Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

During fasting, is your fast accepted if you don`t pray 5 times during that day? Alternatively, is it enough to have prayed just Maghrid and Isha for the fast to be accepted? Also, my wife is 7 months pregnant. Is she allowed to fast? If she doesn`t fast, what is required of her to make up for this? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Are fasts accepted without prayers?

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.

Q-1: During fasting, is your fast accepted if you don`t pray 5 times during that day? Alternatively, is it enough to have prayed just Maghrid and Isha for the fast to be accepted?

Allah Subhanah has made the five prayers obligatory upon the believers, and the person who does not offer the five obligatory prayers indeed commits a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah. It is not conceivable nor logical that a person who does not offer his obligatory prayers, would honor the much more difficult task of the obligatory fasts of Ramadan; but unfortunately there are a few isolated cases where this occurrence does happen in today’s age of ignorance! The obligatory prayers and fasts are considered two amongst the five pillars of Islam; and if any pillar is compromised, the structure will never be stable.

If one does perform the obligatory fasts of Ramadan without honoring the obligatory prayers, his case is with Allah Subhanah; and He Alone will and can Judge whether to accept the fasts of such a person or not.

Q-2: Also, my wife is 7 months pregnant. Is she allowed to fast? If she doesn`t fast, what is required of her to make up for this? 

A believing woman is permitted to fast during her pregnancy. But if she fears that observing the fasts would adversely effect her or her baby’s health in any way, there is absolutely no sin upon her if she does not fast. If she chooses not to fast during her pregnancy, she will have to make up the missed fasts at a later date.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 185:Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood. Therefore, from now on, whosoever witnesses it, it is obligatory on him to fast the whole month. But if one be ill or on a journey, he should make up for the same number by fasting on other days (of the year).

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 in Islam,

Burhan