Moon Sighting
If the new moon (called a ‘crescent’) is seen after 29 days of Sha’bān, what do we do?
Then we know the next day is the 1st of Ramadan.
True or False: It is wājib to utter the niyyah loudly. Just making the intention in one’s mind is not enough.
False
it is not wājib to utter the niyyah loudly. Just making the intention in one’s mind is enough.
True/False:
A cook is allowed to place food on his or her tongue just to taste it (e.g. to see if there is enough salt in the food)
True:
A cook is allowed to place food on his or her tongue just to taste it (e.g. to see if there is enough salt in the food) but not to swallow it. After tasting, they must spit it out.
Is it okay to brush my teeth during fasting in Shahr Ramadhan? What do I need to ensure?
Brushing teeth is ok during a fast so that the mouth will not smell. But you have to be careful so that you don’t swallow anything.
If the previous month (Sha’bān) has completed 29 days and the moon is still not sighted that night, what do we do?
Then we know the month of Sha’bān has 30 days. And the next day after that would be the first day of Ramadān because Sha’ban (like any Islamic month) cannot have more than 30 days.
True or False:
One can make the intention for each day’s fast or even make the niyyah to fast the whole month on the first night of Ramadān.
True
True/False:
If one vomits unintentionally or involuntarily, there is a problem and his fast is invalid.
False
If he vomits unintentionally or involuntarily, there is no problem [and his fast remains valid].
Can travellers who have to offer qasr (shortened) salāh fast ?
Those travellers who have to offer qasr (shortened) salāh cannot fast and should repay the fasts as qadā later on.
How can we know it is the first night of Shahr Ramadhan?
We must see the moon with our own eyes or at least two ‘ādil (trustworthy and not people who sin openly) must have sighted the moon and they bear witness to their sighting of the moon before others can accept it.
If a person wavers whether to break her fast or continue it or make intentions to break it, her fast will be?
Batil (invalid) even though they do not eat or drink anything.
Breaking a fast deliberating requires a person to:
1. Istighfār
2. Pay the qadā of each missed fast
3. Pay a penalty (kaffāra) for each missed fast.
True/False:
If a person starts his or her journey after the time of salāt adh-dhuhr, then they should complete their fast for that day and it will be a valid fast.
True
The 1st of Shawwāl is the day of __________ and it is _______ to fast on that day.
‘Id al-Fitr
harām
What is Imsak?
As a precaution, people stop eating or drinking anything at least 5-15 minutes before fajr time and this is called the time of imsāk. You can check your local prayer calendar for the time of imsāk.
A fast is broken if someone deliberately does any of the following between the time of fajr to the time of maghrib:
1. Eating and drinking.
2. Smoking or inhaling dust or (smoke) fumes.
3. Vomiting intentionally
4. Lying about Allāh and the Ma’sumeen (‘a).
Which Du'a do we recite in Shahr Ramadhan? and who was it taught to us by?
Du'a al Iftitah
Taught to us by Imam al Mahdi (atfs)
If the first of the month of Ramadān is not confirmed but there is a doubt and it is possible that one may find out during the day that the moon was sighted elsewhere and that it is the first day of Ramadān, then what should we do?
it is recommended that a person should fast, but without the intention of a wājib Ramadān fast. They should fast only qurbatan ilallāh. This way, if it is found even several days later that the day that the person fasted was in fact the first day of Ramadān then it will automatically be counted as the wājib Ramadān fast.
However if a person does not fast because no proof was found and later he finds out that in fact it was the first day of Ramadān, then he or she only has to pay the qadā for the 1st day and there will be no other penalty (kaffāra).
If, while eating, a person realizes that the time for the morning adhān has arrived, what should she do?
She should take the food out of their mouth; if she swallows it deliberately, their fast will be bātil and she will have to pay its qadā and a penalty (kaffāra). It is therefore better to stop eating and drinking from the time of imsāk.
What are the three ways in which one can pay a kaffara (penalty) for a missed fast?
The kaffāra for each missed fast is to fast 60 days (out of which 30 days must be continuous), OR to feed 60 poor Muslims. If it is not possible to find 60 poor Muslims to feed, then one has to arrange to send money to a poor town or city where this can be arranged.
What does Taqleed mean?
To follow someone and in our discussion it refers to following a person in Islamic legislations.
Taqleed does not mean “blind following” – rather, it simply means that since we are not able to extract the laws of Islam from the sources, we follow the person who has this ability.