Fasting & Intention (Hadith No. 1642)

Bismillah.

Is it necessary to make an intention before fasting? If yes, when to make that intention?

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 147:

Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa (radiallaahu `anhu):

Once the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) ordered a person on ‘Ashura’ (the tenth of Muharram) to announce, “Whoever has eaten, should not eat any more, but fast, and who has not eaten should not eat, but complete his fast (till the end of the day).

The Ruling

It was narrated by Ibn ‘Umar from Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

Whoever does not have the intention of fasting before Fajr, there is no fast for him.

Narrated by Imam Ahmad, the authors of al-Sunan, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibbaan; they classed it as saheeh and marfoo’.

Obligatory or Voluntary?

Summary: For obligatory fasts, intention has to be made before Fajr that day. But for voluntary fasts, intention can be made later on during the day if one hasn’t eaten/drunk/had intercourse after Fajr that day. Read below for details.

It is essential to make the intention to fast the month of Ramadan at night, before Fajr. It is not sufficient to start fasting it that day without the intention. Whoever finds out at the time of Duha that today it is Ramadan and makes the intention of fasting has to refrain from eating until sunset, and he also has to make up that day. This is with regard to obligatory fasts. With regard to naafil (voluntary) fasts it is permissible to make the intention to fast on the day, if you have not eaten or drunk or had intercourse after Fajr, because it was proven in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon her one day at duha time and said, “Do you have anything (any food)?” She said, “No.” He said, “Then I am fasting.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh.

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Suhoor and Adhaan (Ahadith 1637 – 1639)

Bismillah.

When should you take your suhoor meal? Till dawn or the adhaan?

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 142:

Narrated ‘Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa):

Bilal (radiallaahu `anhu) used to pronounce the Adhan at night, so Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)? said, “Carry on taking your meals (eat and drink) till Ibn Um Maktum [Bilal] pronounces the Adhan, for he does not pronounce it till it is dawn.

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Volume 3, Book 31, Number 143:

Narrated Sahl bin Sad (radiallaahu `anhu):

I used to take my Suhur meals with my family and then hurry up for presenting myself for the (Fajr) prayer with Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam).

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Volume 3, Book 31, Number 144:

Narrated Anas (radiallaahu `anhu):

Zaid bin Thabit (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “We took the Suhur with the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam). Then he stood for the prayer.” I asked, “What was the interval between the Suhur and the Adhan?” He replied, “The interval was sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Quran.”

The ruling is that you “eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night).” [al-Baqarah 2:187]
Translation: eat and drink till dawn starts. Whether the adhaan starts before it or after is irrelevant; you just have to look for the dawn.

Also, it’s better to delay the suhoor meal till dawn. Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Dharr saying that Allah’s Messenger said:

«لَا تَزَالُ أُمَّتِي بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الْإِفْطَارَ وَأَخَّرُوا السُّحُور»
My Ummah will always retain goodness as long as they hasten in breaking the fast and delay the Suhur.

A Memorable Morning

So I was about to go to sleep and tell my friends to wake me up at Fajr when the electricity went. This doesn’t happen usually at GIKI so most of us came out of the rooms. I turned off the light and fan switches, wore my sandals, turned the torch on in my awesome Nokia mobile having a torch that works, picked up a packet of Catty Chins (Cheese) by Super Crisp (man they’re yummy) and went out of my room.

I sat for a while outside on the hostel stairs looking towards the sky (crazy about stargazing). It was quite dark and it seemed really nice, so calm and serene. And I thought to myself that what would it like be at the time of the Prophet (SallAllaahu Alaiyhi Wasallam)? They would have this peace everyday. No pollution, clear sky, no internet to keep them distracted, all connected to nature you know. It must have been amazing. So I finished my snack and went to the mosque. There was no one there at that time. After a while a junior came and we talked a bit and the Azaan started in different mosques around us. So we decided since the guy who usually gives it is not here yet we should go ahead. So for the first time in 4 years of my stay in GIKI, I gave the Azaan. It felt good Alhamdulillah except for the fact that there was no electricity!

