WOMEN ISSUES IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN PART 2

As a follow up to the part 1, Women Issues in the month of Ramadan. Let us today examine the followings matters that have to do with women issues in Ramadan.

NULLIFIERS OF FASTING.

THINGS THAT ARE NOT PERMITTTED FOR A WOMAN IN HER FASTING.

ISSUES THAT DO NOT HAVE EFFECTS ON YOUR FASTING AS A WOMAN.

NULLIFIERS OF FASTING:

1. Sex: day time in the Ramadan. the fasting is nullified.
2. Discharges of sperms through excessive kisses or contacts with your husband/wife (though you can hug and kiss lightly) No
problem with kisses and hugging only be sure you do not arouse your feelings.
3. Eating and drinking
4. Nutrient injections to keep you strong (DRIPS)
5. Deliberate vomiting. But uncontrollable vomiting does not nullify fasting
7. Menstruations or the discharges of blood during or before delivering or before giving birth.

THINGS THAT ARE NOT PERMITTED FOR A WOMAN WHEN FASTING ESPECIAL IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN. (مكروهات الصيام)

Undesirable issues in fasting do not actually nullify your fasting, but it is recommended, that you do not burden yourself with fasting when you are in one of those situations. And they are:

1.When sick: The sick is not permitted to fast. Especial if the sickness weakens your body.

2.When on journey. Its recommended that, you do not fast when on journey.

3.During pregnancy: Pregnant women are supposed to abstain from fasting. Islam has exempted them temporary from fasting, due to what they go through.

4.Toothpaste: Though it does not nullify your fasting, but cautions must be observed here because of its pungent taste.
5.Constant gathering of saliva in the mouth and swallowing it. (Not a good behavior)

6.Too much water in the mouth during ablution for gargling or inhaling and exhaling.

7.Anti-Menses pills: Do not use pills that prevents you from your usual menses because of fasting or any other IBADAT. It does not nullify your fasting, but not recommended.

ISSUES THAT DO NOT HAVE EFFECTS ON YOUR FASTING:

1.The use of lips sticks or creams to prevent lips dryness

2.taking blood samples for medical reasons.

3.Women, who bleed abnormally beyond their period days, must fast even if they continue to bleed outside their normal menstrual days.

4.The use of performs and other body fragrance has nor any effects on your fasting.

5.Chewing sticks for a short period especial during ablutions do not have any effects on your fasting.

6.KOHL (KWALLI) for eyelids and other make up kids for women do not have any bearing on your fasting. Any exterior body substance for beautification does not have effect on your fasting.

7.Injections for medical reasons do not have effect on your fasting.

8.Light kisses between you and your husband without the exchange of saliva. And without exciting each other has no bearing on your fast. RASULULLAH used to kiss his wives s when fasting and when going out for prayers sometimes.

9.Asthmatic patient can use their mouth or throat spray while fasting. No problem with that.

10.A woman can taste the food she prepares lightly and without swallowing it to see if the ingredients she puts are ok. No problem with that even when fasting.

11.You can delay Janaba bathing after legal sex or after menstruations until sun rises no problem with that. Your fasting is valid. (JANABA does not have effects on fasting

12.Eye drops and Ear drops do not nullify fasting. Only nose drops have effects, cautions must be
observed here.

13. Bleeding of a pregnant woman does not have effects on her fasting. If its not a labour sign

14.Day dreams having sex does not have effects on your fasting.

15.If you forget and eat or drink something, and you suddenly remember that you are fasting, stop it immediately and continue with your fasting. No problem with that.

16. Food items or money from your boy friend during the Ramadan, though do not have effects on your fasting, but avoiding it is the best.(because of the illegal relationship between you and the man). ALLAH does not accept illegal things.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR SENSELESS HUSBAND WANTS TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU DAY TIME IN THE RAMDAN,

Under no circumstances shall you allow your husband to have sex with you, day time in the Month of RAMADAN. If he forces and have sex with you against your will. Your fasting is valid. But he must offer some (KAFFARAT الكفارة) or Expiatory as a punishment for violating the sacredness of the holy month.

