Question:Is the recommended fasting valid for someone who deliberately stayed on the state of Janabat even after dawn raises,?

Answer:In the name of Allah, there is no problem in the recommended fasting as in the question. Allah knows best.

Question:We live in Europe in a Scandinavian country, where the hours of the day are close to (21), so we find physical and spiritual difficulty in fasting throughout this period. Is it permissible for us to leave fasting in Ramadhan and do qadhaa fasting in another month of the year? Or is it permissible for us to adhere to the fatwa of a religious authority who goes to fast according to the times of holy Karbala in this case?

Answer:In the name of Allah, if the person who is supposed fast is not able to fast in these countries as a result of long day hours, he has either to move to another place where times are normal or travel after dawn in such a way to exceed the permitted distance so as to break his fasting and then do qadhaa fasting at the appropriate time.

Question:I woke up yesterday and drank some water and ate a candy. In addition, I gave my wife some water and she drank it. I expected that I was within the time of iftar at night. However, after I finished, I looked at my watch and found it was at 4 am; dawn prayers have passed and fasting was due. Is our fasting, my wife and I, void or do I proceed with fasting in that day of Ramadhan?

Answer:In the name of Allah, what you did is something haram; you had to check the time before initiate in drinking water. In this case, you and your wife must do qadhaa fast without atonement. Allah knows best.

Question:During Ramadhan, which one is recommended first: offering prayers or having iftar?

Answer:In the name of Allah, it is recommended to offer prayers first. However, if there is someone waiting for him on the table or he feels that he is forced to pray while his self is fighting him for having iftar, only then is iftar preferable. Allah knows best.

Question:I am a Shite woman and my husband is Sunni. The Shite people here in Pakistan start fasting as per the Shia calendar, but my husband and his family do as per the local religious authorities. This makes difference which sometimes reaches to one or more days. What should I do to avoid such situation?

Answer:In the name Allah, my daughter, try to busy yourself at the Iftar time and preserve your fasting. You have to be informed also that you fast when fasting is confirmed as per the Shia. If your husband fasts one day before, you can offer a recommended fasting and you must not stop fasting unless the eid is confirmed for Shia. If you are forced to stop fasting, Allah knows that you are forced and you have to do qadhaa fast. May Allah help you preserve your religion. Allah is the all Guide and Knowing.

Question:A person doubted the rise of dawn and he ate something. Then, he discovered that the dawn rose. Would his fasting be void for that day if: 1.He went out and checked himself? 2.He requested a trusted person to check and depended on the latter’s check?

Answer:In the name of Allah, in the first condition, there is no problem with his fasting, but in the second, he has to do qadhaa fasting. Allah knows best.

Question:I would like to ask about the imsak, which means abstention from the invalidators of fasting in Ramadhan. It is said that we have to do imsak 10 minutes in advance which is the religious legitimate time. What is the benefit of these minutes and what is the benefit of imsak?

Answer:In the name of Allah, be advised, my son, it is very hard to specify the exact fasting time for each place because the earth moves round itself; for every moment there is a new inch from the earth to face the sun. Therefore, the people specializing in making the timetables of Imsak make sure to take extra time for abstention so that the entire province can be covered at one time. They take normally 10 minutes (or more if the province is big) before the real time of imsak so that all the people in the province do imsak before the rise of true dawn. The morning prayer is to be offered after 10 minutes or more if the province is big so that all the people offer it in the time of dawn and not before it. We hope that the reason of the 10 minutes are clear now. No matter what, be cautious of committing the mistake that you are in the east or the west of the province; a matter can make you regret when regret is of no use. Allah knows best.

Question:We live in Omio / Sweden, where this no sign of the black thread or white thread so that we can know the prayers time. Some believers want to perform fasting here, so we need a fatwa in this regard. We also hope to get timetable for the blessed month of Ramadhan like other places in the entire world.

Answer:In the name of Allah, fasting is to be done from the white thread to the black thread regardless of the number of hours. However, the night to be witnessed is characterized by dim darkness in the time of entering the true dawn, which demands the start of refraining from the invalidators of fasting. With this darkness not found in the area of living, during Ramadhan, the fasting person should either move to another place where conditions are normal or to travel and exceed the permitted area and breaks his fasting; then, he performs overdue fasting (qadhaa fast) later, where fasting can be done properly. Allah knows best.

Question:A person who wanted to fast woke up at night and he did not know the religious timings of Ramadhan. Then, he heard the Athan (call of prayers), but he had some doubts that this Athan is at the exact time of dawn rise, for he wanted to have his Suhur (a meal normally eaten before the dawn rises). What is his ruling?

Answer:In the name of Allah, be advised, my son, if you are sure that the caller of the Athan knows the timings and he is exact in his timings, then it is not permissible to eat anything and if you do, you have missed your fast and then you have to perform qadhaa fast and pay atonement (Kaffara). Allah is the All Guide.

Question:I am doing taqleed to your highness. Can I chew a gum while fasting in Ramadhan?

Answer:In the name of Allah, it is permissible if you swallow nothing of the gum or the saliva affected by its falvour (if it has). However, it is better to avoid it. Allah knows best.