iSL 130; an NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY Course Code ISL 130 Course Title §alat and §awm Course Developers/Writers Dr. A. F. Ahmed National Open University of Nigeria Mr Kareem Kewuyemi Dept, of Arabic and Isamic Studies University of Ibadan, Ibadan Course Editor Dr. A. F. Ahmed National Open University of Nigeria Programme Leader Dr. A. F. Ahmed National Open University of Nigeria l t i NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM National Open University of Nigeria Headquarters 14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way Victoria Island Lagos Abuja Office NOUN Building No. 5, Dar es Sallam Street Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja Nigeria e-mail: centralinfo@nou.edu.ng URL: www.nou.edu.ng Published by National Open University of Nigeria Printed 2008 > . ISBN: 978-058-809-4 All Rights Reserved Printed by: MUFTAJ PRESS LTD. n UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A fVM CONTENTS PAGE Module 1 1 Unit 1 The concept of Ibadah (Worship in Islam)........... 1 Unit 2 §alat: Definition, Significance and Pre-requisites for its Validity......................................................... 6 Unit 3 Wudu ’u (Ablution) Description and Significance.... 11 Module 2 19 Unit 1 The Daily, Jumu ‘ah and Two Eid §alahs............... 19 Unit 2 Jama ‘ah, Qa$r, Mar id and Janazah........................ 27 Unit 3 Tarawlh, Tahajjud, Istikharah, Istisqa, Kusuf and Khusuf...................................................................... 34 Unit 4 Divisions of §alat Activities................................... 41 Module 3 47 Unit 1 Fasting Across Religions and Culture ................... 47 Unit 2 Fasting in Islam....................................................... 54 Unit 3 The Rules of Fasting in Islam................................. 60 Unit 4 The Beginning and the End of Ramadan................... 66 Module 4 72 Unit 1 Exemption from and Spoiling of Fasting................. 72 Unit 2 Voluntary and Unlawful Fasts in Islam..................... 78 Unit 3 The Benefits of Fasting............................................. 83 iii UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 MODULE 1 Unit 1 The concept of □ Ibadah (worship in Islam) Unit 2 §alat: Definition, Significance and Pre-requisite for its Validity Unit 3 Wudu 'u (Ablution) Description and Significance UNIT 1 THE CONCEPT OF UIBADAH (WORSHIP IN ISLAM) CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Definition and Concept of Ulbadah 3.2 Scope of Ulbadah 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION * Islam in its broadest context can be divided into two major parts: faith and devotional duties. You will find these two parts emphasized side by side throughout the passages of the Holy Qur’an which indicates that one without the other is of less value. As you have learnt in the foregoing units, the first part consists of truths we are incapable of knowing on our own as you have learnt in the belief in God, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Resurrection and Predestination. ' • In the second part are the four practical worships viz: §alat (Prayer), Zakat (Charity), §awm (Fasting) and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). In it also are included practical instructions regarding human life and conduct; the dos and don’ts which are further split up into sub-divisions like morality, social conduct, rights and duties etc, etc. In this unit, we shall examine the concept of worship in Islam while in the subsequent units of this Module we shall study §alat (the Canonical Prayer), the requisites for its validity, its various kinds and what the whole rituals signify shall not be left out. 1 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • identify the relationship between faith and worship in Islam • define the term Olbadah and assess the concept • discuss the various aspects of Olbadah. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Definition and Concept of Ulbddah Olbadah is the Islamic term for worship. It is an Arabic word for whose dictionary meaning is to worship, to adore, to venerate among other meanings. Submissiveness, humility, adoration or veneration etc is thus Olbadah whether to God, animate or inanimate objects, celestial bodies, human beings, selfish desires or any thing other than God. Apart from this dictionary meaning of the word, the Holy Qur ’an is also replete with the use of the word in this sense. The concordance of Qur’anic vocabularies lists many of such usage. From the same root comes also the derivative-noun ‘Abd meaning, slave, worshipper, servant etc. 4 In Islam however, Olbadah means worship or adoration deserved from mankind only by the Creator and Grantor of the best of favours such as life, understanding, hearing and seeing. Also in a tradition related by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet Muhammad (S) is reported as saying ‘let no one say to a servant ‘abdi’ my slave; rather, say fataya\ my young boy. This is to avoid using a diction which gives the impression that they adore him. Eligibility of adoration belongs only to the Lord of mankind; masters and servants alike among them. Hence, Allah ta ‘ala has said I have created the Jinn and mankind only to worship Me . . . And to every people we sent a prophet to convey to them that they ought to worship Allah and avoid Taghut. Your Lord has decreed that you shall worship none but Him and show kindness to your parents. Worship Allah and do not associate any other thing or being with Him. etc. 3.2 Scope of Ulbddah The Olbadah for which Allah created man is such that is wholly for man’s own good and the fulfillment of man’s own spiritual destiny. We have been commanded to it. by God so that we may thereby strengthen our awareness of Him and make ourselves worthy of His special grace. Our Olbadah should be such that should reflect in our daily conduct, such that should determine our attitudes towards life and help us to 2 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 attain moral and spiritual perfection. If it fails to urge us to safeguard the rights of others, especially the weak and the poor, it is of no value to the worshiper. Qur’an 107: 1-7 says: îxla Uj * ^ill tillia. fA (jjiSl * {JZ Â £y.i3l * all Jii® * £)jju*«dl * bjj'ly * £>je-Ull Cxŷ HJ Have you seen him who belies religion? That is the one who drives away the orphan with harshness and does not urge the feeding of the poor. Woe be unto the worshippers who are unmindful of their prayers. Who do good only to show off and refrain from acts of kindness. Thus, if we remove from the road a stone, a thorn or a banana peel with the thought in our mind that the next man may not be injured through them; it is service to man. If we look upon the needy sympathetically, rescue him from his misery and suffering, feed and clothe him, it constitutes an act of worship and piety. An English rendition of Hadith 25 of the Forty Selected Traditions of al-NawawI) goes as follows: From Abu Dharr who reported that some people from among the Companions of the Apostle of God said to the Prophet: ‘O Apostle of God, the rich people take off all the rewards. They say prayers just as we do; they fast just as we do; but they can give in charity out of the super abundance of their wealth (and so surpass us in storing up merits that will bring rewards)’. He said: Has not God appointed for you what you should give in charitable alms? Truly in every tasbih is a charity - worship; in every takbir is a charity - worship; in every tahmld is a charity - worship; in every tahlll is a charity - worship-, kv every enjoining of righteousness is a charity - worship; in every forbidding of what is wrong is a charity - worship; even when one of you makes love to his wife that is a charity - worship’. They said: ‘Oh Apostle of God! how is it that when one of us satisfies his desires (with his wife) there will be for him in that a reward’. He answered: had he made it in a forbidden thing would he not have committed a sin? So when he puts it in the lawful things there is a reward for it also’. And in Hadith 26 of the same collection: - An act of charity worship is done each day that the sun rises, if you straighten out (some trouble) between two persons. If you 3 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $a lAt a n d §a w m help (lift) a man on his beast, mounting him thereon or lifting up his baggage on it is a charity and in a good word is charity - worship, and in every step you take to prayer is a charity - worship and whenever you remove something harmful from the path, that is a charity - worship. Hence Ulbadah in general includes all actions which are performed with the aim of gaining pleasure of God and earning nearness unto Him, be it devotional, economic, commercial, political, social or any other acts carried out exclusively to pay reverent service to Allah. By virtue of man’s quality of mind, body and behaviour, compared with other animate and inanimate objects in the creation, it is worthy of him to stay permanently in a state of divine worship and glorification to God. The special favours bestow upon him by God and the exquisite rewards set aside for him would seem to require that he did not spend a moment of his life in anything except divine worship and glorification like the angels, (see Qur ’an 21:19- 20). But since man has to serve as the vicegerent of God on earth and fulfill that crucial role in the entire design of the creation, he has not been bound to constant worship and glorification. Nor has he been constrained to keep himself permanently engaged in qiyam, ruku \ sujud j or other forms of worship as the case is with planets, trees, mountains, birds and animals! ' In view of this, there was need for mankind some acts of worship that will be in keeping with the distinctiveness of his personality with his position and function in the world and with the duties and obligations entrusted to him as the vicegerent of God on earth. These acts of devotional worships are □ alat, (canonical prayer), zakat (charity), Uawm (fasting) and Hajj (pilgrimage). SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Give an explanation of the term Ulbadah which will include all its various branches. 4.0 CONCLUSION In Islam, worship is a fundamental aspect of life. Worship is the very object of man’s creation. Since Allah is the source of all goodness and power, He stands beyond all needs of human service. It is therefore for man’s own benefit that he should place himself under divine protection by worshipping Allah, the Divine Being. 4 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 The term Ulbadah does not mean praying five times daily, nor observing the other three devotional worships only. According to several verses of the glorious Qur’an and passages of ahadith, Ulbadah means observance of all that Allah prescribes as vital duties that will benefit the nation, the family, the neighbours, the less fortunate people and humanity at large. The twin duties of faith and righteous deeds are mentioned in several verses of the glorious Qur’an again and again as the means of attaining eternal bliss. The Qur’an says: “For those who believe and work righteous deeds, there will be Gardens of Bliss.” (Q 31:8) 5.0 SUMMARY In Islam, the concept of worship is the fundamental aspect not only of religious life but of life itself. In summary, it could be stated as follows: • Ulbadah (worship) means not only the prayer of the five pillars of Islam, but Allah’s consciousness and good deeds. • Ulbadah includes all lawful acts done, and unlawful acts avoided, in the spirit of obedience to Allah. Therefore, even earning one’s livelihood can become an act of worship. • Ulbadah includes all acts of charity done to seek Allah’s pleasure. • The pillars of Islam, Allah’s consciousness, and good deeds are all aspects of worship, and for those who try to practise these to the best of their ability, Allah, has promised the reward of paradise • Prayer is a part of Ulbadah, and it is the first step towards the spiritual perfection of man. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Define Ulbadah and discuss its various components. 2. The five pillars of Islam are not end by themselves but a means to an end. Explain briefly. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS All, A.Y. (1977). The Holy Qur’an, English Translation and Commentary, U.S.A.: American Trust Publication. AbdalatT, Hamudah (1978). Islam in Focus, Kuwait: Salimiyya. HamTdullah, M (1981). Introduction to Islam. Lagos: Islamic * Publication Bureau. 5 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $alAt a n d §a w m Ali, M.A. (1986). The Religion of Islam, New Delhi: Taj Company. UNIT 2 §ALAT: DEFINITION AND PRE-REQUISITES FOR VALIDITY CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Definition of Salat 3.2 Pre-Requisites for Validity 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the previous unit, you were taught that man has been created purposely for the worship of God. You were also made to understand the concept of worship in Islam. Regular observance of Salat, Alms-giving, Fasting, Hajj were all identified as major acts of devotional worships in Islam. It was also emphasized that among other things, □ lbadah in general includes all actions which are performed with the aim of gaining pleasure of God and earning nearness to Him, be it social, commercial, political or even some meritorious acts such as recitation of formulae of testimony, glorification and other activities that may be intended to be acts of worship. In this unit, you will learn the meaning of Salat, its significance, and the prerequisites for its validity. You will agree with me that a deep study of this topic is worth-while considering the fact that Salat is an indispensable aspect of Muslims’ daily life. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • define Salat • understand the significance of Salat • identify the pre-requisite for its validity. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Definition o f Salat (Ritual Prayer in Islam) 6 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 J MODULE 1 The dictionary meaning of §alat is prayer and supplication while the technical (Fiqh) definition of the term is “the act of devotion which begins with the Takbiratu'l-Ihram (the first uttering of Allahu Akbar and terminates with TaslTm. i.e. the uttering of As-Salam ‘alaykum. The §alat (devotional worship) is the second pillar of Islam after Iman in whose mode all the possible positions which are necessary for developing the right attitude of reverence have been combined. This ritual includes standing, bowing, prostration and sitting postures and all these positions are sufficient to inspire the heart of a worshipper with feelings of humility before the Divine Being, Allah. The Qur’an uses the term for canonical prayer which stands for “attending to, praying or seeking nearness to Allah”. The glorious Book also taught the essentials of the devotional worship. It says: 4J a t jC-'jIj 1 j ixuiilb ja\ [jS OJJ US frill “Say: my Lord hath commanded justice, and that ye set your whole selves (to Him) at every time and place of prayer, and call upon Him, making your devotion sincere as in His sight: such as He created you in the beginning, so shall ye return”. (Q 7:29) And elsewhere, it reads: i-ijiilj Odnu V SU “Nay, heed him not. But bow down in adoration and bring thyself closer (to God)”. (Q 96:19) And the Prophet (S.A.W.) has demonstrated practically how it has to be observed and performed and gave the directive: UjS IjJ-ua Meaning: Observe your §alat the way you see me observe mine. The question you should ask yourself now is how would one attend to Allah, seek nearness to Him and invoke Him? There is only one correct answer to this question and that is by following the way taught by the prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), which alone is the right and authentic way. The Holy prophet (S.A.W.) has not only taught the essentials of the prayer, its recitals, times and rakaUat and its full procedures, but also practically demonstrated all this during his life. 7 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 Give the various definitions of §alat. 3.2 Pre-Requisites for Validity There are three pre-requisites for performing §alat. It is when they have been fulfilled before one can stand before God for §alat. These three conditions are: i. Af-faharah wa 't-wudii ’u (cleanliness and ablution): This includes cleanliness of the body, the garments and the place where the §alat is to be performed. ii. Satru'l-'awrah (concealing of private part). In the case of a man it is desirable that he be covered at least from the navel to the knees, the sides, the front, and the rear. A woman’s body should be totally covered except for her hands and face. iii. Tawajjuhu 'l-qiblah (facing direction of Ka ‘bah in Mecca). At-Taharah, Wudii’ and Ghuslu “O ye who believe, when you prepare for prayer, wash your faces and your hands to the elbows; rub your heads and your feet to the ankles.” Q.5:7. This ayah is the basis for the compulsory act of performing ablution without which §alat will not be valid. On the other hand, the Prophet had given practical illustrations of how it should be performed. Our assumption is that how to perform ablution is well known to you. The important point we should note is the Islamic attitude to cleanliness in general. Islam demands complete cleanliness from people all the time. It established the basis of §alat (prayer) on purifying the heart from the unseemliness of doubt, polytheism, hypocrisy, deviation, hatred, rancor and envy. (b). Cleaning the body and purifying it from filth, dirt, and defilement. “God loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” Q.2:22. The Prophet said: ‘Cleanliness is half of faith’ and ‘The key to prayer is cleanliness’. Another report narrated from him says “Cleanliness is part of faith.” Water which may be used should be the natural water of rain, rivers, the sea, springs, wells or bore holes. Its taste, colour and smell must be 8 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 normal and should any of these three characteristics be abnormal then the water, according to the rule of Islamic Law is defiled and may not be drunk nor used. Nor may it be used for purification. The view of Islam in this respect is supported and confirmed by modem medicine and common sense. He who would perform §alat must perform it wearing clean clothes. In addition, the place in which the prayer is to be performed should be clean. Should there be dirt on any of these things he must remove it with water, cleaning it and remove the stain. Filths which should be removed include urine, excrement, semen, saliva of dogs and pigs and blood. A woman must remove all traces of her menstrual period when it ends and perform ritual bath called ghuslu 'l-haydah. She must also perform the ritual bath after childbirth called (ghuslu 'n-nifas). She is exempted from performance of §alat during her menstrual period. She can only be reciting portions of the Qur ’an she learnt by heart. As well, she may not be carrying the Holy Scripture. Neither should she enter the mosque with menstrual or childbirth blood. She is also exempted from taking part in Ramadan fast. Similarly, a woman in childbirth does not perform the prayer even though the time of post-natal blood-letting lasts forty days. It is valid for her to assemble at ‘Arafah during pilgrimage, but circumambulating the KaDbah should be postponed. A man may not have sexual intercourse with his wife during her menstrual period or following childbirth as this is harmful to them both. The most modem views concerning hygiene are those which have always been held by Islam. They ask thee concerning women’s course; say: “they are a hurt and pollution so keep away from women during their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean. But when they have purified themselves ye may approach them, in any manner, time or place ordained for you by God. For God loves who keep themselves pure and clean. (Q.2:222). SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Mention some pre-requisites of §alat. Elaborate on af-'faharah. 4.0 CONCLUSION §alat is the act of devotion which begins with the TakbTratu 7- Ihram and terminates with Taslim. It is the second important pillar of Islam. It is the very object of man’s creation. §alat is part of Ulbadah, worship. It is the first step towards the spiritual perfection of man. 9 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §alAt a n d $a wm The pre-requisite for the validity of §alat which should be observed by a Muslim includes ritual cleanliness, concealment of nudity and facing the direction of Kadabah. §alat is to be performed in a particular form and at stated time. §alat is a moral and spiritual discipline which should lead us to cultivate righteous habits and selfless service to humanity. 5.0 SUMMARY After Iman comes §alat (prayer) as the best and the foremost important physical and spiritual worship in Islam. §alat, prayer, is very important and obligatory to a Muslim. It is something binding on every Muslim, provided one is sane, adult, clean and in one’s proper senses. Indeed, the observance of the prayer is a natural consequence of your affirmation of faith and you should know that one is incomplete and imperfect without the other. An ideal prayer is that which is observed consciously with full regard for all its inward and outward requirements. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Discuss the Islamic concept of worship with particular reference to §alat, prayer. 2. Identify two verses of the Glorious Qur ’an which discuss §alat. 3. Explain the importance of §alat (prayer) in Islam. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Nadwi, S. Abu T-Hasan Ali (1972). The Four Pillars ofI slam, Eng. tr. M. Asif Kidwai, Lucknow: Islamic Research and Publications. Doi, A. Rahman I. (1972). The Cardinal Principle of Islam, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. Hamidullah, M. (1981). Introduction to Islam, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. 10 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 UNIT 3 SIGNIFICANCE, DESCRIPTION OF A RAK‘AH AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN §ALAT AND D U ‘A ’ CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Significance of §alat 3.2 Definition and Description of a rakcah 3.3 Differences between §alat and Du ‘a ’ 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION In unit 2 above you learnt the definition, and prerequisites for the validity of §alat. We also established that the §alat mode of worship involves purity of body, soul and place. It also involves standing, bowing and prostration. At this point, you need to know what the mode of worship signifies. Similarly as you might have been aware, every prayer consists of a number of rakcahs and each prayer has its own prescribed number of two, three or four rakcahs. Therefore, it is worthwhile to understand what makes up a rakcah in a prayer. You may also remember that the word prayer is included in the literal meaning of §alat while another word for prayer or supplication in the Islamic usage is Du'a’. What then is the difference between §alat and Du ‘a ’? The answer to this question will be provided for you in this unit. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • explain the significance of §alat. • perform and describe a unit of §alat called rakcah • mention the prescribed number of rakcah in each obligatory prayer • distinguish between §alat and du ‘a. 11 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $AWM 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Significance o f $ala t §alat is the first and most important duty in Islam after one has borne witness to Divine Oneness and the Apostleship of the Holy Prophet. In the MiUraj, the nocturnal journey of the Prophet, in which he was taken through the seven heavens to the presence of God, fifty daily §alats were prescribed for the believers. This was done to remind man that he was created purposely to worship God and that the number of daily services originally ordained for him was fifty; and that God out of His mercy reduced the fifty to five and made the five equivalent of fifty in reward. The time-schedule of §alat is indicated in the Qur ’an: Establish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of the night and also at dawn. Prayer at dawn is the time of immediate nearness. Q. 17:78 (With the down of the sun - Zuhr, A§r and Maghrib prayers are meant,). With ‘until the dark of the night’ Isha’ is meant; and with ‘at dawn’ Subh prayer is meant. Another verse of the Qur 'an reads: Celebrate the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before the going down thereof. And glorify him some hours of the night, and at the two ends of the day, that thou may find acceptance. (Q. 20: 130) The spiritual significance of these hours and the heavenly blessings which descend in them are known only to Allah and His Apostle. The five daily prayers, with their fixed hours and rakcahs, are the spiritual food prescribed for mankind by his Creator who is not only the Healer of the soul but also their Maker and to whose Will they must submit. The §alat ought to be offered at the hours and in the form, measure and manner laid down by God. It has however been suggested that one of the reasons for the marking out of these hours is that the polytheists used to worship their false deities like the sun, the stars, the stones and the fire, at that very time. Hence, the same hours were fixed for the worship of One True God. §alat is the pillar of faith, the means to salvation and the line of demarcation between a Muslim and an apostate. The Qur ’an says: 12 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 And establish worship and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him)”. Q. 30: 31. “But if they (the unbelievers) repent and establish worship and pay the poor due then leave their way free” Q. 9:5. “But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due then they are your brethren in religion.” Q.9:l 1.. It is also related in many Hadiths that the Prophet said: “Between a man and apostasy there is only the giving up of §alat.” Another one says: “What separates believers from apostasy is simply the $alat.” §alat is enjoined upon every one: whether he is free or in bondage, rich or poor, healthy or sick, and on a journey or sojourn at home. No man or woman who has attained the age of adulthood is exempted from it. Unlike the other obligatory modes of worship, Zakat, §awm and Hajj which are subject to various conditions, the §alat should not be neglected even on the battle field. It is an obligation, which even a divine Messenger or a saint cannot afford to be negligent for a moment till death. “And worship thy Lord till the inevitable cometh unto thee” is a commandment of God unto the Prophet Muhammad in Q. 15: 99. If anyone imagines that after attaining a high level of spiritual exercise or that due to his being engaged in the service of Islam in any other way or because of his lofty achievements and high position §alat no longer remained compulsory for him and he can dispense with it, he is labouring under a grievous delusion. Verily, prayer prevents human beings from all shameful deeds and forbidden things and the remembrance of Allah is the most distinguished virtue (for mankind) Q. 29:45. §alat stands for expression of one’s humility and total surrender in devotion to God, the Merciful. A believer can never be at ease without it. The Prophet’s words: “the coolness of my eyes is in §alaf' convey this meaning vividly. He also used to say during the time for prayer: “O Bilal! Give the call to §alat and bring comfort to my heart”. §alat is the link through which the devotee establishes close communion with his Creator. In it he hopes to find remedy for his ills. God says, in the Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and §alat\ Allah is with the steadfast” Q. 2: 153. Whenever the Prophet was worried he used to turn to §alat for help. §alat is an act in which the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of man partake. The body partakes in it through the acts of standing erect, kneeling and prostrating. The tongue partakes in it through recitation; the mind partakes in it through reflection and the heart through fear and 13 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM hope. (See Q. 22: 27, Q. 23: 10, Q. 32: 16, Q.13: 13). Thus $alat combines the forms of worship of all creatures. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 1. Discuss three points that show the importance of §alat. 2. Examine the significance of §alat. 3.2 Definition and Description of a Rakc ah The word rakcah means genuflection. Literarily, it means an act of bowing down before Allah but technically it means a complete unit of act of devotion in §alat, which includes standing, bowing down, prostrating and sitting down. Every §alat (prayer) consists of a certain number of rakcah grouped into twos or multiples of two. There is a sitting down and the recitation of at- tahiyyah at the end of every second rakUah. Therefore, a complete rakcah is as follows: a. You will be expected to stand up with both hands raised to the level of the ears with the face towards the Qiblah with the words, Allahu Akbar, meaning God is the Greatest. b. The standing position is maintained until Surah al-Fatihah and any other chapter, verse or verses of the glorious Qur ’an are recited. c. Again the words Allahu Akbar will be pronounced while you bend your head down with the palms resting on your knees. This i* known as Ruku position. d. In this position, you are expected to say Usubhana rabiyaj-aUim wa bihamdihF meaning “Glory and praise be to my Great Lord.” e. Tlje standing position is resumed again with the words “samiUa AHahu liman hamidahu, rabbana wa laka 'l-hamdu”, meaning “Allah listens to him who praises Him. Oh our Lord, Yours is praise”. f. Next you move to the prostration position with the toes of both feet, both knees, both hands and the forehead touching the ground. This position is called the sajdah, “prostration”. While in this position, you will offer a prayer by saying: “subhana rabbiya j-a'ld faghfirlF, meaning “Glory be to You my Lord, the Most High forgive me”. g. You will sit down placing your both hands on your thighs, and repeat the sajdah the second time. Thus, you have come to the end of a complete rakcah. 14 1 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 Each prayer has its own prescribed number of two, three or four rakcahs which are as follows: a. The Fajr, (§ubh) prayer. It has two compulsory rakcahs and two rakcahs of Sunnah to be observed before the compulsory rakcahs b. Zuhr, early noon prayer. It has four obligatory rakcahs and two supererogatory rakcahs (nafit) before and after. c. cA$r, late afternoon prayer consists of four obligatory rakcahs and two or four supererogatory rakcahs (nafil) before it. d. Maghrib, evening prayer, is of three obligatory rakcahs and two supererogatory rakcahs (nafil) after. e. cIsha\ Night prayer consists of four obligatory rakachs and two Or four voluntary rakcahs before and three rakcahs of shafi and witr after. The Rak ’ahs, which are necessary for each of the §alat to be observed have been fixed. The Prophet and after him, the blessed companions observed these hours throughout their lives and in all circumstances. There has been such a great deal of continuity, regularity and uniformity about the §alat that it is impossible to find a parallel among any other community. The Muslim Ummah have preserved it zealously and passed it on dutifully from one generation to another without a single day’s break. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Define and describe the word rakcah. 3.3 Differences between §alat and D u‘a ’ After Iman (faith) comes §alat (prayer), as an important physical and spiritual worship in Islam. Literally, both §alat and Du‘a ’ mean prayer, supplication and making a request by the inferior entity to the Superior, invariably by man to God. As a technical term, however, while §alat applies to the canonical or devotional worship, Du'a’ implies “supplication” which is an act of asking for something in a humble way from Allah. There are other major differences between the two, i.e. §alat and Du ‘a In the first instance, §alat (prayer) has been made obligatory for particular categories of people and it is an obligatory duty which has to be carried out by all adults, having Islam and belief in the oneness of Allah as an essential condition. Unlike hajj and zakat that are obligatory for rich Muslims, and fasting which is a prescription in the month of Ramadan, the performance of §alat is compulsory, on the rich and the poor, healthy or sick, resident at home or on a journey. Whereas, Du‘a’ 15 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM (supplication) is voluntary without any conditionality for whoever chooses to offer it. Moreover, §alat, the Islamic ritual prayer, has specific times and is expected to be performed at appointed times. Each of the five daily prayers has its period of observations which have been treated earlier. On the other hand, Du‘a ’ (supplication) has no specific time and can be offered at any time. The ritual prayer of Islam, §alat, cannot be offered except after the fulfillment of certain prerequisites, namely; ritual purity, cleanliness of body, soul, and place and wearing of ritually clean garment. It is also conditional that the direction of Ka ‘bah must be faced. All the above requirements are not needed when it has to do with Du ‘a ’ (supplication). The cleanliness of the body, the garments, the place and covering the body may not be necessary. For §alat, there is the mode of worship and procedures. You will be expected to observe the following: a. Pronouncing the takbir, that is Allah Akbar b. Recitation of Suratu 'l-Fatihah and any other Surah or verse c. Assuming bowing posture. (Ruku ) d. Standing from Ruku ’ position e. Observing the sajdah, prostration f. Sitting for the second prostration g. Observing the second sajdah h. Recitation of Tashahhud However, with Du ‘a ’, supplication, there is neither specific procedures nor any mode. There is also a great departure between §alat and DuUa’ with regards to the language. Naturally, you would have preferred unfolding your heart before your Maker by praying in the language in which you can readily express your feelings. However, with §alat, the Islamic ritual prayer, the language which you will be expected to use in observing it is Arabic, the language of the glorious Qur ’an. Whereas with supplication, duUa’, you are free to express yourself in those languages convenient for you. Both §alat and Du ‘a ’ can be observed in congregation or individually. However the Qur’an and Hadith lay great emphasis on the observance of §alat in congregation as will be discussed later. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3 Explain the concept of §alat and Du ‘a ’ in Islam. 16 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 1 4.0 CONCLUSION §alat, the Islamic ritual prayer, is the second important pillar of Islam after Iman. It is an obligatory duty for every Muslim, male or female, rich or poor. On the other hand Du ‘a ’, supplication, is a voluntary duty for everybody, Muslims or non-Muslims. A rakcah is a section or unit of the prayer which may be fard, obligatory, Sunnah, non-obligatory or special prayer. Each prayer has its own prescribed number of rakcahs: it could be two, three, four or multiple of two rakcahs. A rakcah consists of an act of standing up, bowing down, prostrating and sitting from prostration. In each of the positions, there are special supplications that you are expected to offer. Quite many differences exist between §alat and Du'a’. These are in the areas of mode of worship and procedures, times of worship, the pre-requisites, such as cleanliness of the body, garment, place of worship and performance of wudu ’, ablution, or Gushlu, ritual bath. Also §alat can only be observed in Arabic language while you can offer your Du ‘a ’ in any language of your choice. 5.0 SUMMARY This unit examines the importance Islam attaches to the §alat, ritual prayer. It highlights the five daily ritual prayers which are compulsory and must be observed by all adult Muslim and their routines and procedures. Apart from this, a brief account of specific prerequisites for observation of the rituals of the devotional worships is also discussed in the unit. In addition, the unit gives the literal and technical meaning of a Rak'ah, describes it fully and provides the number of rak'ahs that constitute each §alat. Du'a’ is a supplication, an invocation and humble request to Almighty Allah. Du'a’ is a voluntary duty which has no specific time, nor specific routine and procedure. The unit concludes with a discussion of the differences between §alat, ritual prayer, and Du'a’, supplication. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Define §alat and Du ‘a ’ and show the differences between them. 2. Describe a complete rakcah of §alat and mention the number in each of the five daily prayers. 3. Identify some verses of the glorious Qur’an which support the prescribed times of prayer in Islam. 17 NIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Nadwi, S. Abu '1-Hasan Ali (1972). The Four Pillars of Islam, Eng. tr. M. Asif Kidwai, Lucknow: Islamic Research and Publications. Doi, A. Rahman I. (1972). The Cardinal Principle ofI slam, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. Hamidullah, M. (1981). Introduction to Islam, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau Ali, A.Y. (1977). The Holy Qur’an, English Translation and Commentary, U.S.A.; American Trust Publication. Abdul, M.O.A. (1983). Islam as a Religion (Faith and Duties;) Studies in Islam Series, Book I, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. 18 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 MODULE 2 Unit 1 The Daily, Jumu ‘ah and Two Eid Prayers Unit 2 Jama ‘ah, Qa$r, Marid and Janazah Unit 3 TarawTh, Tahajjud, Istikharah, Istisqa, Kusuf andKhusuf Unit 4 Divisions of §alat Activities UNIT 1 THE DAILY, JUMU'AH AND TWO EID PRAYERS CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Five Daily Prayers 3.2 The Jumu ‘ah Prayer 3.3 The Two Eid Prayers 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION In Module 1. we examined the concept and scope of worship (Olbddah), defined §alat and discussed prerequisites for its validity. We identified the significance of the canonical worship and described what constitute a rak'ah. The differences between Salat and D//77’ were also highlighted. In this module, other important components of the all important pillar of Islam which is second only to faith will be introduced to you. Specifically, you will begin with five daily obligatory prayers and some ceremonial prayers; the daily, Jumu'ah, and EidSalahs. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • discuss issues relating to the five daily prayers • explain other occasional or ceremonial prayers in Islam • explain when they are observed and how to observe them. 19 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Five Daily Prayers The obligatory prayers are the five daily prayers observed at prescribed times. Q.20:130 reads: JjSj Jjfl A*au jtlujj JJ i-iljlaij £fu»3 fUl Meaning: Therefore, be patient with what they say. and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting, celebrate them for part of hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou may be pleased. The Holy Book speaks further in Chapter 4 Verse 103: tits jJujik (jOzj ljjiij C»US AUl ljjijli iLal! fjjjJaZ I jla ' jLJal giss J z fcfli S ^ l Ci\ SSCLall 1 When ye pass (congregational) prayers, celebrate God’s praises, standing, sitting or lying down on your sides; but when ye are free from danger, set up regular prayers, for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times. These verses of the glorious Qur 'an set out the various periods and procedures that the obligatory prayers are to be observed. The following can be deduced from the divine portions: (a) $ubh: This is the Morning Prayer; it is observed after dawn and before sunrise. It is also known as Fajr prayer in Q. 17:78. which reads: Establish regular prayers at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night; and the Fajr (morning) reading of the Qur’an (in prayer) for the reading of the Qur’an in Xhefajr (prayers) carry their testimony. 20 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 (b) Zuhr: This is the early noon prayer. This prayer and the first mentioned earlier are referred to in the above quoted verse. (c) ‘A$r: This is the evening prayer; it is performed when the sun is about midway on its course to setting. (d) Maghrib: This is the sunset prayer; it is observed immediately the sun sets. (e) ‘I s h a This is the early night prayer; it is observed when the glow in the West disappears. The ‘Isha' prayer is mentioned like the §ubh prayer in the glorious Qur ’an. O ye who believe! Let those whom your right hands possess and (children) among you, who have not come of age, ask your permission (before they come to yOur presence) on three occasions, before morning prayer, then while ye off your clothes for the noonday heat; and after the late night prayer these are your three times of undress; outside those times it is not wrong for you or for them to move about attending to each other. Thus, does God make clear the signs to you, for God is full of knowledge and wisdom (Q 24: 58) After or before these five daily obligatory prayers, there are certain numbers of Sunnah or supererogatory prayers called nafilahs which accompany each of the obligatory prayers. The diagram below gives an analysis of the times of the obligatory §alats and number of /?a£Dahs, etc. etc.: S/No Name of Prayer Prescribed Number Number period of of RakOahs Note (approximately) RakOahs (Sunnah) (Fard) 4 §aldt §ubh From dawn till 2, Loud 2, Before Fare! No sunrise Qira ’at Nawdfil_or Morning any saj- prayer. dah should be performed after Fard of §ubh prayer till sunrises. 2 §alat Zuhr From early 4, Silent 2 or 4 Sunnah The Noon afternoon when Qira 'at before Fare1 Prayer. the sun begins and 2 Sunnah to decline after Fard. (about 1.30 21 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND §A WM p.m.) till next prayer. 3 Salat al- ‘A$r Late Afternoon 4, Silent 2 or 4 Sunnah No (about Qira ’at before Fard. Nawafil or The late 3.30p.m.) till any sajdah Afternoon almost sunset should be Prayer. performed after FarU o f ‘Afr till the Maghrib prayer time. 4 Salat al- Immediately 3, Loud 2, After fa rd Maghrib after sunset Q ira’at in the first The sun-set two prayer. rak’ahs & silent Qira'at in the third Rak ‘ah 5 Salat □ Isha From about 4, Loud 2 or 4 Sunnah 2 rak ‘ahs 7.30 p.m. when q ira ’at in before the of shafU i The Night the red glow in the first fard plus 1 Prayer the west has two rak- rak ‘ah o f disappeared till ‘ahs & witr midnight. silent q ira ’at in the last two Rak­ ’ahs 3.2 JumuUat (Friday Prayer) The Friday prayer is obligatory for every Muslim, except the slaves, the women, the children and the sick. The obligatory nature of Friday prayer is supported by the Qur’an, Sunnah and consensus of the Muslims. It occupies an important place among the distinctive features of Islam. Q.62:9 says: Alii 1 j&Mili (ja Squall fj Jjj |jj Ijlai (jjjjl l^ | U £̂3 "Jja. i j j j j “O believers! When you hear the call to the Friday prayer, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave your trading, this is better for you only if you know it” (Q 62:9). The other prayers can be offered in congregation and if missed can be offered singly later, but not so for Friday prayer. It is conditioned upon 22 \ UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 congregation of at least twelve worshippers. If missed, it cannot be offered later; Zuhr is to be performed in its place. An essential part of this Friday prayer is that there should be a khufbcih (sermon) to be delivered at the commencement of the service. It is also prescribed that one who wants to attend Friday prayer should be clean and take Friday prayer supererogatory ritual birth, have his hair and nails cut and put on decent available cloth. It is also advisable to use perfume and attend the mosque early in the afternoon. 3.3 The Two Eid $aldts (Eidu'l-Fitr and Eidu'l-Atfhd Prayers) The Muslims celebrate Eidu 'l-Fip• on the first day of the lunar month of Shawwal to mark the completion of annual Ramadan fast. The Eidu 7- Ad a is celebrated on the 10th of the lunar month of Dhul-Hajj to offer sacrifice to God as did Prophets Ibrahim and Muhammad (PBIJPI) in obedience to the Commandment of Almighty God. flic following eleven things have been prescribed to the faithful Muslims to be done in preparation for the two services. (i) To rise early enough in the morning of the Eid days (ii) To brush the teeth (iii) To have bath for the Eid after the Fajr prayer (iv) To put on the best available dress (v) To use perfume (vi) To arrange for one’s personal adornment (vii) To give out Zakat al-Fitr before departure for the Eidu'l-Fitr prayer. (viii) To eat some sweet things before going for the Eidu 'I-Fitr prayer (ix) To reach the prayer ground as early as possible (x) To go through one way and return by the other (xi) To be full of meditation by pronouncing the takbir on the way in a low voice. In addition, it is recommendatory for adults to fast till the end o[' Eid-ctl- Adhd prayer on that day and to be pronouncing the TasbThdi and Takbirdt after fourteen congregational prayers thereafter. The two Eid prayers consist of two Rak'ahs and are observed in the open ground and in congregation. They are observed in mosques in places where the weather is sometimes hostile. The time for the Eid prayers starts when the sun has risen and brightened up sufficiently and lasts till it begins to decline. As far as possible, the 23 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LI RARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM prayer should be delayed, the Eid-al-Adha prayer should be offered a little earlier than the Eidu'l-Fitr prayer. The two Eids are emphatic Sunnah observed by every Muslim upon whom Jumu 'at prayer is obligatory. Pilgrims are not suppose to observe §alat Eidu 'l-Adha because their assembly at Arafat stands in its place; but some do go to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to observe it. Two Rak'ahs are necessary (wajib) to be performed for both the Eids like all other voluntary prayers. After the first takbir, the Imam pronounces other six, one after another and the congregation follows him simultaneously. The Imam recites loudly the Surat al-Fatihah and another Surah and then follows the Ruku ‘u and Sujud. This completes the first Rak'ah. Then the Imam and the congregation rise up for the second Rak'ah. The Imam then says five takbirs followed by the congregation. Then the Suratu 'l-Fatihah and another Surah, preferably Suratu’sh-Shams, are recited and thus the second rak'ah is also completed as in other prayers. After the completion of the Eid prayers, the Imam delivers a sermon (Khutbah) in which he admonishes the congregation concerning the principles of Zakatu 'l-Fitr and thanks Allah on the completion of Ramadan fasts and preaches about other essential matters if it is the Eidu 'l-Fitr. If it is Eid-al-Adha he likewise teaches them the principles of sacrifice and the spirit behind it. The Khutbah is delivered in two parts - though not very necessarily the Imam taking a little rest by sitting in the middle of the sermon while silent short supplications are made by the audience. He may deal with any subject relating to the welfare of the community in the Khutbah during which absolute quiet should prevail. There are some very orthodox and conservative people who insist that the Khutbah should be delivered in Arabic language only. Some even go to the extreme of using a stereotyped sermon delivered in monotone without any modulation and variation. This is because the Imam is ignorant of the art of elocution and even the Arabic language. Therefore the congregation suffers from a parrot-like sermon delivered monotonously. The Khutbah need not necessarily be in Arabic language because it is quite a different thing from the actual prayer in which of course Arabic must be maintained. A Khutbah is an admonition to the people, an exhortation to awaken them to their sense of duty and to their responsibility. It is meant to throw light on all questions of life. Therefore it should be given in the 24 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 language of the people to whom it is addressed or should at least be translated in their language. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1. Mention the five daily prayers in Islam and explain their significance. 2. Discuss the Jumu ‘at prayer briefly. 3. Describe when the two festival prayers of Eidu 'l-Fitr and Eidu 'l-Adha are performed. 4.0 CONCLUSION There are five daily prayers which are obligatory for every free, adult and sane Muslim to observe. These are the §ubft, Zuhr, ‘A$r, Maghrib and ‘Isha’. The prayers have their appointed times and prescribed procedures and should be observed punctually and regularly. The Jumu'ah prayer is a weekly Friday prayer that is obligatory as supported by the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims. The prayer is expected to be conducted in a central mosque, not in a rcitibi mosque. Eidu 'l-Fitr and Eidu 'l-Adhci prayers are also two important prayers observed by Muslims during the festivals of annual Ramadan fist and the feast of immolation respectively. All are important Muslim prayers that are usually observed in congregation the benefits of which are both spiritual and social. 5.0 SUMMARY This unit acquaints you with the five daily prayers, the Friday prayer and the two Eid prayers. It discusses how, why, when and where they are observed. It also identifies their significance and what form should Khutbah take and what should constitute its content. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Examine the basis of the five daily canonical prayers in Islam. Give their times and the number of supererogatory rak'ats that are usually observed before or after each of them. 2. Discuss the two Eid prayers in full. State what should constitute the form and content of their Khutbahs, among other things. 25 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Doi, A. Rahman I. (1972). The Cardinal Principle of Islam, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. Ali, A.Y. (1977). The Holy Quran, English Translation and Commentary, U.S.A.: American Trust Publication. ‘AbdalatT, Hamudah (1978). Islam in Focus, Kuwait: Salimiyya. HamTdullah, M (1981). Introduction to Islam. Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. 26 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 UNIT 2 JAM A‘AH, QA$R, MARID AND JANAZAH PRAYERS CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Jama 'ah (Congregational) Prayer and its Significance 3.2 Qa§ru ‘$-§alal (shortening of §alat on a Journey) 3.3 Prayer of the Sick {Marid) 3.4 §alatu 'l-Janazah (Funeral Prayer) 3.5 The Grave 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the previous unit, you learnt about the daily, Friday and two Eid Prayers. In this unit you will learn about §alatu '\-Jama‘ah, §alatu 7- Qa§r, §alatu 'l-Marid, and §alatu 'l-Janazah. These mean how to pray in congregation, shortening of prayer while on a journey, prayer of the sick and funeral service. You will agree with me that these are important matters the knowledge of which is indispensable for the Muslim whose duty is to observe the Islamic canonical prayers. This lesson thus becomes important. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • observe prayer in congregation and state its significance • describe prayer of the traveller and the sick and describe how they are observed • describe how to observe the Janazah prayer 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3. 1 Prayer in Congregation and its Significance Both the Qur ’an and Hadith lay special emphasis on observing prayers in congregation. The Qur 'an says: i j l i l j 27 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND §A WM And be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity, and bow down your heads with those who bow down in worship. (Q 2:43) Even in battlefield, there is instruction about observing the prayer collectively. When it is time for prayer during actual fighting, a group of the Muslim soldiers are to go and offer the prayer in congregation under the leadership of an Imam while some others stand on guard. Then the group rotates. When ye pass (congregational) prayer, celebrate God’s praises, standing, and sitting down or lying down on your sides, but when ye are free from danger, perform prayers; regular prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times. (Q 4:103) On the other hand, the Hadiths related to the Prophet Muhammad extol prayer in congregation: “congregational prayer is twenty seven times more meritorious than observing prayer as an individual.” One who lives near the mosque should say his prayers in the mosque; and for every step you take when you are going to say your prayer in the mosque is a reward. Thus in Islam, the Muslim body, both men and women, gather together at the appointed times to praise and glorify Allah and address their petitions to Him particularly for the five daily prayers, the Jumu ‘at and the two Eid prayers. The place where this is done is known as Masjid, a mosque. It is therefore worthwhile to study the observance of prayer in congregation. The place where the congregational prayer is expected to be performed is known as masjid (mosque). In the mosque the Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder in a row or in several rows as the case may be and one person chosen from among them as leader and is known as Imam. The Imam stands in front and leads the prayer. However, if there are women in the congregation, as it ought to be, they will form a row or several rows at the back of the rows of men. It should be noted that the distance between the Imam and the first row should generally be four feet in order to make the prostration easy. The smallest number of people that can form a congregational prayer is two people. If it happens that you enter late and you find out that the Imam has started, the best thing is to join the congregation where you meet them. You should not just wait until when the congregation have finished before you say your own prayer. 28 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 The next thing you should do is that when the Imam finishes you should rise up and make up for those Rakcah you missed. For example, if you missed one Rakcah when the Imam pronounces the taslim, you will rise up and observe the one Rakcah and recite extra Tashahhud before your taslim. However, if the number of Raid ah you missed is three, you will rise up to make up for the second Rakcah and recite the Tashahhud and you will then follow it with another two Rakcah and make another Tashahhud, before final salamah. It is essential to know that a Rakcah has been missed the moment the Imam has risen from ruku ‘u. You will agree'with me that prayer in congregation will avail members having a sense of belonging to a Muslim family, both the rich and the poor, the high ranking and the low ranking standing shoulder to shoulder without any separation and worshippers getting conscious of their membership of a universal brotherhood. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 1. Explain what is a congregational prayer and its significance. 2. Mention two benefits of a congregational prayer. 3.2 Qa$ru \v- §alat (Shortening of §alat while on a Journey) The Qur'an says: ‘'When you go on a journey, there is no harm if you shorten §alat (Q 4:101) Thus the rule governing §alat grants concession to a traveller to shorten his prayer while on a journey. This shortening of the prayers is allowed only in thosefardprayers where one normally has to offer four Rak'ahs; that, is Zuhr, ‘A§r and Tshai prayers. In the §ubhi and Maghrib prayers no shortening is allowed. One has to offer the two and three Rak'ahs respectively. There are differences of opinion with regards to the length of the journey. According to a school of thought, the distance varies between 9 and 48 miles while a school is of the opinion that the distance must be about 36 miles away from the traveller's place of habitation. However, the journey could be considered as One in which a person could walk normally and travel for three days from morning till sunset. The traveller is allowed to continue to shorten the prayer till he returns as long as he does not settle down any where. He should resume saying his prayers in full wherever he settles down for more than three days. 29 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND §A\VM Joining Prayers Together: A traveller may perform the noon prayer (zuhr) and the afternoon ( ‘a$r) prayers together at the same time. This can be done, for instance, either by delaying the noon prayer until the time comes for the afternoon prayer or the Sunset Prayer until the time comes for 'IshcC prayer, and performing both of them together at a later time. This is called jam'u ta’khTr (Deferred Joining). The joining could also be done in advace; called jam 'u taqdim (Joining in Advance). Both types are permitted when there is need for them. The only prayers which may be joined are the noon and afternoon or the sunset and the evening prayers. Joining the morning and the noon prayers for example, or the Sunset and the afternoon prayers is not allowed. The joining is so ordained to relieve the people and is based on the action of the Prophet at the time of Tabflk expedition. However, separate Iqamah will be made for each of the combined prayers. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 What do you understand by Qa§ru j-§alatl 3.3 Prayer of the Sick (MarTd) In Islam, regardless of the severity and seriousness of an ailment the daily prayers have to be observed at the prescribed times. If a sick person is unable to perform all the acts of the prayer, he is allowed to perform that which he can and perform others symbolically. If a person is unable to stand up for the prayer, either due to excessive weakness, feeling of dizziness, instability or inability to perform rukv'u and sujftd properly, he is allowed to offer his prayer while sitting. If he is to observe the prayer sitting, he should sit in the prescribed way - the Qa'dah. However, he may sit in any way he likes if that too is not possible. However, if a patient is too weak to perform a prayer even by symbolic signs he may abandon it and offer it later on recovery as a missed prayer. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3 Discuss the prayer of the sick. 3.4 Funeral Prayer (,Jandzah) When a Muslim dies, the body is properly washed with soap or some disinfectant. In washing the dead body, the parts which are washed in the wudu' are washed first, then the whole body is washed. It is then 30 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 shrouded in one, five or more sheets of cloth. Then the body is placed on a bier, if necessary in a coffin and carried on the shoulders as a mark of respect to its last resting place. The Janazah service may be held anywhere, in a mosque, or in an open space or even in the graveyard if sufficient space is available. All those who may want to take part in the service must perform ablution. The bier is placed in the front of the Imam who stands in front of its breast facing the Qiblah. The other people stand behind the Imam in straight rows, three or more but of an odd number. The intention is to offer the funeral prayer of four takblrs as follows: (i) The Imam, saying the first takblr raises the hands to the ears and places it in the positions as in prayer, and the followers do the same after him. The glorification of Almighty Allah is offered. (ii) The Imam pronounces the second takblr without raising the hands to the ears and invokes the Blessings of Allah upon the prophet (SAW) known as §alat ‘ala 'n-Nabiyy. (iii) At the third takblr, the Imam offers a prayer for the forgiveness of the deceased (iv) After the fourth takblr the tasllm is pronounced loudly by the Imam and that terminates the prayer. It should be mentioned that Janazah prayer has neither Adhan nor Iqamah. As soon as the prayer is over, the corpse should be taken to the graveyard for burial. The grave: The grave is dug in such a way that the body may be laid to rest in it facing the direction of Ka‘bah. (Qiblah). During the process of filling of the grave with sand, it is usual for some to recite portions from the Qur ’an, e.g. Suratu Yasin. After this, people say individual prayers for the soul of the deceased and then disperse. On hearing the death of a fellow mankind a Muslim consoles himself by saying Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un. It is recorded in the Imam Bukhari’s Sound Collection of Hadlth, (Vol. 23:4), that the Holy Prophet held a funeral service in absentia, when he received news of the death of Negus, King of Abyssinia. From this, it is inferred that funeral service may be held in the case of a dead person where the body is not present. Funeral service may also be held over a still-born child who has fully formed, based on an Hadlth, reported by (Abu Ddwud). SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4 Write notes on (i) Janazah prayer (ii) the grave and how the corpse is laid in it. 31 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND §A WM 4.0 CONCLUSION ?alat (prayer) particularly, the obligatory one, has to be performed in congregation as much as possible, even on the battle field. This is preferably done in the Mosque. It has immense spiritual and social benefit. The Mosque and the organization of the congregational prayer are a means of keeping the Islamic spirit active and alive and to create and sustain the feeling of Muslim brotherhood. The offering of prayer in congregation is twenty seven times more meritorious than offering it as individuals. When a journey of about seventy kilometers is undertaken, it is allowed to shorten the prayers that consist of up to four Rak'ahs. This concession has been granted by Allah and became the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. However, a traveller who does not want to take advantage of this concession is not committing any sin. We must endeavour to perform the canonical prayers taking the different postures when we are hail and hearty. But in times of sickness or some sort of incapacitation we may observe §alats standing, sitting, lying on our back or just using symbols of any kind. The §alat Janazah must be said on the corpse of a deceased Muslim before burial. It consists of four takbirs after each of which al-Fatihah, §aldt ‘ala 'n-Nabiyy, supplication for the deceased and taslim are offered respectively before t|ie deceased is buried in the grave. 