Three Stages: How Fasting Became Obligatory

Often and the reason why I mention it so often is because I want these names to ingrain themselves into people's minds. The names of our scholars, the names of the companions, the names of the various authors, the names of the different scholars and their specialties. am constantly repeating these names in hopes that these names would become commonplace to the listener. Just as unfortunately, we have been bombarded by popular society with the various names of celebrities and non-mentionables. it it is important that we strive and go out of our way actually to learn who our forefathers are because a person who has no history has no identity. and so this book, again, I reiterate, is authored by an imam. , the great Mufaser, the great Faki, of Islam. , Shem Suddin, Ibn Kaim, Al Jozia, Rahim Ahu Ta'ala. And Ibn ul Kaim wrote this book Zad al Mahad and it is one of the most groundbreaking and influential books in this particular genre or in this particular vein of subject. Now, when I say subject, you know, Zad Al Maad kind of broke the mold. It's not a book that has a particular subject per se. It's a book it is it has many many subjects but all of these subjects revolve around a revolve around a common a common point and that is the prophet Muhammad so it is a book of it's a book of explaining the of the prophet it's a book of hadith it's a book of medicine he has an entire volume which is the medicine of the prophet and he alphabetized that that volume so any illness or any issue you look under the letter regarding that particular just a dictionary and you find Ibn mentions whatever was narrated from the prophet with regards to that particular issue. Likewise, it's a book of the biography of the prophet It's a book of history. The history of the prophet and his companions. It's a book thee the things that are particular to him. That really get us to know who he was and give us details about his his his actual physical attributes and so forth. These are called things that he would do, things that he would constantly do things that are particular to him, the names of his wives, the names, the names of his and the names of his guards, the names of his ambassadors, the names of his disciples and and memorizing and reciting and and transmitting the Quran etcetera. So it's a very very broad book. It's a very book but since it's writing this book has been a reference for everyone who writes in this topic and on this subject after Ibn Rahim. Even Ibn Hajr Rahima Allah in his astounding work Bukhari. this he mentions a lot and he references this book a lot because his book is an explanation of Sahih Al Bukhari and it's almost you can't do that without Ibn ul Kaim and his book Zad Al Maad coming into play at some point there. We had stopped or we had taken our break at the point where we reached the chapter in the book of fasting. How the prophet would fast and so on and so forth. We will get into those details and we will discuss inshallah tonight. We will begin with the with virtue of fasting and second of all, we will get into the history of fasting and then after that, we will get into the rulings fasting. What is fasting? And it's pillars along with that which invalidates a person's fast or which nullifies a person's fast. Which you may be surprised is actually very simple. A lot more simpler than you may have previously thought. The prophet commanded fasting and he encouraged fasting at any time. a person can fast anytime of the month, anytime of the week, anytime of the year but there are certain times when a person should fast along with another day, meaning that you should not specifically choose this particular day to fast only in. And what we're speaking about is fasting Friday alone. or Saturday alone Now, if a person has an obligatory fast or if they fast the fasting of Dawud Alaihi Salam, which the prophet allowed and encouraged. He was asked about the best of fasting, he said, Dawood, Alaihi Salam, that Dawud Alihi Salam, the best of fasting is the fasting of Dawud, the prophet Dawud Alaihi Salam. He would fast one day and he would break his fast the next. So, every other day, he would fast. Now, if a person fast in this way, One week, their fast is going to land on a Friday alone, right? And the next week, it's going to land on a Saturday alone. That's how it's going to work. if a person is fasting in this way, that's fine. Or if a person has some day that, let's say you're working all week and you have one day off, let's say it's a Saturday or a Friday and you have some fast that you need to do and you fast that day in order to because it's your day off and it's easier for you to fast or what have you and it's fine to fast. on that day alone. However, it is not permissible to choose Friday to fast or to choose Saturday to fast out of reverence for these days specifically, right? So, Friday is a revered day with the Muslims but we do not choose it to fast alone on that day. So, the prophet specifically said, in a narration, narration these narrations on the authority of and and others in a Sunan that Not fast Friday alone, without fasting a day before it, or a day after it. Likewise, fasting Saturday, do not fast Saturday alone without fasting a day before, to a day after it. And that is to to separate ourselves from other religions that you know, other religions that you know, honor these particular days of the week with fasting. out otherwise a person is encouraged to fast anytime of the week or the month and there is a time when fasting is obligatory obviously with conditions and that is the month of Ramadan. Month of Ramadan is the ninth month. In the Islamic lunar calendar. It is either 29 or thirty