The Jewels of

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In the Holy Month Ramadan






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1
st
Edition

1427 - 2006






Darulfatwa - Islamic High Council

Tel: +612 9793 3330 Fax: +612 9793 3103
PO Box 147 Bankstown NSW 2200
www. d a r u l f a t wa . o r g . a u

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Contents

How Ramadan starts . 4
Fasting the month of Ramadan ......12
Who must fast .......13
Integrals of fasting .. 15
Types of Blasphemy ... 17
Obligations upon the one not fasting .... 24
Recommended Deeds while fasting . 28
The Night of Qadr ... 30
Zakah of Fitr .... 40
Recepients of Zakah ...... 41
^Id prayer ..... 43
Recommended acts on the day of ^Id ..44

Takbirs of ^Id ....... 46
Meaning of Takbirs ............ 47

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How the Month of Ramadan Starts
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and
may Allah raise the rank of our Master
Muhammad, and protect his nation from what
he fears for it.
Fasting Ramadan is among the best acts of
obedience, among the greatest deeds, and
one of the most important matters of Islam.
The scholars of the four schools of thought
(Madhahib) agreed that the basis for
determining the beginning of Ramadan is as
follows:
The crescent is observed with the
naked eye after the sunset of the 29
th

day of Sha^ban. If the crescent is
sighted, then the following day will be
the first day of Ramadan. If the
crescent was not in view, then the
next day will be the 30th day of
Sha^ban and the following day will be
the beginning of Ramadan.

5
Muslims in all countries around the world have
implemented this practice in determining the
beginning and the end of Ramadan and highly
knowledgeable scholars have ruled
accordingly. Moreover, they have stated
that reliance should be placed on this rule and
no attention be given to the sayings of
mathematicians and astronomers.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said
what means:
Begin fasting Ramadan upon
seeing the crescent and end it
upon seeing the crescent of the
following month. But if the crescent
is blocked from view, then fast for
30 days.
(Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his
Musnad, Imam Muslim in his Sahih
and Imam an-Nasaiyy and Ibn Majah
in their Sunan through the route of
Abu Hurayrah)
Al-Bukhariyy, Muslim, and others narrated
through the route of ^Abdullah Ibn ^Umar,

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may Allah raise his rank, that the Prophet,
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said what means:
The lunar month is 29 nights, so do
not fast until you sight the
crescent. But if the crescent was
blocked from view, then complete
the count to 30.
Imam Ahmad, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud and
An-Nasa'iyy all narrated that the Prophet,
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said what means:
We do not rely on writings or
calculations to determine the
beginning or the end of the month.
The month is either 29 or 30 days.
The following are some statements from the
four madhahib (schools of thought):
From the Shafi^iyy School:
In his book Asna Al-Matalib Sharh Rawd
Attalib, Shaykh Zakariyya Al-Ansariyy, who
died in 925 AH, said what means:

7
The calculations of the astronomer
have no significance. They do not
determine the obligation of fasting and
it is a sin to rely on them for that
purpose. The meaning of Ayah:
f9$/ G
(Surat An-Nahl, Verse 16) refers to
deducing the direction of the Qiblah.
From the Hanafiyy School:
Ibn ^Abidin, who died in 1252 AH, in his
annotations on Ad-dur Al-Mukhtar, a well-
known book, said what means:
The statement of the astronomers is
not taken into consideration.
Moreover, the book Al-Mi^raj states:
Their sayings are not taken into
consideration by scholarly consensus
and it is not permissible for the

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astronomer to fast relying on his own
calculation.
(Volume 3, p 354, Published by Darul-
Kutub Al ^ilmiyyah)
From the Malikiyy School:
Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Mayyarah Al-
Malikiyy, who died in 1072 AH, in Addur Ath-
Thamin said that Ash-Shahab Al-Qarafiyy,
who died in 684 AH, related that Sanad, who
in turn died in 541 AH, said what means:
If an Imam (Muslim ruler) declared the
beginning of fasting based upon
calculations, then the Muslims must
not follow him, because the Salaf
agreed by scholarly consensus that
determining Ramadan by calculations
is invalid.
(p 327, published by Darul-Fikr)
In Ash-Sharh al-Kabir Shaykh Ahmad ad-
Dardir al-Malikiyy, who died in 1201 AH, from
the school of Imam Malik, said what means:

