FASTING THEN NOW Entering Ramadan Workshop Surah Baqarah

FASTING: THEN & NOW Entering Ramadan Workshop

Surah Baqarah | Verse 183 ● ● ﻯ ﺍﻳ ﻥ ﺍﻟ ﺍ ﺍ ﻭ ﺍ ﺍﻳ آ ﻭﺍ ﺍ O you who believe, fasting has been decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those who have come before you, so that you be Godfearing.

What is Fasting? ● Root of fasting ● ﺍ / ● ﻡ or ﺍﻡ linguistic: to abstain, to fast ● technical: to refrain from food, drink, and marital relations ●

ﻭ ● ● | The Purpose of Fasting All activities in life have a scale for success ● We live in a goal-oriented society Purpose of fasting ● ﺗﻘﻮﻯ Godliness ● Piety ● Devoutness ●

ﺍﻳ ﻥ | Those Before • Why does Allah ( )ﷻ mention, “…as it was decreed upon those who have come before you…” • Show importance • Provides encouragement

Psychology in the Qur’an ● Gender traits and patterns ● Men are goal-oriented ● ● Women are supportive ● ● ﻭ ﺍﻳ ﻥ Both genders gain motivation

The Fasts of the People Before Us ● The fast of Prophet Musa ( )ﷺ ● ﺍ ﺍﻭ ﻯﻳ And when We appointed forty nights for Musa ● Called to Mount Sinai ● Fasted for thirty days ● Cleaned mouth with miswak ● Ordered to fast for ten more days ●

The Fasts of the People Before Us ● The fast of Maryam ● ● ﺍﻧ ﺍ ﺍ ﻱ ﻟ ﺍ ﺍﻭ ﻱ ﺍ Then if you see any human being, say, “I have vowed a fast (of silence) for the All-Merciful, and therefore I shall never speak to any human today. ” ● Gave birth to Isa ( )ﷺ ● When she returned, people began to accuse her

Early Fasts of Islam • Some of the Companions would have difficulty regarding the different elements of fasting • Eat • Drink • Marital relationships

Early Fasts of Islam ● Fasting began when a person slept after iftar ● Story of Qays ibn Sarma al-Ansari returning from work ● ﺍﻟ ﻭﺍ ﺍﻟ ﺍ ﻯ ﺍ ﺍ ﺍ ﻭﺍ ﺍ ﻭﺍ ﻯ ● “And eat and drink until the white thread (of dawn) becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until sunset”

Early Fasts of Islam • Debate amongst the scholars regarding the fast of the 10 th of Muharram • The Prophet ( )ﷺ found the Jews of Madinah fasting on this day • We have more right over Musa ( )ﷺ

Take Away Points • Fasting is a protection/shield • Fasting should be done at low and high points • Fasting is a tradition of the pious