Ramadan File, Dought & clear, - * Why do Muslims fast?.

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I live in England, and I often get asked by many non-muslims, why do muslims fast? I know that I should know this answer, but I do not know what to say exactly. What should I give as an answer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We Muslims fast the month of Ramadaan because Allaah has commanded us to do so. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“ O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
So we worship Allaah by doing this act of worship which is beloved to Allaah and which He has enjoined upon us.
The believers hasten to obey the commands of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in obedience to His words (interpretation of the meaning):
“The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allaah (His Words, the Qur’aan) and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: ‘We hear and we obey.’ And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise)”
[al-Noor 24:51]
“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error”
[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
Secondly:
It is by His wisdom that Allaah has prescribed a variety of acts of worship, so as to test people with regard to how they will obey all these commands. Will they only choose to do that which suits them, or will they do that which pleases Allaah? If we think about the five acts of worship: testimony of faith, prayer, zakaah, fasting and pilgrimage, we will see that some of them are purely physical, some are purely financial, some are both, so that the miser will become distinct from the generous. For some people it may be easy for them to pray one thousand rak’ahs but not to give a single dirham; for others it may be easy to give a thousand dirhams but not to pray a single rak’ahs. So Islam came to prescribe a variety of acts of worship so as to determine who will follow in obedience to the command of Allaah and who will follow only that which suits him.
Prayer, for example, is a purely physical action, but its prerequisites require some expenditure, such as the water for wudoo’, and clothes to cover the ‘awrah. These are not part of the prayer but they are its prerequisites.
Zakaah is purely financial, but physical actions are required to fulfil this duty such as calculating one's wealth and transferring the zakaah to the poor and needy. These are not part of zakaah but they are its prerequisites.
Hajj involves spending wealth and physical action, except for the people of Makkah who may not need money, but the yare very few compared with those who live in Makkah.
Jihad for the sake of Allaah may require both money and physical effort. A person may spend money for the sake of Allaah and not fight, or he may go and fight but not spend money.
Commands are of two types: commands to refrain from things that man is inclined towards, and commands to spend that are precious.
Refraining from things that are loved includes fasting, and expenditure of things that are loved includes zakaah. Wealth is something that is loved and no one spends the wealth that he loves except for something that is loved even more.
The same applies to refraining from things that are loved, for a person may like to spend a thousand dirhams, but not fast a single day, or vice versa.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen,al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/190.
Thirdly:
There is another great reason why fasting is prescribed, which has been discussed in part in the answer to question no. 26862.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about the reason why fasting was enjoined?
He replied:
If we read the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“ O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
we will know the reason why fasting was prescribed, which is taqwa (piety) and submission to Allaah. Taqwa means giving up haraam things, and in general terms includes both doing what is commanded and abstaining from what is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it and offensive speech and behaviour, Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057. See also questions no. 37658and 37989.
Based on this, it is important for the one who is fasting to carry out religious duties and avoid haraam things in word and deed. So he should not backbite about people, tell lies, or spread malicious gossip among them, or engage in haraam transactions, and he should avoid all haraam things. If a person does that for a whole month, the rest of the year will go well, but unfortunately in the case of many of those who fast, there is no difference between a day when they fast and a day when they do not; they behave as they usually do, neglecting obligatory duties and doing forbidden things. You do not see the dignity that is to be expected of the fasting person. These actions do not invalidate their fast but they do detract from its reward and may cancel out the reward altogether.
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 451.

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M

Ramadan File, Dought & clear, - * Fasting person using the siwaak and swallowing his saliva afterwards.

