Verily, Allah does not forgive shirk, but He forgives other than that to whom He pleases”

This category contradicts the very purpose of creation, as expressed in Allah’s statement:

“I have not created jinn or mankind except to worship Me Alone.” (Quran 51:56)

In this category of shirk, acts of worship are directed to beings other than Allah or alongside Him, as is their rewards. Allah gives an example of this type in the Quran, in His saying:

“So when they ride in the ships, they call upon Allah, being sincerely obedient to Him, but when he brings them safe to the land, lo, they commit shirk with Him.” (Quran 29:65)

The Quran stresses in many verses that Allah does not share His powers with any partner. It warns those who believe their idols will intercede for them that they, together with the idols, will become fuel for Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.

The greater shirk includes invoking or supplicating to a false deity, prophet, angel, saint, idol, or anything besides Allah. Christians pray to a man who they believe to share divinity with Allah, the Prophet of Allah Jesus, may Allah praise him. Catholics direct certain types of worship to saints, angels, and Mary, which they regard as “veneration”. All these things are regarded as shirk.

It is also considered shirk to pray to Prophet Muhammad, may Allah praise him, or to graves of holy men.

Believing in the legislation of others, whether governments or religious leaders in opposition to the clear teachings of Islam is also a major form of shirk, as Allah says:

“They (referring to Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their Lords besides Allah.” (Quran 9:31)

They took them as lords besides Allah not by directly praying to them, but by willfully accepting their changing the lawful into prohibited and the forbidden into lawful in Allah’s religion. They gave them the authority that only Allah has - to legislate in divine law.

Another form of major shirk is giving any creation a portion of divine love reserved for Allah.

“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah (more than anything else).” (Quran 2:195)

Lesser Forms of Shirk

Swearing by other than Allah and carrying out religious acts for worldly gain, like showing off or to win favors are two of the lesser forms of shirk. Allah’s Messenger said:

“The thing I fear for you the most is ‘lesser shirk.’ The companions asked ‘Oh! Messenger of Allah, what is “lesser shirk?” He replied showing off, for surely Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, ‘Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.’” (Ahmad, at-Tabarani, al-Baihaqi)

Once, the Prophet, may Allah praise him, announced:

“O people, beware of hidden shirk! The people asked, ‘O messenger of Allah, what is hidden shirk?’ He replied, ‘When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is hidden shirk.’” (Ibn Khuzaymah)

Showing off (riyaa in Arabic) is the practice of performing any of the various forms of worship in order to be seen and praised by people. Doing religious acts to impress people destroys the spiritual benefits of righteous deeds and incurs sin on the person. Sometimes, even the most pious are not spared of it because it is so hidden and the motivating force behind it is so ingrained. Getting rid of it involves that one concentrate upon the fact that they are performing the worship for Allah’s pleasure alone, and not the pleasure of people.

A Muslim must take great care to ensure intentions begin pure and remain pure whenever righteous deeds are being done. In order to ensure this, the saying of Allah’s name is enjoined in Islam before all acts of importance. A series of informal prayers (du’as) have also been prescribed by the Prophet before and after all natural habits to turn them into acts of worship and develop awareness of Allah.

Everyday Examples of Shirk

Astrology and Horoscopes

Predicting the future by means of comparing the positions of stars and constellations, in conjunction with the time of year that a person was born is a type of Shirk. Only Allah knows the future, so it is impossible to predict future events by studying the stars. This is a form of shirk because belief in astrology credits astrologers with knowledge of the future, as well as the fact that they ascribe certain powers to created objects – stars – that neither Allah nor science has assigned.

Fortune-Telling
Reading palms, looking into a crystal ball, and other forms used to foretell the future are forms of shirk for the same reasons given above.

The Number 13

A common example of shirk is belief that the number thirteen is an unlucky number, especially in the West, where it is not uncommon for tall buildings not to have a thirteenth floor. It is shirk because it assigns the ability to bring bad fortune to a mere number!

