Fiqh of Ramadaan – 10/30
The Facilitations of Allaah in Siyaam

Allaah – the mighty and sublime – has obligated the fasting of Ramadaan and He (subhaanahu) has made things easy for His slaves and He has not burdened them with anything which they have no capability to do. He – the mighty and sublime – has said while mentioning the obligation of the fasting of Ramadaan and His facilitations in that:

{فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ الله بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ}

{So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship} ([1])

And Allaah has not made the fasting obligatory to be done in its specified time except for the one who is Muslim, Adult, Sane, and Capable of fasting, and is a resident, and secure from any obstacles. And this is from His mercy and favors, and a facilitation for His slaves. Verily, He has not placed any difficulty for them in the religion, just as He (‘azza wa jalla) said:

{وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ}

{And He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty} ([2])

And He – subhaanahu wa ta’ala – said:

{فَاتَّقُوا الله مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ}

{So fear Allaah as much as you are able} ([3])

And He – the mighty and exalted – has said:

{لاَ يُكَلِّفُ الله نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا} قال: ((نعم))، {رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا} قال: ((نعم)) {رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ} قال: ((نعم)) {وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِين} قال: ((نعم))

{Allaah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or make a mistake.} (The Prophet said after reciting this) ((Yes)). {Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us} (The Prophet said) ((Yes)). {Our Lord, impose not on us (burdens) which we have not the strength to bear} (The Prophet said) ((Yes)). {And pardon us and grant us protection, and have mercy on us. Thou art our Patron, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people}. The Prophet said: (He (the Lord) said): ((Yes)). } ([4])

And in the narration of Ibn ‘Abbaas, when the Prophet (ﷺ) recited these verses, it says that Allaah says: ((Indeed, I did it)) instead of ((Yes)) ([5]).

And Allaah – the mighty and sublime – has negated difficulty from this Ummah, as He says:

{مَا يُرِيدُ الله لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُون}

{Allaah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful} ([6])

He has made things light and easy upon His slaves and did not make them difficult. He – subhaanahu – said:

{يُرِيدُ الله أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ وَخُلِقَ الإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا}

{And Allaah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak} ([7])

And the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

((إن الدين يسٌر ... ))

((Indeed the religion is easy…)) ([8])

And the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

((دعوني ما تركتكم؛ فإنما هلك من كان قبلكم بكثرة سؤالهم واختلافهم على أنبيائهم، فإذا أمرتكم بشيء فأتوا منه ما استطعتم، وإذا نهيتكم عن شيء فاجتنبوه))

((Leave me with what I have left you to you (i.e. do not ask me so long as I do not impose anything upon you), because those who were before you were destroyed on account of their frequent questioning and their disagreement with their Prophets. So when I order you to do something, do it as much as you can; and when I forbid you from doing anything, then leave it)) ([9])

And from the facilitations of Allaah upon His slaves is the fact that He sent for them a Messenger who is kind and merciful to the believers. He finds hard whatever his people find hard upon themselves. Allaah says:

{لَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيم}

{There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful} ([10])

And from the facilitations of Allaah upon His slaves is the fact that He has commanded His noble Messenger to enjoin ease and forbid hardship, hence Aa’ishah (radiallah anha) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

((يسروا ولا تعسروا))

((Make things easy and do not make them difficult)) ([11])

And the Prophet (ﷺ) does not speak anything of his own accord, it is but a revelation revealed. And when Allaah made the fasting of the month of Ramadaan obligatory, He did not make it hard upon His slaves, rather He made it very easy for them, such that He permitted breaking the fast for those who are sick, traveling, and old for whom it is hard to fast. Likewise, He did not make it obligatory on the pregnant and breastfeeding women when they fear harm upon themselves or their children. And He did not make it obligatory on the children to fast nor upon any of those who are unable to do so, and other facilitations likewise.

The details of this will be discussed soon, in-sha-Allaah, under the rulings of the excused people for whom Allaah has made it permissible to break the fast during the day of Ramadaan, as a mercy upon them, and a favor, kindness and lightening of difficulties for His slaves. For He is the Lord besides whom there is none worthy of worship, and for Him is all the praise as befitting His Majesty and the greatness of His sovereignty.

---

[1] - [Al-Baqarah (2:185)]

[2] - [Al-Hajj (22:78)]

[3] - [At-Taghaabun (64:16)]

[4] - [Saheeh Muslim (125), the verses are from Al-Baqarah (2:286)]

[5] - [Saheeh Muslim (126)]

[6] - [Al-Maa’idah (5:6)]

[7] - [Al-Nisaa (4:28)]

[8] - [Al-Bukhaari (39), from Abu Hurayrah (radiallah anhu)]

[9] - [Agreed Upon: Al-Bukhaari (7288), Muslim (1337)]

[10] - [At-Tawbah (9:128)]

[11] - [Agreed Upon: Al-Bukhaari (69), Muslim (1734)]