WHITSLE BERBUNYI!

Mohd Fadli Yusof

Dalam sukan bolasepak, bolehkah kita mengisytiharkan kemenangan sebelum minit ke-90? Tentu kita malu mengisytiharkan kemenangan awal.

Oleh itu malulah dengan Allah, Ramadhan belum sampai separuh, dah sibuk nak raya. Hari Raya itu untuk orang yang menang dalam melawan nafsunya sepanjang Ramadhan.

SEBUKU ROTI

KESILAPAN DI BULAN RAMADHAN

1) Makan dan minum dengan bebas setelah batal puasa dengan sengaja (bukan kerana uzur yang diterima Islam). Perlu diketahui bahawa sesiapa yang batal puasanya dengan sengaja tanpa uzur seperti mengeluarkan mani secara sengaja, merokok, makan dan minum. Ia dilarang untuk makan dan minum lagi atau melakukan apa jua perkara yang membatalkan puasa yang lain sepanjang hari itu. (Fiqh as-Siyam, Al-Qaradawi, hlm 112). Ia dikira denda yang pertama baginya selain kewajiban menggantikannya kemudiannya. Keadaan ini disebut di dalam sebuah hadith, Ertinya : "sesungguhnya sesiapa yang telah makan (batal puasa) hendaklah ia berpuasa baki waktu harinya itu" (Riwayat al-Bukhari)

2) Makan sahur di waktu tengah malam kerana malas bangun di akhir malam . Jelasnya, individu yang melakukan amalan ini terhalang dari mendapat keberkatan dan kelebihan yang ditawarkan oleh Nabi SAW malah bercanggah dengan sunnah baginda. "Sahur" itu sendiri dari sudut bahasanya adalah waktu terakhir di hujung malam. Para Ulama pula menyebut waktunya adalah 1/6 terakhir malam. (Awnul Ma'bud, 6/469). Imam Ibn Hajar menegaskan melewatkan sahur adalah lebih mampu mencapai objektif yang diletakkan oleh Nabi SAW. (Fath al-Bari, 4/138)

3) Bersahur dengan hanya makan & minum sahaja tanpa ibadah lain . Ini satu lagi kesilapan umat Islam kini, waktu tersebut pada hakikatnya adalah antara waktu terbaik untuk beristigfar dan menunaikan solat malam. Firman Allah ketika memuji orang mukmin ertinya : " dan ketika waktu-waktu bersahur itu mereka meminta ampun dan beristighfar" (Az-Zariyyat : 18)

4) Menunaikan solat witir sejurus selepas terawih . Menurut dalil-dalil yang sohih, waktu yang terbaik bagi solat witir adalah penutup segala solat sunat di sesuatu hari itu berdasarkan hadith ertinya "Jadikanlah solat sunat witir sebagai solat kamu yang terakhir dalam satu malam". (Fath al-Bari, no 936). Sememangnya tidak salah untuk melakukan witir selepas terawih, cuma sekiranya seseorang itu yakin akan kemampuannya untuk bangun bersahur dan boleh melakukan solat sunat selepas itu, maka adalah lebih elok ia melewatkan witirnya di akhir malam.

5) Tidak menunaikan solat ketika berpuasa. Ia adalah satu kesilapan yang maha besar. Memang benar, solat bukanlah syarat sah puasa. Tetapi ia adalah rukun Islam yang menjadi tonggak kepada keislaman sesorang. Justeru, 'ponteng' solat dengan sengaja akan menyebabkan pahala puasa seseorang itu menjadi 'kurus kering' pastinya.

6) Tidak mengutamakan solat Subuh berjemaah sebagaimana Terawih. Ini jelas suatu kelompongan yang ada dalam masyarakat tatakala berpuasa. Ramai yang lupa dan tidak mengetahui kelebihan besar semua solat fardhu berbanding solat sunat, teruatamnya solat subuh berjemaah yang disebutkan oleh Nabi SAW bagi orang yang mendirikannya secara berjemaah, maka beroleh pahala menghidupkan seluruh malam.

7) Menunaikan solat terawih di masjid dengan niat inginkan meriah . Malanglah mereka kerana setiap amalan di kira dengan niat, jika niat utama seseorang itu ( samada lelaki atau wanita) hadir ke masjid adalah untuk meriah dan bukannya atas dasar keimanan dan mengharap ganjaran redha Allah sebagaimana yang ditetapkan oleh Nabi SAW di dalam hadith riwayat al-Bukhari. Maka, "Sesungguhnya sesuatu amalan itu dikira dengan niat". (Riwayat al-Bukhari)

8) Bermalasan dan tidak produktif dalam kerja-kerja di siang hari dengan alasan berpuasa. Sedangkan, kerja yang kita lakukan di pejabat dengan niat ibadat pastinya menambahkan lagi pahala. Justeru, umat Islam sewajarnya memperaktifkan produktiviti mereka dan bukan mengurangkannya di Ramadhan ini.

9) Memperbanyakkan tidur di siang hari dengan alasan ia adalah ibadat . Sedangkan Imam As-Sayuti menegaskan bahawa hadith yang menyebut berkenaan tidur orang berpuasa itu ibadat adalah amat lemah. (al-Jami' as-Soghir ; Faidhul Qadir, Al-Munawi, 6/291)

10) Menganggap waktu imsak sebagai 'lampu merah' bagi sahur . Ini adalah kerana waktu imsak sebenarnya tidak lain hanyalah 'lampu amaran oren' yang di cadangkan oleh beberapa ulama demi mengingatkan bahawa waktu sahur sudah hampir tamat. Ia bukanlah waktu tamat untuk makan sahur, tetapi waktu amaran sahaja. Lalu, janganlah ada yang memberi alasan lewat bangun dan sudah masuk imsak lalu tidak dapat berpuasa pada hari itu.. Waktu yang disepakti ulama merupakan waktu penamat sahur adalah sejurus masuk fajar sadiq (subuh). (As-Siyam, Dr Md 'Uqlah, hlm 278)

11) Wanita berterawih beramai-ramai di masjid tanpa menjaga aurat . Ini nyata apabila ramai antara wanita walaupun siap bertelekung ke masjid, malangnya kaki dan aurat mereka kerap terdedah da didedahkan berjalan dan naik tangga masjid di hadapan jemaah lelaki. Tatkala itu, fadhilat mereka solat di rumah adalah lebih tinggi dari mendatangkan fitnah buat lelaki ketika di masjid.