days. And it is a time when a person is to fast based on the actions of the general mass of their community. Which is another topic that we will touch on that is very important inshallah. With regards to fasting. fasting the month of Ramadan that is. But before we get into that we'll speak about fasting in general. Fasting in general is not only it has many virtues. very good book to read on this would be the book of the virtues of fasting from the book of fasting in Bukhari, book of fasting in Sahih Muslim. These are very prominent books, very good books to read with regards to the virtues of fasting. But one of the most important things that fasting does for the person is that it aids a person in controlling his or her sexual drive. This is very important because the prophet was asked as is in a about the thing that lands most people in the hell fire and he said he said, the mouth and thee and the private parts. These these two organs and what a person does with them, they are the tongue and the private parts, they are the two things that mostly people into the hell fire. So, one of the things that fasting does is it helps you to control your sexual desire. There is a narration in Muslim in which the prophet said wedge. He said, whoever of you has the ability to marry, then he should do so And if you are unable, especially he said from the youth, Yashaba Al Muslim Ian, he directed this to the youth, but it's to anybody, but especially those who are young have a much stronger sexual drive obviously than those who are older. , for the most part, again, society and the environment will play a huge part in that. What do I mean by that? Well, if we live in a hyper sexualized society we do now and it's not just here in America. So, it's all over the world because of the internet and because of the exportation of ideas and godlessness we see that we live in a very hyper sexualized time. Everywhere you look, everything. The way people dress, the way people speak, their jokes, the videos, innocent things, even things children's TV shows, even cartoon characters are drawn in a way that articulate articulate sexuality and this is something that's extremely dangerous and deadly in our time and it's one of the greatest greatest traps of a Shaitan. Because a Shaitan uses two main things to envelop society in to destroy religion in society. Two main things. He uses oppression from tyrants and those in the those in charge of people. And he uses as well. people's desires chiefly, sexual drive because it drives to the heart of human nature This these two things are the ways two of the chief ways that a Shaitan destroys societies with oppression and desire. And so, If a person lives in such a society or such a time, you may find a person who's fifty, 60, 70, 80 years old and they are they are sexually deviant, right? Sexually deviant with sexual orientations that are outrageous, not just heterosexual tendencies. And why is that? It's because of the environment, the environment makes this sixty-seven fifty, 80-year-old man or woman constantly think about this thing as if it is, if as if they are teenagers or as if they are in their twenties. They take pride in it and it's you know, people on their shoulder with regards to this and this is very troubling, very worrisome. Usually, a person's sexual drive is is to deplete after they reach a certain age and they reach a certain level of wisdom and they calm down, right? And the enthusiasm of youth leaves their their body. you know, These things become marginal, a marginal part of their life. Doesn't become a chief part of their life. However, when society is hyper sexualized as we see, it is around us. a person may become very old and and still be involved in these kinds of things. So, the prophet said, whoever has the ability to marry, then he should. and if a person is unable to marry, then, he is to fast. Because fasting is a type of armor and it helps a person too. its hold and control better his or her sexual drive. Now, fasting here in this narration has been explained by the scholars in two ways. Number one, fasting obviously legislative fasting. Fasting, not eating or drinking anything from sun from the break of dawn until sunset. But also, fasting can be used in a linguistic sense, which means that a person not only fasts in the legislative sense, but they also fast in the linguistic sense, which means that they, that they, less the amount of food that they take. They don't eat till they're full all of the time. because when a person is hungry, they are less prone and their sex drive is weakened. When a person is completely satisfied and they are full, right? From eating and drinking. They're not hungry. They're not thirsty. The sex drive starts too. climb. And sometimes with certain people, it can get you know, grossly out control and so it's not just that a person fast you know Monday and Thursday or fast but it also means that if you have an inability to redirect your sex drive to the point that it is out of control or it is then a person is to lessen their food intake. They're not to eat a full meal, make themselves completely full. They should eat moderately This is also a type of fasting and also one of the implications of the narration. Because if I if I eat a huge meal before I start fasting and then I fast for 10 hours and then I eat a huge meal after. I'm kind of shooting myself in the toe. But if a person whether they're fasting or not they are always eating moderately. This will help a person too. get these get these impulses under control. Now, about the history of the legislation of fasting. It's important for us to know the history of the legislation of fasting. Ibn ul Kaim, Rahim, Almi, Thalath.

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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said this was in the second year after Hijra and he said Ramadan Quran. this these verses here, these two verses in they articulate the obligation of fasting and they specify the month of Ramadan specifically. That that is the month that we are to fast. Now, this fasting of the month of Ramadan had three stages to it. The first stage, is that a person was commanded to fast but they had choice to either fast or feed a poor person for every day that they miss. So, just a person who's you know, terminally ill or a person who is they they have a Kafara for fasting. So, they they cannot fast because of old age or because of long-term sickness or illness or whatever it is. So, they give the Kafara, right? They give the expiation which is to feed a poor person for every day of the month of Ra bond that they miss. This was something that anyone could do at the very beginning. So, when fasting was first obligated, a person could do either or. They could either choose to fast or they could, choose to feed a poor person on behalf of that day. Whether they were young or old, sick, or healthy. This was the first stage. The second stage was that fasting became obligatory upon ever body who was able bodied to do so and was not traveling or ill and this stage had a very specific condition to it. And that is if a person let's say a person fasted all day and came in and they fell asleep or eating. They were not able to eat again until the next day. So, if a person A person is fasting, comes in, they go home and you know, they were sitting, waiting for the food to be made or something that and they fell asleep without eating anything and they woke up, challahs, they can't eat until the next day at Mehrib. That was the second, the second stage. The third stage was fasting as we know it today. It doesn't have that condition on it anymore. Now, a person may say, well, why these stages? Right? First of all, when people were first obligated to fast the entirety of the month of Ramadan, it took an entire society to adjust to this. It wasn't just one person. So, when we look at it from this aspect, we see why a person would not implement these stages now. What what do I mean by that? Well, what I mean is that let's say a person comes into Islam new, right? Or just to fast. Well, then why wouldn't they start with having the choice of either fasting or feeding a poor person, right? Because that's how fasting was first obligated, correct? Yes, but that was for a society in as a whole. That was not for individuals, right? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala was obligating something upon an entire society And so, this stage of intensifying, fasting, and until it is the way that we have it today. These stages were critical in order for the entirety of society to be able to transition smoothly. However, when we have one singular person who enters into Islam or one person who begins to fast, we don't have that issue. This one person can just start fasting, right? So, this is why a Nestle took place which is that a ruling would would be sent down and then added to or taken from this ruling to adjust for the time and place in order to make legislation easier or in order for to make legislation at first very difficult and then go to something which is easier. So that it can train and build discipline in the people. It goes both ways. It can start out very hard and then become easier or it can start out very easy and become gradually more difficult So, we have the first is that as a society, they were first commanded to fast the month of Ramadan but they could choose between giving the Kafara or fasting but fasting was always considered to be superior. He said, Subhanahu wa ta'ala and if you are to fast, that is better. So, you had the choice but fasting was encouraged and was better than giving the Kafara. Second of all, we had an intensive intensification, right? So, first, we had, it was very easy. Then, it became actually more difficult because if you fell asleep before eating, you had to fast the next day as well without eating anything. You couldn't have or anything. So, that made it very difficult, right? So, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala transitioned from easy to extreme or difficult and then brought it back to a middle place which was it's obligated but as long as the sun is down you you can eat or drink anything that you and this was to adjust the society to be able to follow this legislation. Again, we're speaking about the First Society of Islam. When the children of the companions were born into this, they were born into a world where the month of Ramadan was fasted, right? So We didn't need this kind of legislation. When people entered into Islam, they entered into a community of people that were all fasting and had this discipline. And so they taught this discipline to others. But when the first people were commanded to fast, the month of Ramadan, the prophet and his companions, they had to build up this discipline. They had to build up this momentum. And this is why these stages were the they are. So, these are the three stages in the legislation of fasting the month of Ramadan. After which, the third stage was to fast from the break of dawn until the sun set. No matter how long or short the day is, for those who are able bodied, right and those who are not traveling. So, there are three instances when a person breaks his fast. When a person doesn't fast the month of Ramadan. Three chief instances. Number one, is that a person is traveling? Number two, is that a person is ill. Number three, that a person is in battle. If a person is in battle, they don't fast. okay? Even if it's Ramadan. we have in the conquest of Mecca which was in the seventh or eighth year, difference of opinion amongst the historians. After Hijrah, we see that the prophet commanded the companions as they were at the gates of of Mecca and this was in Bramadan to break their fast. So, they were commanded to break their fast. Why were they commanded to break their fast? They were commanded break their fast because they were entering in into a situation where battle was expected. Where fighting was expected. Now, a perk, we we said three main things, three chief things. Number one was traveling. Number two was illness. Number three, was battle. Now, There are other exceptions but they fall under under the generalities of these three, okay? What do I mean by that? A woman who is breastfeeding or a woman who is pregnant or a very old man or very old woman. These people, they fall under the generality of those who have the ruling of being ill. Whether it's short term or long term, right? So, a person who's very old for instance. This person is able to fast but fasting is very difficult for this person. Where may be impossible for this person to fast. But even if they can fast but with great difficulty, they fall under the generality of the ruling of one who is either ill, short-time illness, or long-term illness. Being that it's for the sake of old age, it's usually going to be that of long-term illness which means that they will pay the expiation by feeding a poor person for everyday that they miss of Ramadan. Likewise, woman who is breastfeeding or a woman who is pregnant. A woman who is pregnant for nine months, they have time to make up their fast, correct? they have time to make up their fast. If she is only going to and this is a question that is often asked. If she is going to be able to make up her fast before the next year of Ramadan comes around, then, she just makes up her fast. That's it. But if she is breastfeeding in that case, she will pay the kafara, right? So, this question comes up a lot and that is, a woman may be pregnant and then when she has her baby, she's going to breastfeed her baby. So, now, she doesn't have to fast because she's breastfeeding and then after that, she gets pregnant again and then after that, she's breastfeeding again and then after that, so she might have six, seven, eight years, I had a woman actually asked me one time. She had eight years of Ramadan worth of fasting you know, eight, eight months of fasting to make up is she to make it up? Of course not. You're going to be fasting all the entire year and the most strenuous the most strenuous expiation or punishment in the Quran with regards to fasting is how many months? How many months is it? Two months, right? As for accidentally killing somebody. Right? Or that's for of the heart, right? It's two months fasting So, we see that the greatest amount that has ever been placed on a person with regards to fasting is how many months? Two months. So, if a woman misses two Ramadan, she has two months or worth of fasting. This is now transitioned from being fasting the month of Ramadan to incur the favor of Allah into a kind of stressful punishment, right? Likewise, the punishment for intercourse during the Ramadan is what? Two months fasting, right? So, this question comes up a lot and that is that should the woman make up her fast? The answer is no. if she misses more than one Ramadan because of the type of issue that we just mentioned, then, she merely pays the Kafara the expiation, feeding a single a single poor poor person. for every day that she misses of Ramadan, right? For every day that she misses of Ramadan, that's it. She doesn't have to make up two and 3 and 4 years worth of fasting. this is excessive and this is the of Ibn and others is mentions in his now This is because she falls under the generality of somebody who is, she has the same ruling as someone who is ill with a long-term illness, right? Because if a person has a long-term illness that prevents them from fasting for two years, three years, doesn't think that they're going to ever be better or the projection of their healing process is going to be far into the future, then, this person doesn't fast. This person pays the expiation. Likewise, is the issue of a person who has become very old or a person who is unable to fast because she is either breastfeeding or she is. So, this is a question that a lot of people ask and that is the answer to that question. It comes up every year. I'm sure it'll come up this year. Anyways, but it's good to know the for those of us who are married, those of us who have that the question comes up that a woman misses Ramadan or missus Days of Ramadan due to pregnancy or breastfeeding. What should she do? The answer is she should make up these A's unless another Ramadan comes around Then she will only pay the expiation for those days. Right? Now, what are the upon whom is fasting obligatory? Upon whom is fasting obligatory? This is a question. that's very important. For us to know who, a person, who who are the people who are obligated to fast. Though the scholars tell us, from collecting the verses and the narrations of the prophet and the patterns of Islam and Islamic law and students. We see that we have conditions for a person to meet, criteria in order for fasting to be considered obligatory upon this person. The first is that a person is that a person is that a person is of age, of pubescent age. We're speaking about obligatory. Okay, binding Wajib. When we speak about it is Wajib, it is obligatory. Nothing is obligatory upon a person until they are of pubescent age. Correct? They have to reach the age of puberty before anything is obligatory upon them. But does this mean that we don't have our children fast before they reach the age of puberty? What is the age of puber let's speak about this first. absolute latest. The absolute latest or a person who is a late bloomer as they would. To reach the age of puberty is 15 years old. Anyone above the year the age of 15 years old has reached the age of puberty. All of the legislations of Islam are binding upon this person. Notice how I said fifteen and not What what comes to mind usually when we think of adulthood? Eighteen, right? Why why does eighteen come to mind? Huh? Tell me. I can't hear you, man. 18 comes to mind because that's the society we grew up in, right? Legal age, legal age of adulthood is eighteen, right? But when we look at the legislation of Islam and that is the but it's it's it's not really based on anything substantial. The correct opinion is fifteen. And the reason for that is that we see of an youth would come and stand whenever they companions would go out for battle. and they would come and ask to go to battle But the prophet would walk and choose. Jews who was allowed and who was too young. From the youth. Of of the companion. So stood in this line. And he was 14. He as he said. And the prophet sent him back. but the next year, he stood in the same line and he was 15 and the prophet took him with him to battle. So, what does this mean? This means that at the age of fifteen, this kind of battle becomes obligatory upon, upon a person or a person becomes eligible for battle at this age. From this narration, the scholars have taken the have taken that. The latest age of puberty is 15 years old. As the latest age. The earliest age could be nine years old, 10 years old, based on what the body does. Puberty is when the mind reaches a certain a certain level of understanding in which it becomes able to comprehend right and wrong and the consequences of right and wrong. This is the essence of puberty, okay? Now, when the mind, the brain, reaches that level it starts to secrete certain chemicals into the body and the body starts to show signs of that maturity. Okay? and the signs of that maturity come in the form of come in the form of a girl having her her monthly cycle. a boy reaching the age of which means that they would have a a wet dream and and experience in in in their sleep. Or that a person starts to get armpit hair and have pubic hair. That's why it's called pubic hair because it is part of puberty. And so these are indicators that the brain and the mind has reached a level of maturity. In which this can now be held accountable for right and wrong and that they understand not just that this is right and wrong but they understand the consequences of right and wrong. So, puberty is an indicator of that. We will continue with this topic next week inshallah.

[Arabic recitation]

Thank you very much for your presence.