This excerpt is taken from the book of Fazilat al-Sheikh Mubashir Ahmed Rabbani, may Allah have mercy on him, Ahkam and Masail of Ramadan.
Some Mistakes Made During Ramadan:.
Honorable readers! Ramadan is the month of Allah's mercy and forgiveness, and it comes only once a year for Muslims. Some fortunate ones take full advantage of its blessed moments and cleanse their sinful garments with a rain of tears. They fill their hands with the abundant treasures of divine mercy. By pleasing their Lord, they attain success and prosperity in this world and the Hereafter, while there are some who spend this month under the long cloak of negligence and remain completely deprived of its blessings. There are also some who, by adhering to self-made issues, hope for rewards in both worlds. In these remarks, we will only attempt to point out those mistakes and clarify the stance of Islam regarding them that people commit during the blessed month of Ramadan.
➊ Eating Suhoor Early:.
In our community, some fasting individuals eat Suhoor long before the time for Suhoor ends; this action is against the Sunnah. The Sunnah is to delay Suhoor so that one can be fully deserving of the reward.
"Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we had Suhoor with the Prophet (peace be upon him), then he stood up for prayer. It was asked how much time was there between the Adhan and Suhoor, and he said: the time of fifty verses." This Hadith indicates that Suhoor should not be eaten early.
➋ Stopping eating at Hayya 'ala-s-Salah:.
In many areas of our country, there is a belief that when the muezzin says حَيَّ عَلَي الصَّلٰوة in the morning call to prayer, if someone is eating suhoor, they should immediately stop. This action is also against the Sunnah. The words for refraining from eating and drinking are not mentioned in any verse or hadith.
Allah Almighty said: "Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread."
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 187)
However, this does not mean that suhoor should be eaten until the end of the call to prayer or after it; rather, the main point is the distinction between the black thread and the white thread. If the call to prayer is on time, one should stop eating and drinking before the call. The call to prayer announces the end of suhoor, not the phrase حَيَّ عَلَي الصَّلٰوة marks the end of suhoor time.
➌ Eating and drinking during the Fajr call to prayer:.
Some people deliberately delay their pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and then try to eat and drink quickly during the Fajr call to prayer. A person who has made this a habit may sometimes invalidate their fast, especially if the call to prayer is even slightly late, or starts right at the end time.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the call to prayer.
Reference: (Agreed upon)
This means that the command is to eat after the first call to prayer and to stop at the second call to prayer. This is a ruling for the person who makes it a habit, but I would also like to mention that if a person is eating or drinking and the call to prayer starts, they should keep in mind the saying of our beloved Messenger (peace be upon him):
If any of you hears the call to prayer and has a vessel in his hand, he should not put it down until he has fulfilled his need.
Reference: (Abu Dawood: 2350)
Therefore, the reconciliation of the two mentioned hadiths is that a person should not make this act a habit, but if it happens occasionally, there is no harm.
➍ Saying the Fajr Azan Early :.
In some areas, the Fajr Azan is called 10-15 minutes before the end of the Suhoor time, keeping caution in mind. Such people do not deserve praise because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
المؤذن مؤتمن
"The caller to prayer is trustworthy."
Reference: (Abu Dawood: 517)
In some areas, the Azan is called fifteen to twenty minutes early, which is a reprehensible act of prioritizing personal opinion and reason over Sharia. If in a certain area, the practice of calling the Azan early has taken root, then it is permissible to eat and drink until the dawn after such an Azan.
➎ Strictness on Those Who Eat and Drink Forgetfully :.
Here, some people are very strict with those who eat and drink forgetfully, and they doubt the fast of a person who eats or drinks by mistake. Eating or drinking forgetfully does not affect the fast, meaning the fast is not broken. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If any one of you forgetfully eats or drinks, let him complete his fast. Indeed, Allah has fed him and given him drink."
➏ Do not inform the one who eats forgetfully :.
It has been observed among us that if a fasting person is eating something forgetfully, those who see him remain silent instead of warning him. They are convinced that Allah Almighty is providing for him, so they do not want to interrupt the sustenance granted by Allah. This reasoning is also incorrect. The words mentioned in the Hadith indicate that he should complete his fast; Allah Almighty has fed him. This means that his fast is valid, but it does not mean that he should not be informed because eating and drinking is prohibited while fasting. When this prohibition is being violated, it is necessary to give a warning.
➐ Delay in the Maghrib Adhan :.
In some mosques, the Maghrib call to prayer is delayed in the name of caution so that it can be ensured that the sun has set. This reasoning does not stand up to the scrutiny of the Quran and Hadith. Allah Almighty said: ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ "Then complete your fast until night."
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah: 187)
Night begins as soon as the sun sets. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed to delay eating Suhoor and to hasten Iftar, so as soon as the sun sets, one should break the fast, and instead of attacking Islam through this rational argument, one should engage in other activities.
It should also be noted that delaying Iftar resembles the practices of the Jews and Christians and is contrary to the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"People will continue to be on good as long as they hasten in Iftar."
Reference: (Agreed upon)
And he said: "Three things are part of the prophetic character: hastening in Iftar, delaying Suhoor, and placing the right hand over the left hand in prayer."
Reference: (Tabarani)
➑ Not using Miswak:.
