Who Are the Ones Excused From Fasting?

Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen رحمه الله said:

It is stated in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, vol.28, pg.73:

One of the ways in which Allaah has made things easy for His slaves is that He has only enjoined fasting upon those who are able to do it, and He has excused those who are unable to fast for a legitimate sharr’i reason.

The legitimate reasons for which one may be excused from fasting are as follows:

1 – Sickness

Sickness means everything that means that a person is not healthy. Ibn Qudaamah رحمه الله said:

The scholars are agreed that it is permissible for the sick person not to fast in general.

The basis of that is the aayah in which Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says:

“... but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days..”

[al-Baqarah 2:184]

It was narrated that Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ رضي اللّه عنـه said:

“When this aayah was revealed –

‘And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskeen (poor person) (for every day)’

[al-Baqarah 2:184]

– those who wanted not to fast could do that, and pay the fidyah (i.e., feed one poor person for each day).

That remained the case until the following aayah was revealed, i.e., the verse:

‘And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskeen (poor person) (for every day)..’

[al-Baqarah 2:185]

– so it abrogated it.”

The sick person who fears that fasting may make his sickness worse or that it will slow down his recovery or damage a part of his body, has the option of not fasting, and indeed it is Sunnah for him not to fast and it is makrooh for him to complete his fast, because that may lead to his death. So he has to be cautious and protect himself. Moreover, if the sick person is very ill, that makes it permissible for him not to fast. But if a healthy person fears difficulty or tiredness, it is not permissible for him to break his fast, if all that happens to him when he fasts is that he becomes tired.

Upon Whom Is Fasting Mandatory??

Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

“Fasting is mandatory on every Muslim that is a sane adult (i.e. he has reached the age of puberty). Therefore, fasting is not obligatory upon a disbeliever, nor will it be accepted from him until he accepts Islaam. Neither is it obligatory for a youth to fast until he reaches the age of puberty. A boy reaches the age of puberty when he turns fifteen years old or with the sprout of pubic hairs or when sexual fluids descend during sleep or elsewhere. A girl reaches the age of puberty with her (first) menstruation. So when one of these things occurs in a youth, he/she has reached the age of puberty (and is obligated to fast). However, children (i.e. under age of puberty) should be ordered to fast, if they are able to and it will not cause harm to them, so that they may grow accustomed and attached to it.  

Afwan... I haven't blogged in a while...

Bismillaah,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu.

It is over a month or so since I last blogged. Things have been hectic at my end. Baarakallaahu feekum for all the duas and mails that kept pouring in when our Tullaab from Dammaj were taken in by the Houthis from Masjid al-Fath and Masjid Sa'waan in San'aa. It was a month of anxiousness, grief and sorrow for all mothers, wives and children including myself. 

SubhanAllaah the wisdom rests with Allaah for all situations we undergo in life. Indeed what was written for us was written by the GREATEST of WRITERS!!

Alhamdulillaah, Allaah azzawajal eased our difficulties and our men folk are now set free and safe. Many of the families have moved and are now living in Hadramout, Aden and other cities around Yemen.  

Insha-Allaah I will be getting back to updating all the notes on Kanzul Athfaal & Mukhtasar Minhaj al Qaasideen. There were requests to update the missing lessons 9 & 10 in Kanzul Athfaal from Toronto & UK. Insha-Allaah I will be uploading them soon. Please bear with me for the delay. 

Those who wish to personally correspond with me such as Umm Talhah, and others please send me your email address via the comment sheet located at the bottom of the right-hand bar.

Baarakallaahu Feekum for all your sabr and understanding. 

May Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى grant us success to be upon the correct guidance & that which is upright. May He سُبحانه وتعالى gather all of us in Jannaah without reckoning! Indeed it is ONLY Allaah Who is capable of doing all things. Allaahumma Aameen!

Rulings pertaining to Fasting & Ramadhan

Abridged by Abu Abdullah Musa al-Burcaawi        

From the works of Sheikh Muhammed Hizaam           

An excellent concise read !!

Click to Read & Download

Ruling on paying Zakah for building Masjids, Buying Books, Schools, Roads, etc..

 

Q: What is the ruling on paying Zakaah (obligatory charity) money for helping to build a Masjid (mosque) whose construction was halted due to lack of financial resources?

Answered by Sheikh ibn Baaz رحمه الله :

According to the opinion of the majority of Muslim scholars and the Ijma` (consensus) of our Salaf (righteous predecessors), Zakaah is NOT to be paid for constructing Masjids, buying books, etc.

Rather, Zakaah must be spent on the eight categories which are mentioned in the Ayah (Qur’aanic verse) of Surah Al-Tawbah, i.e. the poor, the needy, those employed to collect (the funds), to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islâm), to free captives, for those in debt, in the cause of Allaah, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything).

Your 3 Friends !!!

On the authority of An-Nu’maan Ibn Basheer رضي اللّه عنـه, the Messenger of Allaah (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said:

"There is no male or female slave (of Allaah) except that he/she has for him/herself three friends.

A friend that says:

I am with you, take what you want and leave what you want.

That is his/her wealth.

A friend that says:

I am with you, when you arrive to the door of the King I will leave you.

That is his/her servant(s) and family.

A friend that says:

I am with you whenever you enter and whenever you leave.

That is his/her actions.”

“…but yet he finds it difficult to guard his tongue!”

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said:

“What is surprising is that a person finds it easy keeping away from things like consuming haraam, oppression, adultery, theft, drinking alcohol and looking at the impermissible, but yet he finds it difficult to guard his tongue!

It is such that you will see a man who is viewed to be knowledgeable and is an ascetic worshipper but he speaks words that bring the Wrath of Allaah, without giving them a second thought.

There Is No One More Patient than Allaah !

Sheikh Abdur Rahmaan bin Naasir as-Sa’dee (رحمه الله) said:

The statement of the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) in the Saheeh:

“There is no one more patient than Allaah. They attribute to Him a child and He still cures them and provides for them.” ^[1]

In this narration the complete unrestricted perfection is established for Allaah from every angle. It is established for Allaah from the angle of the text and intellect in every name, attribute and description. From the categories of the completeness of Allaah is patience. The patience which the Messenger of Allaah mentioned concerning Allaah, there is no equivalent to Him from the affair of patience. The patience of Allaah is a patience that is from the completeness of the strength of Allaah as well as the magnificent power of Allaah.

This is in relation to the utmost evil and annoyance that comes from the creation, those whom sustenance is in the hand of Allaah. They have no means of being outside the power of Allaah. All of their sustenance, provisions, necessities and needs are connected to Allaah. There is nothing from it that they can attain except by way of His generosity and from His treasures.

Not every person who extends his hand for Zakaah is Deserving of it

Q. 381. Is every person who extends his hand for Zakaah deserving of it?

Answer by Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al- ‘Uthaimeen رحمه الله

Not every person who extends his hand for Zakaah is deserving of it, because there are those among mankind who extend their hands for money while they are wealthy. This type of person will come on the Day of Resurrection while his face will not have a bit of flesh on it, ^[1] may Allaah protect us from that. He will come on the Day of Resurrection, on the Day when the witnesses will stand and the bones of his face will be visible, may Allaah protect us from that, and the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

"He who begs the riches of others to increase his own wealth is asking only for burning coals (in the Hereafter), so let him ask a little or much."^[2]

I would like to take this opportunity to warn those people who ask people in an importune manner when they are in possession of wealth. Indeed, I warn everyone who accepts Zakaah when he is not entitled to receive it. I say to him: If you took Zakaah to which you are not entitled, you are only consuming ill-gotten gains, may Allaah protect us from that, and a person should fear Allaah, for the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

"Whoever tries to make himself self-sufficient, Allaah will make him self-sufficient; and whoever abstains from asking others, Allaah will make him content." ^[3]

But if a man extends his hand to you, and you believe it is most likely that he is entitled to it, and you gave him, then the Zakaah will be counted, and you will have discharged your obligation, even if it became apparent after that that he was not entitled to it. There is no need to think that you have to pay the Zakaah again (to someone else).

The evidence for this is the story of the man who gave money in charity, and he gave charity first to a prostitute and the people began to talk, saying: “Have you given money tonight to a prostitute?” He said: “All praise and thanks are to Allaah.”

Be mindful of envy due to what it contains of pain in the heart & no benefit !

Imaam Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee رحمه الله said:

Know that ENVY is a great disease of the heart, and the diseases of the hearts are not cured except with knowledge and action. The beneficial knowledge for curing envy is to know that in reality envy is harmful to you in (your) Religious and worldly affairs, and the envied one is neither harmed in his Religious nor worldly affairs; rather he is benefited by it.

Blessings do not cease from the person you envy. And even if you were not a believer in the resurrection this would (still) have necessitated a realization – if you are sensible – to be mindful of envy due to what it contains of pain in the heart along with NO benefit. So how about when you know of what it contains of punishment in the afterlife.

And the clarification of our statement:

“Indeed the envied one is neither harmed in his Religious nor worldly affairs, rather he is benefited by it in his Religious and worldly affairs;”

– because what Allaah has decreed for him of blessings has to continue until the end of the lifespan He decreed for him. And there is no harm upon him in the hereafter (due to being envied) because he has not committed any sin in that; rather he is benefited by it, because he is someone receiving oppression from you, especially when the envy comes out through speech and action. As for the benefit in the worldly life (i.e. the benefits of being envied), it is that the most important goal of the creation is (to witness) the grief of an enemy; and there is no punishment greater than the envy you find yourself in.