Lucky or Unlucky Creatures
It has been a common custom for certain animals or objects to be associated with good or bad luck for many centuries in many parts of the world. For example, black cats, magpies, rabbits' feet, and horseshoes are thought to bring good luck. All of these examples are shirk because the ability to bring good or bad luck is assigned to Allah’s creation.

All Muslims should avoid all forms of shirk, and the only way one can be sure to do so is if they study its different forms and understand well the concept of Tawheed. Shirk is the gravest of sins in Islam, more severe than other grave sins such as murder and adultery, for it vies with the sole right of Allah to worship. Thus, it is worthy that Muslims do their best to avoid shirk and become eligible to enter the Gardens of Paradise.

Shirk & its Types (part 3 of 3)

Definition of Lesser Shirk

Lesser Shirk is what has been specifically called shirk in the Quran and Sunnah, but does not reach the level of greater Shirk. Also, lesser Shirk is said to lead to greater Shirk. Some scholars have said lesser Shirk is so vast that it is difficult to define it precisely. The most important examples of lesser Shirk are:

Charms & Omens

Wearing charms, talismans, and amulets for protection against the evil eye, bad luck and the like thinking that Allah has placed these powers in them constitute lesser Shirk. This is discussed in more detail here.

Swearing an Oath in the Name of Other than Allah

Taking an oath, or swearing, in the name of someone other than Allah is a type of lesser Shirk given that a person does not intend to venerate the one in whose name the oath is being taken, else it turns into greater Shirk. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah praise him, said,

“The one who takes an oath in the name of other than Allah commits disbelief or Shirk.”[1]

Riyaa (Showing-Off)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah praise him, said:

“The thing that I fear most for you is lesser Shirk.”

They said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is lesser Shirk?” He said:

“Riyaa (showing off), for Allah will say on the Day when people are recompensed for their actions: ‘Go to those for whom you were showing off with your deeds in the world, and see what reward you find with them.’” (Ahmad)

Riyaa is to perform worship in order to be seen and praised by people. Riyaa renders a deed void; the person earns sin instead of reward from Allah, and it exposes him to punishment.

Human beings, by nature like to be praised, are not fond of criticism, and do not like to be seen deficient in any way. Islam views doing religious acts to impress others instead of pleasing Allah - what should have been done for Allah is done for people - as shirk. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah praise him, said:

“Allah (glorified and exalted be He) said: ‘I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.’” (Saheeh Muslim)

There is a good chance of a believer falling into riyaa because it is hidden, it sits in the heart, pollutes the intention, and a person has to be extremely vigilant to correct it. Ibn Abbas, one of the Prophet’s companions, said,

“Shirk in the Muslim nation is more hidden than a black ant crawling on a black stone in the middle of a moonless night.”[2]

Intention is a simple matter, but sometimes changing it can be difficult. A person has to listen to their heart and see what motivates a certain action. A Muslim has to carefully watch his intention to keep it pure whenever he performs a good deed like salah, giving charity, fasting, serving his parents, or even smiling. Perhaps this is why the saying of Allah’s Name has been prescribed before all acts of importance in daily life – eating, drinking, sleeping, going to the toilet, waking up, and going to sleep. Remembering Allah keeps the heart aware of Allah and the intention pure.

Let us understand with simple examples how riyaa may affect worship:

(a) Let us say the basic motive when you stand up to pray is for people to see you, or notice you are praying, wish to be praises for that. This invalidates the act of worship.

(b) Let us say you started off to pray with sincerity, your intention was to pray for Allah, but then you started thinking about pleasing people, and slowly your intention changed. You do one of the two things. If you resist the temptation of getting noticed, it will not have any effect on you because the Prophet, may Allah praise him, said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.” But if you do nothing and do not resist the temptation of doing the act of worship so you may be seen or noticed; instead you slowly start to beautify your salah to be noticed, and so the entire act of worship may become invalid.

