Youth United for Moral Teachings & Propagation

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07/02/2025

Welcome to our new members! Fatima Kromah

04/05/2022

The Main Essence Of Fasting Six Days In Shawwal:
Today is the third of the Month of Shawwal.
The Month of Shawwal comes every year immediately after the Holy Month of Ramadan. Fasting six days in Shawwal is very essential, especially for those who observed the entire Month of Ramadan fasting.
According to the authentic Sunnah, whoever observes Ramadan and follows it with six days in Shawwal will be rewarded as if they had fasted for the whole year.
To better comprehend this topic, it will be very prudent to read the following points:
1- Fasting the whole month of Ramadan plus Six Days in Shawwal is equal to fasting for the entire year. Simply because for every good deed there are ten rewards. So, fasting for a day in Ramadan is rewardable for 10 days. Hence, fasting for the whole month of Ramadan is rewardable for 300 days or 10 months. And fasting for six days in Shawwal is rewardable for 60 days or two months. Meaning, fasting the Month of Ramadan followed by six days of Shawwal constitutes an entire year's reward.

2- Fasting the whole Month of Ramadan is a basic condition for one to obtain the reward specified for fasting the Six days of Shawwal.
However, our great scholars have differed on this issue:
- The first group of scholars maintains that the blessings for fasting in Shawwal are restricted to those who had completed the Ramadan fast. Meaning: If someone had missed some days in Ramadan, then, they must make up the missed days before fasting the six days of Shawwal. The supporters of this view strongly rely upon the broader meaning of the narration.
-The second group of scholars maintain that it is permissible for one to firstly observe the six days of Shawwal before making up the missed days of Ramadan. The supporters of this view argue that the six days are restricted to the month of Shawwal, while the making up of missed days is extended to the whole year.
3- Since it is not allowed to fast on the Day of Eid, the six days fasting starts from the second day of Shawwal (the day after Eidul-fitr) and ends on the last day of Shawwal.
4- It is permissible for one to observe the six days at any time in the Month of Shawwal. It is not obliged to start immediately after the Eid. However, sooner is better as the Holy Qur'an encourages Muslims to hasten in doing good of all kinds.
5- It is not a condition for one to observe the Shawwal fasting in sequence. The most important thing is to complete the six days fast before the end of Shawwal.
6- It is not permissible for one to declare dual intentions in the Shawwal fast (i.e. to intend making up the missed days and at the same time intend to acquire the reward of the six days of Shawwal). Simply because making up the missed days represents a part of the month of Ramadan, which is a distinct type of worship with a specific reward whereas fasting the six days is another type of worship with a separate reward. As such, they can't be combined with one intention.
May Allah SWT accept our worships and grant us the strength and ability to continuously worship him even after Ramadan until death meets us.

26/04/2022

The Articles of Zakatul-Fitr

ARTICLE 1:
What is Zakatul-Fitr?
Zakatul-Fitr is a mandatory charity which is given at the end of the month of Ramadan.

ARTICLE 2:
What is the Islamic ruling on Zakatul-Fitr?
Zakatul-Fitr is obligatory on every muslim.

ARTICLE 3:
Who pays Zakatul-Fitr?
Zakatul-Fitr should be given by every Muslim, male or female; young or adult, poor or wealthy etc......

ARTICLE 4:
Who are the recipients of Zakatul-fitr?
Scholars have differed regarding the recipients of Zakatul-fitr.
Our great scholars have differed on the issue of the legal recipients of Zakatul Fitr.
Many scholars point out that the recipients of Zakatul-fitr are the very recipients of Zakatul Maal or the Annual Zakat.
other scholars mainly from the Maliki School of fiqh maintain that Zakatul-Fitr should be restricted to the poor and needy Muslims.

ARTICLE 5:
What should be given as Zakatul-Fitr?
According to the vast majority of scholars, Zakatul-Fitr should be given from what constitutes the staple food of the country in which the giver lives.
Hence, in Liberia, Zakatul Fitr is approximately 25kg of rice per a househood of ten people. Meaning six cups of rice per individual.
Some scholars mainly from the Hanifi School of Fiqh prefer the given of money instead of food.
I personally admire this last view due to two reasons:
1- The essence of Zakatul-fitr is to help feed the poor. And there is a great possibility that when given the food, the poor may not be able to cook it or consume it due to the lack of ingredients or the incapability of cooking.
2- The poor may not be in need of rice and he may not find a customer to buy it which may result to starvation.

