Category Archives: Islamic Belief

Alwida Maahe Ramzaan (Farewell O Month of Ramadan)

Alwida Alwida Alwida hai

Maahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

Farewell Farewell Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadaan

***

Din tere aane se motabar they

Noor main dube Shaam-o-Sahar they

Tere jaane se dil ro raha hai

Maahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

 

Your arrival had made the day very beautiful

Days and night were submerged in blissful light

Your departure has saddened our hearts

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadaan

***

Sehri aftaar phir at taravi

Aur azaanein namazein wa tasbi

Yeh samaa Noori tujh se mila hai

Maahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

 

Pre-fast meal, breaking of the fast and then the Tarawih prayers,

And call for prayers, Prayers and Tasbee 

We received this blissful ambience from you

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadaan

***

Rehmaton ka tu paigham laya

Barkaton ka tu in’aam laya

Rutba aala wa afzal tera hai

Mahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

 

You brought the message of Mercy

You brought the award of blessings

Your Stature is grandest

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadaan

***

Jaam rehmat ke tu ne pilaye

Gul muradon ke tu ne khilaye

Tu juda hum se ab ho raha hai

Mahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

 

You provided drinks of Mercy

you made the flowers of desires bloom

You are departing from all of us O holy month of Ramadaan

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadan

***

Hum ko bhi kal tu paye ga tab tak

Gar rahe zinda agle baras tak

Phir milenge jo Hukm-e-Khuda hai

Mahe Ramzan bas Alwida hai

 

You will find us awaiting your arrival

If we are alive till the next year 

We will meet again if this is the wish of Almighty Allah

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadan

***

Chal diya hai tu jo rab ki jaanib

Ahle imaan ke pur nam hai taalib

Qalb-e-Ishrat bhi gham se bhara hai

Mahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

 

You started your journey back to Allah Almighty

And we are seekers of faith

My heart is also full of sorrow and gloom

Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadan

***

Alwida Alwida Alwida hai

Mahe Ramzaan bas Alwida hai

(Farewell Farewell Farewell to you O holy month of Ramadaan)

 

Anonymous

Translation: Sister Zarin R. Shaikh Qadari 

Sister Zarin is an active member in her community imparting religious education in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She can be reached at zarrobah@gmail.com.

Laylatul-Qadr (The Night of Power)

Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

Assalatu Wa’assalamu ‘Alaika Ya Rasool Allah
Wa ‘alaa Aalika Wa as-haabika Ya Habeeb Allah

In the last part of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a night comes which is known as “Lailatul Qadr”. We are supposed to search this night in the last part of Ramadan by praying, reciting the Holy Quran and by remembering Allah (The Most Exalted). In this night we get a lot of benefits on our good deeds and all our prayers get fulfilled. The description of this night is present in the Holy Quran in Surah Al-Qadr, Surah No.97, Part 30.

The prayer in this night has more importance than the prayers of 1000 months. The Angel Gabriel and other angels come on earth with lots of blessing and mercy from Allah (The Most Exalted) and shake hands with those who are praying.  

Surah Al-Qadr 

Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

Innaa anzalnaahu fii Laylatil Qadr.  

Wa maa adraaka maa Laylatul Qadr?  

Laylatul-Qadri khayrum-min alfi Shahr.  

Tanazzalul-malaa-ikatu war-Ruuhu fiihaa bi-idhni Rabbihim-min-kulli amr.  

Salaamun Hiya hattaa matla-‘il-Fajr! 

Translation

 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power.
Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is!
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
(That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.

Alim Shaikh

Alim Shaikh is a dedicated eleven year old budding Islamic scholar (insha Allah) who submitted this brief article from the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Ramadan Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.     Question: Is a verbal intention (niyyah) required for every fast of Ramadan? Or is one intention enough for the entire month? What if I miss suhoor and was not able to make the intention? Can I still fast?

Answer: An intention is required for every fast of Ramadan just like an intention is required for every obligatory prayer. The intention (niyyah) is from the conditions (shuroot) of obligatory actions such as prayer or fasting. However the intention need not be verbal. It can be in the heart. Waking up for the pre-dawn meal (suhoor) in itself satisfies the manifestation of this intention. If one forgets to make an intention before sleeping the night before, and is not able to wake up for suhoor, then one can make the intention as soon as one wakes up. The general rule is that the intention the next morning should be made before nisf-nahar / zawal (midday / meridian). (However legitimate exceptions exist. For example: A person who has returned very tired from night duty, forgot to make the intention before sleeping and slept through suhoor and woke up after nisf-nahar. He/she can still make the niyyah to fast when he/she wakes up. This is an exception due to the special nature of this situation.)

