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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan, I have a lot to ask. But Please answers these few questions urgently. I haven`t been able to find in these in past 75 posts of your forum. Please shed some light on the Egyptian calendar Bohras follow. The fixed 30 day Ramazan. The 3 times a day (zohr-asr and magrib-isha combined) prayers. 23rd night as guaranteed Lail-lat-ul-Qadar, whereas the prophet said it can be any odd night from 23rd onwards (according to popular belief). The Namaz(s) that we perform on this blessed night, are these really the way the prophet did? The precise time to perform iftaar. Is it after performing prayers like bohras do? Or should we break fast and then offer prayers. Or do we keep fasting till its completely Dark as the Firqa-e-Jafri do? One of a Shiyaa friend of mine showed me a translation from Quran where it said that keep fast till its "Night falls".

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Answer:

Ramadhan Questions

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Please shed some light on the Egyptian calendar Bohras follow.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 189:They ask you (O Prophet) about the phases of the moon. Tell them, “These are signs for the people to reckon dates, and fix the periods for Hajj”.

The moon has always been used in Islam to determine the number of days in a calendar month, as was the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (saws). The Bohras follow a calendar and for some reason call it the Egyptian Calendar, whereas in the whole of Egypt the believers start and end their months by sighting the moon! Allah Alone knows best how and why they derived this name and the method to calculate their dates of the month!!!

Your Question: The fixed 30 day Ramazan.

It is a scientific fact that the exact duration of the rotation of the moon around the earth is not 30 days exact, but it is a little short of it. Thus, there are a some months of 29 days in Islam, and a some months of 30 days; depending on the sighting of the moon. It would thus be illogical and unscientific if one was to fix the days of a particular month to 30 days, irrespective of the sighting of the moon. The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself fasted some years 29 days in Ramadan, and in other years 30 days. To fix the number of days in any particular Islamic month is an innovation and against the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Your Question: The 3 times a day (zohr-asr and magrib-isha combined) prayers.

The Messenger of Allah (saws), the noble companions, the noble ahle-bayt, and all the true believers always prayed the five obligatory prayers at the five appointed separate times of the day; as was the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws). The Messenger of Allah (saws) always led the believers in congregation at the five separate times of prayers. The only times he combined the prayers was sometimes when he was on a journey, or in the event of extreme rain; but under normal circumstances, he always prayed and led the believers at the five appointed prayers times of the day.

The sects who have combined some of the prayers and made the five timings into three and practice that on a regular basis, have brought and practiced a new innovation in the deen of Islam, and it must be rejected by all the true believers.

Your Question: 23rd night as guaranteed Lail-lat-ul-Qadar, whereas the prophet said it can be any odd night from 23rd onwards (according to popular belief).

There are several authentic narrations from the Messenger of Allah (saws), who said that Laillat-ul-Qadr was on one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not fix or name a particular night as Lailat-ul-Qadr and used to worship all the ten nights with equal spirit and heartiness, in the hope that whoever prayed all the 10 nights would for sure achieve the blessings of this Night of Power. But it is nothing short of misguidance, if some sects fix and nominate a particular night as Laital-ul-Qadr, and worship only on that night and leave the other nights of Ramadan alone. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself did not fix the night, then who is there after him who had more knowledge about the deen of Islam, that he was then able to decipher and nominate the 23^rd night as Lailat-ul-Qadr?

Your Question: The Namaz(s) that we perform on this blessed night, are these really the way the prophet did?

The Prophet of Allah (saws) prayed the Tahajjud prayers that he prayed every night and spent the night in the remembrance and making supplication and dua to Allah Subhanah. When asked what supplication should one pray on this blessed night, the Messenger of Allah (saws) replied the best supplication on this night would be: Allah humma innaka Afu-wann, tohibbul afwa, fa’fo anna. (O my Lord, You are the Most Forgiving; You love to forgive; thus please forgive us.)

The way the Bohras pray is definitely not how the Messenger of Allah (saws) taught the believers to pray. Can you even imagine the noble Prophet of Allah (saws) bowing down in a novel style where the cheeks are touching the ground in the act of Sajdah? And then saying….’hadiyatan minni ilayk….’ Which basically means that …. ‘This prayer is gift from me to you, O Mohamed (saws) and O Fatema (r.a.)…..”??? Neither Prophet Mohamed (saws), nor the noble companions, nor the noble ahle-bayt, nor any of the true believers ever prayed the way the Bohras do…. Like almost everything else they do in the deen, they have invented their own ways without any authority from Allah and His Messenger (saws).

It has been reported by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a.) in another authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

Your Question: The precise time to perform iftaar. Is it after performing prayers like bohras do? Or should we break fast and then offer prayers. Or do we keep fasting till its completely Dark as the Firqa-e-Jafri do? One of a Shiyaa friend of mine showed me a translation from Quran where it said that keep fast till its "Night falls".

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 187 (part):… You are also permitted to eat and drink (during the nights of the fast month), until you can discern the white streak of dawn from the blackness of the night. Then complete your fast till nightfall……..

The way the Messenger of Allah (saws) understood and implemented the above aayah, was that he used to break his fast first and then perform the Magrib prayers. This is the Sunnah or Way of the Prophet (saws), and anyone who wishes to follow the tradition of the Prophet should do the same. In Islam, nightfall starts immediately when the sun has set, and that is the precise time of iftaar.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2349 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Apostle of Allah (saws) used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water.

Al-Muwatta Hadith

Hadith 18.6

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar from Sahl ibn Sad as Saidi that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "People will remain in good as long as they are quick to break the fast."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2346 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: “Religion will continue to prevail as long as people hasten to break the fast, because the Jews and the Christians delay doing so.”

Thus, it is clearly evident from the various narrations that the Messenger of Allah (saws) used to break his fast first and then pray the Magrib prayers. He also regularly encouraged the believers to hasten to break their fasts and delay in taking the early morning ‘sohoor’ meal.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan