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How Should We Welcome Ramadan? (Fatwa Session)

Dr. Wael Shehab
02 April, 2020

Dear Brothers/Sisters,

Thank you very much for joining us in this Live Fatwa session. We would like also to thank our guest, Dr. Wael Shihab, for answering the questions directed to him. You will find the answers of your questions below.


Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2020 | 19:00 - 21:00 GMT

Session is over.

How to make this Ramadan the best Ramadan ever while staying at home?



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thank you for your good question. May you have a happy and blessed Ramadan, ameen.

This year, Ramadan arrives while we are going through the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic. We pray to Allah in this blessed time to heal those who are ill, to end the pandemic, and to save us all, ameen.

While we observe social distancing, fully follow the instructions of the public health authorities, and do our part in fighting the spread of COVID-19, we should try our best to make this Ramadan very special. We may consider the following:

1- Plan to make the best of your time while staying home: Pray Taraweeh and congregational prayers with your family. Hold Quran halaqas and educational sessions with your kids. Have good time and enjoy the daily iftar with your family.

2- Ramadan is a time of social solidarity, generosity, and giving back to our society: Let us take care of those who are less fortunate in our society and denote to charitable causes as much as we could.

3- Exchange Ramadan greetings and reminders with your friends and community members through convenient online platforms. You may hold virtual iftars too.

4- Ramadan is the month of the Quran: Give more time to reading and reflecting on the Qur’an.

5- Join online classes of your local masjid: Learn more about fasting, Zakat al-Fitr, and laytul-Qadr.

6- Always pray for the safety and well-being of all, especially at the time of breaking your fast.

May Allah accept your and our good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

How should I introduce Ramadan to my non-Muslim friend?



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thank you for your good question. Ramadan Mubarak!

In fact, Ramadan is a time for building strong relationships with all fabrics of our society. You may share with your friends and members of the society some basic meanings of fasting, which may include:

1- Fasting in Ramadan, in fact, connects Muslims with fellow faith communities. God speaks about fasting, saying, {O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those (faith communities) before you—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.} (Quran 2:183)

Thus, Islamic fasting brings faith communities closer, even if their ways of fasting are different.

2- Islamic fasting implants on Muslims the care and concern about all, especially those who are in need. When Muslims fast in Ramadan by leaving their food and drink during the daytime, they feel the pains of hunger and thirst; therefore, they feel the pain of those who are less fortunate in our society.

3- Fasting teaches Muslims to be honest and faithful. When Muslims observe Ramadan fasting, no one can really know those who are truly fasting or not except Allah because fasting is a hidden act of worship. In this way, fasting trains Muslims to be honest and faithful, and never to show the opposite of what is in their hearts.

4- Fasting helps the Muslim to maintain self-control and self-discipline. When Muslims fast in Ramadan, they willingly leave their food and drink for long hours; this may help them get accustomed to observing self-control and self-discipline.

5- Ramadan fasting teaches Muslims the meaning of sincere and true love. When Muslims observe fasting, they should do it only out of deep, true love for God.

6- Fasting equips us with a creative sense of hope and optimistic outlook of life. This is because when we fast, we maintain hope to please God and seek His grace.

May Allah accept your and our good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

How can the new moon of Ramadan contribute to the unity of Muslims around the globe?



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thank you for your good question. Ramadan Mubarak!

In fact, the new moon of the blessed month of Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslim communities to come together and be united over the start and the end of Ramadan. It’s unfortunate to see Muslims divided, even within the same community, on when to observe the fast of Ramadan or celebrate the Eid.

Muslim communities should follow their local religious authorities and imams and observe Ramadan fasting and Eids together. Ramadan is a time unity, not division.

It is not acceptable for Muslims living in the same community/city to fast or end their fast of Ramadan on different days.

Though we have diverse methods (the scientific calculations, global moon sighting, or local moon sighting) of how to determine the start and the end of Ramadan, it is not acceptable under any pretext to start or end the fasting of Ramadan with other countries/communities/cities than the country/community/city in which one lives and fasts.

Moreover, it is agreed upon among Muslim scholars that the decision of the people in authority and charge of Muslims’ religious affairs lifts the differences in disputable matters.

Therefore, when the people in charge of the community religious affairs decide to start fasting on a given day, then members of the community should follow this decision, as it is an obedience in goodness, even if the decision differs with other communities.

May Allah accept your and our good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

N



ََََQ:

How should Muslims welcome Ramadan in light of the recent developments of the Coronavirus?

A:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thank you for your good question. May you have a happy and blessed Ramadan, ameen.

Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

{O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those (faith communities) before you—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.

(Fasting for) a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey (during them) – then an equal number of days (are to be made up). And upon those who are able (to fast, but with hardship) – a ransom (as substitute) of feeding a poor person (each day). And whoever volunteers excess – it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.

The month of Ramadan (is that) in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me (by obedience) and believe in Me that they may be (rightly) guided.} (Al-Baqarah 2:183-186)

Ramadan is a time of spiritual uplifting, prayers, and refinement of hearts. It’s a time of generosity, giving back to our societies, and sharing what we have with all. It’s a time of reflection and social solidarity.

This year, the blessed month of Ramadan comes while we are going through the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.  So, while we all do observe social distancing and fully comply with the instructions of the public health authorities, let us all make the best of this blessed time to spiritually lift up our  hearts, take care of our families, and spare no efforts to help those who are in need.

Let us pray to Allah in this blessed time to heal our sickness, to grant full and speedy recovery for all those who are ill, to remove the pandemic, and to save us all, Ameen.

May Allah accept your and our good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

N



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thank you for your good question.

A Muslim is not allowed to seek protection through anything other than the Quran and the Sunnah. A Muslim may read some Quranic verses or surahs—such as the last two surahs of the Quran and ayat Al-Kursi—for protection. There are, also, some duaas from the Sunnah for seeking protection from Allah Almighty. For example, a Muslim may read the following duaas three times every day and night:

“In the name of Allah with whose Name nothing is harmful on earth nor in the heavens and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing”.

“I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created”.

A Muslim is not allowed, however, to wear or hang taweez (amulets) containing anything other than protective words and duaas from the Quran and the Sunnah.

Some scholars say that it is permissible to hang or wear amulets containing some Quranic surahs/verses or duaas from the Sunnah that are written in a good respectable way.

Muslims, moreover, may regularly read Quranic verses and surahs as well as Prophetic supplications that are recommended for protection against evils.

May Allah accept your and our good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty knows best.