USHERING MUSLIMS INTO RAMADHĀN FAST 1446AH AND ITS RULES BY IMAM MASHOOD DAGBO

The Chief Imam, Government Girls’ Day Secondary School, Okesuna, Amilengbe, Ilorin; Imam YUSUF Mashood Dagbo welcomed the generality of Muslims worldwide into 1446H Ramadhān fast; the ninth lunar month of the Islamic Calendar. As he said last week, fasting is abstinence from eating, drinking, sexual coitus and other things capable of breaking one’s fasting from what goes into the stomach from dawn til sunset with the intention of worshipping Allah.

Indeed, there are mainly three types of fasting, namely; Fard Fasting (compulsory), Wajib (obligatory) and Nafl Fasting (voluntary). So, Ramadhān fast belongs under Fard Fasting which must be observed by every Muslim who is matured, sane, healthy, free born and free from natural excuses. It is considered a sin to intentionally jettison the fasting as a Muslim so far he/she satusfes the aforementioned conditions.

The Chief Imam, who is also a National Imam for Al-Jama’at RudwanuLlaah Al-Akbar Al-Adabiy (AJRAA) with its headquarters at Babanloma reiterated that fasting in the month of Ramadhān constitutes the fourth pillar of Islam which has it’s rules and conditions when it’s to start and end with his reliance on the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as it has been his regular focus in his every Friday’s Sermon and Wisdom with emphasis on the lessons and jurisprudence of the quoted Hadith.

The Chief Imam who is doubled as marriage counselor, educationist and public presenter quoted the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as follows:
Abu Hurayrah narrated:
The Prophet (ﷺ) or Abul-Qasim said: “Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha’aban”.
Sahih al-Bukhary 1909

The Imam reminded the Muslims as they go about their businesses, to remain hygienic by washing our hands regularly, eat healthy food and stay in a healthy environment to strengthen their immunity and observe their daily five prayers diligently. The Imam also highlighted lessons and jurisprudence of the Hadith are follows:

1. The Hadith establishes the legal position of Ramadan fasting as the fourth fundamental pillar of Islam

2. Hadith reveals that Ramadhān fast is compulsory upon all capable Muslims who are sane, matured, resident, free from inconveniences (temporary or permanent). Temporary such as non-permanent or serious sickness, menstruation, postnatal bleeding, unbearable breastfeeding, travelling, among others, while permanent such as serious sickness like chronic ulcer, old age, among others

3. Hadith establishes the rules guiding the commencement of Ramadan fast and when to end the fast in Islam

4. Hadith states that commencement of Ramadan fast depends on two options; it is either by sighting the crescent of month of Ramadan when Sha’aban is twenty nine (29) or by completing the count of month of Sha’aban till thirty (30), which is the terminal of lunar months provided the crescent (for the month of Ramadhān) is not seen

5. Hadith mentions that completion of Ramadhān fasting is either by these two options, either by sighting the crescent of Shawwal when it is twenty nine (29) or by completing the days of month of Ramadhān till thirty when the crescent (for the month of Shawwaal) is not sighted

6. Hadith specifies that the commencement or completion of Ramadan fasting is announced by the authority (people overseeing Muslims’ affairs) in the respective lands or communities or nations

7. Hadith establishes that those who live to listen or hear the announcement of commencement of Ramadan fasting must fast, so far he/she doesn’t fall among those earlier mentioned with inconveniences

8. Hadith urges Muslims to follow the directive of people in the authority and to fast with fear of Allah as He is the Only one who knows who truly fasts and He is Only One to reward the observers genuinely

9. Hadith expects Muslims as Ramadhān fasting is approaching to be lenient with people in our various businesses such as market women, food sellers, transporters, etc, as all of us will be needing the items more than other days to regain our nutrients loss in the fasting especially in this hardened period as well as our government and the rich to reach out to the masses in the best manner with food items to soften their hardship of looking for what to eat and encourage the marketers to subsidy or reduce prices of food items and others

PRAYER: O Allah! As we are rounding up the month of Sha’ban in preparation for the fasting of Ramadhān in the holy month of Ramadhān 1446H, we ask you; Allah for Your mercy, softness, leniency and succor upon our hardship and agony.

O Allah! By the blessings You adorned this month of Sha’ban with, relieve us of agony of what to eat as the prices of food items are increasing day by day as a result of greediness of hoardings, we call on You to bring us Your Succour above other succours; direct our leaders aright to be kind and lenient with the ruled to take us away from languishing in hardship. O Allah! feed us, protect us from indulging in Your prohibition and deliver us safely to Your Care and save our youths from the greediness of their hearts leading to murder, theft, fraudulent acts etc. O Allah, avert us the test of trials, protect us and members of our families from evils of Shaytan and governance, greedy hoarders and protect Muslims from all worrying lands, especially our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Hamas from the cruelty of Israelites . O Allah; pardon us and bestow paradise on us, save all Muslims from the calamities of our time and restore the world and Nigeria in particular, back to normal from insecurity, hunger, banditry, kidnapping, war and other social evils rampaging the world. Amin

Jumu’ah Mubaarakah
جمعة مباركة

(C) Imam Yusuf Mashood Dagbo, Yumad Consults @ dagbomashood@gmail.com (08035215264)
(22ND SHA’ABAN, 1446AH/
21ST FEBRUARY, 2025CE