Five Conditions Before You Fast Ramadan

This is what is meant by sanity. If a person is lucid enough to be able to hold such an intention, this would consider them to be sane. And the fourth criteria is that the person be a resident. A resident meaning not traveling. not in travel and the fifth that the person be healthy meaning the opposite of sick or ill. Now what is meant by illness? Illness that allows a person to break his fast in Ramadan. illness has three types that would allow a person to break his fast during Ramadan. You have an illness which is directly affected by fasting. Meaning if a person fasts, this makes the illness worse. Or if a person fasts, this prohibits a person's from healing from this illness. This delays a person person's recovery. Or number three, fasting doesn't affect their illness at all. However, it affects some kind of medication that they have to take that would normally break their fast. These are the three types of illness which are intended when discussing illness that acts as an allowance to break a person's fast during the day of Ramadan. Three, number one, the illness is increased by fasting fasting. Number two, the illness is prolonged by fasting. Number three, a person is not necessarily affected, the illness is not affected by the fasting. However, fasting impedes their impedes their therapy for the illness. they have to take for instance some kind of medication that is taken orally and this will break a person's fast. So the illness itself is not affected by fasting but it demands taking some kind of medicine or medication orally that will break a person's fast. And so this is what's intended by illness. When the scholars, the Islamic jurists, the fukah discuss illness as being a valid excuse to break a person's fast during the month of Ramadan. Traveling. What is a traveler? What is meant by traveling? Traveling is not something that can be quantified by distance. It's not something that can particularly be quantified by any particular state of being. Meaning a person is uncomfortable or a person is comfortable. This would mean that they're traveling or not. person may be a traveler and perfectly comfortable. Likewise, a person may be a resident and be very uncomfortable. Also, it's not dictated by distance. There's no particular distance that will discern the traveler from the resident, distinguish the traveler from the resident. Traveling is whatever is considered to be travel amongst any people of a place. If a person were to go to this place, everyone would naturally according to their customs view this as being traveling. A person prepares himself. He has to plan. has to plan a route. , and they have to leave the borders of their city in which they reside and people consider this to be travel. This person is considered a traveler. Now, the scholars of Islam all agree due to the verses of the Quran that travel and illness are a valid excuse for breaking a person's fast. And that every traveler and every person who is ill according to the criteria that we mention is permissible for them to break their fast. The only thing that the scholars differ on is what is better. Is it better for the person to fast if he's able even though he's traveling? Is it better for a person to fast if he's ill, if he's able to? This is what the scholars differ on, but they all agree that travel, an illness, are the chief excuses for valid excuses for a person breaking his or her fast. And in light of that, we have very common questions that are usually asked during Ramadan, during fasting, people are unclear about. And many of these will be cleared up if we mention the pillars of fasting what is fasting? When a person does this, what makes them fasting? What makes them not fasting? Well, fasting is very easy. It has two pillars. Two. If you have both of these pillars present at the same time from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Congratulations. You are fasting. This is what fasting is two pillars. Number one, an intention. And number two, refraining from anything that will otherwise break your fast intentionally. That's it. Because fasting isn't something that you do per se. It's something that you refrain from, isn't it? It's not doing that which would break your fast. That's what fasting is. That's what a psalm is. And so intention is that a person have the intention to fast before the break of dawn of the day that they have intended to fast. They have to have had that intention. Tomorrow I am going to fast and this has to have been made before the break of dawn. Does the person have to say anything? No. Intentions are in the heart. As a matter of fact, it's impossible to do something without an intention. A lot of times people worry about their intention. Is my intention correct? Is it valid? Right? I have to say my intention verbally. There's no time in which the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam or his companions ever verbalized their intentions for fasting or praying or any other act of worship. And so merely having the intent to fast the next day, you have the intention. There's nothing you have to say. And then it is refraining from that which will break a person's fast. Now question is what will break a person's fast? There are only five things that will break a person's fast. This kinds of talks are not intended to make everyone present a scholar in the affair of fasting for instance that takes years obviously and studying and so forth. This is to give a person general guidelines to go with. And then if something out of the ordinary happens to a person, what do they do? Ask. You ask. If something out of the ordinary occurs, then you ask specifically. You don't ask Google. You don't ask chat GPT. You ask the people of knowledge. You call, you go, you write a message and tie it to a pigeon's foot. whatever it is, but you go and you interact with a person of knowledge. You ask this is what happened. What do I do? Anything outside of these five will not break your fast. You ready? It's very easy. One and two. eating or drinking anything intentionally. Eating or drinking anything intentionally. Number three, making yourself vomit. Self-induced vomiting. Meaning that if you don't make yourself vomit, if it was unintentional, your fast is correct. You haven't broken your fast. It is to make yourself vomit. You ate something suspicious for and now it's crawling back up your throat. You're going to be sick. So, you make yourself vomit. This is one of the types of prophetic medicine is inducing vomiting to clear out the stomach. Number four and five are specific to females which is menration or postpartum bleeding. These two will break a person's fast. And the one that is general to men and women, the sixth point is sexual intercourse or that which brings about a similar result. This is what breaks a person's fast. Anything outside of this will not break a person's fast. Those six things, five if we count to be one, the same thing.

[Arabic recitation]

Are you running for me?

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[Arabic recitation]

Allah. Ramadan.

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You read took for.

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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the verses that he dedicated of the Quran to one of the five pillars of this religion of Islam. He tells us subhanahua about the pillar of fasting. He says that which translates to, "Oh you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed upon you all as it has upon those who have preceded you in order that you may obtain tawa. In order that you may truly become from amongst the righteous. in order that you may truly obtain safety from the torment of the hellfire. He says, "An appointed number of days, a quantified number of days. Out of all of this year in which we have to eat and drink of that which Allah has blessed us, one month is set aside for fasting." He has identified that month when he says the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed. Notice how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes the most prominent feature of Ramadan not fasting, not eating, not even salah. But the center thrust and most prominent feature of Ramadan is that it was the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guidance to all of mankind and a criterion from the revelation of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. The Quran is a criterion. Allah refers to the Quran as that the Quran is. It is a criterion. Meaning that the person who learns the Quran with a pure heart will learn the distinction between truth and falsehood. The distinction between right and wrong. The distinction between good and bad, pure and impure, good and evil, lawful and unlawful. Without this criterion, no matter how smart a person is, no matter how wellstudied or traveled, no matter a person's experience or age, no matter their level of wisdom, they will never truly obtain criterion in its fullest form without the book of Allah, the Quran. Allah says, "Hence, whoever of you witnesses the duration of that month, then he is to fast it. Yet if you are sick or traveling, then you are to make those days up from other days remaining throughout the year." He then tells us subhanahu wa'ta'ala that it is not difficulty that he desires for us rather it is ease and that we may fulfill these days these numbered days of fasting and that we may thank Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala truly and truly reveal fear Allah. Then notice something very interesting. The following verse Allah says, "And if my slaves ask you about me, then I am near. I answer and respond to the prayers of those who call out to me. So let them then respond to me and believe in me truly in order that they may obtain guidance. These are three things here. We have fasting, we have the Quran and we have dua. These three things are mentioned in that order in these verses regarding the month of Ramadan. Fasting in the day, it's something that is general, but many people are exempted from fasting. Fasting is not something that everyone is able to do. is not something that everyone is required to do. It is required upon people who meet a certain set of criteria. Those who are pregnant are breastfeeding or traveling or ill or very old to where fasting is very difficult. These individuals are exempted from fasting. But this doesn't mean that they are exempted from the fruits of Ramadan because that is not the most prominent feature of Ramadan. The most prominent feature of Ramadan is that it was the month in which the Quran was revealed. And so Allah chose of all the months for us to fast in the month in which the Quran was revealed. Why is that? If we notice that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that he has designated the months of the year as 12. Of these 12, a third, four of them are sacred. However, Ramadan is not one of these four sacred months. Ramadan is outside of this third. It is an additional month that has been made sacred by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala that prepares us for those three consecutive sacred months. And so what is the connection between fasting and damag? The connection is that it's almost as if fasting in itself is really just a preparation in the daytime for us to recite the Quran at night so that we can better understand the Quran. so that we can bring ourselves down, anchor ourselves. Fasting has a habit of really setting our priorities straight that I can leave off not just what I want or what I but I can actually refrain from the stuff of life itself. I can actually refrain from that which I need to stay alive for a certain number of hours during the day. Then I can leave off these other things. I don't really need them in order that when the nighttime comes, a person is listening or reciting the book of Allah with his priorities set straight. with a little more clarity under a different light from a different angle. And that is really the center thrust of Ramadan. That is how it is designed. The worship of Ramadan is designed around the book of Allah, the Quran. That a person will fast in day. This will help to expedate his sins, purify his heart, reset his priorities, so that at night he may better hear the words of Allah. That these words may come upon a heart that has been eagerly preparing itself throughout the day. This is the purpose of fasting in Ramadan. And for this reason, the prophet sallall.aii wasallam tells us that whoever stands in prayer each night throughout the month of Ramadan, what is passed of his sins will be forgiven with intention and hopefulness. with im and so Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has designated this month a month that we reacquaint ourselves with the Quran and I'm not just speaking about reading it as many times as we And I'm not speaking about just letting the words wash over us without an attentive heart. reading the Quran, listening to the Quran with an open heart and an attentive mind and ear as if you are hearing these verses almost for the first time. That each and every verse is meaningful. that each and every verse is understood at least in an apparent way. This is what is meant by reading the Quran. This is the purpose of the Quran. As for us, just going through the motions without our heart present or without understanding what the verses of the Quran mean. This is not something that is going to change us in any meaningful way. Yes, a person who recites a letter from the Quran for them is one and for each is 10 times. The prophet sallallah.aii wasallam he told us this.