9
It is stated that the beginning of
Ramadan is not confirmed by the
saying of an astronomer, neither for
himself nor for others.
(Volume 1, p 462)
From the Hanbaliyy School:
In his book, Kashshaf Al-Qina^, Al-Buhutiyy
al-Hanbaliyy, who died in 1051 AH, who is
among the famous Hanbaliyy scholars, said
what means:
If one intended to fast the 30
th
day of
Sha^ban without lawful evidence, then
ones fasting is invalid. This means if
ones fasting was based upon
calculations or astronomy rather than
on sighting the crescent or completing
Sha^ban (if the crescent is blocked
from view), then ones fasting is
invalid, even if calculations or the
sayings of astronomers regarding the
new moon often coincide with the
observed beginning of Ramadan, or
after a clear night. Later, if he knew
that the day he fasted was actually the

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first day of Ramadan; his fasting was
still invalid because it was not based
on religiously acceptable means to
commence with.
(Volume 2, p 302, published by: Darul
Fikr)
Conclusion
Clearly, the Scholars of the four schools
agree that no consideration should be
given to the sayings of the astrologers,
astronomers and/or mathematicians for
determining the beginning and end of the
month of Ramadan. Moreover, many
scholars conveyed the scholarly
consensus on this ruling. Reliance should
be placed upon sighting the crescent or
completing 30 days of Sha^ban as
mentioned by many numbers of scholars
within these schools.
We advise every Muslim to abide by the
sayings mentioned by the fuqaha of the four
schools. The Muslim nation unanimously
agreed on the high rank and integrity of those

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scholars. Let the Muslim learn the rules of
fasting by studying under someone who
possesses both knowledge and
trustworthiness and is someone who has
acquired the knowledge from another
trustworthy and knowledgeable person, and
so on until the continuous chain reaches right
back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him).










12
Fasting the Month of Ramadan
Fasting the month of Ramadan is an
obligatory and great worship. It is among the
best acts of obedience. In fasting there is a
great reward.
The obligation of fasting Ramadan on the
believers is known from the Quran and the
Hadith. Verse no 183 of Surat al-Baqarah
means:
Oh believers, fasting is an
obligation upon you, as it was
ordained upon the Muslim nations
before you, to help you become
pious.
Fasting was an obligation on the nations
before the nation of Prophet Muhammad.
However, fasting the month of Ramadan in
particular is a specification for the nation of
Prophet Muhammad only.
Consequently, for the one who has learned of
its obligation, renouncing the obligation of
fasting the month of Ramadan is blasphemy

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because it entails belying Allah and the
Prophet.
Who Must Fast Ramadan
Every accountable Muslim is obligated to fast
the month of Ramadan.
A young child is not obligated to fast.
However, it is an obligation on the guardian of
the child to order him or her to fast once the
child reaches 7 (lunar) years of age, with the
condition that the childs body can withstand
fasting without being harmed.
For one to be obligated to fast, one must be of
sound mind. Fasting is not obligatory on the
insane person.
Fasting is not obligatory on a person whose
body cannot tolerate fasting, either due to old
age or severe illness.
The one who is travelling a walking distance of
two or more days (about 80 miles or 130
kilometres) is permitted to break their fast,

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provided his reason for travelling is not sinful.
However, one must make up the missed days.
Fasting is not obligatory on the menstruating
woman, or the woman who has postpartum
bleeding. In fact, it is unlawful for them to fast.
The woman who missed days of fasting during
Ramadan for these reasons has to make up
the missed days.
The pregnant woman is permitted to break her
fast if she fears harm may come to her or her
baby from fasting. This includes the breast-
feeding woman as well. She is permitted to
break her fast if she fears harm may come to
her or her baby from fasting. Both must make
up every missed day of fasting.





