Prophet Musa (4) - accidentally kills an Egyptian and Fiqh of Ramadhan 2
Intro - Timeline of the Universe
Contextualising our existence in the scheme of the universe, we talked about a timeline. When the End of the World will be is unknown but in historical terms, it is pretty imminent – as preached by all the Prophets...
The below are just estimates based upon current scientific consensus:
13.5 Billion yrs ago – Universe Created
5 Billion yrs ago – Sun born – then Earth
3.8 Billion yrs ago – earliest life forms
1.5 Billion yrs ago – Single cell life forms with nucleus
700 million yrs ago – primitive life forms
500 million yrs ago – dinosaurs
200 million yrs ago – mammals
65 million yrs ago – dinosaurs extinct
? 400,000 yrs ago – humans
15,000 yrs ago – collective living
12,000 yrs ago – large cities / civilisation
Prophet Musa* Leaves Egypt after Accidental Killing
Allah raised Musa in the house of Pharaoh – the centre of power. When he matured he was given Hikmah and Ilmah (Wisdom and knowledge). He was tall, strong, dark skinned and had very black curly hair according to the Prophet*.In the Qur'an Allah relates the following event about the Prophet Musa’s* life: He (Moses) entered the city at a time when its inhabitants were unaware (midnight or midday) and found two men fighting there—one from Bani Israel and the other from the Egyptians. The Israelite asked for his support against the oppressive Egyptian. So Moses pushed him back with his stick and the other person fell and died accidentally. Musa* said, "This is part of satan's handiwork. He truly is an outright and misleading enemy." [TMQ 28:15]
The Prophet Musa*’s character was one of a person who would help people. But he realised his mistake and asked Allah for support. He said, "My Lord, I have wronged myself. Forgive me." So He (Allah) forgave him. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. He said, "My Lord, because of Your blessing to me, I will never be a supporter of evildoers." [TMQ 28:16-17]
Pharaoh then convened an special council / task force to investigate the killing. As this involved the Muslims of the day (Bani Israel) Pharaoh wanted to make a big deal of this and treated this death as an act of terrorism that needed to be punished and the whole community put under fear and suspicion. Propaganda started that the Muslims (Bani Israel) may even try to set up their own government or want to overthrow the Egyptian way of life.
The next day Musa* returned to the same place fearful and on his guard when the man who had sought his help the day before, shouted for help from him again. Then Moses said to him, "You are clearly a misguided man." [TMQ 28:18] but the man mistook this and thought that Musa* may harm him. But when Musa* was about to grab the man who was their common enemy, he said, "Moses! Do you want to kill me just as you killed a person yesterday? You only want to be a tyrant in the land; you do not want to be a reformer." [TMQ 28:19]
Now the news was confirmed that Musa* had done the killing and now Pharaoh would make an example of him. Hence, Pharaoh and the leading followers discussed the Prophet Musa’s* punishment, even the possibility of executing him. Someone who overheard the discussion came to warn the Prophet Musa*. Upon this warning, the Prophet Musa* left Egypt: A man came running from the furthest part of the city, saying, "Moses, the Council are conspiring to kill you, so leave! I am someone who brings you good advice." So he left there fearful and on his guard, saying, "My Lord, rescue me from the people of the wrongdoers!" [TMQ 28:20-21]
Without time to pack or prepare Musa* had to leave immediately and headed East as quick as he could go – barefoot and alone.
Main Topic: Fiqh of Ramadhan part 2
* Sawm linguistically means refraining, silence, suspension. Shariah terminology means refraining from those things that break the fast and they are: food, drink, sexual relations, excess water through mouth/nose and vomiting, with the intention of getting closer to Allah from Fajr of a day until its Maghrib.* Niyah (intention) needs to be made every night as fasting every day is an independent act of Ibadah.
*Whoever intentionally breaks a day of fasting in Ramadhan without a rukhsah (shariah permission) commits a major sin.
* Fasting is not obliged on the young until they have become mature (buloogh). Parents can train them from any age.
* Maghrib Prayer is after the Iftar (breaking fast)
* It is obligatory upon the sick person (Mareed) and traveller (Musaafir) to make Qadaa for what he has missed of the obligatory fasting. “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon” [Observing Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskîn (poor person) (for every day). 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. [TMQ 2:183-184]
Fasting is broken by:
- Breaking of the Niyah of the fast
- Eating and drinking intentionally (see below)
- Menstruation and post Childbirth bleeding
- Sexual relations
- Vomiting intentionally - Ibn ‘Umar said: “Whoever is overcome by vomiting there is no Qadaa for him, and the one who makes himself sick must make Qadaa”. Ibn ‘Abbaas said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “There are three which do not break the fast of the one fasting: Vomiting, cupping and wet dreams”.