5.0 SUMMARY In this unit you are able to learn the Scriptural basis, rules and procedure of observing canonical prayer in congregation and the practice of Qa$ru 's- $alat, i.e. shortening of obligatory four rak'ah prayers while undertaken a journey. You were also reminded that our §aldt must be properly observed standing, bowing, prostrating and focusing prostration point as much as possible. But in case of sickness, what should be done has also been explained. §alat Janazah - Funeral service was the last treated in the unit. It only remains for us to add that this latter §aldt is fard kifayah, i.e. communally obligatory. A group of Muslim in the community must rise up for the occasion. If not they all become sinners. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Discuss observing §alcit in congregation. Show its spiritual and social importance. 32 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 2. Explain the prayer of a traveller briefly. 3. Examine the obligatory duty of the Muslims in a community regarding the corpse of their deceased member. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Lemu, B.A. (1993). Islamic Studies for Senior Secondary Schools Book I, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. Abdul, M.O.A. (1983). Islam as a Religion (Faith and Duties) Studies in Islam Series Book I, Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau. Ali, M.A. (1986). The Religion of Islam, New Delhi: Taj Company. Ahmed, Nisar (1980). The Fundamental Teaching of Quran and HadTth, New Delhi: Kitabu 'l-Bahrain. 33 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM UNIT3 TARAWlH, TAHAJJUD, ISTIKHARAH, ISTISQA, KUSUFAND KHUSUF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Tarawlh, Tahajjud, Istikharah 3.2 Istisqa, KusufandKhusuf 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION In Unit 2 you were able to learn something about §alat in congregation, the concession of shortening §alat w'hile on a journey, how to perform §alat when one is sick and the §alat Janazah. In this unit, you will learn something about Tarawlh, Tahajjud, Istikharah. You will agree with me that these are names you are well familiar with. Three other kinds of occasional §alats that will be explained to you are the Istisqa, Kusuf and Khusuf prayers; They are all nawafil which are occasional, voluntary and specially performed at prescribed times and having some conditions and regulations attached-to them. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • mention six voluntary nawafil • explain when and how some of the special prayers are performed • relate their significance of the prayers. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Tarawlh Tarawlh prayer consists of eight or ten rak‘ahs to be observed after Islur prayer in the month of Ramadan and before the shafi and witr. Many Companions of Prophet Muhammad (S) were reported to have observed ten rak'ahs. 34 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 The nomenclature TarawTh derives from the practice whereby devotees take time to rest after the fourth rak'ah because of long standing for recitation from the Qur 'em by the Imam. In a report agreed upon by both Imams Bukhari and Muslim, M ’ishah, the Prophet’s beloved wife, is quoted as saying: “the Messenger of God did not exceed eleven rak'ahs, (in this night devotional service) during or outside Ramadan ”. She mentioned thirteen in another report. However the number of the rak'ats, was increased and the length of standing for recitation was reduced during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn Khattab who noticed fatigue in the people. It is thus permissible to say twenty perfect rak'ahs,. The devotional exercise legally has the Sunnah status, i.e. its observer, male or female, earns reward while a defaulter is deprived. Whether twenty or ten or eight rak'ahs, excluding the shaf'i and wifr were observed, a ju z’u. i. e. one over thirty portions of the Qur’an, used to be recited every night as is the practice in the Holy Kab‘ah in Makkah and the Prophet’s mosque in Madina nowadays. The Imam should take the congregation into consideration, observe proper recitation and not prolong unnecessarily. This prayer should be performed two rak'ahs, at a time like any other sunnah or nafl prayers. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 Discuss the origin, development and significance of TarawTh. 3.2 Tahajjud Literally, the word Tahajjud means, “to break the sleep and get up.” The Qur’an has recommended it again and again to the Believers and the manner in which it speaks of those who offer it denotes that it is no less important than fard prayers. In Q.lxxiii 1-9. the Prophet was commanded: O thou wrapped in thy garment! Keep vigil the night long (in prayer), save a little - a Half thereof, or abate a little thereof or add a little thereto - and recite the Qur ’an in measure, for soon we shall send down to thee a weighty Message. Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for framing the word (of Prayer and Praise). Lo! Thou hast by day a chain of business. So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with a complete devotion - Lord of the East and the West; there is 35 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §a l A t a n d $a w m no God save Him; so chose thou Him alone for thy defender. (Q, 73:1-9). And some part of the night awake for it (i.e. tahajjad), a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate.” (Q. 17:79) The Prophet (S) observed Tahajjud regularly during his lifetime. Indeed he was fond of it to the extent that his feet swelled up due to long stretches of standing. An Hadlth related by MughTrah ibn Shu‘bah says “It was said to him, 'Allah has forgiven all your sins of the past as well as the future. (Why then, should you exert yourself so excessively in prayer?). The Prophet replied, “’Should I not be a grateful bondman’? Similarly nA'ishah relates that: 'the Tahajjud of the Prophet consisted of eight rak‘ats. He used to say a very long four, and another fairly long four. He would then terminate it with three rak'ahs of witr.” The Sir ah, the Traditions and the Islamic history abound with reports of how vigilant and how perseverant the Prophet and the Companions were in the observance of Tahajjud. And God extols their quality: “The faithful servants of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly ... And who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating and standing.” And through the ages Tahajjud constituted the regular practice of all virtuous and godly men, theologians, jihadists, reformers etc.etc. As a matter of fact, the Tahajjud prayer is a sure and effective means of self-purification and developing qualities of steadfastness and fortitude in the way of Allah. It is usually characterized by long recitations; although recitation according to individual ability will also serve the purpose. The word Tahajjud according to the Qur’an quoted above implies that one should rise for it after sleeping for a part of the night, i.e. 3.00 a. m. latest; while the minimum of two rak’ahs and maximum of eight are to be performed. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Discuss Tahajjud and explain its significance. 3.3 Istikharah Prayer Literally, the word Istikharah means, “to desire good and seek well being”. When a person is faced with a dilemma and cannot decide between alternatives regarding an important affair of life, he is requested to observe two rakOahs of nafl. 36 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 2 After the observance, he will glorify the name of Allah, invoke blessing on the Prophet (S) and recite the Istikharah supplication as taught by the Prophet (S) for divine help and guidance which goes as follows: dJLu-»Vl j-»Vi tlfc i t Cil£ ^ J ll .cjjlAJi ’î Lc- j') ‘ A A >*M* A &J-! A ‘A ‘ A ( 44r*'j “̂ y ja i AlS Jjjl tjU-awij { 1 84/® jL u l l <111 Q a 8.1x3 J ia u (_ylc. j l L ja J 'j a ( j lS Q a j < A u o lls a .Ifl . jj { 1 85/®J*®^} 1J Uo (_ylc- All I 1j >̂jSj1j 8.1x31 ljL a S J j Jxoxl! .IJj J V j (Fasting) for a fixed number of days but if any of you is ill or on a journey the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man etc), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know. 56 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur ’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must fast that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey the same number (of days which one did not fast must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease and he does not want to make things difficult for you. You must complete the same-number magnify Allah (i.e. to say takbir i.e. Allahu-Akbar; (Allah is the Most Great), on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal for having guided you so that you may be grateful to him. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 1. Analyse Q.2:184-185. 2. Show the relationship between Ramadan fast and revelation of the Qur ’an The Fasting of Atonement (Kafarah) Another compulsory fast in Islam is the fast of atonement. If one breaks one’s fasting in the month of Ramadan intentionally or refuses to fast in Ramadan without a genuine reason one has committed a great sin. To atone for the committed sin and save oneself from the punishment of the hereafter, one has to choose any one of the following acts: If one breaks one’s fast for a day one has to feed 60 poor or destitute Muslims at the rate of one Muddu 'n-Nabiyy (about 708 grams of food stuffs like rice, beans, barley wheat etc) per indigent person. The second option is to free a slave for each fasting day that is broken or that one failed to fast. The third option is to fast continuously for two lunar months for each day that one failed to fast. But if a person who should fast continuously cannot maintain the continuity on account of some excuses e.g. menses or a journey which one is obliged to perform, it is not obligatory for him to maintain the continuity. After the excuse stops or ceases to exist one should resume one’s fasting i.e. one should then observe the remaining fasts. These atonements are for the breaking of Ramadan fast only. 57 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND §A WM In addition to kafarah, a Muslim who is to perform any of the kafarah must also do qatfa i.e. he has to refund the fast he broke or failed to fast for each day. Abu Hurayrah transmits: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) when a companion arrived and said: Oh Messenger of Allah (PBOH) I am ruined. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) enquired: what is the matter? He said I had sexual intercourse with my wife in the state of fasting. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) asked. Can you free a slave? He said: No. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) then asked: can you fast continuously for two months? The person said: No. the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) again questioned. Can you feed sixty needy persons? He said, no. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: you may sit down. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) was silent for some time. We were all sitting in the condition when an “araq” of dates was brought for the Messenger of Allah (PBOH). (Araq means a big container). The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) enquired: Where is the questioner of the precept? He said: I am present. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated. Take these dates and distribute them by way of charity. The person then asked: Oh Messenger of Allah (PBOH) should I give these dates in charity to people who are more needy than myself? By Allah there is no house in the entire Madinah poorer than my house. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) laughed so much so that his teeth were visible. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: Give these dates to the members of your household. (Bukhari and Muslim) Nadhr (The Fast of Vowing) The third compulsory fasting in Islam is fast of vowing (nadhr). When one vows to fast, the fast becomes compulsory for him. One may say that if I achieve my target, I will fast. If he achieves it, the fast of vowing must be performed. It is obligatory to fast in the time designated. It must not be delayed without a genuine reason. The judgment of Ramadan is applicable to the two other compulsory fasts. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3 Discuss fasting of kafarah and Nadhr. 58 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 4.0 CONCLUSION Fasting in Islam is quite different from fasting in other religions. It is a total abstinence from all kinds of food, drinks, and cohabitation from dawn till sunset. It is a must for all adults who are able unless they have genuine excuses. It is so important that only Allah knows the extent of its rewards. 5.0 SUMMARY Ramadan is the main fasting month in Islam chosen among others because it was in it that the Qur’an was revealed as the last and most authentic Scripture for the guidance of humanity. It is compulsory for all adult Muslims to fast throughout the month. The kafarah (Attonement) and nadhr (vowing) are two other compulsory fasts to be observed to atone for certain defaults during Ramadan fast or to fulfill vows or pledges. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Discuss the three compulsory fasts in Islam. 2. Define fasting in relation to Qur ’an 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Tijani, Adekilekun D. (2001). Al-Akhdari’s Short Treatise on Islamic Jurisprudence, Ijebu-ode: Alamsek press Ltd. Mohammad, A.K (1979). What Islam Is7 India: Academy of Islamic Research and Publications. Mancy, Eweiss (2003). Bulughul Maramin Adilat al Ahkam, Egypt: Dar al-Manarah. Muhammad, Muhsin Khan (nd,). Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. Ill Arabic- English, Beirut - Lebanon: Dar al-Arabia. 59 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALA T AND $A WM U N I T 3 T H E P R E - R E Q U I S I T E S A N D M E R I T O R I O U S A C T S O F F A S T I N G I N I S L A M CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Pre-Requisites of Fasting in Islam 3.2 Meritorious Acts of Fasting 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1 .0 I N T R O D U C T I O N Fasting in Islam has some rules and pre-requisites for its validity; as it also has some meritorious acts which a fasting person must observe or perform. If the rules are not observed the rewards may be denied. In this unit, the rules governing the fasting devotion will be well explained with quotations from the Qur’an and Hadlth. This will help you to know the dos and don’ts of fasting. 2 .0 O B J E C T I V E S By the end of this unit, you should be able to: • state the pre-requisite for the validity of fasting, particularly the Ramadan fast • explain meritorious acts expected of a fasting person. • cite relevant quotations from the Qur ’an to support both the pre­ requisites and the meritorious acts . 3 .0 M A I N C O N T E N T 3 .1 T h e P r e - R e q u i s i t e s o f F a s t i n g in I s l a m i. A g e Fasting is for those that have reached the age of maturity. Encouragement can only be given to children to practise fasting it is not compulsory that they should fast. 60 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 ii. Ability/Capability The rule of fasting is that he who wants to fast must be able to do so i.e. he must not suffer from a serious ailment which fasting can aggravate. He must be able to bear the pangs of hunger and thirst; a serious ulcer patient is exempted from fasting. iii. Islam Fasting in the month of Ramadan is not for non-Muslims. Islam is a pre­ requisite to fasting in this month i.e. the fasting person must be a Muslim who has firm faith in the oneness of Allah. iv. From Dawn Till Sunset Another rule of fasting is that it should be from dawn till dusk. It is against the rule to fast after sunset till some time before dawn. It is also against the rule to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse any time between dawn and sunset. Eating, drinking and sexual intercourse are allowed between sunset and dawn. v. Sanity A fasting person must be sane. An insane (i.e. mad) person is not to fast in Islam until he regains his sanity. It is when he is mentally up-right that he can fast. vi. Freedom from Menses, Child-Birth Blood or Breast-Feeding The rule of fasting is that women in Haydah (menstruation) and Nifas (childbirth blood) are exempted from fasting. After the month of Ramadan they will count the number of fasts missed and make up for them. vii. The Month of Ramadan The compulsory fast in Islam is only done in the month of Ramadan. It is not done before or after the month. If it is done it is regarded as a voluntary fast. But one has to refund the number of days of fasting one missed during Ramadan soon after the month and before another Ramadan. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 Enumerate seven rules for the validity of fasting. 61 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM 3 .2 M e r i t o r i o u s A c t s o f F a s t i n g i. Taking of Sahur: Pre-Dawn Meal It is sunnah to take Sahur (pre-dawn meal) in order not to miss the blessings of Allah attached to it. One should not intentionally avoid taking meal before dawn. Anas reported the Prophet of Allah as saying: "take your meal before dawn as there is blessing in it. This is contained in the collections of Bukhari & Muslim. Another Hadith relates the matter through Zayd ibn Thabit's narration: We used to take meal before dawn with the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) and then stood up for dawn prayer. I asked what was the interval of time between taking meal before dawn and establishing the congregational prayer? He said; Equivalent to the recital of fifty verses. (Muslim). ii. Iftar: Breaking of Fast At the time of breaking fast it is expected of a fasting person to break it with fruits such as dates, oranges etc or water. One should avoid over­ eating. Some people over-eat with the aim of making up for the day-long starvation. This is bad. One should eat only as much in the evening as it is done on normal days. Anas relates that: The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) broke the fast before the evening (Maghrib) prayer by eating fresh dates. If they were not available by eating dried dates. If there are no dried dates available then by drinking few sips of water (Abu Dawud Tirmidh!) When breaking one’s fast at sunset the prophet is reported to have recommended this prayer: .CjjLsI 'S&jj j c’l*L= ill “Oh Allah! I observed the fast for You and I am breaking it with the sustenance provided by You. It is expected of a fasting person to hasten in breaking the fast according to the advice of the Prophet "people will be in welfare so long as they hasten in breaking fast." (Bukhari& Muslim) Delaying of Iftar and eating of Sahur early have been condemned by the prophet. All the sayings and actions of the prophet testify to the fact that Sahur should be delayed to some extent while Iftar should be taken very early, immediately the sun sets. Caution must be taken that we don’t go beyond the limit. 62 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 iii. Observance of Taramh Prayer It is expected of a fasting person to observe TarawTh prayers after Ishai or in the night. This is part of the blessings of Allah for Muslims. They fast during the day and pray during the night. The rewards of both cannot be quantified. The Prophet observed TarawTh for three days with the congregation for fear of making it compulsory i.e. he did not want his Ummah to consider it obligatory. It may be two or more in odd numbers, Shaf 7 and Witri inclusive. iv. Abundance in Prayer and Recitation of the Qur’an A fasting person must increase his prayers for himself, his family and the generality of Muslims all over the world. He should pray for good things in this world and the best things in the hereafter. No fasting person is expected to be indolent during the blessed month of Ramadan in order not to miss the great rewards in it. v. Increase in Virtues During the month of Ramadan, a fasting person should struggle to overcome his vices and increase his virtues. He should try to suppress the evil inclinations and adhere strictly to good conducts as contained in the Qur ’an and HadTth. If one can bear the intensive heat of the summer and the sharp pangs of hunger and thirst and observe fasting, it behooves the person not to spoil his fasting with little vices. Instead, he should increase his rewards exponentially by doing good. The Prophet is reported to have said, if in it (i.e. the month of Ramadan) a person will seek the propitiation of God by doing anything it will be treated as equal in recompense to the fulfillment of an obligatory duty in the other days of the year and if he will fulfill an obligatory duty in it, it will be treated as equal (in recompense) to the fulfillment of seventy obligatory duties in the other days of the year. It is the month of patient perseverance, and the reward on patient perseverance is paradise and it is the month of compassion (Baihaqi). vi. Uprightness of Purpose It is important for a fasting person to bear in mind the purpose for which fasting is undertaken. A Muslim should not fast for fear of social censure or out of habit. If it is done for these, the spirit of fasting is totally lost. Fasting in Islam is to show obedience to Allah alone. Other benefits are secondary. Thus the Prophet is reported to have said; “he who fasted with Iman (faith) and Ihtisab (keeping to the rule and with trust in divine recompense) all his previous sins will be forgiven”. 63 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM Fasting people must avoid every thing that is detrimental to the purpose of fasting. vii. Good Words A fasting person is expected to utter good words. He should not get angry or abuse others. If he is abused or indecent word is thrown at him, he should not pick up quarrel but he should say: “I am fasting”. The Prophet Muhammad said: “God has no need for him to go without food and drink who cannot shun evil and false-hood even during a fast". He also said: “many are there among you who fast and gain nothing from it except hunger and thirst; and many are there who pray (throughout the night) and gain nothing from it except wakefulness. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Mention seven acts that will enhance and guarantee full rewards of fasting. 4 .0 C O N C L U S I O N It is essential to know and understand the rules of a game if the game is to be played very well and if the good results are to be achieved. Otherwise the rewards will be lost. This is true of fasting though it is not a game. Muslims should follow the rules of fasting otherwise they lose its rewards. This unit therefore highlights the pre-requisites and rules for the validity of fasting in Islam, particularly during Ramadan. The unit also highlights conditions for the validity of fasting and meritorious acts which can follow. A fasting person’s rewards are enumerated with copious quotations from the Qur ’an and HadJth . 5 .0 S U M M A R Y Fasting in Islam, particularly during the month of Ramadan, is obligatory only on a Muslim who has attained the age of puberty, free from permanent or temporary ailments or old age, sane and not on a journey. A woman undergoing her monthly menses, or who is still experiencing child birth blood or breast-feeding is temporarily exempted from the devotional exercise. Meritorious acts expected of a fasting person include taking of Sahiir (pre-dawn meal), Iftar (breaking of fast) with fruits such as dates, oranges etc or water and avoiding over-eating. It also includes 64 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 observance of Tarawih prayers, recitation of Qur’an, increase in virtuous conducts, uprightness of purpose etc, etc. 6 .0 T U T O R - M A R K E D A S S I G N M E N T 1. State and explain six of the rules of fasting in Islam. 2. What are other good acts expected of a good fasting Muslim? 7 .0 R E F E R E N C E S / F U R T H E R R E A D I N G S Eweiss, Nancy (2003). Bulugh al-Maram min adillat al-Ahkam, Egypt: Dar-al- Manarah. Muhammad, S.D and Jamal al-Dln, M.Z (1406 A.H.). Fiqhu 's-Sunnah, Lagos: Al-Hujjat al-Islamiyyah. Shaykh, Safiu R. et al (2000). Tafsir ibn Kathir, Volume 1-3: Riyadh: Darus-Salam. 65 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §a l A t and §a w m UNIT 4 THE BEGINNING AND ENDING OF RAMADAN CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Beginning and the Ending of Ramadan 3.1.1 Methods of Ascertaining its First Day and Last Day 3.2 Laylatu 'l-Qadr 3.3 1‘tikaf 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION The starting and the ending of Ramadan have been a thing of concern for every Muslim. An understanding of methods of ascertaining when to begin and when to end the fasting of the month is highly desirable and will go a long way in removing the confusion and discrepancies usually encountered every year. In this unit therefore attention will be paid to those two issues. The Laylatu 'l-Qadr and 1 ‘tikaf which are important events that are usually observed towards the end of the Ramadan fast will also be discussed. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: • state the methods of ascertaining the beginning of Ramadan and its end • explain the significance of the Laylatu 'l-Qadn • discuss the relationship between Laylatu 'l-Qadr and I'tikaf 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Beginning and the Ending of Ramadan Unlike in some of the ancient faiths in which fasting was observed based on solar system, the main fasting period in Islam takes place in the month of Ramadan. It is based on lunar system and sighting of moon. Q2:185 gives the directive on when to begin Ramadan fast and when to end it as follows: 6 6 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 juL^ls II '̂ 2, ;>a So every one of you who is present (or sights the moon at his home) during the month should spend it in fasting. This implies that fasting should be commenced after sighting the Ramadan moon. The prophet is also reported to have said: (AjIc. (_3Suu>) <1 IjjjSli ĉ. (jls Vj (J^JI Ijjj "Do not commence fast without sighting the moon; and do not end it without sighting it. In case the atmosphere is cloudy then resort to calculation (of thirty days) for the month. (Bukhari & Muslim) The Hadith is saying that if at the end of Sha'ban, the sky is cloudy, then thirty days should be reckoned completed for the month of Sha ‘ban. If at the end of Ramadan the atmosphere is cloudy then thirty days should be counted for the month of Ramadan. Thus Muslims do not need to have astronomical skill before they begin and end the Ramadan fast. As a result of this lunar arrangement, Ramadan is not permanent in one season. It falls in different seasons. Sometimes it falls in the cold weather and sometimes in the hot weather. They are made to accustom to the differences of variations of the weather. 3 .1 .1 M e t h o d s o f A s c e r t a i n i n g t h e F i r s t D a t e a n d t h e L a s t D a t e o f t h e Ramadan F a s t s A person can know the first date of the Ramadan fasts by sighting the moon himself. Another method is if thirty days pass from the first day of the moon of ShaUban, the first day of Ramadan is established. In the same vein, if thirty days pass from the first of Ramadan, the first day of Shawwal is established; and that marks the end of the Ramadan fast. The third method is if one or two just (Uadi) persons say that they have sighted the moon; the beginning and the ending of the Ramadan fasts are confirmed. Ibn DUmar narrated the following incident which occurred during the time of the Prophet: I took part in the sighting of the moon along with other people and informed the Messenger of Allah, (PBOH), that I 67 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND §A WM had sighted the moon. Accordingly, the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) commenced the fast and commanded others to do likewise. (Abu Dawud) Of all these methods, the second option ((i. e. counting 30 days of Sha ‘ban and 30 days of Ramadan to know the beginning and the end of Ramadan respectively) may be relied upon in a situation where the weather is bad, and constitutes an obstruction for sighting the moon. S E L F A S S E S S M E N T E X E R C IS E 1 Examine the issues involved in beginning Ramadan fast and the sighting of the moon for the exercise 3 .2 Laylatu 'l-Qadr a n d I ’tikaf Laylatu 'l-Qadr means the Night of Power. It is stressed in the Qur ’an, Chapter 97, Verse 1-5 thus {3} gat j j i jisii {2} jjai ali u. aijit Uj { i } j& \ m iuijjl ui {5} {4} ^ c tJj2 We have indeed revealed it (the Qur’an) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the Angels and the Spirit, by God’s permission, on every errand. Peace it is until the rise of dawn. The Night of Power occurs during the month of Ramadan. It comes only once in a year. During this time the Angels descend down and the devils run away. The night is looked for in one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. It is so important that all sins are forgiven therein provided one has a firm faith in Allah. The reward attached to devotional activities and deeds of righteousness this night is so great that nobody knows the extent of it. Because of this, Muslims engage themselves heavily in good deeds to get innumerable benefits. Abu Hurayrah transmits that the Messenger of Allah stated: whoever with faith and intention to earn the reward, worshipped in the night of Power, all his previous sins are forgiven. (Bukhari & Muslim) One should not miss the rewards therein. The Prophet advised Muslims to strive to acquire the rewards. He even considered any Muslim who missed the rewards as an unfortunate Muslim. 68 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 Anas b. Malik relates: when Ramadan commenced, the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: this month which has befallen on you there is a night which (from the point of dignity and honour) is better than one thousand months. Whoever deprives himself of acquiring its felicity deprive himself of all goodness. He further stated: only an unfortunate person is deprived of its felicity. Muslims are urged to search for the night by the Prophet according to an HadTth related by DA’ishah that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: "Search for Laylatu 'l-Qadr in the odd-nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). The Prophet worshipped heavily and induced his family to do same during the last ten nights of Ramadan in order to get the benefits attached to the Night. ji.1 Ii} j 4alc. jail ( J j ^ j ;S-dls l$ic. iiil ‘LiUkc. Ijc - ( VjIc- (̂ alLtt) isjtj vlJ □ A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, relates that the Messenger of God (PBOH) when the last ten days of Ramadan commenced, used to buckle up for worship. He used to keep vigil for (worship) during its nights; and would also wake up the people of his household. Bukhari and Muslim agree on this HadTth . 3.3 r t i k a f It is the staying in the mosque praying and observing various kinds of Qlbadat (devotional activities) during the month of Ramadan, particularly the last ten days. The purpose of rtikaf is to reap the benefits attached to Laylatu 'l-Qadr and to increase one’s ‘ibadah. The prophet observed I'tikaf when he was alive. I'tikaf gives Muslims the opportunity to cut off themselves from worldly affairs during the last ten days of the month, spending day and night in a mosque for the purpose of seeking Allah’s pleasure through their ‘ibadah. Al-MuUtakif (i.e. the person doing I'tikaf) must be a Muslim who believes in the oneness of Allah. Therefore, I'tikaf is not for non- Muslims. It is only done in a mosque particularly where Friday prayer is observed, and should not be done in one’s house or place of work. A Mu'takif must fast. You cannot do i'tikaf if you are exempted from fasting. Sexual intercourse, committing of sins, madness, fainting, breaking of fast and leaving the mosque for unnecessary affairs spoil i'tikaf Therefore, a muUtakif must avoid all of them. 69 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM The Following Hadiths are Relevant to the Rules of 1‘tikaf: Abu Hurayrah relates that during Ramadan, Qur’an was recited once completely before the Messenger of Allah (PBOH). In the last year of his life it was recited, twice completely. In a similar manner, the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) observed I'tikaf for ten days; but in the last year of his life he observed it for twenty days (Bukhari) □A’ishah relates: When the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) intended to observe I'tikaf he entered the mosque or the place of I'tikaf after the dawn prayer. (Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah). It is allowed for women to observe I'tikaf According to the HadJth related by Bukhari and Muslim: Along with the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) his consorts (wives) also observed I'tikaf (Bukhari and Muslim) If during I'tikaf, a muUtakif falls ill, he should suspend it and go back to his house. If a woman menstruates during her I'tikaf she should go back to her home. If a person whose I'tikaf was interrupted by illness or menstruation recovers from illness or regains purity respectively before the end of Ramadan, the person can go back to the mosque immediately and resume his or her I'tikdf SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 How do the Muslims’ spiritual devotions reach its peak during the last ten days of Ramadan? 4 .0 C O N C L U S I O N As could be seen from the foregoing, it is very important for Muslims to follow the teachings of the Qur’an and HadJth in relation to the beginning as well as the ending of the Ramadan fast. If the three methods of beginning and ending it are followed, the embarrassing situation that occur yearly when determining the beginning and ending of the month such that Muslims world over are divided among themselves into four groups, will be reduced if not completely eliminated. The last ten days of the month of Ramadan must not be wasted by any Muslim because of the rewards of Laylatu 'l-Qadr therein. Efforts should be made to stay in the mosque to do I'tikaf if it is possible or to increase one’s Ulbadah activities. 70 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 3 5.0 SUMMARY In this unit we have explained that the Ramadan fast should start when the moon is sighted and stop when the moon of Shawwal is sighted. We can rely on our own efforts or one or more just men who proclaimed that they have sighted the moon. The last method of ascertaining the beginning of Ramadan is to count Sha’ban to 30 , and we can end it even if the moon is not sighted provided we have fasted for 30days. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. What are the methods of ascertaining the beginning and the end of the Ramadan Fasts? 2. Write notes on Laylatu 'l-Qadr and Ftikaf with relevant quotations from the Qur ’an and Hadith . 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Abul Hassan, Ali Nadwi (1972). The Four Pillars of Islam, India: Islamic Research and Publications. Muhammad, Iqbal (nd). The Book of Fasting, Riyadh: Rabitat al-Alam al-Islami. Muhammad, Asif Kidawai (1979). What is Islam? Lucknow: India Academy of Islamic Research and Publications. Eweiss, Nancy (2003). Bulughu 'l-Maram min Adillat al-Ahkam, Egypt: Dar al-Manarah. 71 f UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §a l At a n d §a w m MODULE 4 Unit 1 Exemption from and Spoiling of Fasting Unit 2 Voluntary and Unlawful Fasts in Islam Unit 3 The Benefits of Fasting UNIT 1 EXEMPTION FROM AND SPOILING OF FASTING C O N T E N T S 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 People Exempted from Fasting 3.1.1 People Exempted from Fasting Permanently 3.1.2 People Exempted from Fasting Temporari ly 3.2 Spoiling of Fasting 3.2.1 Things Which Spoil Fast 3.2.2 Things Which Do Not Spoil Fast 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION There is the need to know people that are exempted altogether from fasting and those that are to postpone their fasts. This is in order that people will not act negatively to the injunction of Allah through the ignorance of the rules. Some acts do render fast void while fasting is spoilt by some others. What are those things that can render fasting void and what are those things that cannot? Who are those exempted either totally or temporarily? Answers to these questions are the focus of this unit. 2.0 OBJECTIVES It is expected that at the end of this unit, you will be able to: • identify people exempted from fasting altogether • identify people exempted from fasting temporarily • enumerate things that render fasting void • enumerate things that do not render fasting void. 72 UNIVERSITY F IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 People Exempted from Fasting In every rule there is always an exemption. Allah exempts some categories of people from fasting in the month of Ramadan. Some of them will make up for the number of days they miss while others will not. Reasons for the exemption may be permanent or temporary. 3.1.1 People Exempted from Fasting Permanently These are the people who should not fast totally. This is part of the mercy of Allah: • The sick person whose sickness is permanent is exempted from fasting altogether. But he can do ifUam (i.e. feeding of indigent person) if he is able, for every fast he misses. • The very old people who can no more withstand the pangs of hunger and thirst. He can give i^Uam in lieu of each fast missed provided he can afford it. Qur’an Chapter 2 verse 184 says: Those who may find it (fasting) difficult will redeem (the number of days they missed) by feeding the needy. The Messenger of Allah was reported by Ibn □ Abbas as saying: 4j]c- VJ ' ' j 5 ° ( j £ A .13 J J (j! An old person has been granted concession not to fast, but he should feed one needy person for every omitted fast; and he needs not make up for the omitted fast. The young children are also exempted from the Ramadan fast. They do not do it-'am or refund the missed fasts. However, they can be practising fasting so as to get used to it before they are old enough to fast. 3.1.2 People Exempted from Fasting Temporarily These are people granted temporary relief from fasting as a result of some temporary situation they find themselves, but who will refund the missed fasts when the condition for exempting them is no more there. 73 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND §A WM The sick person whose sickness is curable and there is hope of recovering from the illness. He will make up for the missed ones later after the month of Ramadan but before the next Ramadan. • Women in menstruation should stop fasting but resume after they are free of menses. After the month of Ramadan they will make up for the missed fasts. Abu Sa’Td al-Khudrl reported the Prophet (PBOH) as saying: (j a d l l l ia > ■ J J j (JLcaJ t ''> >■! a . I ll "When a woman is in menses she can neither pray nor fast. This is relaxation for them, in the religion (Bukhari) Nursing mothers suckling babies are exempted from fasting if it can affect them and the babies. They should make up for the lapsed fasts when they are able. A traveller may break his fast if it is difficult for him to continue. He should make up for the missed fasts after the month of Ramadan. However a traveller by profession or on a journey is allowed to break his fast while travelling. Anas b. Malik al-Ka‘bi narrates that the Messenger of Allah stated: Allah has bestowed indulgence on a traveller to delay the observing of fast and shorten his prayer by half; but has given leave to an expectant mother or a nursing woman to delay the observing of fast. A person whose work is very tedious may postpone his fast. This is implied in Q.2: 184. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 Who are the people exempted from fasting permanently and who are those exempted temporarily? 3.2 Spoiling of Fasting 3.2.1 Things Which Render Fasting Void • Sexual Intercourse: Fasting is rendered void if a fasting person is intentionally involved in sexual intercourse. The sexual intercourse may be with the opposite sex or the same sex. It may be, with human or non-human. Whichever it may be it renders fasting void. A fasting Muslim must avoid it. 74 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 • Drinking and Eating: The two acts, if done intentionally, render fast void. It is immaterial whether they are small or big. However, if it was done unintentionally, he should stop eating and drinking immediately he remembers that he is fasting. • Masturbation (Istimna): A fasting person should not masturbate. But if he or she does it, it renders his or her fasting void. Masturbation means performing an act upon oneself or upon someone else or other thing other than sexual intercourse as a result of which semen is discharged. • Shirk (Associating Partners with Allah): If a fasting person associates partners with Allah, his fast is rendered useless. He has to take a ritual bath of entering into the fold of Islam afresh. (Ghuslu dukhuulu 7- Islam). • Menstruation: If a woman or a lady is fasting and her menses begins, her fast is spoilt. She has to stop fasting immediately and make up for the missed fasts after the month of Ramadan. • Vomiting: If a person vomits intentionally, his fast is rendered void even if he is forced to do so on account of ailment. However, if a person unintentionally vomits, or by mistake, his fasts remained valid. He only needs to clean his mouth. 3.2.2 Things Which Do Not Vitiate Fast • Wet Dream: If one sleeps and has a wet dream i.e. one dream that one has had sexual intercourse with the opposite sex whether one releases semen or not, one’s fast is still valid. What one needs to do if one releases semen is to take a ritual bath called Janabah. • Eating and Drinking: If one forgetfully eats or drinks when fasting, he should stop the moment he remembers and pour out the food or the drink in his mouth immediately. If he swallows it after-wards, his fast is spoilt. Otherwise, his fast is still valid. It is Allah who wants to feed him and give him drinks. The prophet said:” ((_£ j L i a l l ) a l i lu j 4 A t l-i 1 U ajli -Lilli (J S li l i j “When one eats or drinks by forgetfullness while fasting, he should complete his fast because Allah made him eat and drink {Bukhari). 75 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §alAt a n d §a wm • Taking Bath during Ramadan: It is allowed to take bath anytime during the month of Ramadan. If one takes bath during the day one’s fast is still valid. However, caution must be taken to ensure water does not enter one’s throat through one’s mouth. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 Discuss prohibitions and permissibilities of fasting. 4.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion, a permanent sickness and old age are two reasons that may warrant exemption from fasting permanently. Under-age is another reason for exemption. Curable ailment, menstruation, breast feeding, childbirth blood, hard labour and travelling are reasons for temporary exemption from fasting. Sex, eating and drinking, masturbation, menstruation, apostasy and induced vomiting spoil fasting. Wet-dreaming, eating and drinking forgetfully, bathing and brushing, hugging and non-amorious kissing do not render fasting void and attract no penalties. 5.0 SUMMARY A person with permanent sickness and the aged will be compensating for his inability to fast by feeding the poor (if ‘am) if he is able to fast for every fasting days of Ramadan he misses. People exempted from fasting temporarily will redeem the number of days they missed during Ramadan as soon as condition for exemption is over. Sexual intercourse during the fasting period in the month of Ramadan, deliberate eating and drinking must be atoned for through kafarah i.e. fasting for two consecutive months or feeding sixty poor people or setting slaves free. Eating and drinking forgetfully, wet-dreaming, hugging and non- amorious kissing do not void fast. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Who are those people that will not fast but refund the missed fasts? 2. Who are those permitted to postpone their fasts? 3. Fasting cannot be spoilt with certain acts. Explain. 76 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Bello, M. Dawra (1983). El-Risala, Zaria: Northern Nigeria Publishing Company Ltd. Muhammad, Iqbal (nd). Riyadu 's-Salihln - The Book o f Fasting, Riyadh: Rabitat al-Alam al-Islaml. Eweiss, Nancy (2003). Bulughu 'l-Maram min Adillat al-Ahkam, Egypt: Dar al-Manarah. Tahir Ahmad (1988). The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Commentary, UK: Islam International Publishers. Ltd. 77 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $a l A t a n d $a w m UNIT 2 VOLUNTARY AND UNLAWFUL FASTS IN ISLAM CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Voluntary Fasting infslam 3.2 Unlawful Fasts 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION The acts in Islam are either compulsory or voluntary. The compulsory ones are tagged fard (i.e. obligatory acts). On the other hand there are voluntary acts which a Muslim has the option to do or leave. If they do the voluntary acts they will be rewarded but if they leave them they will not be punished for not doing them. The reverse is the case of the obligatory acts. You should remember that the obligatory fasts of Ramadan, Kafarah and Nadhr have earlier on been extensively dealt with. This unit is therefore devoted to the discussion on the voluntary fasting and unlawful fasts in Islam. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you should be able to: • enumerate and explain the voluntary fasts in Islam • identify the days when fasting is prohibited in Islam. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Voluntary Fasts in Islam • Fasting is recommended at anytime of the year except on days when it is prohibited • It is recommended to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Abu Hurayrah narrated the report that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: 78 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 Deeds of people are presented before Allah on Monday and Thursday. I would like to be in a state of fasting when my deeds are presented before Allah. • It is recommended to fast on all days of Rajab and Sha ‘ban or as many days as it is possible even if it is for one day only. U ̂ ~i (JaELiuiI jJLu) j AjIc. <0j1 ^ r. j La (4-llc. (_jil» ̂j V) JaS □ A’ishah states: I have not seen the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) fasting the whole month except in Ramadan. Nor did I see the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) fasting excessively in any other month other than Sha ‘ban. • It is recommended to fast six days during the month of Shawwal. Abu Ayyub al-An§ari transmits a report that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: , jaIII .