Integrals of fasting
It is obligatory to make the intention each night
to fast the following day of Ramadan. This
means to have the intention in one's heart to
fast during the night preceding the fasting day
(i.e. after the sunset and before the dawn of
the following day). If the menstrual or
postpartum bleeding of a woman stopped at
night, then she must intend to fast the
following day.
One must abstain between dawn and sunset
from inserting any substance into the head or
body cavity through an open inlet excluding
ones pure tahir saliva while still inside the
mouth. The open inlets of the body are the
mouth, nose, anus, vagina, and others.
One must also abstain from sexual intercourse
and masturbation.
One's fasting is invalidated by forcing oneself
to vomit either by inserting the finger into the
mouth or otherwise.

15

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Finally, the Muslim must abstain at all times
from committing apostasy (i.e. committing any
types of blasphemy), which takes him out of
Islam. Apostasy invalidates fasting, even if
one returns to Islam immediately afterwards.
After returning to Islam, one must abstain from
eating and other invalidators of fasting during
the whole day. Moreover, one must make up
the invalidated day(s) of fasting after
Ramadan.


















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Types of Blasphemy

Scholars of the four schools (madhahib)
classified apostasy into three categories.
These are beliefs in the heart, actions
committed by certain parts of the body, and
sayings with the tongue.

Ar-Ramliyy, from the school of Imam ash-
Shafi^iyy, classified apostasy into these three
categories and gave examples of each in his
book 'Explanation of Minhaj' as did Imam an-
Nawawiyy in his book 'Rawdat at-Talibin'.

Qadi ^Iyad and Imam Muhammad ^illaysh
from the Malikiyy school gave examples of
these three types of apostasy. Likewise did
Ibn ^Abidin and Badrur-Rashid from the
Hanafiyy school and Al-Buhutiyy from the
Hanbaliyy school.

Ibn as-Subkiyy said in his book 'At-Tabaqat':

Imam Al-Ash^ariyy, his students and
all Muslims agree upon considering a
blasphemer (kafir) he who says a
blasphemous word or commits a
blasphemous act. He is not a believer

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in Allah, and he shall remain in Hellfire
forever if he dies in that state, even if
he knew the truth in his heart. This is
a case of scholarly consensus (Ijma^),
not even two Muslims would disagree
on this matter.

The muhaddith hafidh, faqih and linguist
Murtada az-Zabidiyy said:

The scholars from the four schools
(madhahib) exposed the three types
of apostasy.

Each one of these three categories of
apostasy is divided into many subdivisions,
and the scholars gave many examples of
each.

Apostate Beliefs

Examples of the first category of apostasy are:

To believe that anything other than Allah
exists without a beginning. Only Allah exists
without a beginning and His attributes are
eternal and everlasting and do not change.
Everything else is a creation of Allah and has

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a beginning to its existence. Qadi ^Iyad, al-
Mutawalli, Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy, and
others established the scholarly consensus
(Ijma^) on the blasphemy of he who believes
the world exists without a beginning.

Renouncing any of the attributes of Allah
commonly known among the Muslims that He
is attributed with, such as knowing about
everything, is blasphemy. Also renouncing
that Allah is attributed with Power, Will,
Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, or Life is
blasphemy. Renouncing any of these
attributes of Allah is blasphemous because
the mind alone is sufficient in knowing that
Allah must be attributed with these attributes
(i.e. these attributes are a condition for the
status of Godhood and as such, one is not
excused by ignorance).

Ibn al-Jawziyy said:

There is scholarly consensus on the
blasphemy of he who negates Allah
has Power over everything.

He who believes that Allah resembles any
of His creations in His Self, Attributes, or

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Actions has blasphemed. The one who
believes that Allah is a body or light, or
believes that Allah exists above in the
heavens, or that He sits on the ^Arsh
(Throne) is a blasphemer. All these are
attributes of the creation and are non-befitting
to be attributed to the Creator. Had Allah
been attributed with such attributes, He would
have similar ones to those among His
creations.

