Comprehensive Study Guide on the Jurisprudence of Fasting and Spiritual Retreat
Juridical Definition: Fasting, in an Islamic legal context, is defined as the act of consciously abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations from true dawn (fajr) until sunset (maghrib). This abstention must be accompanied by a sincere intention ($niyya$) to fulfill the fast for the sake of Allah. The individual fasting must be capable (mentally and physically) and legally obligated to observe the fast, adhering to the criteria set by Islamic jurisprudence.
The Seven Legal Types of Fasting:
Obligatory ($Fard$): This category includes the fast performed during the month of Ramadan with specific time restrictions ($ada'$), as well as compensatory fasts ($qada'$) for any days missed during Ramadan due to valid reasons. Additionally, fasts of expiation ($kaffara$) and vowed fasts ($mandhur$) also fall under this category, establishing their high legal status and necessity for adherence.
Mandatory ($Wajib$): This encompasses compensation fasts for voluntary ($nafl$) fasts that a person may have inadvertently broken. More precise interpretations often categorize expiatory and vowed fasts here rather than under the $Fard$ classification, indicating the nuanced nature of obligatory actions in Islamic law.
Sunna: This type refers to recommended fasts that follow the prophetic traditions, specifically fasting on the day of Ashura (the 10th of Muharram), especially when combined with fasting on either the 9th or 11th. Fasting Ashura alone is mildly criticized ($makruh tanzihan$) as it mirrors Jewish customs.
Recommended ($Mandub$): Fasting here includes practices considered good but not obligatory, such as fasting three days of every lunar month (ideally during the 13th, 14th, and 15th), Mondays, and Thursdays, and the six days of Shawwal that can be observed in either a consecutive or spread-out fashion after Eid.
Voluntary ($Nafl$): Any day chosen for fasting, provided that there are no impediments or established disapprovals, allowing individuals greater flexibility in observance.
Prohibitively Disliked ($Makruh Tahriman$): Fasting on the two Eid days or during the Days of Tashriq (the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhu 'l-Hijja) is prohibited and conveys the necessity of avoiding fasting during these significant occasions of worship and celebration.
Mildly Disliked ($Makruh Tanzihan$): This involves fasting on specific days such as Saturday alone, or Fridays (according to some scholarly opinions), as well as Iranian holidays like Nayruz (the vernal equinox) and Mahrajan (the autumnal equinox), unless they coincide with established personal habits. Continuous fasting without breaks (known as $sawm al-wisal$) and fasting every day of the year ($sawm al-dahr$) are discouraged due to the importance of moderation in one’s acts of worship.
Temporal Boundaries and Precautions for Fasting
Start and End Times: The fast is initiated at true dawn ($fajr sadiq$) and is completed at sunset. It is crucial for individuals to ensure they only consume food and drink until true dawn, even if there is a deceptive false dawn ($fajr kadhib$) visible.
Procedure at Dawn: Immediately upon true dawn, one must cease all eating habits, and if any food or liquid remains in the mouth, it must be expelled. Consuming anything at that critical juncture invalidates the fast.
Hadith Interpretation: Although there is a reported narration regarding the permissibility of drinking while the azan (call to prayer) is heard, scholars argue that this narration lacks robust authentication. Even if accepted, it is important to understand that the term 'call' refers specifically to the azan of Bilal, which predates true dawn, serving merely to alert individuals of the impending Fajr.
Modern Timings: In contemporary practices for fasting, the threshold set at for Fajr is a more cautious approach and is advisable to follow.
The Requirement and Timing of Intention ($Niyya$)
General Rule: A valid intention is required for all fasts, with classifications based on when this intention needs to be articulated and if specific details about the fast are essential.
Category A: Requires Specificity and Previous Night Intention ($Tabyit$):
The intention must be declared after Maghrib prayers but before Fajr on the day of the fast.
This applies to makeup fasts ($qada'$) for missed Ramadan days, fasts of expiation ($kaffara$), and unconditional vows ($nadhr mutlaq$) that do not specify the day.
Category B: No Specificity or Night Intention Required:
Intent can be announced any time from Maghrib until just before the midpoint of the day ($dahwa kubra$).
This category includes Ramadan fasts during the designated month ($ada'$), specific vows ($nadhr mu'ayyan$), and voluntary fasts ($nafl$).
Calculating $Dahwa Kubra$: This is essentially the halfway point between Fajr and Maghrib—calculated either as the middle of Fajr's designated prayer time (dawn to sunrise), or from midday ($zawal$) subtracted accordingly.
Establishing the Month via Crescent Sighting ($Hilal$)
Methodology: The commencement of Ramadan is contingent on the sighting of the crescent moon or completing a full 30 days of Sha'ban, with daytime moon sightings being rendered irrelevant.
The Day of Doubt ($Yawm al-Shakk$): The day following the 29th of Sha'ban in which the moon is not observed. Fasting on this uncertain day is not permissible unless it is done with a definitive intention to observe it as a voluntary ($nafl$) fast.