Anyway, I lied down there for a while and that guy went out. I could feel that there were mosquitoes gathering around me. I started feeling itchy and knew they were biting. Then the light came and I saw them close to me. First my expression was:

And I then I saw 3-4 sitting on my foot and I’m like

But I realized they must be a lot so I stood up and to no surprise there were quite a lot roaming around me. So I ran like crazy (not literally of course)…

After Namaz now I came back to my room and started counting the red spots that I could see on my hands and feet. To my surprise I have 67 (THREE LESS THAN SEVENTY) mosquito bites on my hands and feet alone (these are the ones I can see and count). Wonder what they did to the rest of me.

But there was only one conclusion this could lead to…. THEY LOVE ME!

Now I better get ready to leave for Rawalpindi. But first, gotta have those parathay…

Have a blessed day. Assalam u alaikum :)

Don’t HATE, But APPRECIATE!

One of the main reasons of people, specifically Youth, not following Islam is that we people (and that includes all of us) are too quick to ridicule a person over the “little” good that he does. Let me explain what I mean.

There are 2 cases:

1st Case: 
A person (say X) is following a Sunnah, and another person (say Y) sees him and asks why are you doing this? When person X replies that he’s doing it because it’s Sunnah, instead of saying something like “ma sha Allah may Allah help us all follow more Sunnahs,” the usual reply is “But that (any other example) is also a Sunnah and you’re not following that. Why are you following this and not that?”

I mean seriously? If a person is following Sunnah A and not Sunnah B that does not mean that he should stop following Sunnah A too until he starts following Sunnah B! This doesn’t even make sense logically! 1 good is better than NO good!

2nd Case:
Person X is not doing something obligatory and when there comes a time to do something else that is also obligatory, person Y starts mocking him. An example is that person X does not get up for Fajr regularly, and he’s playing cricket and the Maghrib Azaan starts. Now he tells his teammates to go for prayer and they say no let’s finish the match first. If he insists that brothers it’s Salaah time we shouldn’t be playing cricket, Salaah is more important, they start mocking him that “oh you don’t wake up for Fajr and now you’re so worried about Maghrib?”
AGAIN, a seriously messed up logic. If a person is doing 1 wrong, that does not justify that you tell him to do ANOTHER wrong! That would NOT make things better but would only worsen the situation. 

This is present to some extent in all of us. When we’re doing something of OUR OWN interest, and our friend tells us to follow Islam at that time we would immediately start embarrassing him by reminding him of his shortcomings. That oh you don’t do this and you don’t do that why being so righteous right now? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s fear Allah in this regard. What if that person does a sin because of your words? What if he leaves a Sunnah or a FARD at that moment just because it suited YOUR DESIRES?
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”
Surah Al-Maeda, verse 2

May Allah help us all understand and implement this in our lives completely and bless the Messenger (SalAllaahu Alaiyhi Wasallam) who taught us the most beautiful of manners, Ameen.

I Love Muhammad (SAW)

In light of the on-going Violent protests…

True or not, I won’t judge your “Love”

But know that you’re being watched by the One above

At Fajr Salah you’re hardly awake

But doing violent protests is a piece of cake

Muhammad (SAW) was sent as a mercy to humanity

And we, we’ve crossed all bounds of insanity!

He respected the life and properties of others

Protecting the honor of daughters, sisters and mothers

We claim to love him, but how do we know if it’s real?

Since instead of following him, we break stuff and we steal!

Everyone got offended; every Muslim got hurt

Blasphemers are defended; at least our homes are burnt!!

 

Would Muhammad (SAW) love this? I wish we only knew

While not everyone, but it might stop a few

Who are busy sucking the blood of their own brothers dry!

“We WILL protest, whether you live or you die!??”

How is this love, if somebody is weeping?

Our minds are furious but our hearts are sleeping…

I wish we wake up and learn about him more

Before the time comes when on this earth we will be no more

And the angels come in our grave and ask “What do you know about this man?*”

And we start to stammer and try to answer what we can

And if your love was true, then you will surely reply

But if it was not, then know that you will cry

 

So it’s time to act NOW and KNOW about this Great Man!

Adopt his qualities, at least, whatever we can!

And Allah will surely love you, if you love his most beloved slave

From the torment of Hell, by His will, you will be saved

I wish people understand the true meaning of LOVE

Since obedience with sincerity, is the only thing that matters above…

 

*This is one of the three questions that would be asked in the Grave.