Verse no 11 in surat ash-Shura means:

Nothing is like Him in any way.

If Allah had been a body, He would have
been susceptible to the things all bodies are
susceptible to, such as change, divisibility,
needing to occupy a space, and annihilation.
All of these are indications of shortage or
weakness and non-befitting to attribute to
Allah.

Apostate Actions

The second category of apostasy (i.e. actions
committed by different parts of the body)
includes:

21

Prostrating to an idol
Knowingly throwing the Book of the Qur'an
in the garbage. The latter also applies to any
papers containing Islamic information, or any
of the names of Allah, provided the thrower
knows what is in it and is conscious of this fact
when throwing the paper. This was mentioned
by Ibn ^Abidin and others because such an
action displays mockery of the Religion.
Apostate Sayings
The third category of apostasy (i.e. the
apostasy of sayings uttered with the tongue)
are very numerous and uncounted.
Some examples are:
To curse Allah, any of the Prophets, or one
of the angels, as stated by Qadi ^Iyad.
To say to a Muslim: 'O blasphemer',
meaning the religion of the addressed person
is blasphemy, but not with the purpose of
likening him to those blasphemers in
behaviour.

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To say: Something happened without the
will of Allah.
Also it is blasphemy for one to render
lawful what is commonly known among the
Muslims to be unlawful (e.g. adultery,
fornication, stealing, drinking alcohol).
To render unlawful matters commonly
known among the Muslims to be lawful (e.g.
selling, marriage).
The General Rule is: Any belief, action, or
saying which belittles Allah, His Books, His
Messengers, His Angels, His Rites, the well-
known practices of the Religion, His Rules,
His Promise, or His Threat is blasphemy.
Hence, human beings must use the utmost
caution to avoid blasphemy.

If a person commits apostasy, it is an
obligation to immediately clear oneself of
apostasy and return to Islam by uttering the
Testification of Faith (two shahadahs).
Although a Muslim, one is also obligated to
regret having committed apostasy and to
intend not to go back to a similar deed in the
future.


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A large number of faqihs (a faqih is the one
who is authoritatively knowledgeable in the
Religion) like the Hanafiyy faqih, Badr-ur-
Rashid, who lived close to the eighth Hijriyy
Century, and Qadi ^Iyad, may Allah ta^ala
have mercy upon them, enumerated many
blasphemous words one needs to know,
because whoever does not know evil is more
likely to fall into it.























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Obligations upon the one
not fasting during Ramadan

The obligation upon the one who did not fast
during the month of Ramadan is classified into
four categories:

1. Making up all the missed days only.
2. Making up all the missed days and
paying the fidyah (expiation).
3. Paying the fidyah only.
4. Making up all the missed days and
fulfilling the kaffarah.

The first category is divided into the
following:

a) The sick person.

b) The person who is travelling a walking
distance of two or more days (about
80 miles).

c) The menstruating woman or the
woman who has her postpartum
bleeding.


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d) The one who did not fast for a valid
reason, or invalidated his fast by other
than having sexual intercourse.

e) The pregnant or the breastfeeding
woman who fears harm may come to
her only due to her fasting.

Each one of those must make up all the
missed days without paying expiation.

The second category:

a) The pregnant or the breastfeeding
woman, who fears harm may come to
her baby due to fasting, must make up
every missed day of fasting in addition
to paying expiation. This expiation is a
pair of average-sized hands cupped
together filled with the most common
staple food of the area for each day
missed.
b) The one who did not make up the
missed days until the following
Ramadan.