(c) Unintended praise is not harmful. The Prophet, may Allah praise him, was asked about that and said: “That is the first glad tidings of the believer.” It is not showing off if a person feels happy because he has done an act of worship; actually, it is a sign of his faith. The Prophet, may Allah praise him, said:

“Whoever feels happy because of his good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is the believer.”

The Prophet has provided us with words of protection against this inconspicuous shirk that can be said anytime of the day. One day the Prophet delivered a sermon saying,

‘O People, fear ‘shirk’, for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.’ (At-Tabarani)

Those whom Allah wished asked, ‘And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied,

‘Allah-humma inna na-oodtho-bika an nush-rika bika shay-ann naa-lamu, wa nas-tagh-fi-ruka limaa laa naa-lam.’

‘Say, “O Allah, we seek refuge with You from knowingly committing shirk with You, and we seek Your forgiveness for what we do unknowingly.”[3]

Differences Between Greater Shirk & Lesser Shirk

(1) Both are defined differently.

(2) The greater Shirk expels a person from the fold of Islam, whereas the lesser Shirk does not take one out of Islam, but reduces one’s belief in Allah.

(3) A person who dies committing greater Shirk will be in Hell Fire for eternity; this is not the case with one committing lesser Shirk.

(4) Greater Shirk wipes out and annuls all good deeds, whereas lesser Shirk only ruins the deeds it motivates or is a part of.

(5) Greater Shirk is not forgiven by Allah except through sincere repentance done before death; whereas it is up to Allah to punish or forgive lesser Shirk.


Footnotes:
[1] Ahmad, Abu Daud, Al-Tirmidhi, Nasai, and Hakim.
[2] Ibn Abi Hatim
[3] Ahmad

An Introduction to Fasting

Preview of Fasting

Fasting is not unique to Muslims. It has been practiced for centuries in connection with religious ceremonies by Christians, Jews, Confucians, Hindus, Taoists, Jains, and others as Allah says:

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous.” (Quran 2:183)

But like other rituals fasting was also altered and corrupted.

Fasting In Primitive Societies

Fasting was made part of the fertility rites in primitive ceremonies which were held at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and survived for centuries. Some primitive societies fasted to avert catastrophe or to serve as penance for sin. Native North Americans held tribal fasts to avert threatening disasters. The Native Americans of Mexico and the Incas of Peru observed penitential fasts to appease their gods. Past nations of the Old World, such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians, observed fasting as a form of penance.

Fasting In Judaism and Christianity

Jews observe fasting as a form of penitence and purification annually on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, which corresponds to the tenth of Muharram (‘Ashura) of the Islamic calendar. On this day neither food nor drink is permitted.

Early Christians associated fasting with penitence and purification. During the first two centuries of its existence, the Christian Church established fasting as a voluntary preparation for receiving the sacraments of Holy Communion and baptism and for the ordination of priests. Later, these fasts were made obligatory, as other days were subsequently added. In the 6th century the Lenten fast was expanded to 40 days, on each of which only one meal was permitted. After the Reformation, fasting was retained by most Protestant Churches and was made optional in some cases. Stricter Protestants like the Puritans, however, condemned not only the festivals of the Church, but its traditional fasts as well.

In the Roman Catholic Church, fasting may involve partial abstinence from food and drink or total abstinence. The Roman Catholic days of fasting are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

In the United States, fasting is observed mostly by Episcopalians and Lutherans among Protestants, by Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and by Roman Catholics.

Secular Fasting: The Hunger Strike
From being an empty ritual, fasting went to another extreme in the West: the hunger strike, a form of fasting, which in modern times has become a political weapon after being popularized by Mohandas Gandhi, leader of Indian struggle for freedom, who undertook fasts to compel his followers to obey his precept of nonviolence.

Fasting In Islam

Islam has prescribed and retained the ritual of fasting throughout centuries as a means for purifying the soul of a man in order to draw near to his Creator by selfish motives and base desires of self. It has a special status among all the devotional worships because it is difficult to perform. It puts a bridle on the most uncontrolled, savage human emotions. The most unruly human emotions are pride, avarice, gluttony, lust, envy, and anger. These emotions, by their nature are not easy to control, thus a person must strive hard to discipline them. Fasting helps do that.

The Islamic calendar consists of twelve lunar months. Muslims measure their year by the cycles of the moon rather than the sun, so the Muslim lunar year is eleven days shorter than the Christian solar year. Muslims are forbidden to adjust their year by adding an extra month, as the Jews do to keep their lunar calendar in synch with the seasons. Hence, the months of the Muslim year do not relate to the seasons. Each month lasts 29 or 30 days and occurs during different seasons of the year. A new month begins when the evening new moon is sighted. The ninth month is called Ramadan and is dedicated to fasting. It is pronounced Ramazan by Indo-Pakistanis.

Below we list the virtues and rewards of this month and fasting in general. In the next lesson we will learn how to fast. In the third and final installment, we will discuss the social aspects of Ramadan. In the fourth and last lesson, we will learn about the end of month activities.

Virtues of the Month of Ramadan

To motivate us and to prepare ourselves for the month of Ramadan, let us learn the great virtues of Ramadan as described in the Quran and by Prophet Muhammad.

(1) Fasting in Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam like salah. It is the only Islamic month mentioned by name in the Quran.

(2) The Glorious Quran was revealed in Ramadan.

(3) A single night falls in the last ten days of Ramadan so virtuous that worship done on it is superior to a thousand months. An entire chapter of the Koran is named after the special night called Layla tul-Qadr.

(4) Fasting Ramadan is considered equivalent to fasting ten months.[1]

(5) All previous sins are forgiven to whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of reward.[2]

(6) When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, an indication of intensified divine grace. The devil chiefs are chained, so evil is reduced in the month.[3]

Virtues of Fasting

(1) Allah has chosen fasting for Himself and He will reward it in multiples beyond measure.[4]

(2) Fasting has no equivalent.[5]

(3) The supplications of the fasting person will not be refused.[6]

(4) The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast and the other when he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting.[7]

(5) The smell that might come from the mouth of a fasting person due to an empty stomach is more pleasing to Allah than the scent of musk.[8]

(6) Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from the Fire.[9]

(7) Allah will distance a person who fasts a single day for the sake of Allah seventy years distance from the Fire.[10]

(8) Whoever fasts one day seeking divine pleasure will enter Paradise if it is the last day of his life.[11]

(9) One of the Gates of Paradise, al-Rayyan, is dedicated for the fasting people, and no one else will enter through it; it will be locked after them.[12]

(10) At the breaking of every fast, Allah, in His boundless grace, chooses people to deliver from Hellfire.[13]


Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Muslim
[2] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[4] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[5] Nisai
[6] Bayhaqi
[7] Saheeh Muslim
[8] Saheeh Muslim
[9] Saheeh Ahmad
[10] Saheeh Muslim
[11] Saheeh Ahmad
[12] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[13] Ahmad

How to Fast

Types of Fasting

First thing to know is that fasting is of two types: obligatory and voluntary. Obligatory fasts are required worship - as a Muslim I do not have the option to leave it without incurring sin. Voluntary fasts are optional - I may keep them or not. If I don’t, I won’t incur any sin, but I will get extra reward for keeping them. In this lesson we will focus only on the most important obligatory fasts that are kept in the month of Ramadan.

Fasting In Ramadan

Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam as the Prophet said:

“Islam is built on five pillars: testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, the establishment of the prayer, the giving of zakah, the fast of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

Fasting in Ramadan is an obligation on every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty. Allah said in the Quran:

“So whoever witnesses the month should fast it.” (Quran 2:185)

Whoever does not fast during Ramadan without a legitimate excuse commits what is considered a major sin.

Who is Exempt from Fasting?