2.      Question: It is very important for the fasting person to know the medical importance of fasting, besides the spiritual one. Due to lack of preparation for this period, people tend to eat less / more and during inappropriate times. This can be harmful and it does not fulfill the purpose of fasting. What were the eating habits of our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) during the Holy month of Ramadan both for Suhoor and Iftar? Could you please suggest a diet program for modern day cuisines that includes the type of food to be consumed in Suhoor, Iftar, dinner and after-Taraweeh snack, according to the food mentioned in Quran and the Sunnah of Our Beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him and his family).  [Question submitted by Brother Abdul Sacoor, Germany]

Answer: Fasting has actually been proven by medical science to be good for health if implemented in the correct manner. It burns off bad fats and cholesterols. The water that one drinks after breaking the fast purifies the liver rapidly. Fasting contributes towards weight loss, helps heal stomach disorders, sharpens one’s bodily responses and signals. The body physique is made more balanced. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) had the perfect body and walked with balanced steps. It is recommended to eat suhoor even if it is one morsel. However, suhoor should not be considered as a way to “stock up” food reserves. It is not recommended to overeat during suhoor. One of the main goals of Ramadan is to teach dependence on Allah (tawakkul) and one should have this attitude in one’s sustenance as well. Most modern day cuisines with their fried and fatty foods are unhealthy. The general rule in Islam is to avoid anything that is harmful to the body and food is no exception. Foods consumed during Ramadan (and the rest of the year) should be light, non-flatulent and healthy. One of the benefits of Ramadan is to train us to become habituated to healthy foods. The healthiest foods of course belonged to the blessed diet of our Beloved Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). This included dates, water, barley, milk and honey in their purest forms. It is recommended to drink milk from animals that have been reared in a natural environment and fed natural, chemical-free foods. And it is best to consume local honey. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) also consumed bread and halaal meat, but in a balanced way.

3.     Question: We are told that smoking breaks the fast. What about second hand smoke (smoke from others smoking), or smoke from some other source such as a fire? Does this break the fast too?

Answer: Second hand smoke does not break ones fast if one inhales it unintentionally. For example, a fasting person at an airport who has to clean out the smoking area will invariably inhale some second hand smoke. However he/she is not accountable for it, unless they linger in the area purposely enjoying it. Smoke from fires does not break one’s fast. Similarly, anything that lingers in the air where someone works and they inhale that (such as a flour mill, etc.) will likewise not break the fast.

4.     Question: Does water entering through the ear break the fast (for example while taking a shower)?

Answer: If water enters the ear unintentionally during bathing or swimming, then it does not break the fast. (Please note that scientifically the eardrum seals off the inner ear and does not allow the passing of anything but air from the outside. However some people have damaged eardrums which could potentially allow some droplets to enter.)

5.     Question: If the fast breaks due to any reason beyond one’s control, can the person eat immediately or must we wait until Iftar time?

Answer: If the fast breaks for any reason, it is obligatory (wajib) to desist from eating and drinking the rest of the day until Iftar time.

6.     Question: We are often told to break our fast at the first “Allahu Akbar” of the Adhan or our fast will become disliked (makrooh). Is this really true and which category of makrooh is it – tahreemi or tanzeehi? After breaking the fast, should we then continue eating during the Adhan and its following dua? Please advise of the best method of doing this so we don’t make our fast makrooh as well as we are not disrespectful of the Adhan. What is the real Sunnah method of breaking the fast?

Answer: It was the Sunnah of our Beloved Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to place a date in his blessed mouth at the first “Allahu Akbar” of the Adhan. The same would apply to any Muslim country where the Adhan is heard openly because the Adhan signifies the setting of the sun which brings in the time for Maghrib. The mu`adhdhin first breaks his fast and then calls the Adhan. However, in countries where the Adhan cannot be heard, it is better to wait a few minutes from the printed prayer timings to be absolutely sure that the sun has set by looking at the Eastern horizon for the grey-blue-pink strip which is usually visible as soon as the sun sets. The grey strip signifies the night coming in and the pink strip signifies the day going out and blue is the natural color of the sky during the day. In other words, it is better to wait a few minutes to be absolutely sure the sun has set. The fast becomes makrooh tanzeehi if one delays breaking it without any legitimate reason after having certainty that the sun has set. Having broken the fast one can continue eating in a respectful way paying full attention to the Adhan and responding to its words and then making the dua after Adhan as is prescribed in the Sunnah. It was the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to break his fast with the Sahaba (Companions, may Allah be well pleased with them). One should not be slow in the consumption of the Iftaar lest the Maghrib prayer is delayed. The dinner can precede Maghrib prayer if it does not become a cause of holding up the prayer.

7.     Question: If we have invited guests over for Iftar and that delays our going for Taraweeh, is that permissible? What is more important: performing the ‘Isha/ Taraweeh prayers in congregation at the mosque, or tending to our guests at the house? Is there a difference in ruling here for men and women?

Answer: For men it is very highly recommended to go to the mosque to perform ‘Isha in congregation followed by the Taraweeh prayers. As for women, if it is their habit to do so, then they too should make every attempt to go to the mosque as well (maintaining all the etiquettes of the required Islamic modesty). Listening to the Holy Quran being recited during the Taraweeh prayers is a great act of worship. The guests should be encouraged to go as well. Ramadan is a very special month and its every moment is precious and must be spent in the worship of Allah, The Most Exalted, and the service of His needy creation.

Answers provided by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Qadri, Founding Director of IECRC USA and Canada.