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The third category:

a) The person whose body cannot
tolerate fasting due to an old age is
not obligated to fast. However one
pays expiation to a poor Muslim for
every day of fasting missed.

b) The sick person who cannot fast due
to an illness he or she is not hopeful
to be cured of does not have to make
up the missed days of fasting.
Instead, one pays expiation to a poor
Muslim for every day of fasting
missed. The expiation is a pair of
average-sized hands cupped together
(mudd) filled with the most common
staple food of the town. In Australia,
the most common staple food is
wheat.

The fourth category:

The man who performs sexual intercourse
during the day of fasting while knowing it is
unlawful to do so and remembering that he is
fasting, invalidates his fast. He has to make up

27
the missed days and fulfill the expiation which
is in the following order:

1. To free a Muslim slave,

2. If unable, then to fast two consecutive
lunar months, in addition to making up
the day which was invalidated by his
sexual intercourse;

3. If unable, then to feed 60 poor
Muslims the quantity of a pair of
average-sized hands cupped together
(i.e. one mudd) of the most common
staple food of the area.













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Recommended Deeds while Fasting
It is recommended (sunnah) to break ones
fast as soon as one is sure that the maghrib
(sunset) has begun.
It is good to say the following statement upon
breaking ones fast:

This means:
O Allah, I fasted seeking Your reward
and with Your sustenance I broke my
fast.
It is also good to delay the sahur meal until a
time close to the dawn, but to stop eating
before the dawn.
Refraining from backbiting, cursing a Muslim,
other sins, and the like is more emphasized
while fasting. In committing some sins, the
reward of ones fasting might be lessened or
lost. If someone curses another, let the one

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cursed abstain from responding with a similar
curse. Instead, let him say, "I am fasting. I am
fasting."
Paying the optional charity to the poor, reciting
the Quran, staying in the mosque with the
intention of i^tikaf, especially during the last
ten days of Ramadan, praying the Tarawih
prayer, and inviting others to break their fast
on food which you provide are all rewardable
acts.








30
The Night of Qadr

The Night of Qadr is a very great night in the
blessed month of Ramadan. It is The Night
of Greatness and is considered the best night
of year. During this night, Allah brought down
a great Book - the Qur'an. Each year, when
the Night of Qadr occurs, great angels and
great mercies come down to earth. This night
is not a night specific to the nation of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) which
occurred after the revelation to Prophet
Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.

It is known that the Night of Qadr occurred
during Ramadan in the eras of the previous
prophets. However, what is specific for the
nation of Prophet Muhammad is that Allah
guided them to know that the month of
Ramadan would be their fasting month.

In Surat al-Qadr, Allah, ta^ala, said:

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31
The first verse means:

The whole Qur'an was brought
down in its entirety during the
Night of Qadr.

The Qur'an was copied from the Guarded
Tablet and Jibril brought it down as a
complete book to Baytul-^Izzah in the first
sky. This occurred on the Night of Qadr in the
month of Ramadan in the year that Jibril first
brought the revelation to the Prophet. Then,
on the next day, Jibril came with the first five
verses of Suratul-^Alaq. This was the
beginning of the prophethood of Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him).

Ibn Hibban narrated from Wathilah Ibn al-
Asqa^ that he said:

The Prophet said what means: The
Torah was revealed on the 6
th
night
of Ramadan, the Injil on the 13
th

night, the Zabur on the 18
th
night,
and the Qur'an on the 24
th
night of
Ramadan.


32
From this hadith it is known that it is not a
condition that the Night of Qadr occurs on the
27
th
or the 29
th
of the month of Ramadan,
although from other hadiths we know that this
is most likely the case. Since the Night of
Qadr may occur on any of the nights of
Ramadan, the Muslims should put forth effort
to pray each night of Ramadan, seeking the
promised reward for the one who prays (the
optional prayers) during that night. Making the
extra effort in worshipping Allah especially
during the last ten days of Ramadan is
recommended, because in most of the cases,
the Night of Qadr occurs during one of those
nights.
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The second verse literally means:

How would you know what the
Night of Qadr is?

This means that before Allah informed you,
you did not know what the merit of that Night
was. This Ayah truly is a question which
emphasizes the high status of this night and
encourages the person to seek its goodness.


