Fasting: Swimming while fasting Q213 :Is it permissible for a fasting person to have a bath or to swim in a pool or river where there is a chance of water entering his ear or nose, etc.? A213 : If you are asked to define Islamic fasting, you are likely to say that it is…

Fasting: Sleeping through the day in Ramadhan Q212 :Fasting: Sleeping through the day in Ramadhan A212 : If we sleep most of the day in Ramadhan, we are like deserters who flee from battle. There is nothing to combat when we are asleep, not even our feeling of hunger and thirst. When we wake up…

Fasting: On Fridays Q211 :Some scholars in our country suggest that fasting on Fridays, other than in Ramadan, is inappropriate. Is this correct? A211 : What is discouraged in relation to voluntary worship, including prayer and voluntary fasting on Friday is to single out Friday for the purpose. Thus, it is discouraged to fast voluntarily…

Fasting: Its nature and purpose Q210 :In Qur’an we read: “Believers, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you, so that you may remain God-fearing. (Fast) a certain number of days. But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, (shall fast instead the same) number of days later…

Fasting: Intake of medicine while fasting Q209 :As a doctor, I would like to know whether intramuscular or intravenous injections may be given to a fasting person, in normal circumstances or in emergency. Can a person who suffers from asthma use his aerosol inhaler while fasting? What is the ruling regarding the case of ear,…

Fasting: In tough conditions Q208 :I understand that only illness and travel exempt a person from fasting in Ramadhan. A question has been raised by a factory worker who is working in the kiln (furnace) area of a cement factory where the inside temperature is extremely high. He must drink water frequently while he is…

Fasting: In Shawwal Q207 :After the completion of fasting in Ramadan, is it obligatory to observe the fast for six days in the month of Shawwal? A207 : No, but it is recommended to fast six days after the end of Ramadan, provided we do not begin with the first day of Shawwal which is…

Fasting: In Muharram Q206 :What is the significance of fasting on the 9th and 10th of Muharram A206 : When the Prophet settled in Madinah, there was a large Jewish community there. He noticed that the Jews fasted on the 10th of Muharram. He asked them the purpose of their fasting. They said that that…

Fasting: For forty days Q205 :In some parts of India, some people observe fasting for forty days. I read in some religious books that it is discouraged. Some people argue, however, that it is perfectly permissible. [Please comment.] A205 : The Prophet (peace be upon him) left nothing of importance to us in our worship…

Fasting: During travel Q204 :If I am traveling to Makkah for Umrah in the month of Ramadan, should I continue fasting or not? A204 : The Umrah has nothing to do with fasting in Ramadan. These are two separate considerations. Any travel in Ramadan allows a person to avail himself of the concession given by…