Witness Requirements:
Ramadan Start (Obstruction in sky): The presence of one upright person (male, female, or slave) is adequate for verification.
Ramadan Completion/Eid (Obstruction in sky): The criteria require either two free male witnesses or one male and two females to validate the sighting.
No Obstruction (Clear sky): Requires a larger collective of people to affirm the moon sighting for initiating or concluding any lunar month.
Other Months: Sighting protocols for Dhu 'l-Hijja (Eid al-Adha) and other lunar months adhere to the same standards as established for Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr).
Actions Invalidating the Fast ($Mufsidat$)
Category 1: Makeup ($Qada'$) and Expiation ($Kaffara$):
These actions necessitate the intentional consumption of food or drink possessing caloric or medicinal properties. Additionally, engaging in aware sexual relations would render the fast invalid.
Expiation Requirements: Obligations include freeing a slave; should this be unfeasible, one must fast uninterrupted months, or if truly unable, provide meals for needy individuals comprising of wheat (or its equal value in currency).
Category 2: Makeup ($Qada'$) Only:
Ingesting items outside of typical consumption (e.g., dirt), utilizing a suppository inappropriately, accidentally swallowing water during mouth rinsing ($madmada$), or inhaling water during nasal cleansing ($istinshaq$). Additional invalidators include being coerced into breaking the fast, nocturnal feeding while asleep, spontaneous ejaculation from physical affection, self-induced vomiting ( or more), ingesting remnants of food the size of a chickpea ( or larger), or inhaling smoke, steam, or vapor for enjoyment.
Category 3: No Makeup or Penalty (Permissible/Not Disliked):
Engaging in blood drawing/cupping ($hijama$) does not annul the fast provided it does not induce notable weakness, along with using a miswak ($siwak$) at any point during the day, rinsing the mouth/nose without swallowing, bathing or wearing wet garments for relief from heat, administering eye drops, or receiving injections (this latter point reflects a modern legal ruling). Additionally, mistakenly eating or drinking, or having sexual relations undertaken due to forgetfulness, and natural bodily occurrences, such as wet dreams, are also permissible.
Category 4: No Makeup but Disliked:
Activities such as tasting or chewing food without swallowing should be avoided unless justified—such as tasting for culinary purposes in a cooking context. Close physical interactions with a spouse must be approached carefully to prevent any unintended consequences of ejaculation or intercourse.
Mandatory Withholding ($Imsak$)
For individuals who have broken their fast—whether intentionally or unintentionally, or situations where a traveler returns during the day but was not observing a fast—it is obligatory ($wajib$) to conduct themselves as though they are fasting until day’s end. This includes women whose menstrual or postnatal bleeding ceases during the day, as well as new Muslims converting during daylight hours.
Note: The first three groups are required to make up the day afterward; the last two are not subject to this requirement.
Legal Exemptions and the Ransom ($Fidya$)
Exemptions: Individuals facing legitimate illness (with concerns of exacerbation), pregnancy or nursing mothers (with fears for self or child), severe thirst posing a life threat, and travel that is initiated before Fajr are all valid for exemption from fasting duties.
Defining "Legitimate Fear": This is assessed based on (1) past experiences, (2) overt signs of health risk, or (3) the recommendations from a reputable, sinless Muslim physician’s counsel.
Fidya: An elderly or chronically ill individual, unable to fast their remaining life, is required to provide of wheat for every missed day. If they regain their health, they must fulfill their missed fasts ($qada'$) despite their earlier fidya payment.
Spiritual Retreat ($I'tikaf$)
Types:
Mandatory ($Wajib$): Resulting from a vow ($nadhr$) where fasting is a condition to validate the retreat.
Emphasized Communal Sunna ($Sunna Kifaya$): This refers specifically to the last ten nights of Ramadan, a time highly regarded in Islamic practice.
Recommended ($Mustahabb$): Spiritual retreats may also be observed at other times throughout the year; a minimum duration of a brief moment is necessary to count as I'tikaf.
Location: Valid retreats must take place in a congregational mosque (one that has an Imam and Mu'adhdhin), while for women, it is permissible within her designated house prayer area.
Rules of Conduct:
Leaving: One may only leave for necessities dictated by Shari'ah (e.g., Friday prayer), urgent natural needs (bathroom/bathing), or emergencies (forced exit). Premature departure without valid reason nullifies the retreat.
Prohibitions: Engaging in sexual activities, foreplay, or any actions that may lead to such results are strictly prohibited, and ejaculation invalidates the retreat.
Permissible actions: Eating, drinking, sleeping, and essential buying/selling are allowed, provided no goods are taken inside the mosque.
Vows: Should specific days be vowed for retreat, the corresponding nights are included; conversely, if nights are vowed, the accompanying days must also be fulfilled consecutively.