̂1j,s-A (jlS 11* AjujI Whoever, after completing the fast of Ramadan (every year), fasts for six days in Shawwal, he will be rewarded as if he has been fasting for his entire life. • Fasting is recommended on the day of Arafat for non-pilgrims. • Fasting is also recommended on the day of Ashura (i.e. the tenth day of Muharram). Ibn Abbas said: “when the Prophet came to Medina, he found the Jews observed the fast of Ashura. He enquired about it from them and was told that it was the day on which God had delivered the children of Israel from their enemy and Moses used to keep a fast on it as an expression of gratitude to God. The Prophet, there upon remarked that Moses has a great claim upon me than upon you. He fasted on that day and instructed his followers to do the same. Abu Qatadah transmits a report that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: Fasting on the day of Arafah is expiation of sins committed during two years (the past year and the next year), and fasting on the day of Ashura is expiation of sins committed in the past one year. 79 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM • Fasting the Ayamu 'l-Biid (three bright days), 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month. Abu Qatadah transmits that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: from one Ramadan to another fasting for the three bright days 13th, 14th and 15lh) in every lunar month is equivalent to fasting for the entire life. • It is considered best to fast every other day. □ Abdullah b. DUmar revealed that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: fast for three days in a month. I said: I am stronger than that. The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) continues to raise the number of fasts, so much so that he said: fast every other day. This is the most excellent of the (voluntary) fasts. This was the practice of my brother Dawud. (Bukhari & Muslim) 3.2 Unlawful Fasts • It is unlawful to fast on the day of Eidu 'l-Fitri and Eidu 'l-Adha. Abu Ubayd relates: I performed Eid prayer with DUmar b. Khattab. DUmar stated: the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) prohibited us from fasting on these two days. First when you eat the meat of sacrificed animals (Bukhari) • It is unlawful for Muslims to fast on the day of doubt (Yaw mu sh- Shakk) in order that there might be a coincidence that the day is the first day of Ramadan. Abu Hurayrah transmits that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: no person should fast a day or two before Ramadan. However, a person who according to his practice may do so. (.Bukhari & Muslim). • It is forbidden for pilgrims to fast on the day of assembly at Mount Arafat. Umar Fadl relates: people thought that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) was fasting on the day of Arafah so 1 sent some milk to him which he drank at that time he was delivering sermon at Arafah (Bukhari & Muslim). • Fasting everyday of the year is prohibited. • Fasting two days or more without breaking the fasts during the night between them is prohibited. Abdullah b. Amr b. Anas relates: the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) asked me: Oh Abdullah! I am informed that you always fast during 80 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 the day and stay awake in the night. I said: yes Oh Messenger of Allah I do. He said. Do not fast like this. Observe fast and give it up. Stay awake in the night and also sleep. Your body has its rights over you. Your eyes have rights over you. Your wife has rights over you. Your guest has rights over you. Whoever fasts continuously cannot be considered to have been fasting (Bukhari & Muslim). • It is not allowed for a woman to fast voluntarily without informing her husband. Abu Hurayrah transmits that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: no woman, while her husband is present should observe supererogatory fast without his permission. (Bukhari). • Fasting two days after Eidu'l-Adhd. However pilgrims observing Tamattu (performing Umrah and Hajj in pleasure) are not prohibited. • Aishah and Ibn Umar transmits that no person was permitted to fast during the days of Tashreeq except the pilgrim, who was unable to sacrifice an animal (Bukhari). 4.0 CONCLUSION From the fore-going, it has been established that in addition to the obligatory fasting, there are supererogatory ones having their bases from both the Qur’an and HadTth. Fasting is also prohibited on certain occasions as could also be deduced from the above discussion. Thus as Islam specifies the details of when, why and how fasting should be observed, it also classifies them into compulsory, supererogatory and prohibited. 5.0 SUMMARY Voluntary fasts may be undertaken in Islam: (i) Every Mondays and Thursdays (ii) As many days as possible in the months of Rajab and Sha'ban. (iii) Six days in the month of Shawwal. (iv) Dav of Arafah for non-pilgrims. (v) 13' , 14th and 15th days of the lunar months (vi) Every other day. 81 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 $ALAT AND $A WM Fasting is prohibited on:. (i) Eid Days (ii) Day of Doubt during Ramadan. (iii) Day of Assembly at Arafah (for pilgrims). (iv) Fasting every day of the year. (v) Continuous fast without break. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT Enumerate the voluntary and the unlawful fasting in Islam supporting your points with HadTth as much as possible. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Muhammad, Iqbal (nd). The Book o f Fasting, Riyadh: Rabitat al-Alam al-Islami Maududi, Abu ' 1-A’la (1985). Towards Understanding o f Islam, Leicester: The Islamic Foundation. Bello, Muhammad Dawra (1983). El-Risala, Zaria: Northern Nigeria Publishing Company Ltd. Muhammad, Muhsin Khan (nd). Sahih Bukhari Arabic-English, Beirut: Dar al-Arabiyya. Eweiss, Nancy (2003). Bulughu 'l-Maram min Adillat al-Ahkam, Egypt: Dar al-Manarah. Muhammad, Rahimuddin (1985). Muwatta Imam Malik, Beirut: Lebanon. Muhammad, Zafrulla Khan (1985). Gardens o f the Righteous, Beirut: Muassasah Publications. 82 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 UNIT 3 THE BENEFITS OF FASTING CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting 3.2 Moral and Social Benefits of Fasting 3.3 Health Benefit 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Module 4 opens with a discussion of people exempted from fasting and acts that vitiate fasting. The subject-matter of Unit 2 of the Module was an examination of the voluntary and unlawful fasts. In this unit, we shall treat the spiritual, moral, social and health benefits of fasting in Islam. 2.0 OBJECTIVES It is hoped that by the end of this unit you should be able to: • explain the spiritual benefits of fasting • list and discuss the moral and social benefits of fasting in Islam • explain the impact of fasting on one’s health. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting i. Patience in Obedience to Allah A fasting person exercises a great patience in obedience to Allah’s command through the sufferings of the pangs of hunger and thirst he experiences. This also transfers to the subjugation of his physical desires, his carnal appetites and of the longings of his heart to the will of Allah. 83 1 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §ALAT AND $A WM ii. Taqwa (God - Consciousness) The injunction to fast gives the purpose for the fasting as attainment of taqwa (consciousness of Allah). A fasting person is conscious of Allah wherever he is because there is no policeman who can arrest him if he does not fast, and he tells lie that he is fasting. But because of his consciousness of Allah (i.e. that Allah is fully aware of all his affairs) he fasts wholeheartedly whether he is seen by anybody or not. He believes that Allah is watching him. iii. Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity) Allah asks Muslims to worship him sincerely: (Q. 98: 4). Fasting is one of the ways by which sincerity of a Muslim is tested. This is because it is only Allah who can know if a person is really fasting or he is eating, drinking, having sexual intercourse, etc secretly. People cannot see the secret of a fasting person. Only Allah has the power to know his condition. iv. Cultivating Sense of Appreciation One appreciates the value of something when one loses it. This is true in relation to foods and drinks that are temporarily abandoned between dusk and sunset during fasting. One learns to be truly grateful to Allah and appreciates His provisions which one has taken for granted before. v. Unquantifiable Divine Reward Abu Hurayrah reports that the Messenger of Allah stated: the reward for every good deed of a person is increased by ten to seven hundred times (depending on intention and sincerity). But in respect of the reward for fasting Allah proclaims: Fasting is for Me and I Myself shall bestow the reward. The person who fasts forgoes his desires, eating and drinking for My sake. He will be entitled to two kinds of delights. One will be at the time of breaking the fast and the second will be at the time of meeting his Lord”. vi. Prestige (of Entering Paradise through the Gate of Rayyan) Sahl b. Said reports that the Messenger of Allah stated: there are eight gates of Paradise. One of them is called Rayyan. Only those who fast will enter Paradise through this gate (Bukhari & Muslim). In actual fact, the doors of heaven are opened and doors of hell are closed during the month of Ramadan. Abu Hurayrah reports that the Messenger of Allah stated: 84 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 UjUjftll CjLuIuij n*lj ■> L_lljjt Clilc.j AjtaJl L_ll jjl C lyU jjLixaj 111 When Ramadan commences the gates of paradise are opened and the gates of hell are closed, and the evil ones are chained. (Bukhari & Muslim). This is because many people aspire to please and do Allah’s will and avoid following the Satan’s way. vii. Shield against Satan and its Agents Fasting is one of the major tool believers can use against Satan. Ghazali explains this and says: it is when we eat that Satan enters our blood stream. Fasting is therefore, a fortress and safe place for the friends of God who has put the guile and trickery of Satan in shackles. viii. Quick Answer to Prayers Allah accepts prayers in Ramadan quickly because the fasting people observe the dos and don'ts of Allah more than any other time in their lives. This makes a fasting person feels nearer to Allah and enjoys great spiritual development and satisfaction. I j L a j L y l i ( j l c . 3 Ij I £ & l l a jC O L u a d L u j S l i l l t l i l i l j And when my slaves ask you (O Muhammad PBOH) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor) so let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright. (Q2: 186). 3.2 Moral and Social Benefits of Fasting i. Cultivation of Good Behaviours Fasting helps Muslims to behave well and control their bad attitudes. A fasting person must neither pick up quarrel nor tell a lie nor back-bite. Fasting is not only to abstain from food and drinks; it also includes avoiding all the sinful deeds and the use of foul and filthy language. The Prophet is reported to have said: ((_£jL a jll) Ajl J juoj ±> (jl ^ All Aj (Jxkllj j j ^ l l Any person (while fasting) who tells lies and does not desist from them, Allah is not in need of that person not eating or drinking (Bukhari) Abu Flurayrah relates that the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) stated: 85 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 §alAt a n d §a wm ikt 3&* / j l i ; V , His'ji 5li £ jk t ,\L» /AS li t , *Sk iULkl Fast is a shield, therefore, whoever is fasting should not resort to obscene language and immoral behaviour. If any other person quarrels or abuses a person who is fasting, then the one who is fasting should say: I am fasting (Bukhari). ii. Sympathy and Kindness One of the aims of fasting is to experience what it is to be hungry so that one can have a greater understanding of what it is like to be poor and not have enough to eat. Giving §adaqat al-Fitr is the practical demonstration of this objective. It is believed that one fasting will be hanging in the balance until one has given out the §adaqat al-Fitr. iii. Fasting generates Friendship, Brotherhood and Unity In some places, Muslims pay visits and join one another in breaking their fasts at sunset during Ramadan-, they gather together to listen to Tafsir (explanations of the Qur’an)-, they observe Tarawih and sometimes tahajjud prayers together; they give charity to the less privileged members of the society. Some mosques provide food during Maghrib and fajr times for the benefit of the poor. All these acts lead to friendship and promote the sense of brotherhood. Thus, enmity, hatred and the like are removed from the society. iv. Prevention of Anti-Social Evils Fasting prevents anti-social evils such as illicit sexual relations, Fasting can be regarded as a form of castration. It is well known that there is a correlation between sexual intercourse and a full stomach. It is when one is full that one will have a sexual urge. It is rare for a person who is hungry to have urge for sexual intercourse. This is why the Prophet recommended fasting for those who are unable to marry so as to curb them from fornicating. The hunger and thirst will reduce the libido, and this protects him from committing zina. 3.3 Physical and Health Benefit Health wise, the benefits derivable from fasting are many. Organs are rested; blood is purified and stomach troubles cured. An over-weight person sheds some of his weight. The health of the diabetic patients is improved as fasting reduces the level of sugar in his body. 86 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY ISL 130 MODULE 4 4.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion, the fact that certain spiritual, moral, social and health benefits are accruable to a Muslim who observes fasting in the true spirit have been established in this unit. The benefits are summarized below in the next paragraph. 5.0 SUMMARY The spiritual benefits that will accrue to a person from his fasting include: Patience in obedience to Allah, Taqwa (God - Consciousness), Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity), cultivating sense of appreciation, prestige (of entering Paradise through the gate of Rayyari). Shield against Satan and its agents, quick answer to supplications. Moral and social benefits of fasting include cultivation of good behaviors, sympathy and kindness to the poor, generation of friendship, brotherhood and sense of belonging to the global Muslim family and prevention of anti-social evils like adultery. Health benefits also derivable from fasting are many. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. List and explain the benefits of fasting in Islam. 2. Mention and discuss the moral and social gains of fasting in Islam. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS Tijani Adekilekun D.A (2001). Al-Akhdari’s Short Treatise on Islamic Jurisprudence in Question and Answer Form, Ijebu-Ode: Alamsek Press Ltd. Abdalati Hamudah (1976). Islam in Focus, Indianapolis: American Trust Publications. Bello Muhammad D (1983). El-Risala, Zaria: Northern Nigeria Publishing Co. Ltd. Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi (1972). The Four Pillars o f Islam, India: Islamic Research and Publications. Al-Hajj Maulana Fazl Kareem (1991). Imam Ghazzali’s Ihya Ulum 'd- Din, New Delhi: Yassar Publishers and Perfumers. 87 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY