Sunnahs Neglected in Ramadaan
Creator: Muhammad Nasir-ud-deen Al-Albaani
Date: 2007-08-18
Format: text
Identifier: http://web.archive.org/web/20020811174749/www.al-manhaj.com/articleprnt.cfm?ArticleID=21
Language: en
Subject: ramadhan
Title: Sunnahs Neglected in Ramadaan
Created on: Sat Aug 18 19:23:13 -0400 2007
Updated on: Sat Aug 18 19:23:13 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... (saws) used to break the Fast with three dates. He would eat three dates. Then he would pray the Maghrib Prayer, then he would eat again if he found that he needed to eat the evening meal. But today we fall into two offences: (i) Firstly we delay the Adhaan from its legislated time. Then after this delay comes another delay, which is that we sit down for a meal - except for a few people who are eager and pray the Maghrib Prayer in the mosque. But the majority of the people wait until they hear the Adhaan, and then they sit down to eat as if they are having a dinner, or their evening meal, and not just breaking their fast. So the Adhaan these days - in most of the lands of Islaam, is, unfortunately, I have to say, and not just in Jordan, and I have known this from investigation, in most of the lands of Islaam - the Adhaan for Maghrib is given after the time it becomes due. And the reason for this is that we have abandoned adhering to and applying the Islamic rulings, and instead we have come to depend upon astronomical calculations. We depend upon the timetable. But these time-tables are based upon astronomical calculations which count the land as being a single flat plane. So they give a time for this flat plane, whereas the reality is that the land, particularly in this land of ours varies, varying between the depression of valleys and the elevation of mountains. So it is not correct that a single time be given which covers the shore, the planes and the mountains. No, each part of the land has its own time. So therefore whoever is able in his place of residence, in his city or his village, to see the sun set with his own eye, then whatever time it sets at, that is the hastening that we have been commanded with in his (saws) saying, which we just mentioned: 'My Ummah will continue to be upon good as long as they hasten to break the fast.' So the Prophet (saws) was careful to implement this Sunnah by teaching it, and by putting it into practice. As for his teaching, then he (saws) said, in the hadeeth reported by al-Bukharee in his Saheeh (no. 1954), "If the night appears from this side," and he pointed towards the east, "and the day has departed from here," and he pointed towards the west, "and the sun has set, then the fasting person's fast is broken" What does 'the fasting person's fast is broken' mean? It means he has entered under the ruling that he should break his fast. So then comes the previous ruling where the Messenger (saws) encouraged hastening to break the Fast, and the Messenger (saws) used to implement this, even when he was riding on a journey. So it is reported in the Saheeh of al-Bukharee (no.1955) that the Prophet (saws) ordered one of his Companions to prepare the Iftaar for him. So he replied, 'O Messenger of Allaah it is still daytime before us.' Meaning: the light of the sun, so even though it had set, yet its light was still clear in the west. So the Messenger (saws) did not respond to what he had said, rather he re-emphasized the command to him to prepare the Iftaar. So the narrator of the hadeeth who said, We could see daylight in front of us,¹ meaning: the light of day, the light of the sun, When we broke our fast,¹ said, "If one of us had climbed onto his camel he would have seen the sun." The sun had set from here, and the Messenger (saws) ordered one of the Companions to prepare the Iftaar - Why? To hasten upon good "My Ummah will continue upon good for as long as they hasten to break the Fast." So what is important is that we notice that the Iftaar, which is legislated to be hastened must be done with a few dates. Then we must hasten to perform the Prayer. Then after this the people can sit and eat as they need. This is the first matter, which I wanted to remind you of, and it is how to reconcile the two things that the Prophet (saws) commanded we should hasten to perform. The first being the command to hasten the breaking of the Fast, and the second being the command to hasten the Maghrib Prayer. So the Iftaar should be done with some dates, as occurs in the Sunnah, and if dates are not available, then with some gulps of water. Then the Prayer should be prayed in congregation in the mosque. The other matter which I want to remind you of is what occurs in the previous hadeeth, "And they delay the pre-dawn meal" meaning: what is required here is the opposite to the case of the Iftaar. So he (saws) commanded us to hasten to perform the Iftaar. But as for the Suhoor, then it should be delayed. But what happens today is totally contrary to this, since many people eat their Suhoor before the appearance of Fajr by perhaps an hour. This is not befitting. This is contrary to the Sunnah shown by the saying of the Prophet (saws) and by his practice. So the Companions of the Prophet (saws) used to leave the Suhoor so late, that one of them would almost hear the Adhaan and he would still be eating because he had delayed the Suhoor. Indeed there is an authentic hadeeth reported from the Prophet (saws) which shows the ease afforded by Islaam, to be counted as one of the principles of Islaam, which the Muslims are proud of, especially with regard to the matter of Fasting, since Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, concluded the aayahs concerning Fasting with His Saying: 'Allaah desires ease for you, and He does not desire to make things difficult for you. So from this ease is his (saws) saying, "If one of you hears the call to Prayer and the vessel is in the hand of one of you, then let him not put it down until he fulfils his need from it." " If one of you hears the call to Prayer and the vessel" the vessel containing food, whether it be milk, some drink, water, anything which a person may take as Suhoor, and he hears the Adhaan, then he should not say, Now the food is forbidden due to the Adhaan being heard. The person who has had enough, it is not allowed for him to then have any more, whether it be a drink, or some fruit, when he has had his fill of whatever he was eating. But as for the one who hears the Adhaan and he has not yet taken what he needs from the food and the drink, then the Messenger (saws) made that lawful for him. So he clearly said, in the clear and eloquent Arabic language, "If one of you hears the call to Prayer, and the vessel is in his hand, then let him not put it down until he fulfils his need from it." And what is meant here by the call is the second call, the second Adhaan. It is not the first Adhaan, which they wrongly call the Adhaan of Imsaak (i.e. withholding). We must kn... 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