Some people do not use a miswak while fasting, and some do not consider it good after noon and after Asr. It should be noted that using a miswak at any time while fasting is not prohibited; the hadith presented in this regard is very weak and not applicable. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated the virtue of miswak, saying: "Miswak is a means of cleanliness for the mouth and a way to attain the pleasure of Allah."
Reference: (Sahih Al-Jami As-Saghir)
➒ State of Janabah and Fasting:.
Some people consider being in a state of Janabah as a reason for the fast to be invalid, and some people mistakenly think that eating in a state of Janabah at the time of Suhoor is wrong. Both of these notions are incorrect. If a person becomes Janabah during sleep or similar situations while fasting, their fast is completely valid. Similarly, if time is short, they can eat Suhoor before taking a bath and then bathe afterward, so that the time for Suhoor does not end while they are bathing. Spontaneous wet dreams do not invalidate the fast because this is not within the control of the fasting person, and it is not mentioned in any Hadith among the nullifiers of the fast.
➓ The Nights of Ramadan and Relations with One's Wife:
Some people do not engage in marital relations with their wives during the nights of Ramadan and do not consider it permissible, whereas this prohibition is only during the daytime when a person is fasting. Allah Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran: "It has been made lawful for you to have relations with your wives during the nights of fasting; they are your garments and you are their garments."
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah: 187)
⓫ Tasting Food:.
Some women ask a child to check the salt, etc., in food while they are fasting and do not taste it themselves, which sometimes leads to strange situations. The scholars of the past and contemporary researchers have permitted that a woman can check the salt and spices in food; she should only touch it to her tongue and not let it go further. However, if there is a fear that the food may reach the throat, then she should refrain.
⓬ Women in Menstruation and Postpartum:.
Some women become pure before the completion of the forty days of postpartum bleeding, meaning their bleeding stops and they take a bath, but they do not fast because the forty days are not yet complete. This is actually a serious mistake. If a woman becomes pure before the forty days, she should immediately arrange for prayer and fasting. Similarly, a woman who becomes pure from menstruation or postpartum bleeding before Fajr should eat Suhoor and then take a bath afterward because taking a bath is not necessary for eating Suhoor. If time is short, she will take a bath after eating and will complete the Fajr prayer and fast.
⓭ Women participating in Taraweeh prayer while wearing perfume:
Some women come to the mosque for Taraweeh prayers after applying perfume; this act is forbidden and completely contrary to the objectives of Sharia. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The prayer of a woman who comes to the mosque after applying perfume is not accepted until she performs Ghusl."
Reference: (Ibn Majah)
In some hadiths, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has declared such a woman to be an adulteress.⓮ Joining the Ruku of Taraweeh Prayer:
It is a habit of some people among us to join the bowing (ruku) of the Taraweeh prayer in order to avoid long standing, and the argument given is that it has been narrated in a hadith that whoever catches the bowing has caught the prayer. We say that the first point is that this hadith does not meet the standards of authenticity, and the second point is that those who join in the bowing do not understand the purpose of Taraweeh and are unaware of the spirit of this blessed act.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands in prayer during the month of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, all his previous sins are forgiven."
Reference: (Muttafaqun Alayh)
⓯ Hurrying to perform rakats to join the congregation:
Some people, if they arrive late for Taraweeh prayer and the Imam has already performed one rak'ah, quickly perform rak'ahs to join the congregation and then join the Imam. This is a serious mistake. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "What you catch, pray it, and what you miss, complete it." Therefore, if the Imam has already read one rak'ah in Taraweeh, one should join him and complete the remaining prayer after the Salam.
⓰ Performing Taraweeh prayer quickly:.
It is a strange disease among us that the Taraweeh prayers are performed so quickly that a person cannot even recite any tasbih or tahmid properly, and what is even more regrettable is that the Holy Quran is recited at such a fast pace that it is a matter of concern. Allah Almighty has said in the Holy Quran: "And recite the Holy Quran in a measured tone." Reading the Holy Quran in this manner is a cause of sin rather than reward. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned one sign of a hypocrite is that he performs prayer so quickly as if a crow is pecking.
O Muslim brothers! Try to understand the purpose of Taraweeh prayers and listen to the Quran with faith and accountability instead of formally observing the month of Ramadan. The Holy Quran does not have an effect on our hearts, one reason for this is that we do not fulfill the rights of its recitation and instead of reciting, we disrespect it.
And if the night prayers are listened to, the Huffaz recite the Holy Quran at such a speed that no word is understood. It is worth pondering who has imposed the condition that the entire Quran should be listened to in three nights. Instead of violating the sanctity of the Quran, it would have been better to listen to a little but with complete regard for its etiquette. Allah Almighty has said: "Indeed, the believers have succeeded, who are humble in their prayers."
Reference: (Surah Al-Mu'minun: 1-2)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The worst thief is the one who steals from his prayer." The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked: How does one steal in prayer? He (peace be upon him) replied that he does not complete the bowing and prostration.
⓱ Looking Up During Qunoot Nazilah :.
Some people, when raising their hands for supplication in Qunoot Nazilah, start looking up. This action is also incorrect, and there is a warning from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding it. He stated that it is likely that Allah will take away their sight.
⓲ Not Applying Surma :.
Some people consider applying surma while fasting to be a bad idea; there is no evidence for this claim that we are aware of. Applying surma does not break the fast. We hope that our Muslim brothers will correct these mistakes and sincerely pray for us during the blessed moments of Ramadan.