12) Tidak memperbanyakkan doa tatkala berpuasa dan berbuka . Ini satu lagi jenis kerugian yang kerap dilakukan oleh umat Islam. Nabi SAW telah menyebut :-
Ertinya : "Tiga golongan yang tidak di tolak doa mereka, pemimpin yang adil, individu berpuasa sehingga berbuka dan doa orang yang di zalimi" ( Riwayat At-Tirmizi, 3595, Hasan menurut Tirmizi. Ahmad Syakir : Sohih )
Selain itu, doa menjadi bertambah maqbul tatkala ingin berbuka berdasarkan hadith.
Ertinya : "Sesungguhnya bagi orang berpuasa itu ketika berbuka (atau hampir berbuka) doa yang tidak akan ditolak" ( Riwayat Ibn Majah, no 1753, Al-Busairi : Sanadnya sohih)

Oleh Ust Hj Zaharuddin Hj Abd Rahman

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FASTING: RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Fasting in Ramadan is necessary for every sane grown Muslim, both male and female.

2. The time of fasting begins shortly before dawn and ends at sunset.

3. The way of fasting is to abstain from drinking, eating and sexual acts.

4. The following are exempted from the fasting obligations:

a. Those who are sick.

b. Those who are traveling a distance not less than 50 miles.

c. Women with breast feeding children or pregnant.

d. Women during their each month menstruation period (they’re exempted and also disallowed to fast).

5. Days of fasting so missed are to be settled, when the cause of immunity is over, any time after Ramadan excluding the Eid days, the fasting of which is forbidden.

6. Full freedom from fast is allowed to those who are permanently disabled by reason of incurable disease or age. They, however, can feed a miserable person for one day or pay the cost of food sufficient to feed him for one day for each day of fast that is missed.

7. One must have the intention during the night to fast the following day of Ramadan.

8. Fasting is voided if a person during the fasting hours, deliberately drinks, eats, smokes, vomits, commits a sexual intercourse or emission or lets an object, pass across the throat or any other natural opening of the body. However, if one breaks his or her fasting by the commission of deliberated intercourse, a serious kaffarah (atonement) applies. The atonement may be fulfilled by fasting sixty sequential days or, if not able to do so, by feeding sixty poor persons for one day.

9. Fasting continues valid if an act breaking the fast should occur through obsession or error or forgetfulness.

10. Using eye drops, or receiving intravenous or inter-muscular injections, bathing the body, or brushing the teeth, or rinsing the mouth (while looking not to swallow), or applying cosmetics or perfume during the hours of fasting do not constitute breaking the fast.

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THE GLORY OF RAMADHAN

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has said in the Qur’an (2:183)

Ya ayyu-ha’lladhina amanu kutiba alai-kum siyamu ka-ma kutiba ala ‘lladhina min qabli – kum la’ alla-kum tattaqun

‘O you who truly believe! fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, in order that you may practice true devotion.’

Al-Hasan al-Basri (Reh) said:

“Whenever you hear Allah (SWT) saying: “O you who truly believe!” You must listen carefully and pay the closest attention, for those words are intended to alert you, either to a commandment you must obey, or a prohibition you must not infringe.”

The prescribed institution of fasting is a unique moral and spiritual characteristic of Islam. The fast in the month of Ramadan which requires Muslims to refrain from food, drink and sexual relations from first light until sundown, is firstly an act of worship which brings reward from Allah (SWT)

The Prophet (SAW) has said that Allah (SWT) says: “Fasting is Mine, and I determine its reward. He (the believer) abstains from his carnal appetite, his food, and his drink for My sake. Fasting is a protective shield.” And the Prophet (SAW) said that it’s a protective shield by means of which the servant (of the Lord) is shielded from the fire of Hell.

Secondly, fasting is a means of self-purification. The Prophet (SAW) once said; “You must be sure to practice fasting, for your hearts will then be purified.”

He (SAW) said that “Patient endurance is half of faith, and fasting is half of patient endurance.”

Many Prophets, Companions of the Prophets and the Saintly people have spoken about hunger and its meritorious nature. The noble Prophet (SAW) said: “Make war on your souls with hunger and with thirst, for the reward which this brings is as that of participation of jihad. There is no action more beloved in the sight of God than that to hunger and thirst.”

He (SAW) was once asked, “O Emissary of God! Who is the best of men? And he (SAW) replied; He who eats and laughs but little – and is content with such clothes as suffice to cover his parts.”

Al-Hasan said that the Prophet (SAW) said: “Meditation is half of worship, while eating meagrely is all of it.”

He (SAW) also said; “The most exalted amongst you in God’s sight on the Day of Judgement shall be those who hungered and mediated the longest for His sake (Glorious is He!). While the most loathsome amongst you in His sight on that day will be those who slept, ate and drank abundantly.”

The meritorious nature of hunger is mentioned in the long tradition told by Usama ibn Zayd and Abu Hurayra (RO), in which the Prophet (SAW) said: “The nearest of all men to God (Great and Glorious is He!) on the Day of Arising, shall be those who were often hungry, thirsty and sad in this world and who were affectionate and God fearing; who when seen went unrecognised, and who when absent were never missed by men, but yet were known to the provinces of the earth and were compassed by the angels of heaven.”

Al-Hasan relates that A’isha (RA) said: “I once heard the Emissary of God (SAW) say; ‘Knock persistently on heaven’s door, and it shall be opened unto you.’ “How should we do that?” I asked, and he replied, “With hunger and thirst.” The Prophet (SAW) own eating habits were such that he would never eat his full for three days in a row.

A Friend of God, Sahl al-Tustari (reh) once said that “God draws nearer to His believer through his hunger, illness and tribulation, save those whom He will.”

A sage was once asked, “By what rope may I tie my soul?” And he replied, “You should tie it with the rope of hunger and thirst and bring it low by extinguishing your pride.”

According to Sohail Tustari (reh) “When God created the world, He set sin and ignorance in satiety (glut) and knowledge and wisdom in hunger.”

Another famous Saint Bishr al-Hafi (reh) said; “Hunger purifies the heart, kills caprice and yields subtle knowledge.”

Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd used to swear by God that; “God has never purified anyone save through hunger.”

Regarding the wisdom of fasting, Imam Al-Ghazali (reh) writes; “as the physical form diminishes, and the reliance on the world becomes more tenuous, then the nafs is subdued, the unseen world becomes nearer of access, and the need to spend time in earning a living is reduced and prayer itself becomes easier.”

Imam al-Ghazali (reh) spoke of 10 specific benefits of hunger. Among them are that hunger purifies the heart and sharpens one’s insight. Abu Sulayman al-Darani, said; “make yourselves hungry for this abases the soul, softens the heart and yields heavenly knowledge.” The Prophet (SAW) said that “The light of wisdom comes from hunger, while remoteness from God (SWT) comes from satiety, and proximity to Him comes from loving the poor and being close to them.”

Another recognised benefit of fasting that he speaks of is that it results in the softness and purity of the heart, by which it is then ready to obtain the delight of intimate discourse with Allah, and be affected by His remembrance. If we think of the many acts of remembrance we do which are done with the tongue and with an attentive heart, while the heart still nonetheless fails to find any delight in it and is not affected. When however, it is softened (due to certain circumstances) you will see that it’s affected most powerfully by the remembrance of Allah, and will take great delights in communing with Him. That is why Abu Sulyman al-Darani said: “Worship is sweetest for me when my belly cleaves to my back.”

Imam al-Ghazali (reh) also stated that “hunger reminds one of those who are hungry and needy and will therefore lead to compassion, feeding the hungry, and charity towards Allah’s creatures; in contrast to this a man who is sated will be heedless of those who are hungry. So when Prophet Joseph (as) was asked, “Why do you hunger when you hold in your hands so many storehouses of the land?” he replied, “I fear that I may eat my fill and forget the hungry.”

However one of the greatest benefits in hunger that Imam al-Ghazali (reh) speaks of is that it breaks the desire for sin, and in achieving mastery over the soul which commands evil. For “all sins originate in one’s desires and strengths, the stuff of which is food in every case: when you eat less, the desires and strengths will be weakened. Just as you cannot master a stubborn riding beast, without weakening it through hunger, for when it eats it’s full it becomes strong and obstinate and defiant, so it’s the same with the soul.

Hadhrat A’isha (RA) said that “the first innovation (bid’a) to appear after the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was that people would eat their full, and when the people’s bellies were sated, their souls bolted with them into the things of the world.” So we see that hunger and fasting does not constitute just one benefit; rather it’s the storehouse of all benefits. It was for this reason that it is said ‘hunger is one of God’s storehouses.”

It is said that hunger deflects sexual desire; and the desire for unnecessary speech, for in the case of a hungry person, the desire for unnecessary talk is not aroused, and thus enables him to save himself from the faults of the tongue such as slander, obscenity, lying and backbiting and so forth. When by contrast he is sated, he will need to be entertained and will necessarily arouse himself by deprecating other people, and as the Prophet (SAW)’s said; “People are cast down on their noses into Hell only by the harvests reaped by their tongues.”

Hunger also repels sleep which in turn leads to longer prayer and eventually closeness to Allah (SWT). A famous saying by a Shaykh whenever food was served to him was; “Assembled aspirants! Do not eat much, lest you drink much, which will cause you to sleep much and therefore to lose much.”

Many, in fact seventy saints have said that sleeping abundantly is a waste of a lifetime. The reasons for this are that it results in missing Tahajjud prayer which has great merit attached to it. Sleeping abundantly also results in a dull disposition and a hardness of the heart and consequently one is prevented from tasting the sweetness of worship. Therefore as someone put it, “fasting is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and self-control, for maintenance of human dignity and freedom for victory and peace.”

The venerable Abd al-Qadir Jilani (reh) states that “if we fast in a proper manner, the result should be that we are in control of ourselves, that we are able to exercise full command over our passions, disciplines and desires and resist all evil temptations. By this course we are in a position to reassure ourselves, to restore our dignity and integrity and to attain freedom from the captivity of evil. Then once we obtain all this, we should have established inner peace, which is the source of permanent peace with Allah and consequently the entire universe. Allah has made the fast therein an obligatory religious duty, and the observance of night prayer therein a voluntary practice. If someone seeks to draw near [to the Lord] therein by setting just one example of good conduct, or performs just one religious obligation that person will be exactly the same as someone who discharges seventy religious obligations during all other months of the year”.

