Fathwa - Female medical treatment in Ramadan

Question:
� She had to insert an instrument and also I think her fingers to
check where my injuries are inside. Did this break my fast?
Answer:
Mere insertion of the finger or an instrument in the vagina does not
invalidate the fast, unlessit is wetted with water or oil [or any
other substance that will remain within]. (Ibn al-Humam, Fath
al-Qadir, a commentary on Marghinani�s Hidaya)
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani
قال شيخ الإسلام الكمال ابن الهُمام (رحمه الله تعالى) في فتح القدير:لو
أدخل الإصبع في دبره أو فرجها الداخل لا يفسد الصوم إلا أن تكون مبلولة
بماء أو دهن على المختار.

Fathwa - Incipience of menstruation while fasting

Question:
In the sister's halaqa I go to we had a disagreement on whatto do if a
woman startsmenstruating while fasting. We agreed the fast was broken
and must be made up, but some said if it happened after 10 am than you
have to still act like you are fasting and not eat anything until
iftar time. Is this true or is it culture?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
In the name of Allah the Inspirer or truth.
A woman does not have to act like she is fasting for the rest of the
day if her fast is invalidated by the coming on of menstruation. There
is a light disagreement among the jurists as to whether she has to act
like a fasting person on this day [See Radd al-Muhatar 1:193] but no
mention or distinction made on the basis of the time the menstruation
begins.
However, she does act as a fasting person for the rest of the day
until iftar on the day her menstruation ends (al-Durr al-Mukhtar
2:106)
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa - Permission to observe voluntary fast?

Question:
My wife is really struggling with the idea that why does a woman need
to get her husband's permission to observe voluntary fast? She is
really confused about the fact that this is an act between her and
Allah, why does she need permission from a human being? She has got
some answers from local Imams saying that the man is more inclined
towardsgoing out and committing Zina, so that's why the woman should
be readily available for her husband. This answer really made her
upset, becuase she contested that there are women out there who are as
vulnerable as men. Canyou please provide us a detailed answer, becuase
she is really struggling with this spiritually and physically.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah.
May Allah's peace and blessings shower upon our beloved Messenger.
Dear Brother,
I pray this message finds you and your wife in good health and spirits.
The basis for a woman's asking her husband's permission to do a
voluntary fast comes from the hadith of the Prophet, Allah bless him
and give him peace, "A woman should not fast (optional fasts) except
with her husband's permission if he is at home (staying with her)."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 120]
Our duty as Muslims is to approach the teachings of the Prophet, peace
be upon him, with the attitude enjoined by the Qur'an, "And it
becomethnot a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His
messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after
that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah
and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest."
[Al-Ahzab, 33:36]
The essence of Islam resides in sublimating our inclinations to what
the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, brought us.
Please reassure your wife that her seeking your permission to perform
a voluntary fast is neither demeaning nor degrading to her. Unlike
obligatory fasts, which are an obligation solely due to Allah Most
High, voluntary fasts involve the rights of a fellow human being,
namely the husband. Out of respect and consideration for each other,
both husband andwife should check with each other before performing a
voluntary fast.
My teacher told me that the fundamental purposes of marriage arelove,
intimacy, and companionship. It's hard to satisfy these purposes if
the spouses do not make themselves sexually available to eachother. In
Islam, marriage is a form of contract, based on the premise that the
woman will make herself sexually available to the man with his promise
that he will support her and their children. It is the wife's
religious and legalobligation to make herself available to her
husband. Likewise, it is the husband's religious and legal obligation
to satisfy his wife. Thus, they keep each other chaste.
Your wife is correct: there are some women out there who are inclined
to stray. However, generally speaking, the urge for men to stray is
usually much stronger. The rulings of Sacred Law usually address
themselves to general cases, rather than exceptions.
When a woman gets her husband's consent to perform a voluntary fast,
she can attain to much baraka (blessing) because:
1. She is following the Sunna of our Beloved Prophet, Allah bless him
and give him peace.
2. She is letting her husband know how much she cares about him.
3. She is exemplifying the noble spirit of Islamicmarriage: an
attitude of loving, compassionate concern.
4. When she exhibits such a positive attitude, Allah willing, her
husband will reciprocate.
May Allah Most High blessyou and your wife.
And Allah knows best.

