The times of Suhur and Iftar (the latter corresponds to the time of Maghrib prayer) for cities in Russia and the CIS for the current year 2020 are presented in a special section of our website.
Fasting (uraza, ruza) is one of the pillars of Islam, therefore its observance is mandatory for Muslims.
Usually, by Muslim fasting, the average person understands abstaining from eating and drinking during daylight hours. In fact, this concept is much broader: it includes voluntary refusal not only from eating food, but also from committing any sins committed with the eyes, hands and tongue, as well as from certain actions. While in a state of holding a prayer, the believer must clearly realize that he is doing this for the sake of his Creator, and not have any other intentions.
In Islamic doctrine, depending on the time of observance and significance, there are two types of fasting: obligatory (fard) And desirable (sunnat).
The first is observed en masse by Muslims during the Holy month of Ramadan, which has incomparable benefits for people. In His Scripture, Allah advises us:
In the month of Ramadan, the Qur'an was revealed - true guidance for people, clear evidence of right guidance and discernment. Whoever this month finds among you must fast (2:185)
A huge reward awaits those who adhere to the prayer during the blessed month, and severe punishment will certainly follow for leaving it without a good reason. Proof of this is the following statement by the Grace of the Worlds of Muhammad (s.g.w.): “Whoever observes fasting during Ramadan with faith and hope for the reward of the Almighty will have his previous sins forgiven” (hadith cited by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
In 2020, Ramadan will last from April 24 (the first day of fasting) to May 23 (see calendar):
However, the Lord did not make observance of the prayer obligatory for all people.
Who doesn't need to post:
1. People who are not Muslims
An important condition for observing the Uraza is that a person professes Islam. For others, fasting is not required. At the same time, this does not mean that for days spent without fasting during the months of Ramadan, every person, regardless of his religion, will not have to answer to the Almighty on the Day of the Great Judgment.
2. For minors
Uraza is considered mandatory for adults. It is necessary to understand that this means coming of age from an Islamic point of view, which does not occur at the age of 18, as is customary in most countries of the world, but during puberty, which occurs differently for each person.
3. Mentally incompetent
Mental capacity is listed among the conditions for obligatory fasting. In other words, a person who is not of sound mind has the right to refrain from observing this pillar of Islam.
4. To everyone who is on the go
It is not necessary for those people who are on the road, that is, travelers, to keep their spirits up. It should be noted that, according to Sharia, travelers are considered to be people who have traveled more than 83 km from home and their journey lasts no more than 15 days.
5. Physically ill people
People who suffer from any disease that requires constant use of medications, or that threatens severe ailments and pain, even threatening their life if they follow the fast, are exempt from its necessity.
6. Pregnant
Women who are carrying a child and fear for the life of their unborn child have the right not to fast during the month of Ramadan.
7. Nursing women
Women who breastfeed their babies may also not fast.
8. Women during menstruation and bleeding caused by childbirth
During the menstrual period and during postpartum bleeding, women, according to Sharia, are in a position of ritual defilement, as a result of which non-compliance with the prayer is allowed and, moreover, necessary. If pregnant and lactating women have the right to fast, then on these days it is better for women to abstain.
9. Unconscious people
Believers who remain unconscious for a long time, for example, in a coma, are, for obvious reasons, also freed from the uraza.
In situations where a person misses one or more days of fasting for the reasons listed above, he must make up for them later, when the reason that gives the right to non-fasting is eliminated, for example, when the traveler returns home or the person comes out of a coma. Believers who are unable to keep up the prayers throughout the year, for example due to illness, must feed one needy person for each missed day. If this is also difficult for a person in material terms, because he himself is one of those in need, then he is completely freed from this obligation.
Recommended post- this is one whose observance is desirable, but is not obligatory for Muslims. For observing such a fast, the believer is entitled to a reward, but for abandoning it there is no sin.
Days when it is advisable to keep your spirits up:
- Day of Arafah- for fasting on this day, the Lord can forgive a person for the sins he has committed over 2 years. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) explained: “Fasting on the Day of Arafah serves as atonement for sins committed over the past and future years” (hadith from Ibn Majah and Nasai).
- Day of Ashura- those who fast on the tenth day of the month of Muharram erase all sins for the previous 12 months. The Messenger of Allah (s.w.) admonished his ummah: “Fasting serves as atonement for the sins of the past year” (hadith cited by Muslim). However, Shiite theologians assure that it is undesirable to hold fast on this day, since on this date the grandson of the Final Prophet (s.g.w.), Imam Hussein, who is especially revered by Shiite Muslims, was martyred.
- The first 9 days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah- this can be found mentioned in the hadith: “Fasting in the first days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah is equivalent to one year of fasting” (Ibn Majah).
- Month of Muharram- Eid during this forbidden month is considered Sunnat. After all, the Prophet Muhammad himself once said: “After Ramadan, the best month for fasting is the month of Allah - Muharram” (hadith cited by Muslim).
- Month of Sha'ban- one more month during which it is advisable to fast. In the lunar calendar, it comes before Ramadan. In the hadiths from Bukhari there is a mention that the Final Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.v.) was zealous in observing the fast in the month of Sha'ban, except for some days.
- 6 days of the month of Shawwal- also desirable for fasting. Shawwal follows the Holy month of Ramadan. “If someone completes the fast of Ramadan and adds six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, he will receive the same reward as if he had fasted the whole year” (hadith from Muslim).
- Cheers every other day, or the fast of the Prophet Dawood (a.s.), who kept the fast every other day and which, as the Mercy of the Worlds Muhammad (s.g.w.) said, “is the most beloved fast for Allah” (in accordance with the hadith from Muslim).
- 3 days in the middle of each month- The Prophet (s.g.w.) instructed: “If you want to fast in the middle of the month, then fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th days” (at-Tirmidhi).
- Every Monday and Thursday- it was on these days that the Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.v.) regularly observed the fast. “The affairs of people are presented to Allah on Monday and Thursday,” he said. “And I want my affairs to be presented while I am fasting” (hadith reported by at-Tirmidhi).
Times of fasting in Islam
It is known that in Islam fasting is observed during daylight hours. The countdown starts from dawn. In the Holy Book of Muslims you can find the following verse:
Eat and drink until you can distinguish a white thread at dawn from a black one, then fast until nightfall (2:187)
The fasting person should stop eating in the morning () before the time comes (usually 30 minutes).
One day, one of the ascetics asked the Prophet Muhammad (s.g.w.) about what time period should be between suhoor and azan for morning prayer, to which he replied: “As much as is necessary to read fifty verses” (hadith from Bukhari and Muslim).
The end of the fasting time () comes at sunset and coincides with the time of onset. In this case, after fasting, the believer should first break his fast and then begin prayer.
At the end of Suhoor the following dua is read (niyat):
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصُومَ صَوْمَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ إِلَى الْمَغْرِبِ خَالِصًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى
Transcription:“Nauaitu an-assumma sauma shahri of Ramadan min al-fajri il al-Maghribi khaalisan lilLyahi tya’aala”
Translation:“I intend to fast the month of Ramadan from dawn to dusk sincerely for the sake of Allah.”
Immediately after breaking the fast - at iftar - they say dua:
اللَهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَ بِكَ آمَنْتُ وَ عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَلْت وَ عَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ فَاغْفِرْلِى يَا غَفَّارُ مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَ مَأ اَخَّرْتُ
Transcription:“Allahumma lakya sumtu wa bikya amantu wa alaikya tawakkyaltu wa ‘ala rizkykya aftartu fagfirli ya gaffaru ma kaddyamtu wa ma akhhartu”
Translation:“O Allah! For Your sake I kept the fast, I believed in You and I only trust in You, I break my fast with what You sent me. Forgive me, O Forgiver of my sins, past and future!”
Actions that disrupt the mood
1. Intentional receptionm of food and smoking
If a fasting person consciously ate or drank something, or lit a cigarette, then his prayer on that day will not be accepted. But if he ate something not intentionally, for example, out of forgetfulness, then in this case the person should stop eating or drinking as soon as he remembered his fast, and he can continue to keep the fast - such a fast will be considered valid.
2. Intimacy
After sexual intercourse, the fast is broken. Similar consequences apply to kissing lips on lips, as well as ejaculation due to conscious stimulation (masturbation).
3. Instillation of medicine into the nose and ears
Uraza becomes invalid as soon as a person uses special medications used for instillation into the nose and ear canal if they get into the larynx. At the same time, injections made into a vein or muscle, as well as eye drops, do not break the fast.
4. Swallowing liquid while gargling
When fasting, you must be careful when gargling for medicinal purposes or just to moisten it - getting water inside will invalidate your fast. Swimming in a pond and taking a bath in a state of excitement is permissible, but you should be careful about the penetration of liquid through the sinuses, throat and ears.
5. Use of medical inhalers
During fasting, the use of inhalers should be avoided if possible.
6. Intentionally inducing vomiting
If the person holding the fast deliberately caused vomiting, then his fast is considered broken. If the vomiting did not occur by the will of the person, then the fast remains valid.
7. Menstruation
In a situation where a woman experiences pain during daylight hours, she should stop fasting. She will need to make up this day after her period ends.
Benefits of fasting
This pillar of Islam carries many advantages for believers who observe it.
Firstly, the eid is capable of leading a person into the Gardens of Eden, which can be confirmed in the biography of the Prophet (s.g.w.): “Truly, in Paradise there is a gate called “Ar-Rayyan”, through which people will enter on the Day of Judgment fasting people And no one will enter through this gate except them” (hadith from Bukhari and Muslim).
Secondly, fasting will serve as an intercessor for the Muslim on the Day of Judgment: “Fasting and the Quran on the Day of Judgment will intercede for the servant of Allah” (hadith from Ahmad).
Thirdly, uraza entails, as mentioned earlier.
In addition, all requests of a believer who observes fasting will be accepted by the Almighty. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: “A person who fasts never rejects his dua while breaking his fast” (Ibn Majah).
During the holy month of Ramadan, your diet should not differ much from usual and should be as simple as possible.
The Holy Qur'an says: "...Eat and drink until you can distinguish a white thread from a black thread [until the dividing line between the coming day and the departing night appears on the horizon] at dawn. And then fast until night [until sunset, abstaining from eating, drinking and intimate relationships with your spouse]..." (Holy Quran, 2:187).
Eating during Suhoor
The morning meal (suhoor) is done by the fasting person before adhan. Suhur is, of course, very important for the fasting person and is an important injunction and mercy of the Almighty for Muslims.
Suhur allows the body to get the necessary energy to work effectively during the first half of the day. This leads to the fact that in the second half of the day the energy needed by the body is extracted due to the breakdown of carbohydrates and some fats, but does not affect protein metabolism, so metabolic processes in the body are not affected at all.
Doctors recommend eating complex carbohydrates during Suhoor - bread made from whole sprouted grains or wholemeal flour, cereal dishes, fresh vegetable salad and dried fruits. Complex carbohydrates take a long time to digest in the body and therefore provide the body with energy for at least 8-12 hours. You can add some protein to them in the form of meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Proteins also take a long time to digest (about 8 hours) and are important especially during high physical activity, but a large amount of them can overload the liver, which already works hard during fasting. Dates are an excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium; almonds are a source of protein and fiber with low fat content; Bananas are a source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. However, you should avoid overeating and drinking too much during suhoor (because of this, mineral salts necessary for maintaining tone throughout the day are removed from the body).
During Suhoor, it is better to give up coffee completely (or consume it in minimal quantities). The most beneficial will be drinks made from fermented milk products with added herbs, a small amount of salt and herbs. After consuming them, thirst arises later and is not so acute.
Time to break the fast - iftar
Iftar begins immediately after sunset and before evening prayers. In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “When one of you breaks his fast, let him break his fast with dates, and if he does not find dates, let him break his fast with water, for truly it purifies.”
Theologians advise taking a very small amount of food before performing the evening prayer and only after performing the prayer to sit at a set table. According to doctors, dates eaten after adhan instantly saturate the blood with glucose. When drinking water, everything is even simpler - the brain reacts to the heaviness in the stomach and also “slows down” the appetite.
Every evening of the month of Ramadan is a real holiday. To break the fast, you can also put fruits, pastries, dried fruits, etc. on the table. The main thing is not to overdo it. There should not be a lot of food - you need to limit fried and floury foods.
Do not use:
Fatty and fried foods;
Products with excess sugar content.
Fried food is harmful to health and its consumption should be limited. Such food causes indigestion, heartburn, and affects weight.
A vegetable and meat-vegetable dish would be optimal. Salads made from fresh vegetables and cereal dishes are healthy. Sweets are possible, but in small quantities. There are many options, and everyone certainly likes something different. Meals should be well-balanced and include foods from each food group, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, bread, grains and dairy products.
Drink as much water and juices as possible between iftar and bedtime to maintain normal fluid levels in your body. Suitable drinks include fresh juices, fruit drinks, compotes, jelly, and tea. Plain plain water is also great.
It is better to exclude so-called “instant foods” from your diet during fasting. These include various types of noodles (with food additives), porridges and soups in bags, sausage... The fact is that this category of products contains inferior carbohydrates and proteins, which are very quickly absorbed by the body.. The feeling of hunger will come in literally 1 -2 hours and will be much stronger than before using this product. In addition, they all contain a large amount of salt, seasonings and substances that help whet the appetite after a short time and develop thirst.
Fasting is abstinence from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan, obligatory for every adult and reasonable person among the believers.
Fasting has 3 obligatory (fard) actions:
1. Intention.
2. Abstinence from food and drink.
3. Abstinence from sexual intercourse.
After eating before dawn, it is advisable (mustahab) to reaffirm the intention to fast in your heart. It is important that the intention is affirmed at least an hour before the time of midday prayer. Affirming the intention of fasting in the heart is enough. If a fasting person, without uttering the appropriate words, intends in his heart to fast the next day, his fast will be correct. You are encouraged to express your intention by saying the following words:
Nawaitu 'an 'asuma sawma shahri Ramadani mina-l-faqri 'ila-l-magribi khalisan li-llahi ta'ala.
For the sake of Allah Almighty, I sincerely intend to fast for the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset.
Breaking the fast (iftar) after sunset with salt, a piece of food or water is sunnah. Breaking the fast with dates is also encouraged.
After iftar the following du'a is recited:
Allahumma laka sumtu wa-bika 'amantu wa-'alaika tawakkaltu wa-'ala rizkika 'aftartu fa-gfir li ya gaffar ma kaddamtu wa ma 'akhhartu.
O Allah, it was only for You that I fasted, believed in You, relied on You, and broke my fast with Your food. O Forgiver, forgive my past and future sins.
The following is Sunnah for a fasting Muslim:
1. Eating before dawn (suhoor).
2. The intention to abstain from sins during fasting.
3. Reading religious books in your free time.
4. Immediately after sunset, after performing the evening prayer, begin breaking the fast (iftar).
During the day, during fasting, the following actions are condemned (makruh):
1. Talk idle talk.
2. Use foul language.
3. Argue with someone.
4. Stay in the bathhouse for a long time.
5. Dive and swim in the water.
6. Chew food or gum.
7. Try something with your tongue.
8. Kissing your wife.
9. Keep the fast without breaking the fast for 2 days in a row.
10. Commit any sin.
During fasting you can do the following 10 actions:
1. Taste the purchased product.
2. Chew baby's food.
3. Apply antimony to the eyes.
4. Oil your mustache or beard.
5. Brush your teeth with a siwak.
6. Do bloodletting.
7. Treat with leeches.
8. Perform complete ablution with a jug.
9. Sweat while in the bathhouse.
10. Wash with soap.
The following 3 actions break the fast:
1. Swallowing food or medicine the size of a pea.
2. Swallowing one drop of water or medicine.
3. Sexual intimacy.
A person who breaks the Ramadan fast of his own free will is obliged to make up for all missed days of fasting and perform atonement actions (kaffarat) for its violation.
As a kaffarat of fasting, he must free one slave. If it is impossible to find a slave or funds do not allow you to buy one, then you should fast for 60 days in a row. If, due to weakness, a believer does not have the strength to fast for 60 days, then he must feed 60 poor people to the full.
The fast of a believer is broken in cases where:
1. He will voluntarily cause himself to vomit in an amount that fills his mouth.
2. He will have a pre-dawn meal (suhur), thinking that dawn has not yet come, while it has already dawned.
3. He will begin to break his fast (iftar), thinking that the sun has set, while it has not yet disappeared beyond the horizon.
4. He will ejaculate due to hugging his wife (without sexual intercourse).
In such cases, the fasting person must make up for the broken days of fasting after Ramadan without committing kaffarat.
If a person’s fast is broken during the day, then he should not eat or drink, like a fasting person, until sunset.
A believer's fast is not broken in the following cases: if dust, earth, wool or smoke gets into his throat; if he swallows his saliva or leftover food stuck between his teeth; if he, forgetting about fasting, eats, drinks or has sexual intercourse; if he ejaculates without sexual intercourse.
Women do not need to fast during menstruation or postpartum bleeding. Days of fasting missed in Ramadan must be made up after it.
A weak elderly person who is not able to fast, instead of each day of fasting, should feed a poor person or give him enough money so that he can eat his fill.
If pregnant and breastfeeding women are afraid of harming their health or the health of their child, and also if patients are afraid of health complications due to fasting, then it would be right for them not to fast. All of them must make up for the missed days of fasting after Ramadan.
It is preferable for traveling people not to fast. After returning from the trip, they will need to make up for the missed days of fasting. It is wrong to break the fast for a person who sets out on a journey after dawn. If he breaks it, he will have to make up the fast.
For a non-fasting traveler arriving home from a trip during the day, abstaining from food and nutrition until sunset is encouraged, as if he were fasting.
A person who has not made up for the missed days of fasting due to illness must leave a will to his heirs so that they distribute fidyah alms for the days remaining behind him. If the person who left such a will dies, then his heirs will have to give alms to fidya in the amount of 1/3 of his property.
Fast on Monday, Thursday, the days of 'Ashura (10th of the month of Muharram), Bara'at (15th of the month of Sha'ban), 'Arafa (9th of Zu-l-hiҗҗha), in the first week the months of Dhu-l-hikha and Muharram and on the 3rd day of the full moon of each lunar month is a desirable (mustahab) action, for which the fasting person receives a large reward.
It is wrong to break an additional fast; it is necessary (vazhib) to make up for it afterwards. It is possible to break an additional fast due to the arrival of guests or an invitation to visit before the time of midday prayer, but it is wrong to break it after this time.
Fasting on the days of breaking the fast (Uraza Bayram, 'Eid al-Fitr) and sacrifice (Kurban, 'Eid al-Adha), on 3 days of Tashriq (11th, 12th and 13th of the month) is condemned (makruh). Zu-l-hiҗҗа) or only on Fridays and Saturdays.
If the month does not appear on the 30th day of Sha'ban after sunset, then fasting on the 30th day until lunch time, awaiting news of the appearance of the month, is an encouragement (mustahab). With the news of the appearance of the month, fasting begins. If the news of the appearance of the month does not come, then the fast should be broken.
If the month does not appear on the 29th of Sha'ban, then fasting on the 30th of Sha'ban, considering it to be the beginning of Ramadan, is reprehensible. It is correct to fast on this day with the intention of performing an additional fast.
If at sunset there are no clouds or dust at the place where the month rises, then to determine the beginning of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal it is necessary that the month be seen by as many people as possible. The testimony of two or three people in this case is not reliable.
If the place where the month rises is obscured by clouds, steam or dust, then the testimony of one trustworthy person - be it a man or a woman - about the appearance of the month is sufficient to determine the beginning of Ramaanna. The Ramaan fast should begin the next day.
To determine the beginning of the month of Shawwal, the evidence of the appearance of the new month by two trustworthy men or one trustworthy man and two trustworthy women is accepted. The next morning, the festive prayer of fitr should be performed.
An adult and intelligent Muslim who avoids committing major sins is considered a trustworthy person.
The holy month of Ramadan in 2017 (1438 Hijri) begins on May 26 at sunset. Thus, the first day of fasting is May 27, 2017. The month of Ramadan will last 29 days. On June 24, at sunset, the month of Shawwal will begin, and on June 25, Muslims around the world will celebrate one of the two greatest Muslim holidays - Eid al-Fitr (Uraza Bayram, Eid al-Fitr). Excerpts from the fatwa of the Council of Ulema of the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Russian Federation in connection with fasting in the month of Ramadan in 2016:
SUHUR AND IFTAR (MORNING AND EVENING MEALS)
Eating must be stopped before it begins to get light, before the first signs of the approaching dawn: “...Eat, drink until you begin to distinguish a white thread from a black one [until the dividing line between the coming day and the departing night appears on the horizon] at dawn . And then fast until night [before sunset, abstaining from eating, drinking and intimate relations with your spouse]..." (Holy Quran, 2:187). With the beginning of the morning prayer-namaz, food intake (suhur) ends.
The importance of the morning meal is evidenced by the following words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Eat food before dawn [on fasting days]! Truly, in suhoor is God’s grace (barakat)!” Also, an authentic hadith says: “There are three practices, the use of which will give a person the strength to fast (he will eventually have enough strength and energy to keep the fast): (1) eat, and then drink [that is, do not drink much while eating, do not dilute the gastric juice, but drink after the feeling of thirst appears, 40–60 minutes after eating], (2) eat [not only in the evening, breaking the fast, but also] early in the morning [before the azan for morning prayer], (3) take an afternoon nap [approximately 20–40 minutes or more between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.].”
If a person who intended to fast did not eat before dawn, then this does not in any way affect the validity of his fast, but he will lose some part of the sawab (reward), because he does not perform one of the actions included in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.
