"Recognising Ramadan'' is a book focused on providing a brief guide to the Holy Month and thus serve as a handbook filled with necessary dua's and other useful compilations. Other sources from the internet have been used to compile this book, and ar...
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. The term Ramadan literally means scorching in Arabic. It was established as a Holy Month for Muslims after the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in 610 CE on the occasion known as Laylat al-Qadr, frequently translated as "the Night of Power."
Fasting, the practice during Ramadan, is the fourth pillar of Islam. It literally means to desist or abstain from something. It is also called Saum or Sayam. It was made compulsory in the 2nd year of Hijrah, after the revelation of the following verse:
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Translation:"The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful." (2:185)
The ayat (verse) yet also states that there are some exemptions for fasting under certain circumstances – there are some conditions upon which one can be excused from the fast. This goes on to prove that fasting is not self-torture. It is self-restraint.
Exemptions from fasting
Every Muslim who is adult and in possession of his faculties must fast Ramadan. They are exempted, however, in the following cases:
a. Women in menstruation, or in child-birth bleeding.
b. Persons on sick bed, or on a journey.
Women who are Bleeding during Menstruation of Child-Birth
1. Women in menstruation, or bleeding after giving birth, shall not fast.
2. If Ramadan begins while a woman is in menstruation or child-birth bleeding, she shall not fast until bleeding ceases in both cases and she takes the ritual bath.
3. If bleeding occurs during Ramadan, then a woman shall break the fast.
4. When bleeding ceases, a woman must wash and then fast. If she does not find water, she must perform the ritual purification with sand (tayammum).
5. If bleeding ceases during the night, she can formulate the intention to fast and lose no time in washing but postpone taking a bath until after dawn, providing she does so before sunrise.