The creation is in need for Allaah

Man always looks for what benefits him and what protects him from
harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to realize what is
harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love so
that he can attain what is beneficial as well as to feel good about
his choice.
He also must know the proper and good approach that would make him
achieve this goal. This latter conditionrequires that man:
1.Know about harm
2.What ways can be used to drive harm away?
Certainly, man can have no better guidance than that which comes from
the One Who had perfected everything, and the One who Has no
deficiency in Himself and in His Attributes. The One Who is
Ever-Living and Who does not die. There can be no One better than the
One Who Has no need for anything; the One Who is rich; the Giver; the
One who, after all, controls man's soul. Man is so poor to Him. He is
Allaah, the True and only God. Man can bring harm to himself if he
seeks other than Allaah for help. Allaah is the OneWho can help man
drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His
Power.
Allaah Almighty sent down His Books and chose His Messengers to guide man to:
1. Know His Lord as He Almighty had explained about Himself, and
2. Seek Him Alone while living in accordance withHis plan
Knowing Allaah's Names and Attributes liberates man from worshiping
any form of creation because creation is weak and is in need of The
Creator, Allaah. The knowledge about Allaah leads man to know that he
is created to live according to Allaah's wayas revealed to His
Messengers may Allaah exalt their mention the final of whom was
Messenger Muhammad.
This Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is
beneficial or harmful is established so that man can center his life
aroundthis Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that Allaah is
Oft-Forgiving he would turn to Him, and to Him alone, seeking His
forgiveness; Allaah Says)what means(:"So know, ]O Muhammad sallallaahu
alaihi wa sallam[, that there is no deity except Allah and ask
forgiveness for your sin ."]Quran 47:19[
It is wrong to think or believe that Allaah created other 'gods'
besides Him so that man turns to them for help; loves them or fear
them, etc. He is the same God ofall nations. He does not order that
people should make of stars, sun, fire, 'Eesaa )Jesus(, Moosaa)Moses(,
Muhammad may Allaah exalt their mention etc. gods besides Him. He
)Most Exalted( cannot be 'contradictory'. He has one way )religion(
that calls man to surrender hiswill only to Him.
He warned that if man)even Muhammad( would take partners withHim, then
his work will fail and will be among losers; Allaah Says )what
means(:"And verily, it had beenrevealed to you )O Muhammad ( as has
been revealed to those before you. If you join others in worship with
Allaah )then( surely)all( your deeds will be in vain andyou will
certainly be among the losers. Nay! But worship Allaah and be among
grateful."]Quran 39:65-66[
Let us know what Muhammadthe man-Prophet, who knew Allaah best, used
to say:"OAllaah, I seek refuge in You for Your Pleasure and against
Your Wrath, and in Your Forgiveness and against Your Punishment andin
You from You, I cannot Praise You as You can Praise Yourself.")Muslim,
Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah(
Heused to say also:"I have surrendered myself to You, Ihave directed
my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled
my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of You, there is no
resort nor survival from You except )in turning( to You. I have faith
in Your book )i.e. the Quran( which You brought down and in the
Prophet )Muhammad ( you have sent.")Al-Bukhaari & Muslim(
When we read in the Quran )what means(:"Whatever of Mercy )i.e. of
good(, Allaah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever
He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise."]Quran 35:2[
And when we read )whatmeans(:"If Allaah touches you with hurt, there
is none can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you,
there isnone who can repel His favor which He causes it to reach
whomsoever of His slaves He will,and He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful."]Quran 10:117[
We should be motivated to return to Him Alone at times of ease and at
times of hardship. And when we read )what means(:"If Allaah helps you
none can overcome you, and if Heforsakes you, who is there, after Him,
that can help you. And in Allaah )alone( let believers put their
trust."]Quran 3:160[
The Quran, therefore, leads man to a true liberation from any false
attachment. It brings peace to the heart. It helps the believer
againsthypocrisy and all forms ofdishonesty.
Imagine, for example, a believer facing a problemat work. He sees
wrong and faces unlawful practices. He does not fear rejecting what is
wrong. He knows that the job is only a means togain his sustenance.
While he may be unable to correct what is wrong,he knows well that
Allaahis the One Who provides. If he leaves his job for the sake of
Allaah, Allaah will give him a better one. Allaah Almighty Said)what
means(:"And whoever fears Allah—He will make for him a way out. And
will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies
upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will
accomplish His purpose. Allah hasalready set for everything a]decreed[
extent."]Quran 65:2-3[
The above texts, necessitates that man must depend upon AllaahAlmighty
asking Him Alone for assistance. It also requires that man must love
Allaah and worship Him Alone to gain His pleasure and His help. Is it
not true that the people who consider this life as the "Final Goal"
end up worshiping many things in it? You see them so careful
about"having it all". They torture themselves: pain, difficulty,
constant worry,keeping their hands in the banks for loan after loan to
keep up with the"demands of development". They are under the constant
threatof fore-closure. They constantly see poverty in front of their
eyes.
The Prophetsaid:"Allaah says: 'Son of Aadam: Fill your time with My
worship and I will fill your heart with richness, and end off your
poverty. But if you do not, I would make your hands fully busy )i.e.
in worldly affairs( and I would not end off your
poverty.'")At-Tirmithi(
Our purpose of existence on earth is more meaningful than being slaves
to worldly gains. There can be no meaningful life better than that
prescribed by our Creator Allaah. Every act done according to Allaah's
way is an act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and Allaah is in no
need; Allaah Says)what means(::"O mankind! It is you who stand in need
of Allaah, but Allaah is Rich )Free of all wants and needs(, Worthy of
All Praise."]Quran 35:15[