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Many of us we we know these narrations that our prophet tells us that each letter we are rewarded for its recitation. But why? This is an incentive for us to read the Quran. Not just so that we can earn these hassat, but so that the meanings of the Quran truly connect and resonate with us. And a person who fails to reflect on the Quran, a person who fails to seek understanding of the meaning of the Quran. This person has abandoned a large portion of the Quran. He's abandoned its meanings. These meanings are what we are desperately in need of. Often times we look at the Quran and we have reduced it in our lives to a a ceremonious book. A book that is used for ceremony. We recite it in salah. We recite it during Ramadan, but that's all it is for. When it comes to questions that we have when we are seeking answers, do we seek them from the Quran? truly I know of course as a Muslim every one of us we say yes the Quran is my guide but is it really if you were to look at your actions look at your life look at your choices do they really reflect your understanding and belief of the Quran or do they reflect the understanding or other beliefs This is why the Quran was sent, why it has been preserved. So that the Quran may be a guiding light, a criterion. It's so that we can be guided by its meanings. And there are so many misconceptions with respect to the Quran. Many people are overwhelmed with feelings about the Quran and misconceptions that sometimes we don't even stop to really quantify. Many of us are under the impression that the Quran is somehow not clear or that it is incomplete without other things or that it is only to serve a very niche purpose in our lives and this couldn't be further from the truth. The Quran is clear. Allah describes the Quran as mubin. It is not only clear in itself but clarifying to others. And the Quran has to be reintroduced into our lives. It has to be that is what we are missing. We are missing the influence of the Quran in our lives truly. Not just lip service, not just I read it this many times or I've read it before or assuming we already know what it says. We are all individually and as a whole in dire need of returning and reestablishing the Quran in our lives, in our personal lives, in our private lives and in our public existence. was asked what is what was the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam's character like and she said she responded that his character was the Quran. If you want to read the most detailed description of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam's biography, of his life, of his character, of the inner workings of his mind and heart they are in the pages and in the verses of the Quran.

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[Arabic recitation]

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Stand shoulder tosh shoulder. Close all of the gaps.

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Nameus. Alhamdulillah. Foreign.

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Amen.

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All Allah.

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Allahel.

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Alhamdulillah.

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Amen. All for Allah. Allah Allahbel.

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Allahel.

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Act.

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All.

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Brothers and sisters, asalam alalaykum. I have some very important announcements to make.