The venerable Abd al-Qadir Jilani (reh) also stated that the month of Ramadan is the “month of patient endurance [sabr] and the reward for patient endurance is the garden of paradise. It’s the month of charitable sharing [musawa], and it’s the month which sustenance for the true believer is increased. So, if someone provides a meal for a person who is keeping the fast, this will result in forgiveness for his sins, and his emancipation from the Fire of Hell. It’s a month, the beginning of which is a mercy, the middle of which is forgiveness, and the last part of which is a deliverance from the fire of Hell”.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (reh) stated that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) once said;

“The Garden of Paradise and the gates of heaven will surely be flung open on the first night of the month of Ramadan, and they will not be closed again until the very last night thereof. Each time, without fail, that a male or female servant [of the Lord] performs the ritual prayer during any night of this month, Allah will credit him or her with seventeen hundred good deeds for every act of prostration [sajda]. For that servant, he will build in the Garden of Paradise a house, made from a single red ruby that has 70 doors. Each of these doors will have two leaves of gold, beautifully adorned with handles fashioned from red ruby. If someone keeps the fast on the first day of the month of Ramadan. Allah will forgive him every sin until the last day of Ramadan and his fasting will be expiation until that same point in time. For every day on which he keeps the fast, he will be granted a palatial mansion in the Garden of Paradise, equipped with a thousand doors made of Gold. From early in the morning, seventy thousand angels will beg forgiveness on his behalf, although they will stay out of sight. For every act of prostration he performs, by night or by day, he will be granted a tree in the shade of which a rider can travel for one hundred years without ever passing beyond it.”

Sheikh Abu Nasr ]Muhammad ibn al-Banna] has informed on good traditional authority that it was Abu Huraira (RO) who first reported this next saying of the Prophet (SAW); that; “When the first night of Ramadan has arrived, Allah surveys His entire creation. If He takes notice of a particular servant of His, it means that He will never cause him to suffer torment. As soon as Ramadan comes around, the gates of the Garden of Paradise are flung open, the gates of the fire of Hell are shut and locked, and the devils [shaytan] are shackled and tied up tight.”

According to another traditional report, this one transmitted on the authority of Nafi ibn Burda, Abu Mas’sud al –Ghifari (May Allah be pleased with him) once heard the following words uttered by the Prophet (SAW);

“No servant [of the Lord], who keeps the fast for at least one day of Ramadan, can possibly fail to be married to a wife from among the brides of Paradise, those maidens with such lovely eyes [al-hur al-ain] The wedding will take place inside a pavilion made from a single hollowed pearl. This fits the description given by Allah (SWT). ‘Fair maids, close-guarded in Pavilions (55:72)’.

Every Woman amongst them will be dressed in 70 fine articles of clothing, no item being the same as the other. She will be given 70 kinds of perfumes, none with the same fragrance as any other. She will be given seventy throne like raised couches, made from a red ruby studded with pearls. Upon each of these couches there will be seventy cushions and on every cushion there will be a canopy. Every woman will have seventy thousand pageboys to attend to her needs, as well as 70,000 maidservants to attend to the needs of her husband. Each of these maidservants will carry a dish made of gold, containing some kind of cooked food the last morsel of which will be found to have a delicious flavour that went unnoticed in the first bite. Her husband will be given special treats like this as he reclines upon a couch made from red ruby. Such will be his reward for everyday on which he has kept the fast of Ramadan, quite apart from what he may have earned by performing charitable deeds!”

There are several traditional reports; including descriptions of how the month of Ramadan will be experienced by the inhabitants of the Garden of Paradise. Among them is a hadith related by Ibn Abbas (RO) who once heard these words being uttered by the Prophet (SAW);

“The Garden of Paradise will surely be refurnished and redecorated from year to year with the advent of the month of Ramadan. The brides of Paradise will ask the doorkeeper [custodian] of the Garden of Paradise, ‘What night is this?’ Whereupon he will reply that this is the first night of the month of Ramadan, the night when the gates of Paradise are opened for the sake of those members of the Community [Ummah] of Muhammad (SAW) who are keeping the fast.” In confirmation of these words, Allah [Exalted is He] will promptly say: “O Ridwan, open the gates of all the Gardens of Paradise! O Malik! Shut the doors of the blazing fire of Hell, to keep out those members of the Umma of Muhammad (SAW) who are keeping the fast. O Gabriel, go down to the earth below, shackle the defiant and rebellious devils and tie them up securely with chains. Then cast them into the deepest depths of the oceans, so that they cannot meddle with the Community of My beloved friend [Habibi], Muhammad (SAW) and spoil their experience of fasting.”

According to this same report, the Prophet (SAW) then went on to say:

“On each and every night of the month of Ramadan, Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will say three times:”

“Does anyone have a request to make, so that I may grant it?”

“Is there anyone who wishes to repent, so that I may relent toward him and accept his repentance?”

“Is there anyone wishing to seek forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”

The Prophet (SAW) continued further that ; “On each and every day of the month of Ramadan, by the time when the fast is duly broken [iftar], Allah (Almighty and Glorious) will have taken out a million of His servants from the fire of Hell, even though all of them had incurred the penalty of damnation. Moreover when the day of Congregation (Jum’a) comes around, it will be during every single hour that Allah (SWT), delivers a million of His servants from the Fire, even though they deserved the penalty of damnation. (hellfire). As for what will happen on the last day of the month of Ramadan, on the day Allah will deliver a number equal to the total of all those He has delivered between the first month and the last.

As soon as the Night of Power [Lailat al-Qadr] has arrived, Allah (Exalted is he) will give the order to Gabriel (PBUH), who will promptly descend to the earth below, travelling in a multitude angels and bearing a green banner, which he will set up on top of the Ka’ba. Gabriel (PBUH) has no fewer than six hundred wings, which he only unfolds on the Night of Power [Lailat al-Qadr]. He will therefore spread them on that night, and by so doing, he will span the entire distance between the East and the West. Gabriel (PBUH) will command the angels to infiltrate into this Community [Ummah], so they will insert themselves unobtrusively among its members. They will then give the greeting of peace to every believer who is found to be observing the night vigil, performing the ritual prayer, and practicing the remembrance of Allah. They will exchange greetings with them, and say “amin” to their prayers of supplication, until the break of dawn.