(1) A Muslim child who has not yet reached puberty is exempt from fasting till one of the following signs of puberty appear:

(a) discharge of semen, whether by experiencing a wet dream or otherwise

(b) growth of pubic hair

(c) menstruation

(d) a person has turned 15

(2) If you are traveling in Ramadan, you have the option not to fast. If you choose not to, you must make up for the days missed at a later time before the following Ramadan.

(3) A woman is not allowed to fast during menstruation or post-natal bleeding, and she must perform the number of fasts she missed on other days before the following Ramadan.

(4) A pregnant or breast-feeding woman may be exempted from fasting if it proves harmful to her or the infant. This case is discussed in more detail below.

(5) The mentally insane are also exempt from fasting.

(6) The Merciful Lord does not burden a soul beyond its ability. If you are sick, you are also exempt from fasting.

There are two issues to know here:

First, how sick is sick? Cough or minor headache is not serious enough not to fast, but if there is medical reason, and you know from experience, or are certain that fasting will make your illness worse or delay recovery, you do not need to fast.

Second, you should make up the days when you get better.

The chronically ill who do not foresee any chance of recovery must feed a poor person for every day of Ramadan they miss. They do not need to fast for them on other days.

(8) Those too old to fast are also exempt from fasting, and they too must feed a poor person for every day of Ramadan they miss.

[COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"]How Do I Fast in Ramadan?

First, check with your local mosque for the beginning of Ramadan by calling or visiting them. Usually, mosques print a special schedule for Ramadan that will tell you the times for starting and ending the fast (the time of Fajr and Maghrib, respectively) and maybe even the time for the Taraweeh prayer.

Second, intend in your heart the night before that you will fast the next day based on what the Prophet, may Allah praise him, said:

“There is no fast for the person who did not intend to fast from the night before.” (An-Nasa’i)

https://www.islamicfinder.org. For example, on Tuesday, the first day of Ramadan, take your pre-dawn meal (suhoor) before 5:50 am. You can resume eating and drinking (iftar) at 6:43 pm.

Second, wake up well before time for Fajr begins and have your pre-dawn meal called suhoor. You may hear Indians and Pakistanis refer to suhoor as seh-ri. The next lesson also has some suggestions for a nutritious suhoor. Some calendars may mention a time when you should stop eating before Fajr. There is really no basis for this and should be ignored, as clear texts show that it is allowed to eat and drink up and until the time of Fajr. One may, on the safe side, stop eating and drinking a few minutes before the time for Fajr starts, as most people use a time schedule and there is no guarantee that their watches are 100% correct. Allow yourself enough time beforehand to eat and drink, because if you wake up late after time for Fajr has started, you can not have your pre-dawn meal and have to fast rest of the day on an empty stomach! If you happen to sleep through the Fajr prayer time frame and wake up after sunrise, you must fast for the remainder of the day, and the fast is still valid.

Third, you must abstain completely from things that break and invalidate the fast that are discussed below. It is basically no eating, drinking, or having marital relations.

Fourth, the time for Maghrib or evening salah begins when the sun sets. That’s also when you ‘break’ your fast and can resume eating and drinking. This meal is called ‘iftar’, or breakfast. The Prophet, may Allah praise him, would first break his fast, even if only with a sip of water, and then pray the dusk or Maghrib salah. You are totally free to have your dinner at this time or later, however, you should not miss the Maghrib prayer because you are busy eating!

What Can I Not Do While Fasting?

You essentially fast from dawn (time for Fajr) till sunset (time for Maghrib). From dawn to dusk you must stay away from:

· Eating or drinking, including taking pills or oral medicines. If you ate or drank by mistake, that is, you forgot you were fasting, then do not worry. Continue to refrain for the rest of the day. It is forgiven, the fasting is valid, and the day will count. The Prophet of Mercy, may Allah praise him, said:

“If he forgets, and eats and drinks, then let him complete his fast, for Allah has fed him and given him to drink.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

· Sexual intercourse, whether one ejaculates or not, invalidates the fast. Beware of this most serious violation of the fast that incurs sin and a heavy penalty to make up. For this reason, even kissing is forbidden if there is a risk that it will lead to intercourse. Again, this is just during the day when you are fasting. There are no restrictions at night. By extension, masturbation also invalidates fasting.

· Self-induced vomiting ruins the fast as the Prophet, may Allah praise him, said:

“Whoever vomits unintentionally does not have to make up the fast later, but whoever vomits on purpose does have to make up the fast.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

· Smoking, prohibited at all times, also invalidates the fast.[1]

Special Regulations for Women

(1) Menstruation & Post-Natal bleeding

If the period begins before sunset, the woman’s fast is invalidated and she has to make up that day. During the rest of her period she cannot fast. If she becomes pure before Fajr then she should fast, even if she does not bathe until after the time of Fajr starts. All the missed days have to be made up after Ramadan.

(2) Pregnancy and Nursing

Both nursing and pregnant women are required to fast in Ramadan. You should not fast if you fear harm for yourself or your child, or if it is too physically difficult. . On the other hand, if fasting does not result in hardship or harm, then a pregnant or nursing mother must fast.

For more details in any of these issues, we recommend you to browse the following link: Islam QA- Fasting.


Footnotes:
[1] For other details about some common issues regarding what does and does not break the fast, please see: Islam Question and Answer - Things which invalidate the fast, and Islam Question and Answer - What is permitted for the fasting person.

Prayer of the Traveler

Islamic Law makes the salah easier for a traveler in two ways:

Qasr: the four rak’ah salah is shortened to two rak’ah.

Jama’: Dhuhr can be combined with Asr, Maghrib can be combined with ‘Isha. Prayers, however, cannot be combined in any other way. Fajr cannot be combined with ‘Isha, Fajr can not be combined with Dhuhr. Asr can not be combined with Maghrib.

Conditions

Qasr is performed when one is traveling. You cannot shorten the prayers unless you have actually left your city limits. There is no time limit as to how long you can shorten the prayers. The majority of scholars allow it for up to four days and nights, though. In case of bad weather, prayers can be combined (but not shortened) in the mosque so worshippers, do not have to come back to the Mosque while the weather is bad.

Method

There are two ways to combine prayers.

First, Dhuhr is prayed on time and Asr is combined with it. This means that Asr is offered before its time in the time for Dhuhr. Similarly, Maghrib is prayed on its time with ‘Isha. ‘Isha is offered early in the time of Maghrib.

Second, Dhuhr is delayed beyond its time and offered with Asr and Maghrib is delayed beyond its time and offered with ‘Isha. In both cases, Asr and ‘Isha are prayed in their times, but Dhuhr and Maghrib are delayed until the time of the following prayer.

Prayers are joined with one Adhan and two Iqamahs. The Adhan is called, followed by the Iqamah and the first prayer is offered. Then, immediately after finishing the first prayer, the second Iqamah is called, followed by offering the second prayer.

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Leaving that which does not concern you


Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, what translated means, 'A sign of one's excellence in his Islam, is ignoring what does not concern him.' [Related by Ahmad, Malik & At-Tirmithi]
The Status of this Hadith
Ibn Rajab said,
'This Hadith is a basic and an important source of good behavior in Islam.'
Mohammad ibn Zayd, a great scholar of the Maliki Mathhab, said,
'Four Hadiths comprise a perfect code of conduct. One of them is, 'Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger should say that which is useful or keep silent.' Another Hadith is when the Prophet said to the man who sought his advice, 'Avoid getting angry.' A third is the Hadith, 'The believer loves for his (believing) brother what he loves for himself.' The fourth is the above Hadith.'
A Sign of Excellence in Islam
A sign of one's excellence in the religion, is his ignoring what does not concern him, including all things said or done. The Muslim should only participate in what concerns him, such as anything that is his property, right, obligation or under his control. To be concerned with something entails preserving and taking care of this thing that one is allowed to be concerned with.
As for the matters that do not concern one, they are in abundance. Usually, when a person tries to interfere in such matters that do not concern him, the tool frequently used for this is the tongue. Muslims are ordered to utter only good words, for Allah said, what translated means,
'Not a word he (man) utters, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).' [50:18]
Many people ignore the fact that in Islam, words are considered actions. Such people care not to preserve their tongues from uttering evil or nonsense. Mu`ath ibn Jabal did not know the importance of discretion in the words one utters, so he asked the Prophet,
'Are we going to be held responsible for what we say' The Prophet answered, 'May your mother lose you! What else will lead people to be dragged in the Fire on their faces, but the result of what they utter with their tongues.' [Irwaa' al-Ghaleel]
An-Nawawi said in his book, 'Riyadh as-Saliheen',
'Know that everyone should only talk about what might lead to benefit. When talking and being silent are equal in benefit, then the Sunnah is to be silent. This is because to be talkative will usually lead to uttering evil, even if it starts with seemingly harmless words. One should always be on the safe side, a state that is indeed desired.'
When a person utters only good words, he gains respect in his community. Likewise, if he is talkative and nosy, disrespect and a bad reputation are the result.
This Hadith indicates that ignoring what does not concern one, is a sign of his excellence in the religion. Being successful in working the righteous deeds and gaining an increase in the number of good deeds are all results of this better behavior. The number of sins will also decrease if one protects his tongue from uttering evil. Abu Hurayrah said,
'If you improve your Islam, then every good deed you work will increase (and will be multiplied) by ten folds to seven hundred times in reward. On the other hand, each sin is recorded according to its weight, until one meets Allah, the Exalted One.' [Muslim]
Ignoring What Does Not Concern You
The only way to know right from wrong is through the Islamic Shari`ah (Law). What one wishes and desires do not count in this regard. The Prophet has considered the one who ignores what does not concern him to be an excellent Muslim. Therefore, Islam alone must be consulted to define what does or does not concern a Muslim. Because many Muslims do not depend on the Shari`ah to define what they can or cannot participate in, they sometimes abandon their obligations or what they are supposed to do or say, thinking that this is not of their concern. They sometimes defy the rules of the religion by not advising their Muslim brothers, thinking that this also is not of their concern. Or, they indulge in what does not concern them, thinking that this is their concern. To get out of this confusion, one should always consult the Shari`ah to know what he is supposed to do or say.
Benefits from the Hadith
1. This Hadith encourages Muslims to use the time in a manner that brings about their benefit in this life and in the Hereafter
2. Muslims should always be concerned with what is beneficial and constructive, and should avoid what does not bring about benefit and what does not preserve the honor
3. This Hadith also encourages Muslims to strive hard to discipline their behavior, and to reject and abandon sins, dishonor and what brings about disrespect
4. This Hadith also ordains avoiding interfering with other people's affairs, for unwarranted interference with other people's business causes divisions and hatred among Muslims

Surat Az-Zalzalah (The Earthquake) - سورة الزلزلة


Sahih International
When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake



Sahih International
And the earth discharges its burdens



Sahih International
And man says, "What is [wrong] with it?" -



Sahih International
That Day, it will report its news



Sahih International
Because your Lord has commanded it.



Sahih International
That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds.



Sahih International
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,



Sahih International
And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.

Surat Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof) - سورة البينة



Sahih International
Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them clear evidence -





Sahih International
A Messenger from Allah , reciting purified scriptures



Sahih International
Within which are correct writings.



Sahih International
Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence.



Sahih International
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.



Sahih International
Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures



Sahih International
Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds - those are the best of creatures.

Sahih International
Their reward with Allah will be gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them and they with Him. That is for whoever has feared his Lord.

Surat Al-Qadr (The Power) - سورة القدر



Sahih International
Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree.



Sahih International
And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?



Sahih International
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.



Sahih International
The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.



Sahih International
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.