Ramadan Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t: eat, drink, or have marital relations from dawn to sunset, lie, cheat, use bad words, lose your temper, listen to or look at bad things. 

Do: Eat small meals (pre-dawn meal & when breaking the fast), give charity, read Quran, increase in worship, remember God, share food, increase in good deeds, work hard to create new good habits.

• Give Charity

• Supplicate 

• Remember God 

• Help others 

• Learn & Read about Islamic Subjects

• Fasting ends at sunset. As soon as the sun sets, you can eat and drink.

• Fasting begins at dawn (fajr). It’s best to stop eating a few minutes before the time comes in.

• Water and dates

• Light, healthy meals

No. Accumulation of saliva does not break the fast.

• There is no specific dua to be read at Suhoor. 

• You should make your intention the night before when you are planning to fast.

• Yes, your fast is still valid.

Fasting is not invalidated by forgetfulness, according to a majority of the scholars. Once you realize, you are required to fast and it is valid.

It’s not ever good to listen to music. In these very special, very limited days, we should be extremely careful how we spend our time. There’s so much good to be done.  We may not be eating, but cautious care should also be taken with what we intake with our eyes and ears as well.

Yes, it is permitted and is encouraged to have good oral hygiene. The Messenger Muhammad brushed his teeth often with a tooth stick, even while he was fasting (although it was different from the plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste we are familiar with).

Your fast is broken. You have to make it up at a later date when you are able.

You need to make up the days you missed after Ramadan.

Many non-muslims these days do intermittent fasting. Start that sort of habit before Ramadan so they are used to not seeing you eating much. Then when you are fasting for Ramadan, find a way to politely avoid them when they are eating. Try to stay busy out of the house – that helps too.

• If the situation is too difficult or dangerous, you are not required and can take time to slowly ease into the obligations.  Make gradual steps to a more modest way of dressing.

You would have to discuss the options with your doctor. If he/she says it will harm you to fast, then you are required to refrain from fasting. If this condition is permanent, you should feed a poor Muslim for every day of Ramdan instead of fasting.

If it will harm the mother or the baby, it is permissible not to fast, but the fasts must be made up when she is no longer pregnant or breastfeeding. Fidyah is only an option for people who will not be able to make up the fasts (like those with permanent illnesses or terminal diseases). So it would not be an option in this case.

Women do not fast during their monthly cycle. This is a concession from God. They make up those days at a later time in the year.

• It does not technically break the fast but it should be avoided as much as possible. Part of the purification process is controlling the self. Committing such actions will decrease in the quality of the fast and the reward associated with it.

No. Bleeding from a finger or any other wound does not nullify the fast.

No it does not lower the immune system. Actually many terminal illnesses are treated with fasting and science has proven that regular fasting strengthens the immune system. If you have health concerns you should check with your primary care provider.

If necessary, a suppository can be used, and does not break the fast.

• Ok, please take the Salah course at newmuslimacademy.org. 

• It’s fine if you only know one surah. Ramadan is a great time to work hard to learn more and New Muslim Academy offers free Arabic and Quran classes to help with that.

You can do just the motions at first, then motions and statements, and work up to the full ritual. But all five set times for the ritual must be kept to. Please join the “Practice Makes Perfect” live class weekly to learn more.

Yes you can use paper to help you remember at first.

1. How many rakahs?

The Messenger Muhammad conducted his night prayer in sets of twos and we follow his way as much as we are able. You do as many as you like. Witr is an odd number, usually three.

2. When do we pray tahajud and Witr? 

Both can be prayed after the isha (night time) salah, and up until fajr (dawn time). 

3. Are there any specific Surahs we should read with these prayers, if so which ones?

For Witr, the Messenger Muhammad would generally recite the following chapters after Fatiha. Surah ‘Ala #87 in the first unit, Surah Kafirun #109 in the second unit, and Surah Ikhlas #112 in the third unit. We try to follow his way as much as possible. But you can do what is easy for you to recite with ease and understanding, ideally.

You still have to do this in Ramadan, just with extra care not to inhale or swallow any water. Rinsing your nose entails gently sniffing or inhaling the water into your nostrils then blowing it out. You can also complete this process in one act by taking a handful of water and using half of it to wash your mouth and the other half to rinse your nose. It is compulsory to rinse your mouth and nose once and it is recommended to do it three times.

You are required to make it up as soon as you wake up.

Only dua from Quran and Sunnah in the fard salah. And only in Arabic. 

And if yes then how many times we can recite it?

As many times as you like, as long as it fulfills the above requirements. And can we offer sunnah prayers before azan? Yes, but that would simply be a voluntary Salah and not the prescribed regular Sunnah. Sunnah prayers are offered in the way of the Messenger Muhammad. He prayed 2 units after the fajr athan and before fajr, four units before and after the dhurhr salah, after the dhuhr salah came in, etc. So one would not pray the sunnah prayers before the athan as they would not count for the sunnah of the salah that is coming in.

There are certain requirements that must be met when standing before God. A Muslim woman must wear loose clothing that covers her entire body and hair, leaving her face and palms exposed. This is an obligation. One should dress in a manner that is clean and befitting for standing before God.

Taraweeh, witr, and sunnah prayers are highly recommended but not obligatory and hence do not result in accumulation of sin if not performed. 

Making up should be done when the person is able to. These have to be made up and so do your fasts. It is suggested to try your best to change your situation in order to resolve this issue.

It’s best to go to a mosque and pray behind an imam. There are different and valid opinions as to how many rakats. At the mosque, they generally read through the Quran in the month (one juz per day).

No, this does not count as taraweeah.

Yes, and yes.

Increase in worship and supplication. No special prayer to pray. The supplication to be made is: “Oh Allah! You are most forgiving, you love to forgive, so forgive me.”

Offer Eid prayer in congregation following behind an imam. On Eid morning, shower, eat, dress up, go to the Eid prayer, celebrate and be thankful that God enabled you to fast the entire month.

No you don’t. There are specific requirements for zakat. You don’t meet those requirements unless you have a particular sum of money saved for a full year, in which case you would need to pay. It’s best to use a zakat calculator or ask a scholar.

Keep on with your new habits! Fast the 6 days of Shawaal and continue with Mondays and Thursdays. Keep up with your increased worship and reading of Quran. The winner of the marathon trains for it. Then the next Ramadan you can increase again! 

It’s normal to feel thirsty. No, you can’t break your fast if you intended to fast to make up a day. If you do, you should repent and will have to make it up.

The fist day of Shawwal is the day of Eid and it is restricted to fast. You can fast any other 6 days of Shawwal.

You can make it up any time during the year before the next Ramadan. 

Yes.

Why can you only read the Quran during Ramadan? The Quran should be a part of our daily routine.

They learn slowly and gradually with a trustworthy teacher or organization and institution of learning.

What if that person is not motivated enough and doesn’t seem too interested but still wants to learn?

Everyone can change. And usually what it takes is to just take the first steps. After that the momentum of excitement and determination propels one forward. Sign up in New Muslim Academy and take the courses which are self-paced. 

No, there is no harm to a beginner trying to read Quran. Everyone should try and we all make mistakes at the beginning of any new skill acquisition. The one struggling gets double the reward. The information you have is not accurate.