At this point Gabriel (PBUH) will cry out: “O company of angelic friends, now is the moment for us to be homeward BOUND!” But they will ask: “O Gabriel, what has Allah done to meet the needs of the believers belonging to the Community of Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace)?” So he will respond to this by saying: “Allah (Exalted is He) has scrutinised them carefully, and He has pardoned and forgiven them all, with only four exceptions”

Allah’s Messenger was quick to explain: There are four exceptions: Anyone who is addicted to intoxicating liquor; anyone who is disobedient toward his parents; anyone who is guilty of disrupting a bond of kinship; and anyone who is spitefully reluctant to abandon a grudge, and stubbornly unwilling to accept the restoration of good relations with anyone who has offended him”

The venerable Abd al Qadir al Jilani (reh) said that the “month of Ramadan is the month of serenity and purity, the month of fulfilment and faithfulness, and it is the month of those who practice the remembrance of Allah. The month of those who endure with patience, and the month of those who are honest and truthful. So if it doesn’t have the effect of improving our heart, if it doesn’t induce us to desist from rebellious acts against Allah, and doesn’t make us avoid bad company, then what else can exert a positive influence on our hearts? What goodness can be hoped in a case like ours? What redeeming quality can survive in someone like us? What successful outcome can be expected from individuals like us? You had better pay attention and try to learn from what has happened to you. Come to your senses, wake up from your slumber, shake off your heedless indifference, and take a good hard look at what has befallen you. However little time you still have left, you must seize every opportunity for repentance. Take full advantage of the time that is still available (in Ramadan) for seeking forgiveness and practicing worshipful obedience. If you follow this advice, you may yet be one of those who receive the blessings of mercy and compassionate grace. Then, when the month of Ramadan comes to its close, you should bit it farewell with the shedding of tears. You should weep over your unfortunate self. For as you must well be aware, many a keeper of the fast will never keep another fast, and many a keeper of the night prayer will never keep the night prayer again.

May Allah include us among those who’s fasting and prayers will be accepted, among those whose evil deeds will have been transformed into good deeds, among those whom Allah will allow by His mercy to enter the Gardens of Paradise, and among those whose degrees He will have exalted.

O Merciful of the Merciful.”

By Sumra Ghafoor

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WHAT IS RAMADHAN?

During the blessed month of Ramadhan , Muslim all ober the world abstain from food and drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours.

As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God Allah, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadhan is much more than just not eating and drinking Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance.

We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings.

The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained.
The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip.

The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.

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SELAMAT DATANG RAMADHAN AL MUBARRAK - WELCOME RAMADHAN!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI 1430 HIJRAH - MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

Hari raya akan menjelang tidak lama lagi. Kalau tak hari Sabtu mungkin Hari Ahad 20 September 2009.

Saya ingin memohon ampun dan maaf sekiranya saya ada menyentuh peribadi seseorang, tersilap kata dan terkasar bahasa dalam saya berceloteh melalui dunia cyber ini. Niat dihati hanyalah untuk berkongi idea dan pengalaman yang mungin boleh menjadi satu kebajikan yang mendapat keredhaan Allah jua.

Tahun ni saya akan balik beraya di Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang. Akan berlepas dari Kuching dgn MH2517 jam 4.05 ptg hari in Jumaat. Lepas solat Jumaat lah tu. Singgah KL dulu. Lepas tu baru bertolak ke Penang by road. Driving-lah tu. Traffic jam- lah tu.

Jemputlah datang ke rumah. Tak jauh dari Mengkuang Dam. Beberapa hari kemudian balik semula ke KL dan akan berlaboh di Taman Ehsan, Kepong. Selangor.

Ingat nak jumpa kekawan lama. Nak pekena nasi kandar Kudus bin Abdul kat Jalan TAR tu. Sedappp!.

Semoga kita dipanjangkan umur dan akan berjumpa bulan Ramadhan pada tahun hadapan pulak. Ramai juga yang jumpa Ramadhan tahun lalu. Tapi tahun ini dah tinggal nama saja. Dah di panggil kembali mengadap Allah Azza wa Jalla. Semua yang bernafas akan bertemu dengan mati. Tak ada tempat nak sembunyi.

Dalam doa aku selepas solat Subuh tadi aku baca seperti berikut:

" Wahai Tuhanku! Perbaikanlanlah keagamaan dan ketaatanku kepadaMu yang menjadi benteng urusan hidupku. Perbaikanlah urusan keduniaanku yang menjadi punca penghidupanku . Perbaikanlah urusan akhiratku yang menjadi bekal perkembalianku. Jadikanlah hidup ini menambahkan setiap kebajikan kepadaku dan jadikanlah kematianku itu sebagai suatu kerehatan untukku dari segala kejahatan. Amin!!"

KEWAJIPAN MEMBAYAR ZAKAT FITRAH

Bayar Zakat Fitrah

Diriwayatkan dari Umar bin Nafi’ dari ayahnya dari Ibnu Umar ia berkata ; Rasulullah telah mewajibkan zakat fitrah satu sha’ dari kurma atau satu sha’ dari sya’iir atas seorang hamba, merdeka, laki-laki, wanita, anak kecil dan orang dewasa dari kaum muslimin dan beliau memerintahkan agar di tunaikan / dikeluarkan sebelum manusia keluar untuk solat ‘ied. ( H. R : Al-Bukhary, Abu Daud dan Nasa’i):

Aku memang tidap abaikan kewajipan ini. Untuk tahun ini aku telah pun jelaskannya kepada Ustaz Nazri, Imam Satu Masjid Darul Barakah, Taman BDC ( bukan ABC) .

Dalam pembacaan aku, maksud perkataan sha' itu ialah satu jenis alat sukatan semacam cupak-gantang gitu....sukatannya mungkin tak sama dengan sukatan cupak-gantang yang biasa dipakai didaerah kita disini.

Wallahua'lam..elok bertanya kepada jauhari kalau nak tahu akan maknikam.

Yang dimaksudkan dengan maknikam ini ialah satu jenis batu permata yang sangat tinggi nilainya tidak setanding berbanding dengan batu-batu yang lain.

Yang dimaksudkan dengan jauhari pula ialah seorang yang arif /pakar mengenai kajian, perbezaan dan nilai batu-batan permata dan sekarang ini orang yang ada kepandaian sebegitu dikenali sebagai germatologiest gitu..

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BUAH KORMA DAN RAMADHAN

KURMA dan puasa Ramadhan, dua hal yang sulit dipisahkan. Setiap kali Ramadhan tiba, tiap kali pula buah ini datang menyerbu, seakan dikerah , buah kurma tiba-tiba mudah ditemukan di merata-rata tempat. Mulai dari pasar tradisional, pasar ramadhan, pasar tani bahkan pasar gergasi , buah kurma dapat ditemukan.

Seperti buah lainnya, kurma juga memiliki berbagai jenis. Tetapi, saat ini yang paling dikenal di dunia hanya dua jenis saja. Yakni kurma Mekkah dan kurma Madinah.Ada juga yang nombor wahid iaitu "korma nabi atau ajwa", dan juga korma jantan.

Wallahua'lam.

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RAMADHAN KAREEM

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves;
and remember with gratitude God's favour on you;
for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace,
ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.
Thus doth God make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.

Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong:
They are the ones to attain felicity.

(Quran 3:103-104)

Labbaikallah humma Labbaik

Aku ini kembara jalanan
Yang meniti usia yang masih ada
Sentuhan Ilahi memanggilku
Menanti di muka Kaabah rumah suci.

For your info, I will be away from 22nd August until 1st September 09. I will be visiting Holy Land of Medinah dan Makkah to perform UMRAH and to experience of fasting during Ramadhan. In this regards, this blog will be KIV for a while. Insha Allah with the blessing of Allah Azza wajalla, it will continue later by the first week of September 2009. I would humbly request to all readers to pray to the almighty God for my safe journey and smooth running of the program during my stay and performing my ibadat overthere.

Happy Ramadhan.

Lailatul Qadr : The Night of Power

Qadr means honour and dignity. Lailatul Qadr means the night of honour and dignity. It is this night in which the first Divine Revelation came to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, when he was in prayer in the cave of Hira. Since this night enjoys the honour of having the first revelation brought to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, it has been named Lailatul Qadr.

This is one of the holiest and most blessed nights, which is likely to occur on one of the odd nights on the last ten days of Ramadhan and most likely to be the 27th. The reward of worship on this night is better than the worship of a thousand months of worship, equivalent to a person's lifetime. So, on this night one should pray nafil namaz, recite the Quran, do Tasbih, Zikr, Duas, etc as much as possible.

This night had already opened its gates of treasures when the angel for the first time had come with the Divine Message in the cave of Hira, but its auspiciousness has continued to be with us permanently. Every year in the month of Ramadhan, this night is given to the Ummah. Muslims engage in prayers, recitation of Quran and praying to Allah, as the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam said: "The person who offered prayers to Allah in the night of Dignity with faith and with hope of reward from Allah, all his past sins have been forgiven." (Bukhaari)

As the rainy season is suitable for farming, similarly for the attainment of nearness to Allah, specific times , specific days and specific nights are most suitable, e.g. the time of Tahajjud prayers, Friday prayers, month of Ramadhan, the Day of Arafah, etc. So also the Night of Power is the most suitable night for attaining nearness to Allah.

In the Hadeeth, we have been asked to seek it in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadhan. Hazrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhi wasallam has said, 'Seek the night of Dignity in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan'.(Bukhaari).

By odd nights, the reference is made to the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th night of the month of Ramadhan. No one night has been fixed so that the yearning to find it may increase and people may spend more nights in worshipping Allah. From this aspect, the importance of `Itikaaf (seclusion) during the last ten days of Ramadhan is clear.

HAPPY RAMADHAN ...MAY ALLAH THE ALMIGHTY BLESS US ALL

When is Ramadan in 2010?

Ramadan in 2010 will start on Wednesday, the 11th of August and will continue for 30 days until Thursday, the 9th of September.

Based on sightability in North America, in 2010 Ramadan will start in North America a day later - on Thursday, the 12th of August.

Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Ramadan on the sunset of Tuesday, the 10th of August.

Although Ramadan is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. This difference means Ramadan moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The date of Ramadan may also vary from country to country depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

The dates provided here are based on the dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America for the celebration of Ramadan. Note that these dates are based on astronomical calculations to affirm each date, and not on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked eyes. This approach is accepted by many, but is still being hotly debated

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Nuzul al-Quran dan Lailatul Qadar Oleh; Dr. Samsu Adabi Mamat Jabatan Pengajian Arab dan Tamadun Islam

Peristiwa nuzul al-Quran menjadi satu rakaman sejarah dalam kehidupan Nabi SAW hingga seterusnya berperingkat-peringkat menjadi lengkap sebagaimana kitab al-Quran yang ada pada hari ini. Peristiwa Nuzul al-Quran berlaku pada malam Jumaat, 17 Ramadan, tahun ke-41 daripada keputeraan Nabi Muhamad SAW. Perkataan ‘Nuzul’ bererti turun atau berpindah dari atas ke bawah. Bila disebut bahawa al-Quran adalah mukjizat terbesar Nabi SAW maka ianya memberi makna terlalu besar kepada umat Islam terutamanya yang serius memikirkan rahsia al-Quran.

‘Al-Quran’ bererti bacaan atau himpunan. Di dalamnya terhimpun ayat-ayat yang menjelaskan pelbagai perkara meliputi soal tauhid, ibadat, jinayat, muamalat, sains, teknologi dan sebagainya. Kalimah al-Quran, sering dicantumkan dengan rangkai kata ‘al-Quran mukjizat akhir zaman’ atau ‘al-Quran yang mempunyai mukjizat’. Malah inilah sebenarnya kelebihan al-Quran dimana tidak ada satu perkara pun yang dicuaikan atau tertinggal di dalam al-Quran. Dengan lain perkataan segalanya terdapat di dalam al-Quran. Firman Allah:

"Dan tidak seekor pun binatang yang melata di bumi, dan tidak seekor pun burung yang terbang dengan kedua sayapnya, melainkan mereka umat-umat seperti kamu. Tiada Kami tinggalkan sesuatu pun di dalam kitab Al-Quran ini; kemudian mereka semuanya akan dihimpunkan kepada Tuhan mereka" (untuk dihisab dan menerima balasan). (Al-An’am:38)

Al-Quran adalah hidayah, rahmat, syifa, nur, furqan dan pemberi penjelasan bagi manusia. Segala isi kandungan Al-Quran itu benar. Al-Quran juga dikenali sebagai Al-Nur bererti cahaya yang menerangi, Al-Furqan bererti yang dapat membezakan di antara yang hak dan batil dan Al-Zikr pula bermaksud yang memberi peringatan.

Dalam sejarah kehidupan Nabi SAW ayat al-Quran yang mula-mula diturunkan Allah kepada beliau melalui perantaraan malaikat Jibrail a.s. ialah lima ayat pertama daripada surah Al-‘Alaq. maksudnya:

”Bacalah (wahai Muhammad) dengan nama Tuhan mu yang menciptakan (sekalian makhluk), Ia menciptakan manusia dari sebuku darah beku; Bacalah, dan Tuhan mu Yang Maha Pemurah, -Yang mengajar manusia melalui pena dan tulisan, -Ia mengajarkan manusia apa yang tidak diketahuinya.” (al-‘alaq:1-5)

Hubungan Lailatul Qadar dan Nuzul al-Quran

Lailatul Qadar pula ialah suatu malam pada bulan Ramadhan yang begitu istimewa sekali fadilatnya. Malam al-Qadar adalah suatu malam yang biasanya berlaku pada 10 akhir Ramadhan dan amalan pada malam itu lebih baik baik dari amalan 1000 bulan.

Apakah kaitannya malam al-Qadar dengan nuzul al-Quran? Sebenarnya al-Quran dan malam Lailatulqadar mempunyai hubungan yang rapat antara satu sama lain sebagaimana yang diterangkan di dalam kitab Allah dan hadis Rasulullah SAW di antaranya firman Allah SWT

Maksudnya: "Sesungguhnya Kami telah menurunkan (Al-Quran) ini pada Malam Lailatul-Qadar, Dan apa jalannya engkau dapat mengetahui apakah dia kebesaran Malam Lailatul-Qadar itu? Malam Lailatul-Qadar lebih baik daripada seribu bulan. Pada Malam itu, turun malaikat dan Jibril dengan izin Tuhan mereka, kerana membawa segala perkara (yang ditakdirkan berlakunya pada tahun yang berikut); Sejahteralah Malam (yang berkat) itu hingga terbit fajar! (al-Qadar:1-5)

Mengikut satu pandangan, ayat ini diturunkan berdasarkan satu riwayat dari Ali bin Aurah. Pada satu hari Rasulullah SAW telah menyebut 4 orang Bani Israel yang telah beribadah kepada Allah selama 80 tahun. Mereka sedikit pun tidak derhaka kepada Allah, lalu para sahabat kagum dengan perbuatan mereka itu. Jibril datang memberitahu kepada Rasulullah SAW menyatakan bahawa Allah SWT menurunkan yang lebih baik dari amalan mereka. Jibril pun membaca surah al-Qadar dan Jibril memberutahu kepada Rasulullah, bahawa ayat ini lebih baik daripada apa yang engkau kagumkan ini, menjadikan Rasulullah SAW dan para sahabat amat gembira.

Dalam hadis yang lain Aishah juga meriwayatkan bahawa Rasulullah SAW bersabda: bersedialah dengan bersungguh-sungguh untuk menemui malam Lailatul qadar pada malam-malam yang ganjil dalam 10 malam yang akhir daripada bulan Ramadhan.

Panduan

Dari maklumat serba sedikit di atas tadi sebenarnya banyak boleh dijadikan panduan kepada umat Islam seluruhnya. Antara panduan berkenaan ialah seperti:

1. Tidak ada perkara yang terkecuali di dalam al-Quran

2. Ayat pertama diturunkan ialah ‘iqra’ iaitu ‘baca’ dan Tuhan mengajarkan manusia melalui perantaraan Pena dan Tulisan.

3. Kelemahan umat Nabi Muhammad beribadat, maka dianugerahkan satu masa yang apabila mereka mendapatkannya, mereka akan digandakan ganjaran pahala melebihi ganjaran seribu bulan.

Apabila disebutkan bahawa tidak ada perkara yang tidak terdapat di dalam al-Quran itu, maka ianya memberikan makna bahawa segala ilmu pengetahuan yang merangkumi fardu ‘ain dan fardu kifayah dalam segenap aspek kehidupan merangkumi ekonomi, sosial, perundangan, pendidikan, sains dan teknologi dan lain-lain, segalanya terdapat dalam al-Quran. Tafsiran, kupasan, analisa dan penyelidikan membolehkan umat Islam maju mendahului umat-umat lain di dunia ini.

Manakala penurunan al-Quran pula didahului dengan suatu kalimah ‘iqra’’ iaitu ‘baca’ di mana membaca adalah kunci kepada penerokaan ilmu. Selepas itu pula Allah mengiringi dengan ayat yang bermaksud; " Yang mengajar manusia melalui pena dan tulisan, -Ia mengajarkan manusia apa yang tidak diketahuinya.” Keadaan ini menguatkan lagi bahawa pembacaan dan penulisan itu menjadi antara perkara yang paling penting dalam penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan. Sebagaimana diketahui umum melalui satu ungkapan bahawa: “ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi itu adalah kuasa”.

Perkara ketiga ialah hikmah dari anugerah malam al-qadar kepada umat Nabi Muhammad SAW sebagai umat akhir zaman. Mengetahui kelemahan umat Islam akhir zaman ini dalam beribadah maka dianugerahkan satu peluang di mana ibadah yang dilaksanakan pada malam itu digandakan sehingga 1000 bulan. Bermakna kiranya kita dapat melaksanakan ibadah dengan penuh keimanan di 10 akhir Ramadhan, kita akan berpeluang mendapat malam al-Qadar. Ini akan menjadikan kita bagaikan sama dengan beramal ibadah selama 1000 bulan iaitu sekitar 83 tahun. Menjadikan kita bagaikan menggunakan seluruh umur kita dengan ibadah kepada Allah.

Bagi mencari malam-malam yang berkemungkinan sebagai Malam Al-qadar, maka kalangan ulama ada menyatakan bahawa, malam-malam yang ganjil yang tersebut ialah malam 21, 23, 25, 27 & 29 dari bulan Ramadhan. Dalam pada itu terdapat juga beberapa hadis yang menyatakan bahawa malam al-qadar itu pernah ditemui dalam zaman Rasulullah SAW pada malam 21 Ramadhan. Pernah juga ditemui pada malam 23 Ramadhan. Terdapat juga hadis yang mengatakan bahawa baginda Rasulullah SAW. menjawab pertanyaan seorang sahabat yang bertanya mengenai masa Lailatulqadar supaya ia bersedia dan menghayatinya. Baginda menjelaskan malam Lailatulqadar itu adalah malam 27 Ramadhan.

Dari keterangan-keterangan di atas dapatlah kita membuat kesimpulan bahawa malam Lailatulqadar itu berpindah dari satu tahun ke satu tahun yang lain di dalam lingkungan 10 malam yang akhir dari bulan Ramadhan. Yang pastinya bahawa masa berlakunya malam Lailatulqadar itu tetap dirahsiakan oleh Allah SWT supaya setiap umat Islam menghayati 10 malam yang akhir daripada Ramadhan dengan amal ibadat. Dengan beribadah di sepuluh malam terakhir itu, mudah-mudahan akan dapat menemuinya sebagai bekalan kehidupan akhirat.

Kesimpulan

Sebagai kesimpulannya marilah kita sama-sama menghayati nuzul al-Quran ini sebagai suatu peristiwa besar yang penuh makna dan hikmah. Kita seharusnya melihat al-Quran itu sebagai ‘kitab induk’ panduan Ilmu pengetahuan untuk memajukan manusia seluruhnya. Memajukan manusia yang lebih penting adalah memajukan umat Islam terlebih dahulu melalui penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Membaca al-Quran itu adalah suatu ibadah. Sekarang bolehlah kita panjangkan ‘membaca’ al-Quran itu kepada menganalisa, mengkaji, menyelidiki dan mencari rahsia ilmu pengetahuan di dalamnya dan seterusnya menghasilkan penulisan-penulisan yang akhirnya memajukan dunia ini dan khasnya memajukan umat Islam dan seterusnya mengeluarkan umat Islam dari belenggu kelemahan dan penghinaan.

Umat Islam juga perlu mempertingkatkan amal ibadah terutamanya mengejar anugerah Tuhan yang tidak terhingga kepada umat Islam akhir zaman. Beribadah di 10 akhir Ramadhan memberikan kita peluang keemasan ganjaran pahala seolah-olah beribadah sepanjang hidup kita iaitu 1000 bulan (sekitar 83 tahun).


Tarikh : 03 October 2006
[Zakaria Bin Othman]
Editor : PRO JAKIM []
Hits : 11229

The Meaning of Ramadan

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.

The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam , fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Quran, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds. For Muslims (Submitters), Ramadan is an opportunity to gain by giving up, to prosper by going without and to grow stronger by enduring weakness.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

Who Fasts in Ramadan?

Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on those who can do it. . Sick people and some travelers in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able.

From Dawn to Sunset

The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. In between -- that is, during the dawn and daylight hours -- Muslims (Submitters) totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sex. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (sahoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.

The Islamic lunar calendar, being 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, migrates throughout the seasons. Thus, if Ramadan begins on January 20 one year, next year it will begin on January 9. In this way, the length of the day, and thus the fasting period, varies in length from place to place over the years. Every Muslim, no matter where he or she lives, will see an average Ramadan day of the approximately 13.5 hours.

Devotion to God

The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. The night on which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet,( PEACE BE UPON HIM ) known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Quran states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims (Submitters) spend the entire night in prayer.

During the month, Muslims (Submitters) try to read as much of the Quran as they can. Some spend part of their day listening to the recitation of the Quran in a mosque. Meet for Quranic studies or for congregation prayers. Some spend the last ten days of Ramadan in a mosque devoting the whole ten days for worshipping God.

Better than a 1000 months

[97:1] We revealed it (Quran) in the Night of Destiny.
[97:2] How awesome is the Night of Destiny!
[97:3] The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months.
[97:4] The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by their Lord's leave, to carry out every command.
[97:5] Peaceful it is until the advent of the dawn.

Food in Ramadan

Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims (Submitters) in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month. Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening meal.

Some Muslims (Submitters) find that they eat less for dinner during Ramadan than at other times due to stomach contraction. However, as a rule, most Muslims experience little fatigue during the day since the body becomes used to the altered routine during the first week of Ramadan.