Guiding your fast

By Haroon Balogun

Fasting is not only about abstinence from food and drink, but also going closer to Allah by doing what you are enjoined to do and shunning those things that will vitiate your fast and render the whole exercise useless.

Come to think of it, what is the need to deny yourself from the food and pleasure of life, feeling the pangs of hunger and yet with the availability of food or the means to get same, you chose to fast only to be rendered useless on account of your inadequacies borne out of ignorance or sheer neglect.

Among the things that break fast other than eating and drinking are:
Injections that are given to replace food and drink is not aceptable.  Other injections such as vaccinations do not break the fast, but to be on the safe side, they can be administered in the night after the dusk.

Essentially, all those with terminal illness are advised to leave out fasting pending the time they can pay back.

Puffers used for asthma do not break the fast, because this is just compressed gas that goes to the lungs – it is not food, and it is needed at all times to keep the person alive, in Ramadan and at other times.

[caption id="attachment_250767" align="alignnone" width="412"] *Muslims at prayer[/caption]

Anyone who eats and drinks deliberately during the day in Ramadan with no valid excuse has committed a grave major sin (kafaarah), and has to repent and make up for that fast later on (sixty days of fasting consecutively). "If he forgets, and eats and drinks, then let him complete his fast, for Allah has fed him and given him to drink." (Reported by Bukhari).

If a Muslim breaks his fast with something haraam, it is not only a sin but it also vitiates the fast.

Those who need to break their fast in order to save someone whose life is in danger, may break their fast and should make it up later on. This applies in cases where someone is drowning, or when fires need to be put out. May Allah save us from such circumstances.

Whoever vomits inadvertently does not have to make up the fast later on, but whoever does intentionally have to make up the fast.

Using siwaak, chewing stick or tooth brush does not break a fast but it must be done moderately so as not to gulp water or part of the siwaak during the process of washing the mouth. Again, it is also better not to use toothpaste and brush during the day, but to do it early in the morning.

Immersing oneself in water or bath-tub does not break fast. But swimming is disliked, because it might lead to gulping of water during swimming.

If a person breaks his fast, thinking that the sun has already set when it has not, he must make up the fast later on (according to the majority of scholars), because the principle is that it is still day, and a fact that is certain cannot be rejected in favour of something doubtful.

Essentially, the person who is fasting must keep away from everything that may provoke his emotionally and sexual desire and he must repel any bad thought that crept on his mind such as backbiting, lustful gazing, playing games and other unholy activities.

And above all, your heart and mind must be fasting. Because fast in its real sense, will not be complete unless thoughts, emotions, actions and all aspects of our lives become pure, clean and free from blemish.

Fasting from sunrise to sunset not only teaches us to control our unruly bodies, but it also helps us to think of others who are less fortunate than ourselves, and to give thanks to Allah for all the blessings we so often take for granted.

May Allah accept our fasting and reward us abundantly.