It is advisable to start iftar (evening meal) immediately after sunset. It is not advisable to postpone it until a later time.
It is advisable to start breaking the fast with water and an odd amount of fresh or dried dates. If you don’t have dates, you can start iftar with something sweet or drink water.
CRITERIA FOR EXEMPTION FROM FASTING
It is important to remember that human life and health are paramount: “Do not throw yourself with your own hands (of your own free will) into danger (to death)!” (see Holy Quran, 2:195).
The Almighty has not done anything for us in religion that would burden or complicate life. The Koran says: “He [the Lord of the worlds] did not make difficulties (straightness, did not create a critical situation) for you in religion” (see Holy Koran, 22:78).
1) Travelers
If a person leaves home for another settlement or locality, the distance to which is more than 90 km (approximately), then he is considered a “traveler” (musafir) and has the right to: reduce four-rakyaat prayers-namaz to two rakiat; not observing the obligatory fast (uraza) with the subsequent obligatory replenishment of missed days; not attending the Friday sermon; not perform Friday prayer, etc.
2) Women in the postpartum period and during regulation
Women do not fast during these periods, for which there are direct arguments in the reliable Sunnah. Subsequently, it remains necessary to make up the corresponding number of missed days one to one.
3) Pregnant and nursing mothers
Regarding the exemption from fasting for pregnant and lactating women, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said: “Truly, the Lord freed the traveler from fasting and from performing half of the [obligatory] prayer [that is, four-rak prayers are reduced to two]. He exempted pregnant women and nursing mothers [only] from fasting.”
4) Physically sick
“The days that are counted are the days of fasting. Which one of you will is ill or he finds himself on the road, he [let him] transfer the fast to other days. Those who cannot replenish it on other days [due to old age or incurable illness] must feed the poor. Whoever does more [than feeds the poor], it is better for himself. But if you fast [for example, a traveler who will not be bothered by fasting on the way], this is the best for you, if only you knew!” (Holy Quran, 2:184).
In this matter, everything depends on what a qualified doctor says. The patient's personal experience is, of course, also taken into account and taken into account. If it is truly contraindicated for a person to fast, for example due to the high probability of deterioration in physical condition or health, then he does not fast. After recovery, he will make up the missed days of fasting one to one.
In the case when the disease has become chronic and it is unlikely that a person will be able to make up for the missed fast, he pays “fidya-sadaqa”: for each missed day it is necessary to feed one disadvantaged person so that approximately the same amount of money is spent on him as is spent on average on lunch himself person (or better yet, average daily food costs).
5) Mentally ill
People with mental illness are completely exempt from religious practice.
6) Elderly and infirm
7) Children
For minor children (up to about 15 years old), according to the canons of Islam, fasting during the month of Ramadan is not obligatory.
However, if parents believe that from an educational point of view, joining this tradition will be useful, then this is possible. A child can fast for one day, several days, or in some lighter form, that is, at the discretion of the parents.
PRAYER “TARAVIH”
This prayer is an obligatory sunnah (sunnah muakkyada) for both men and women. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever stands up for prayer in the month of Ramadan with faith [in its significance] and expectation of reward [for it only from the Lord], his previous sins will be forgiven.”
The time for performing the Tarawih prayer begins after the night prayer (‘Isha’) and lasts until dawn. This prayer is performed every day throughout the month of Ramadan (the month of obligatory fasting). The Witr prayer is performed these days after the Tarawih prayer.
It is best to perform this prayer together with other believers (jama'at) in the mosque, although it is permissible to perform it individually. Today, in conditions of a certain prostration, spiritual emptiness and lack of positive communication, attending collective prayers, and especially such as “Tarawih”, contributes to the emergence in a person of a sense of community and unity. A mosque is a place where people communicate indirectly, praying together, praising the Almighty, reading the Koran, regardless of social, intellectual or national differences.
ZAKYATUL-FITR AND SADAKATUL-FITR
The phrases “Zakatul-Fitr” and “Sadaqatul-Fitr” are different names for one obligatory type of Zakat, which is paid in the month of Ramadan immediately after its end.
“Zakatul-fitr” is a tax for breaking the fast, paid by each family member before the start of the holiday of breaking the fast (‘Idul-fitr, Eid al-Adha), or more precisely, before the holiday prayer. It is the final condition for the Creator to accept the observed fast. It is paid primarily in favor of poor and disadvantaged Muslims, and is also used in other charitable activities.
Who pays and who receives
Who pays. Due to the lack of a clear narrative about this in the hadith texts, Islamic theologians have expressed two opinions.
First. Anyone who has food and everything vitally necessary for himself and his family on the holiday, and at the same time he still has the opportunity to pay (or transfer food) “zakatul-fitr”, then he is obliged to do this. This is what most scientists thought.
Second. The person must be one of those who pay the annual obligatory zakat, which represents one of the five pillars of religious practice. If a believer is such, then he pays this alms from himself and everyone who is under his financial support. This is what Hanafi theologians thought, drawing an analogy between “Zakatul-Fitr” and the annual obligatory Zakat.
Who gets it? Islamic scholars are unanimous that zakatul fitr is paid in the same eight areas in which the annual zakat is paid. Typically, believers donate their zakatul fitr to local mosques, which subsequently distribute it in accordance with the requirements of the religion. It is important to note that this form of alms cannot be given to people who are far from the concepts of faith.
Payment terms
The time for possible payment of zakatul-fitr begins with the beginning of the month of Ramadan. This was the opinion of a significant part of Islamic theologians, including scholars of the Shafi'i and Hanafi madhhabs.
It would be more appropriate to pay (or transfer food) a day or two before the holiday of ending the fast (‘Idul-Fitr).
The most correct thing would be to pay zakatul-fitr between sunset on the last day of fasting and until the morning, before the start of the holiday prayer.
If the believer did not have time to do this before the holiday prayer, then the obligation still remains. It is highly desirable that this obligation be fulfilled on the first holiday. According to all scientists, leaving this until a later time is sinful.
Cash equivalent of “Zakatul-Fitr”
The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation has established the size of the “fitr-sadak”:
150 rub. for the poor;
300 rub. for people with average income;
from 500 rub. for the wealthy.
TIMELY COMPLETION OF UNFOLLOWED FASTS. FIDYA-SADAKA
If a person is able to fast, then he needs to make up for the fast that was imperfect for one reason or another only by fasting. It is more convenient to fast in winter, when the days are shortest. There is no obligation to make up for missed days of fasting in a row; it is quite acceptable to restore them based on opportunities, rhythm of life, work week schedule, etc.
But the payment of “fidya-sadaqa” is relevant for those who, in the greatest likelihood, will no longer have the physical ability to observe fasting. “Fidya-sadaka” is alms-atonement, consisting in the fact that for each missed day of obligatory fasting, one must feed one beggar so that approximately the same amount of money is spent on him as the average lunch costs (or better yet, the average daily cost of food ). The minimum size of fidya sadak for 2016 is 250 rubles.
For a dying person, it is advisable to take into account the days of fasting he missed and make a will to the heirs to pay “fidya” for these days from his property. The children of the deceased can also pay fidya from their personal savings on his behalf.
The month of Ramadan is the most honorable and important of the 12 months of the lunar calendar, according to which Muslims around the world live.
When does fasting begin and how long does it last?
Ramadan (another name is Ramadan) is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, which is 10 or 11 days less than the solar year. For this reason, the days of Muslim religious holidays shift relative to the Gregorian calendar every year.
Accordingly, Ramadan, which lasts from 29 to 30 days, depending on the lunar calendar, falls on different dates every year. In 2018, Ramadan lasts 30 days.
© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Polyakov
The day, according to the Muslim calendar, begins at sunset, and not at midnight, as in the Gregorian calendar.
Ramadan in 2018 begins on the evening of May 17 at sunset and ends on the evening of June 16, 2018, after which the holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Turkic name “Eid al-Adha”) will begin.
Moreover, in different Muslim countries, Ramadan can begin at different times, and this depends on the method of astronomical calculation or direct observation of the phases of the Moon.
Ramadan is translated from Arabic as “hot”, “scorching heat”. Every devout Muslim this month proves the strength of his faith, thanks to the complete renunciation of the simplest human needs during hot days. During this period, the believer must free himself from various thoughts that can defile a person.
© photo: Sputnik / Nataliya Seliverstova
Muslims believe that the spiritual and physical fasting of Ramadan can significantly improve a person’s state of mind. In Turkic languages, this fast is called uraza.
Fasting in Ramadan
During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to observe a number of strict rules, one of which is fasting, the purpose of which is to rethink life and cleanse the soul and body.
During fasting, you should pray a lot and daily confirm your intention (niyat) to participate in this holiday in the name of Allah. You should also refrain from evil thoughts and intentions, and beware of evil deeds and ungodly people.
Fasting begins at dawn and ends after sunset.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, smoking, including hookah or other mixtures, and intimacy.
© photo: Sputnik / Maksim Bogodvid
Swallowing any liquid, including water while bathing, as well as skipping niyat is considered a violation of fasting. At the same time, donating blood, bathing, kissing, and administering medications through injections are allowed.
The main meaning of such fasting is to strengthen the faith of every Muslim believer, as well as to determine life values and, of course, to become spiritually enriched through daily prayer, as well as by abstaining from temptations. Practice shows that fasting has a healing effect on the body.
Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. Every adult Muslim is required to observe it. The exceptions are children, sick people, pregnant and lactating women, travelers, warriors and the elderly who are physically unable to fast. But it is obligatory to replace the fast in another, more favorable period.
If a Muslim breaks his fast, he must pay the needy a certain amount in money or food, thus making up for the fast.
With the onset of Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims to congratulate each other in words or in the form of postcards, because it was this holiday that marked the beginning of the birth of the holy book the Koran, which plays a special role in the life of every believer.
© photo: Sputnik / Michael Voskresenskiy
Ramadan is the time to earn eternal Paradise, when many deeds can earn great rewards. These include fasting, five daily prayers, the Tarawih prayer, sincere supplication, iftar (breaking the fast), pre-dawn meal (sahur), donations and many other good deeds and deeds.
When was the Quran revealed?
The first revelation of the Quran was revealed on the night of Laylat al-Qadr or the Night of Power and Predestination. This is the most important night of the year for every Muslim.
Muhammad was 40 years old when his prophetic mission began.
Before the revelation of the Koran, the Prophet Muhammad often retired and indulged in prayer in the cave of Hira near Mecca, where the first sura of the Koran was revealed to him in 610.
By order of Allah, one of the angels, Jebrail, came to the Prophet Muhammad and said to Him: “Read.” The word "read" means "Koran". With these words, the revelation of the Koran began - that night the angel Jebrail conveyed the first five verses from Surah Clot.
© Fotolia / Meen_na
Revealed Quran
The mission lasted until the death of Muhammad - the Great Koran was sent down to the prophet for 23 years.
According to sources, Laylat al-Qadr is the night when angels descend to earth and the prayer said on this night has much greater power than all the prayers of the year.
In the Koran, an entire sura “Inna anzalnagu” is dedicated to this Night, which says that the Night of Power is better than a thousand months in which it is not present. This is the night when the fate of every person is predetermined in heaven, his life path, the difficulties and trials that must be passed, and if you spend this night in prayer, in understanding your actions and possible mistakes, then Allah will forgive your sins and be merciful.
Regarding the date of the Night of Destiny, the Koran says that it falls on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan. Therefore, it is considered most correct to devote all the last 10 nights of Ramadan to prayers. Some sources indicate that Laylat al-Qadr falls on the 27th of Ramadan.
© photo: Sputnik / Denis Aslanov
Respect for the ninth month of the lunar calendar is repeatedly mentioned in the Koran. Muslims call the fast "mubarak", that is, blessed. It is believed that the value of a good deed performed at this time increases several hundred times.
For example, a minor pilgrimage (umrah) is equal in importance to the hajj (visit to Mecca), and voluntary prayer is rewarded in the same way as obligatory prayer. Ramadan received special status in 622.
What is celebrated after Ramadan fasting?
Ramadan ends with the second most important holiday - Eid al-Fitr or the so-called Feast of Breaking the Fast. The holiday begins after sunset on the last day of Ramadan and lasts three days.
The Feast of Breaking the Fast occurs on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which comes at the end of the holy Ramadan. In 2018, Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated from May 17 to 19.
The holiday begins with the onset of evening prayer - from this time on, it is advisable for all Muslims to read takbir (formula for the exaltation of Allah). Takbir is read before performing the festive prayer on the day of the holiday.
© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili
At this time, Muslims should indulge in reflection on spiritual values and rethinking life during the period of fasting. This day is considered a holiday of salvation from hell, as well as a day of reconciliation, love and friendly handshakes. On this day, it is customary to visit the disadvantaged and care for the elderly.
It is advisable to spend the night of the holiday in vigil, in all-night service to Allah. On the day of the holiday, it is advisable to wear clean clothes, put a silver ring on your finger, perfume yourself with incense and, after eating a little, go to the mosque early to perform the holiday prayer.
On this day, Muslims distribute alms to the needy, congratulate each other and wish the Almighty to accept fasting, visit relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, friends, and receive guests.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.