Eating and Drinking: the entering of something into the throat and its swallowing, i.e. its entering into the Gullet/Oesophagus breaks the fast without any stipulation that it reaches the stomach or lungs
- Hence fast also broken by smoking or inhaling tobacco, purposely inhaling steam or smoke, taking inhalers or sniffing smelling salts, oral vaccines
- Some medical applications are allowed, such as: scope or surgical wound (as long as it avoids intestines & lungs), EEG, ECG, CT scan, X-rays, external examinations, skin vaccines, needles for blood, dialysis, bleeding, carefully using miswak or toothpaste
The descent of anything into the Gullet breaks the fast and this is obliged by the language because language dictates that whoever swallows a solid entity has eaten or if it is liquid has had something to drink. So the descending of anything into the Gullet is considered eating or drinking and eating and drinking are breakers of the fast, so if anything is swallowed the fast is broken - whether it is nutritious or not like a pebble or handful of dirt with no difference to whether it enters as a solid unit or as powder ingested with saliva or in a form of material that is in the air and turns into a sensed (congealed) form once inside. This includes:
- As-Su’oot, It is a type of Tobacco that is crushed, sniffed and it enters into the lungs.
- The smoking of Tobacco and the smoke of incense
- Steam from water or medicine
- Inhaler
However if any of this happened against the will of the person then it does not break the fast because Allah does not bring to account the action of the man which was against his will so whoever sits next to a smoker or burning incense sticks and something entered into his chest unintentionally and not wilfully then he remains fasting and has not broken it. Also if the weather situation and humidity meant that there were water particles in the air or in a bathroom dues to steam from hot water and the one fasting breathes this in without any desire to do so, intention or wish, then he has not broken his fast. Similar to this is the dust/sand in the air which occurs in cyclones and storms so if any of this is breathed in it does not break the fast and nothing breaks the fast except for what enters with somebody’s own will and intention.
Some Actions that do not break the fast
Smells: As for what can enter the Gullet but does not have a material sensed form such as perfume and other smells whether they are pure or dislikeable they do not break the fast and enter through the sense of smell without intention or purpose. Anas Bin Maalik that he said: “The Messenger of Allah* was asked: Can the fasting person kiss? He replied: And what is wrong with that, (It’s like) the smelling of a flower”.
Al-Qublah and Al-Mubaasharah (The kiss and fondling) - ‘Aa’isha said: “The Messenger of Allah* would kiss me whilst we were both fasting”. And also from ‘Aa’isha that she said: “The Messenger of Allah* used to kiss some of his wives whilst he was fasting and then she laughed”.
Al-hujaamah (Bloodletting) is the splitting/opening of the skin in the head with a tool called a Mihjam or Mihjamah followed by the Haajim (one performing al-Hujaamah) extracting the blood from the opening when there is an abundance of blood in the body. The process of donating blood in our present time is in reality the extraction of blood from the body and where the extraction of blood is permissible and does not break the fast we therefore can say that donating blood also does not break the fast. That the wound and what accompanies it ordinarily of external bleeding whether this has resulted from fighting in the way of Allah, from a car accident, or a shooting at a wedding or argument, or falling from a high place or any other situation or circumstance all of this does not break the fast. That the process of dialysis which is the extraction of the blood from the body in a purifying process and then the returning of this purified blood into the body, does not break the fast. The extraction of blood with a needle in order for it to be examined in a laboratory is permitted and does not break the fast. The needle of a doctor does not at all break the fast whether it is for medical treatment, to give nutrients/supplements, blood or anaesthesia and whether it is in the veins. This is all as long as no substances or medicines enter directly into the respiratory and digestives systems and their organs.
Caution: As for what a person with a heart illness or has suffered a stroke places under his tongue of pills which melt gradually as a remedy when the condition is intensified, then this breaks the fast if this forms a residue that could be swallowed. If it is entirely absorbed into the blood then it could be permissible providing none enters the gullet.
As-Siwaak (miswak): Aamir Bin Rabee’a said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (saw) performing Siwaak whilst he was fasting, (so many times that it could not be counted)” The entering of any material in the mouth does not break the fast except if a material or substance that is emitted or comes off it is swallowed and it was possible to guard from it. However if it was not possible to guard from it, like a very small insignificant amount then there is no problem with this (i.e. it does not break the fast). So established on this principle it is permissible to TASTE FOOD and the placing of a THERMOMETER in the mouth is also allowed. Also that toothpaste or dentistry work is allowed and does not break the fast as long as nothing reaches the throat of substances or materials and is swallowed.