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What is the ruling on using the siwaak during the day in Ramadaan? Is it permissible to swallow the saliva after using the siwaak?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is mustahabb to use the siwaak at all times, when fasting and when not fasting, at the beginning of the day and at the end. The evidence for that is as follows:
1 – al-Bukhaari (887) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Were it not that it would cause hardship to my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak for every prayer.”
2 – al-Nasaa’i narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The siwaak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa’i, 5.
These ahaadeeth indicate that it is mustahabb to use the siwaak at all times, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not make an exception in the case of one who is fasting, rather the general meaning of the hadeeth includes both those who are fasting and those who are not fasting.
It is permissible to swallow the saliva after using the siwaak, but if anything comes out of the siwaak in the mouth, you should spit it out and then swallow the saliva, just as the fasting person is allowed to do wudoo’, then he should spit out the water from his mouth and then swallow his saliva. He does not have to dry his mouth completely from the water used for rinsing.
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’(6/327):
Al-Mutawalli and others said: When the fasting person rinses his mouth, he has to spit out the water; he does not have to dry out his mouth using a cloth or the like. There is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Chapter: Using fresh or dry siwaak for one who is fasting … Abu Hurayrah said, narrating from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Were it not that it would cause hardship for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak for every wudoo’.” Al-Bukhaari said: There is no difference between one who is fasting and one who is not. ‘Aa’ishah said, narrating from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The siwaak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord.” ‘Ata’ and Qutaadah said: he may swallow his saliva.
Al-Haafiz said inal-Fath:
By using this title, he refuted those who say that it is makrooh for a fasting person to use a fresh siwaak. This was preceded by Ibn Sireen’s likening the fresh siwaak to the water used for rinsing the mouth (in wudoo’).
“There is no difference between one who is fasting and one who is not” means also that there is no difference between fresh and dry. By stating this it becomes clear that everything narrated in this chapter fits the title. This is all summed up in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, “Were it not that it would cause hardship for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak for every wudoo’.” This implies that it is permissible at all times and in all situations.
“‘Ata’ and Qutaadah said: he may swallow his saliva.” This comment suits the title in the sense that the worst thing that may be feared from using a wet siwaak is that something may come out of it in the mouth. This is like the water used for rinsing the mouth; if the person spits it out from his mouth, it does not matter after that if he swallows his saliva.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
The correct view is that use of the siwaak by one who is fasting is Sunnah at the beginning and at the end of the day.Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 468
The siwaak is Sunnah for one who is fasting throughout the day, even if it is fresh. If a person uses the siwaak whilst fasting and finds that he can taste it, and he swallows it or spits it out from his mouth and there is saliva on it, then he swallows it, that does not affect him.Al-Fataawa al-Sa’diyyah, 245.
He should avoid that which contains something that could come out of it, such as the fresh siwaak and those which have added flavours that come out, such as lemon and mint. He should spit out anything that breaks off in the mouth, and it is not permissible to swallow it deliberately, but if he swallows it accidentally it does not matter.
FromSab’oona Mas’alah fi’l-Siyaam(Seventy Issues Related to Fasting).
And Allaah knows best.

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M

Ramadan File, Dought & clear, - * It is not permissible to delay zakaah until Ramadaan.

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The zakaah for my wealth will fall due before the month of Ramadaan. Is it permissible for me to delay it until Ramadaan because paying zakaah in Ramadaan is better?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If the hijri year has passed on wealth that meets the nisaab (threshold for zakaah), it is obligatory to pay zakaah immediately; it is not permissible to delay it after it has become due if one is able to pay it.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And march forth [lit. hasten] in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:133]
“Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord (Allaah), and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allaah and His Messengers”
[al-Hadeed 57:21]
Moreover, if a person delays that, he does not know what will happen to him. He may die leaving this obligation unfulfilled; fulfilling one's duty is obligatory.
Also the poor may be depending upon that, and if he delays it, the poor will remain needy and not have enough to meet their needs. Seeal-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/197
The Standing Committee was asked about a man who possesses the nisaab in Rajab but wants to delay paying zakaah until Ramadaan. The committee replied:
It is obligatory for you to pay zakaah in Rajab in the year following the year in which you took possession of the nisaab. But if you want to pay it in Ramadaan of the year in which you took possession of the nisaab, paying it before the year has passed, that is permissible, if there is a valid need for it to be brought forward. But delaying it until the Ramadaan that comes after the year has passed and it has become due in Rajab is not permissible, because it is obligatory to pay it as soon as it becomes due.
Fataawa al-Lajnah, 9/392.
Whoever is obliged to pay zakaah and delays it with no valid shar’i excuse is sinning, because the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah shows that zakaah must be paid as soon as it falls due.
According to another fatwa (9/398):
It is not permissible to delay paying zakaah after the year has passed, unless that is for a valid shar’i excuse, such as there being no poor people at the time when the year has passed, or not being able to get the zakaah to them, or because the money is not available, etc. But delaying it until Ramadaan is not permissible unless the period is very short, such as if the year will have passed in the second half of Sha’baan, in which case there is nothing wrong with delaying it until Ramadaan.

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M