33
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The third verse is the answer to the previous
question. It means:

The reward one receives for
praying during this night is greater
than the reward received for
praying one thousand months
(which do not have the Night of
Qadr in them).

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The fourth verse means:

The angels (in great numbers),
including Jibril, descend from the
sky to the earth during that night,
and Allah gives them the
knowledge of what is going to
happen during the coming year.

It was narrated from Abu-Hurayrah that the
number of angels who would descend to earth
during that night may be more than the
number of pebbles on earth. Jibril, referred to
as "ar-Ruh" in this verse, will be among them.

34

Al-Hakim narrated from the Prophet that
during the Night of Qadr Jibril comes down to
earth with a group of angels, and they make
supplication (du^a') for every slave standing
up or sitting down mentioning Allah. In
another narration it is mentioned that these
angels descend to earth at sunset and remain
until the appearance of dawn.

During the Night of Qadr, Allah, tabaraka wa
ta^ala, gives the angels the knowledge of
what is going to happen during the coming
year in what pertains to the sustenance (rizq),
the changes in the situation of the slaves, and
the like. This is the meaning of min kulli amr
(of all the matters) in the verse. Allah informs
the angels about the details of the matters
which will happen in the next year including
what they are ordered to do that year. The
angels copy matters from the Guarded Tablet
which will happen during the coming year
including the births, deaths, sustenance,
calamities, enjoyments, and the like.

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The fifth verse means:


35
The night is full of safety,
goodness, and blessings (for the
obedient believer) until the
appearance of dawn.

Among the signs that show a person that he
or she witnessed the Night of Qadr are:

1) To see a great, clear light during the
night other than the light of the sun,
the moon, or electricity.

2) To see the trees prostrating.

3) To hear the voices of the angels.

4) To see the angels in their original form
with two, three, four or more wings, or
to see them in the shape of a human
being (i.e. the shape of a man without
genitalia). Note: Angels never
appear in the shape of a female as
explicitly stated in the Qur'an.

The way the sun rises the next morning is also
an indication that the previous night was the
Night of Qadr. When the sun is rising, its light
and heat is not intense.

36
It is a very good sign for the person who sees
the Night of Qadr and makes supplication
(du^a') during it. A great gift is hoped for this
person, and by the Will of Allah, the
supplication would be answered.

At-Tirmidhiyy narrated from ^A'ishah that she
said:

Oh Prophet of Allah, if I encounter the
Night of Qadr, then what should I say?
(What supplication should I make
during it?)

The Prophet answered what means:

Say, Oh Allah, You are the One
who forgives a great amount and
You love forgiveness, so forgive
me.

May Allah bless us with seeing the signs of
this great Night and making supplication
during it.

There is wisdom in hiding from the slaves
exactly which night is the Night of Qadr. This
is so they put forth effort during all the nights

37
of Ramadan hoping they would acquire the
reward of praying during the Night of
Qadr. One would get the aforementioned
multiplication of the reward promised in the
verses of the Qur'an, by praying during that
night, whether one prays many optional
rak^ahs or a feweven two rak^ahs.

Reciting for a long time during the prayer is
better than reciting for a short time. If one has
the choice between praying a few number of
rak^ahs with a longer recitation in each and
praying many rak^ahs but reciting for a short
time during each rak^ah, then the first is
better.

It is not a condition that one actually witnesses
the signs of the Night of Qadr to get the
promised reward of praying during that night.

Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated from the
Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, that the
one who prays during the Night of Qadr (out of
believing in Allah and seeking His reward)
then Allah forgives their previous sins.
Some scholars said that the one who prays
the Dawn Prayer (Subh) and the Evening
Prayer (^Isha') in congregation each day of

38
Ramadan would get the reward of the Night of
Qadreven if he does not see the signs of
that night. What a great reward!

Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim also narrated from
^A'ishah that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam, urged the Muslims to take very
special care to pray during the last ten nights
of Ramadan, because most often the Night of
Qadr is one of those nights. Likewise, they
both narrated from ^A'ishah that she said:

When the last ten nights of Ramadan
started, the Prophet used to put a
forth-great endeavour in worshipping
during these nights. He used to pray
the whole night and also wake his
wives to pray.

They also related from ^A'ishah that the
Prophet used to make I^tikaf (stay in the
mosque during the last ten nights of
Ramadan) each year until he died.

Praying during all the nights of Ramadan has
a great reward. Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam urged us to do
that. Imam Muslim narrated from the Prophet

39
that Allah forgives the previous sins of the one
who prays all the nights of Ramadan out of
believing in Allah and for His sake.

O Allah, You are the One who forgives a
great amount and You love forgiveness so
forgive us.






















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Zakah of Fitr

The Zakah of Fitr is due on every Muslim who
is alive for part of Ramadan and part of
Shawwal (the month after Ramadan).

The due Zakah for each is a sa^ (four times
the quantity of a pair of average-sized hands
cupped together), filled with the most common
staple food of one's area.It is an obligation
upon the Muslim to pay the due Zakah for
oneself and one's Muslim dependants if on the
day of the Feast of Fitr (^Id-ul-Fitr) and the
night after it one has enough to meet their
debts, clothing, lodging, and sustenance, and
the sustenance of those whom one must
support.

The man must pay the Zakah of Fitr for his
wife, non-pubescent children, slaves, and poor
Muslim parents. He may not pay for his
pubescent children or solvent parents without
their permission. It is permissible to pay the
Fitr Zakah any time during Ramadan, even on
the first night. However, it is recommended to
pay it during the day of the Feast before the
^Id Prayer, because this mends the hearts of
the poor people before the Prayer. It is

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prohibited to delay paying the Fitr Zakah until
after the sunset of the day of the Feast without
an excuse.

Recipients of Zakah

Zakah must be paid to the Muslims among the
eight categories of people deserving of Zakah,
who are residents in the town where the
money is available.

The eight categories deserving of Zakah are:

1. Those who are poor who earn less
than half their basic needs (al-
Fuqara').

2. Those who are poor who earn half or
more but less than all their basic
needs (al-Masakin).

3. The Zakah workers who are assigned
by the caliph (al-^Amilun ^Alayha).

4. The new converts to Islam whose
hearts are to be reconciled (al-
Mu'allafatu Qulubuhum).


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5. The slaves who are short in satisfying
their contract for purchasing their
freedom from their owners (ar-Riqab).

6. Those who are unable to pay their
debts (al-Gharimun).

7. The volunteer fighters (fi Sabilillah).

8. The travellers who are unable
financially to reach their destination
(Ibn-us-Sabil).

It is neither permissible nor valid to pay Zakah
to other than those eight types of people
specifically mentioned. That is why it is not
valid to pay Zakah for every charitable project
such as helping build a mosque or the like.






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^Id Prayer
^Id prayer can be performed in congregation,
or individually any time between sunrise and
noon. The best time of the ^Id prayer is after
the sun has reached the height of a spear
(approximately 20 minutes from sunrise).
However if one missed it one should make it
up.
The ^Id prayer is not preceded by the adhan
(the call to announce the prayer time) or
iqamah (the call to start prayer).
The one who performs the ^Id prayer must
satisfy the conditions and avoid the
invalidators of prayer. The ^Id prayer consists
of two Rak^ahs. It is initiated with the opening
takbir, with the intention to perform ^Id Prayer
with the Imam, followed by the opening
supplication, and seven takbirs. In between
each takbir of the seven takbirs one recites
subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wla ilaha
illallah, wallahu akbar. Then one recites al-
Isti^adhah (seeking refuge with Allah from the
shaytan by saying A^outhu billahi minash-
Shaytanir-Rajeem, Suratul-Fatihah and
Surat Qaf or Suratul al-'A^la alternatively.

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In the second rak^ah one says five takbirs
before reciting the Fatihah followed by
Suratul-Qamar or Suratul-Ghashiyah. If one
started with the Fatihah leaving out any or the
entire takbirs, ones prayer is still valid,
however one would miss out on the reward of
the takbirs. Hence one should continue with
one's prayer order.
After the prayer, it is recommended that the
Imam delivers two speeches (same as in
Friday) starting with nine takbirs in the first half
of the khutbah and seven in the second. The
Imam should teach the people the rules of
breaking the fast, visiting one's relatives, and
other significant matters pertaining to ^Id.


Recommended acts on the day of ^Id

It is sunnah on the day of ^Id to do the
following:

Take a bath before going to the
prayer.

Wear perfume.


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Clip one's fingernails.

Wear the best of one's clothes.

Take different routes to and from the
place of prayer.

Leave early to the mosque excluding
the Imam.

Have a light snack such as dates or
the like before going to the prayer.

Walk to the prayer place.

Say takbirs of ^Id. This is highly
recommended after the sunset of the
last day of Ramadan and remains
until the Imam says the opening takbir
of the ^Id prayer. This includes saying
takbir in one's home, the market
places, mosques, and the streets.

Congratulating one another on the
day of ^Id is rewardable, as both Ibn
Hajar and Al-Bayhaqiyy stated.


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It is sunnah to spend the night preceding the
day of ^Id in acts of worship such as praying
or the like. Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) used to pray ^Id prayer consistently
as it is sunnah mu'akkadah. The first ^Id
prayer that the Prophet performed was in the
second year after the Hijrah (migration).


Takbirs of ^Id

1. Allahu akbarullahu akbarullahu akbar,
2. La ilaha illallah. Allahu akbar
3. Allahu akbar wa lillahi-hamd. (3 Times)

4. Allahu akbaru kabira
5. Wal-hamdu lillahi kathira,
6. Wa subhanallahi Wa bihamdihi bukratawwa
asila.

7. La ilaha illallahu wahdah,
8. Sadaqa wa^dah, wa nasara ^abdah,
9. Wa 'a^azza jundahu, Wa hazam-al-ahzaba
wahdah

10. La ilaha illallah,
11. Wa la na^budu illa Iyyah.
12. Mukhlisina lahud-Dina
13. Wa law karihal-kafirun


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14. Allahumma salli ^ala (sayyidina) Muhammad,
15. Wa^ala ali (sayyidina) Muhammad,
16. Wa^ala as-habi (sayyidina) Muhammad,
17. Wa^ala ansari (sayyidina) Muhammad,
18. Wa^ala azwaji (sayyidina) Muhammad,
19. Wa^ala dhurriyyati (sayyidina) Muhammadiw-
Wa sallim tasliman kathira.
20. Rabbigh-fir li wali-walidayya rabbir-hamhuma
kama rabbayani saghira.

Meaning of the ^Id Takbirs

1. Allah is Great
2. No one is God except Allah.
3. Allah is Great and Praise is due to Allah.

4. Allah is Great.
5. Many praise is due to Allah.
6. Praise to Allah in the morning and in the
evening.

7. No one is God except Allah
8. He fulfilled His promise and gave victory to His
slave.
9. He strengthened His soldiers and He alone
defeated the Ahzab.

10. No one is God except Allah.
11. We do not worship anyone but Him.
12. Our worship is dedicated only to Him.
13. Even if the non-believers hate it.

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14. We ask Allah to raise the status of (our master)
Muhammad,

15. And the Al (Muslim wives and relatives) of our
(master) Muhammad,

16. And the sahabah (Companions) of (our
master) Muhammad.

17. And the Ansar (The people of Madinah who
supported the Prophet) of (our master)
Muhammad,

18. And the wives of (our master) Muhammad,

19. And the descendents of (our master)
Muhammad, and save the (Muslim) Nation of
(our master) Muhammad.

20. Oh Allah forgive me and my parents, and have
mercy on them for the great efforts they
exerted in raising me.