And the EXPIATORIES or kaffarat for having sex day time in the RAMADAN are:

1.Freeing of a slave. (Of course now there are no slaves so this option cannot be met)
2.If you can’t get a slave to free, then you must fast 2 months continuously without breaking unless with an acceptable tangible reason.
3. And if you can’t fast 2 months continuously, then you feed 60 needy or poor people.

SOME IMORTANT INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE RAMADAN:

1.The old must not fast. The old age people are exempted from fasting. They only need to feed a poor person daily.

2.If a non-Muslim lady becomes a Muslimah day time in the Ramadan, she has to abstain from eating in the public for that day, but she doesn't have to pay that day or any missing days.

3.It is well recommended that a woman should not fast when travelling especial if there is any possibilities of fatigues in the journey. Fasting while on journey is not a recommended habit. Its better you don’t fast.

4. If a young girl sees her menses for the first time day time in the Ramadan, she must abstain from food, though she will not pay for that day and the previous days, But fasting has become obligations on her from that day.

With this we come to an end to an for the Ramadan lectures. Next will be "Tafseer" of some verses and chapters.

May ALLAH swt make our fasting and Ibadah perfect. And may ALLAH swt reward our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and all women who always work tirelessly to prepare food for us in every month of Ramadan. Aameen.

Every woman who can read the Holy Quran must try to read it many times in this blessed month.

RAMADAN FOR ONLY WOMEN: WOMEN ISSUES IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN. (PART 1)

WHEN A WOMAN MUST START TO FAST IN ISLAM?
IN WHAT SITUATIONS IS SHE EXEMPTED FROM FASTING?
MENSTRUATIONS AND PREGNANCY IN RAMADAN. WHAT A WOMAN MUST DO?

As a follow up to my series of messages on fasting in Ramadan and its related issues. I am in this and in the coming series going to talk about women issues in the month of Ramadan. The laws, provisions and prohibitions on women in Ramadan.

Please, take your time and read them carefully. Women issues and are very difficult when in Islam and its ritual. We only try our best to explain some of them to you.

Women and men are equal in Islam and are equally rewarded in any IBADAT. The Holy Quran says:

“فَٱسۡتَجَابَ لَهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَـٰمِلٍ۬ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوۡ أُنثَىٰ‌ۖ بَعۡضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٍ۬”

And their LORD answered their SUPPLICATIONS, never shall I render useless the deeds of you, male or female your one member from one another (3:195)

Fasting or to fast is one of the 5 pillars or principles of Islam. Islam in its obligations and rewards does not differentiate between man and woman in all the IBADATS except where it relieves some demands on women due to some natural physical changes that occur to them sometimes. Aside that, a female and a male are both equal in the face Islam.

THE Holy Quran again: “وَٱلصَّـٰٓٮِٕمِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰٓٮِٕمَـٰتِ”
And the fasting men and fasting women (33:35)

These are only to tell you that men and women are equal in all the “Ibadats” in Islam.

Now to the main topic about women issues and conditions in the month of Ramadan.

1. WHAT IS FASTING IN ISLAM? AND WHO MUST FAST?

Fasting is defined as, the abstinence of food, drinks, sex and vulgar speeches from the sun rise to the sun set with “NIYAT” or intentions, every night in the month of RAMADAN. Fasting in the Ramadan, is an obligation on every Muslim or Muslimat who attained the age of adulthood (puberty), sane (MENTALLY FIT), resident (not a Traveler) and capable. (Free from sickness or menses).

2. HOW DO WE DETERMINE IF A GIRL HAS REACHED ADULTHOOOD (PUBERTY) IN ISLAM?

Islam is a RELIGION of rules and regulations. You cannot just do things as you want to. Some rules and conditions must be met first.

A woman is considered an adult with one of the following occurs in her.

1. Attaining the age of 15years.
2. The appearance or the growing of rough and coarse hair around the vagina.
3. Whenever a known sperms (semen) is found in her (by dreams or other means)
4. And when she starts to get her menses or she becomes
Pregnant.

If any of these conditions are found in a girl she is considered an adult. Fasting in the month of RAMADAN and other IBADATS become compulsory on her. It is therefore incumbent on her parents to see that she behaves like any adult observing 5 times daily prayers, fasting and other “IBAADAT”. And whenever, a girl becomes an adult in the afternoon during the month of the RAMADAN, then she must start fasting in the remaining days of the month, but does not have to pay the past days before she became an adult in that month.

3. MENSTRUATION IN THE RAMADAN.

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said.

( "أليس إذا حاضت المرأة لم تصل ولم تصم ؟")

“Isn't it, when a (Woman) is in her menses she does not pray nor fast?”

A menstrual woman must not fast, nor pray at all. But she will pay the missed days in the RAMADAN but not the missing prayers. A menstrual woman and the one bleeding after childbirth are the same; the same rules apply to them. Whenever a menstrual woman finds that, she is no more bleeding there are 2 situations for her

1. If her cycle ends in the morning or day time, she cannot fast that day.

2. If she finds that she is clean or no more bleeding just before FAJRI prayers, she must quickly bath and start fasting from that day. Failure to do so will mean she is deliberately dodging fasting on that day. Which is HARAM on her. She can fast even she is not yet bath. Provided she is no more bleeding. The bathing can be done later.

5. VAGINAL ABNORMAL BLEEDING: what it is and what a woman should do in the RAMADAN?

In the Islamic studies we have something we called “DAMMUL ISTIHADA or دم الاستحا ضة” abnormal situation that occurs in some women, when vagina continue to discharge blood even when she is off menstrual period. When this happens to a woman in her usual menstruations circles, she should count her normal days which ranges between (3,5,or 7days) depending on the person, any additional day than her normal periods are considered abnormal that’s what we called ,
“DAMMUL ISTIHADA” or دم الاستحا ضة”)

Continue abnormal bleeding does not prevent a woman from fasting. She should bath in that condition and start praying and fasting. That is not a menstruations blood and must not prevent her from any “IBADAT” even to circumambulate or go around the KA’ABAH.

6. PREGNANCY AND THE MENSTRUATION PAINS AND SIGNS.

Whenever a pregnant woman sees blood coming from her vagina and she is fasting, she should continue with her fasting because that’s not a menstruation. But when a woman start to get her labor pangs or pains during pregnancy, or menstruations pains and there is no blood coming out from her till sun sets on that day, then her fasting is perfect and she must not repay that day.

A pregnant woman and a nursing mother, whenever they are not comfortable either because of their baby or themselves, they can stop fasting and pay those days later. No “KAFFARAT or ransom on them. But other scholars say that, a pregnant woman and a nursing money can stop fast and will not even pay for the days they missed. And they based their “Fatwa” on Hadith of RASULULLAH that says:

(قال نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:« إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَضَعَ عَنْ الْمُسَافِرِ الصَّوْمَ وَشَطْرَ الصَّلَاةِ، وَعَنْ الْحَامِلِ أَوْ الْمُرْضِعِ الصَّوْمَ» [أخرجه أهل السنن إلا أبا داود]، فإذا وضع الله ذلك فليس لأحد أن يلزمهما به قضاءً إلا بدليل.

ALLAH swt, has relieved fasting on the traveler and has permitted him to pray half of any SALAT on the road until he reaches his destination. The last part of the Hadith says:

وَعَنْ الْحَامِلِ أَوْ الْمُرْضِعِ الصَّوْمَ»
And ALLAH has relieved fasting on the pregnant and nursing mother.

That’s why some knowledgeable men from the Companions of RASULULLAH like (Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbass ) said, the pregnant and nursing mother can break their fasting and do not have to pay the missing days, because RASULULLAH said that. But she must feed the poor for each day she misses.

قال ابن عمر رضي الله عنه:"الحامل والمرضع تفطر ولا تقضي" [الدارقطني]، وقال:"تطعم مكان كل يوم مسكيناً[البيهقي]، وبذالك أفتى ابن عباس [أخرجه البيهقي]، ودين الله يسر.

What most scholars say is, the pregnant and nursing mother will pay the missing days and not “Kaffarat” on them.