12 FASTING IN RAMADAN (5)

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12. FASTING IN RAMADAN (5) ْ and Kaffārah (‫)الك ّفارة‬. ْ Qaḍā’ is G. Qaḍā’ (‫)القَضَاء‬, Fidyah (‫)الف ِْدية‬, restitution of the suspended fasting by fasting for the same number of the days missed. This is applied to (1) travelers including people undertaking a strenuous journey, (2) those who are too thirsty (3) those who are too hungry (4) those who are forced to break their fast (5) those who are involved with strenuous occupations, such as soldiers in the battle (jihad), (6) people with temporary illness, (7) women who are menstruating, (8) women experiencing post-natal discharges, (9) pregnant women (10) breastfeeding women.

These people have to make qaḍā’, make up the days they missed before next Ramadan.

A person who intentionally misses fasting such as with drinking and eating becomes very sinful and has to repent sincerely to Allah and makes up (qaḍā’) the days he missed before next Ramadan. This is the view of the Shāfi‘ī and Ḥanbalī schools, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, al-Nakha‘ī, Ibn Sīrīn, Ḥammād and Dā’ūd. On the contrary, according to Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools, ‘Aṭā’, al-Ḥasan, al-Zuhrī, al-Thawrī, alAwzā‘ī, Isḥāq, and Abū Thawr, the person has to pay kaffārah. According to Mālikī school, he has to make up (qaḍā’) the days he missed before next Ramadan.

Fidyah is a ransom to be redeemed and paid for each day of fasting missed. It is either feeding a needy person for each day of fasting missed, or by giving charity with equal amount. This is applied to (11) old people who are no longer able to fast, and those who are chronically ill and cannot make up the lost days afterwards or terminally ill.َ​َ A person who would normally be able to fast but for some reason, such as a pregnant and a breast-feeding woman, who suspended fasting in order to adequately nourish and breastfeed her baby--has to restitute by fasting the number of days missed as well as feed (iṭ‘ām) one person (or donate

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the monetary equivalent) for each day meal (2 meals, lunch and dinner) of fasting that she has missed. It is equivalent to the zakat al-fitr, of a person, in Australia, between $10 and $12. This is the view of the Shāfi‘ī and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

According to Abū Ḥanīfah and his followers among the Ḥanafī school feeding the poor as fidyah is not required for her (namely, pregnant or breast-feeding woman), but making up the missing days she did not fast, and are considered like temporary sick people. This is also the view of scholars like al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, ‘Aṭā’ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, alḌaḥḥāk, al-Nakha‘ī, al-Zuhrī, Rabī‘ah, al-Awzā‘ī, Abū ‘Ubayd and Abū Thawr. This is a relief and an encouragement for poor women who cannot afford paying fidyah, but worry about their babies.

Menstruating women and those experiencing post-natal discharges are only to make up (qaḍā’) the missing days, without paying fidyah. It is not “their fault” if they do not fast, as they are not even allowed to do so, and Allah does not want to give them “a burden” more than just making qaḍā’ of the day they missed, namely, no fidyah. َ​َ

َAllah says, َ ‫فمنَْ​َتط َّوعَ​َخيْرً اَفهُوَ​َخيْرَ​َل َُهَوأنَْ​َتصُومُوا‬ َ )481:‫َخيْرَ​َل ُك َْمَإِنَْ​َ ُك ْن ُت َْمَتعْ لمُونَ​َ(البقرة‬ But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast is better for you if only you know. (Q. 2:184) ‫“ فمنَْ​َتط َّوعَ​َخيْرً ا‬But whoever does good of his own accord,” means (4) “feeding more than one poor person” according to ‘Aṭā’ and al-Suddī, (2) “giving more food” according to Mujāhid, (3) “fasting and paying fidyah” according to Ibn Shihāb, (4) “the right view according to Abū Ja ‘far al-Ṭabarī, is that there is no specification here, so that it includes fasting with paying fidyah, and feeding more poor people in paying fidah, and voluntary fasting with paying fidyah, َ َ‫فهُو‬

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َ‫‘ خيْرَ َل ُه‬it is better for him’, because all of them are included among voluntary good deeds.” ‫“ َ وأنَْ َتصُومُوا خيْرل ُك َْم‬And that you fast is better for you means “whoever is prescribed to fast and fasts then it is better for him than not fasting and paying fidyah,” according to al-Ṭabarī’s commentary. ‫“ إِنَْ َ ُك ْن ُت َْم َتعْ لمُون‬if only you know” means “if you know the goodness of the two: paying fidyah without fasting, or fasting as prescribed by Allah.

Kaffārah means "atonement" or "expiation" applied to a person who has sexual relationship on the daytime of Ramadan.َ As this is a serious offense, the penalty of this transgression as atonement is double of the normal one.

Instead of fasting one month like that of Ramadan, he has to fast two months, namely, 60 consecutive days; otherwise, he has to feed 60 needy people, give charity the amount equal to the cost of feeding 60 needy people.

The difference between fidyah (ransom) and kaffārah (atonement) is that fidyah is paid for any day missed through necessity, whereas kaffārah is paid by those who have sexual relationship on the day of Ramadan according to Shāfi‘ī and Ḥanbalī schools, as well as by those who miss any days unnecessarily, namely, without any valid reason, according to Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools. The present rate of the zakāt al-fiṭr as well as fidyah for one day in Canberra is A$10 or £5 for one person with two meals or two persons with one meal.

H. Some physical benefits of fasting are as follows: (1) More blood flowing to other parts of the body, as less blood going to the digestive system because of fasting. The chance of heart disease will decrease with 58%, as there is no bad cholesterol level, and blood vessels can be purified faster.

(2) Fasting promotes detoxification. When fat is burned

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toxins are released. As the body breaks down its fat reserves while fasting, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.

Fasting helps removing toxins we breathe from the lung.

(3) The stomach and intestines, after one month less active, regulate themselves to have better digestion.

(4) Fasting will normalize blood pressure in many cases. The kidneys increase the process of eliminating salt and water which are not useful materials, and therefore, decreases blood pressure caused by salt.

(5) Brain becomes more active because of fasting, as it stimulates the production of protein called BDNF (brainderived neurotropic factor). It activates brain stem cells, and protects them from changes which have connected with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

(6) The immune system improves as fasting reduces free radical damage as well as starving off cancer cell formation; fruits containing vitamins A and E which boosts immunity should be taken while breaking the fast.

(7) During fasting the digestive system rests, so that metabolism increases and becomes faster.

(8) Fasting promotes the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH) which is important for burning fat. While decreasing insulin levels fasting can also promote muscle building. Both of them are effective in burning fat.

(9) Fasting normalizes insulin sensitivity. Too much carbohydrates and sugar in the body can make insulin resistant which will lead to chronic diseases. With fasting we keep our body sensitive to insulin, and when its sensitivity is up we can better prevent diabetes, cancer, and heart complications.

(10) Fasting can slow down the ageing process. As fasting can cause the body to produce more human growth

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hormone (HGH) which is closely connected to the ageing process, then fasting can help the body age slowly.1 (11) Fasting con normalize ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels.

When we fast the ghrelin levels in our body become normal, so that it becomes accurate in telling us if we are really hungry, and we usually feel full faster than usual.

(12) Fasting decreases the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, thought as “bad” cholesterol as it can block blood vessels which lead to heart diseases. It also decreases the formation of triglycerides. But fasting does nothing to the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol; it is called the “good” cholesterol, because it protects against heart disease by scavenging up the cholesterol deposited in the blood vessels.

I. Zakāt is an obligatory charity, and is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is mentioned in the Qur’ān after mentioning alṢalāt (the obligatory prayer). There are two kinds of Zakāt, Zakāt al- al-Fiṭr, and Zakāt al-Māl. (a) Zakāt al- al-Fiṭr is obligatory for every Muslim, young and old, even baby, who has a surplus of a day’s need of himself to give to the poor.

According to the Australian National Imams Council it is $12 per person this year 1438/2017. It has to be paid before performance of the ‘Id al-Fiṭr prayer. (b) Zakāt al-Māl is paid for the wealth. The Australian National Imams Council has determined the niṣāb (threshold) of it this year is 85 grams 1

Prof. Prof. C.M. Child of the University of Chicago found that in certain species of insects, insects with abundant food live in three to four weeks. But if the food is greatly reduced or the insects are forced to fast, they may continue to be active and young for at least three years. This reminds us of the swarm of millions of locusts that suddenly appeared devastating crops in Africa and Asia, but suddenly disappeared. Being overfed, they killed themselves by eating too much. But some were not overfed, and therefore, were not completely destroyed, and had chance to survive longer and to breed and to threaten us again in the future. For further details, see Khuṭab I, “Fasting and Health,” pp. 93-97.

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of 24 karat gold (85xA$554.70) equals A$4,649.5. Therefore, whoever owns this minimum amount for a year (since last year), he has to pay 2.5% of it as Zakāt al-Māl. As paying this kind of zakat could be complicated for some, they can find in the internet some information of how to calculate zakat or probably zakat forms which can be filled comfortably. As the price of gold differs from one country to another, the niṣāb of the zakat al-māl will also be different, as well as the amount to be paid for zakat al-fiṭr.

Zakāt is not tax. Zakāt is a spiritual act, a religious duty, whereas tax is a requirement of secular law. Therefore, as good and pious citizens, we obey the rules of the country where we live - in this case Australia - by paying tax, and obey the law of Allah by paying zakāt, which is the fourth pillar of Islam.

(Civic, 16 June, 2017) َ :‫المراجع‬ َ ‫المكتبةَالشاملة‬ َ (922/343َ.‫تفسيرَالطبريَ(ت‬ َ (‫َم‬4273َ-َ4241َ/َ‫َهـ‬174َ-َ144(َ‫تفسيرَالقرطبى‬ (4373َ/771َ.‫تفسيرَابنَكثيرَ(ت‬ َ .‫تفسيرَالخازن‬ َ,‫َدارَالفكرَالمعاصر‬:‫َدمشق‬.3َ‫َج‬.‫َالفقةَاإلسالميَوأدلته‬.‫َوهبة‬.‫د‬.‫َأ‬,‫الزحيلى‬ 2331\4127 Bin Jamil Zeno, Shaykh Muhammad. The Pillars of Islam & Iman. Riyadh: Dār al-Salām, 4141/4991 Al-Wasat newspaper No. 78 (Ramadan, 1438/May, 2017) https://www.pennyappeal.org/appeal/fidya-or-kaffarah http://fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option= FatwaId&Id=102573 http://fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option= FatwaId&Id=26114 http://mawdoo3.com/‫َماَ_مقدار_كفارة_رمضان‬ https://tribune.com.pk/story/1421902/7-health-benefits-fasting/ ttp://haveenergyatanyage.com/presentation/video.php?utm_source=go ogle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=803609424&gclid=COPN 4_nFvNQCFYmUvQodik4KXw