Why Allah proscribed 30 ( or 29) days? Why not 7 days or 40 days? or whatever other number of days?
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:
Dear Burhan,
I read your reply with interest regarding
significance of fasting.
However your reply falls short for the reasons
1) why Allah proscribed 30 ( or 29) days? Why not 7
days or 40 days? or whatever other number of days?
2) Your answer states prophet (SAW) mentioned
"...present at his home" should be fasting. In the modern
industrial society we all work 8 hours a day out of home. Are we then assume to
fast on week ends only?
3) Efficiency when fasting goes down considerably.
As you are aware in an industrialized country like
Thanks
(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:
Challenge why fasts
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-1:
why Allah proscribed 30 ( or 29) days? Why not 7 days or 40 days? or
whatever other number of days?
Allah Says in the
Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 66-69:
66 It is He (Allah) Who gave you life, will cause you to die, and will
again give you life: truly man is a most ungrateful creature!
67 To every people have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must
follow; let them not then dispute with thee (O Prophet (saws)) on the matter, but do thou invite (them) to thy Lord:
for thou (O Prophet (saws)) art assuredly on the Right Way.
68 If they do wrangle with thee say "Allah knows best what it is ye
are doing!
69 Allah will Judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the
matters in which ye differ."
Dear and beloved brother in
Islam, it is Allah Subhanah Alone Who Decides and Decrees the Rites and
Ceremonies of His worship from His believing slaves; and the Lord Most High has
based on His Perfect Knowledge and Absolute Wisdom prescribed the Rite of
obligatory fasting for the month of Ramadan on the Ummah of Prophet Mohamed
(saws), perchance they may learn or acquire ‘taqwa’.
Allah Says in the
Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 183-185:
183 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint.
184 (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a
journey the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those
who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom the feeding of one that is
indigent. But he that will give more of
his own free will it is better for him and it is better for you that ye
fast if ye only knew.
185 Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to
mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and
wrong). So everyone of you who is
present during that month should spend it in fasting but if anyone is
ill or on a journey the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you He does
not want to put you to difficulties. (He
wants you) to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him in that He has
guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.
Beloved brother in Islam, the
Lord Most High has Decreed based on His Perfect and Absolute Wisdom that a
period of one lunar month every year is the absolute best and most perfect way
for one to develop or acquire ‘taqwa’, which will be most beneficial for them
to live their lives through the year practicing self-restraint, piety,
righteousness, and God-consciousness.
Allah is our witness brother,
if 7 or 40 or any other number of days would have been better in the Wisdom and
Knowledge of Allah Subhanah, The Lord Most High would have prescribed it! The believers who sincerely fear Allah and
the Last Day are content and more than satisfied with every Decision and Decree
of their Lord Creator.
Allah says in the
Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 36:
It does not behove a
believing man and a believing woman that when Allah and His Messenger have
given their decision in a matter, they should exercise an option in that matter
of theirs. For whoever disobeys Allah
and His Messenger, has indeed strayed into manifest error.
Q-2: Your
answer states prophet (SAW) mentioned "...present at his home"
should be fasting. In the modern industrial society we all work 8 hours a day
out of home. Are we then assume to fast on week ends only?
Allah Says in the
Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 183-185:
183 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint.
184 (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a
journey the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those
who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom the feeding of one that is
indigent. But he that will give more of
his own free will it is better for him and it is better for you that ye
fast if ye only knew.
185 Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to
mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and
wrong). So everyone of you who is
present during that month should spend it in fasting but if anyone is
ill or on a journey the prescribed period (should be made up) by days
later. Allah intends every facility for
you He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed
period and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be
grateful.
It is not the Prophet (saws)
but rather the Lord Most High Himself Who has Commanded the believers to fast
during the month of Ramadan as a rite of worship towards Him. The Quranic phrase used is ‘faman shahida minkum as-shahr’ meaning whoever
amongst you ‘witnesses’ the month of Ramadan must spend it in fasting in the
manner prescribed.
The Lord Most High in His Mercy
and Grace has excused those believers from observing the fasts of Ramadan if
they are traveling, are ill, or for some genuine reason find extreme hardship
in observing the obligatory fasts. Such
believers who have a genuine excuse have an option to either make up the fast
at a later date or give a ‘fidya’ or atonement for each fast missed.
Your Question 2A: In the modern industrial society
we all work 8 hours a day out of home. Are we then assume to fast on week ends
only?
Dear and beloved brother in
Islam, if one genuinely believes that in the Just and Majestic Court and
Presence of the Lord Most High on That Tumultuous Day of Judgment, one living
in a ‘modern-industrial-society’ presents the excuse that he found it hard to
observe the obligatory fasts of Ramadan except only on week-ends, and one
genuinely believes that the Lord Most High would accept his excuse….one may wish
to take his chances, do as he pleases, and thus intake the consequences of his
decision.
If the All-Knowing, All-Wise
and Merciful Lord Wishes to accept the excuse of His slave for missing his
obligatory fasts, he will be safe from the terror of that Tumultuous Day….and
if the Lord Most Majestic refuses to accept his excuse, none save Allah
Subhanah Alone can avert the impending punishment and consequence of
intentionally missing an obligatory act of worship.
Q-3:
Efficiency when fasting goes down considerably. As you are aware in an
industrialized country like
This is obviously a
hypothetical question based on an assumption; and we (or non in creation) are
obviously neither qualified, nor possess the authority, nor would dare to
challenge, alter, or change any Decision or Decree made by the One Who Alone is
well-aware of the past, present, and the future….Allah Subhanah, Lord of the
Heavens and the Earth and all that exists between it!
As your brothers and sincere
well-wishers in faith all we can do brother is invite you to the Right Way of
the Lord, and say or assume absolutely nothing in the deen except what has been
clearly declared by the Lord in His Glorious Quran and His Noble Prophet (saws)
in his authentic and established Sunnah.
Allah Says in the
Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 66-69:
66 It is He (Allah) Who gave you life, will cause you to die, and will
again give you life: truly man is a most ungrateful creature!
67 To every people have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must
follow; let them not then dispute with thee (O Prophet (saws)) on the
matter, but do thou invite (them) to thy Lord: for thou (O Prophet (saws)) art
assuredly on the Right Way.
68 If they do wrangle with thee say "Allah knows best what it is ye
are doing!
69 Allah will Judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the
matters in which ye differ."
We reiterate again brother,
that if one genuinely believes that fasting brings down one’s efficiency, and
because one was living in an ‘industrialized society’ and needed at all times
to give his maximum output to survive, and for these reasons he could not observe
the obligatory Commands of his Lord…..and one genuinely believes he has a case
when he ultimately is brought to trial in the Presence of the Lord Most High on
that Day of Judgment….he may wish to take his chances, do as he pleases, and
thus intake the consequences of his assumption and decision!
If one trusts, obeys, and
follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being
misled; but if one believes, obeys and
follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best
and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister