About the Book

All praise is due to Allah, Subhanahu wa ta`ala, the Sustainer

of the worlds. I pray that His peace and blessings descend upon

the Most Noble of all the Messengers of Allah, Muhammad

Bin Abdullah, sallallahu 'Alaihi wa salam, his family and companions.

Whenever the orbit turns and another month of Ramadan approaches,

happiness and joy return to the Ummah, for with it

come two of the greatest gifts of Allah, namely the fasting

month of Ramadan and the celebration of the revelation of Al

Qur'an.

Fasting is an eloquent expression of Allah, leading this Ummah

to the gates of His mercy, a key to unlocking the mysteries of

His nearness. While humanity is divided on the basic elements

of the notion of the Creator, a Muslim is far ahead of the rest of

the world in this field and travelling at the speed of light to the

neighborhood of the Throne of the Creator. Where else would

you find a discipline that provides direct communication between

the servant the Served? Where else would you have an

act of 'Ebadah that enriches self-worth, self-strength, selfrebuilding,

self discipline and control? Where else would one

find a discipline that moves the believer from unauthentic to

authentic as the institution of fasting? Where else would you

find a discipline that enriches the vital needs of human being,

both physical and spiritual? Praise be to Allah!

The institution of Fasting is a unique form of worship prescribed

as part of an overall system of Islam. Its uniqueness

mirrors the uniqueness of the human being, a creature of physical

and spiritual parts whose excellence depends on the right

proportion of these two parts. Too much of the physical material

will ruin man, and too much of the spiritual will, too. Fast4

ing orients the observer to the art of balancing the spiritual essentials

with physical needs, a vivid proof that there is in all of

us the will power, a pivotal element that controls our actions.

This will be needed to help us curb the animalistic tendencies

originating from the stomach, in full.

Therefore, ESSENTIALS of RAMADAN, THE FASTING

MONTH is a summary of the fundamental rules and laws on

the Fiqh of Fasting, based on Al-Qur`an and the Sunnah of the

Messenger (saas) to assist the reader in observing this special

'Ebadah of worship, as well as the traditionally related duties

and obligations as mentioned earlier, Zakat and the reading of

Al-Qur`an. All praise be to Allah the Most High in the beginning

and in the end.