ARTICLE 6:
When is Zakatul-Fitr Given?
The best time to give Zakatul-Fitr is before the Eid prayer on the day of Eidul-Fitr.
However, it is permissible to give it a day or two before the Eid.
May Allah SWT guide us and grant us the proper understanding of Islam.

22/04/2022

Activities of the Last Ten of Ramadan

According to the Sunnah, our beloved Prophet S.A.W used to increase his spirituality with the start of the last ten of Ramadan. He used to double his efforts in worship, keep the night alive, and keep his family awake for Salat.
This narrative is a brief summary of what a muslim should be doing in the Last Ten of Ramadan.
The narrative has listed three main activities the Prophet S.A.W used to devote himself to:
1- He used to increase his worships and devotions to Allah: meaning he used to double his time and effort in worship activities.
2- He used to keep the night alive: meaning he used to spend the night in worship, prayers and supplications.
3- He used to keep his family awake: meaning he used to wake them up at night to worship Allah.
The lessons we learn from the powerful prophetic narrative are jotted below:
-We need to increase our efforts during the last ten of Ramadan in doing more righteous deeds like: Qur'anic recitation, devotion in praying midnight prayers, engaging in charitable works, being kind and benevolent to the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan, the disabled etc....
-We need to engage ourselves in useful activities like learning, teaching, da'awah activities, community development, humanitarian works, good advocacies etc.
-We shouldn't only do these things, but also encourage our loved ones to participate in the process as being demonstrated by the Sunnah.

May Allah SWT continuously bless us, elevate us financially and politically and solve our many problems.

21/04/2022

What is the Most Significant Part of the Month of Ramadan?
The month of Ramadan is divided into three parts:
1- The first ten العشر الأوائل
2- The second ten العشر الأواسط
3- The last ten العشر الأواخر
The last part of Ramadan العشر الأواخر which begins tonight is so special to Muslims across the globe due to its tremendous virtues and values.
Certainly, the last part of Ramadan contains the best night called ليلة القدر (the Night of decree or the Night of Power). This night is the best night of the entire year , as great events occur therein .
According to Qur'an chapter 4 verses 3-4:
- The Holy Qur'an was firstly sent down to the nearest heaven on this night.
- The night is full of blessings
- All matters are decreed on this night.
According to Qur'an chapter 98, Worships of Lailatul Qadir are superior to those of thousand months (83 years 4 months),
- On this night all angels of mercy including Jibril or Angel Gabriel , descend to this earth by the permission of Allah SWT .
- The Peace and Tranquility of Allah prevail throughout this night until dawn appears.

Due to the aforementioned and many more, It is very important that we engage ourselves in spiritual activities during the last ten of Ramadan so as to be amongst the most fortunate ones of the year and meet up with Allah's Salvation.

May Allah SWT favor us to be amongst those who will meet up with this year's Lailatul Qadir and many years to come.

14/04/2022

Common Misconceptions about Ramadan #3 :
Thinking that Using Eye drops, ear drops, ear wash, nose drops, Perfume etc invalidate one's fast:

One of the most famous misconceptions amongst the observers of fasting is the thinking that applying eye drops, ear drops, ear wash, nose drops, perfume etc while fasting invalidate the fast. There is no proof that these things invalidate the fast by only applying them as medication.

However, it is better to apply them at night or be careful when using them while fasting so as to avoid swallowing anything that may get into your throat.

The great scholar, Sheikh Ibn Ba'az did provide fatwa on this.

May Allah SWT grant us the proper understanding of Islam.

08/04/2022

Common Misconceptions About Ramadan (1):
The Belief That Swallowing One's Own Saliva Invalidates The Fast:

One of the most common misconceptions amongst muslims is the belief that swallowing your own saliva breaks, invalidates or nullifies the fast.This misconception has no basis at all and shouldn't be considered as a part of the general fasting rules.
Swallowing your saliva is natural. As such, It definitely will not break the fast. In other words, swallowing one's own saliva is perfectly permissible and, in fact, it is recommended.

What will break the fast, however, is swallowing another person's saliva. Which a normal human being will never do under a normal circumstance.

The Islamic laws are based on making things easier and on warding off unusual difficulties. This is demonstrated in the very Qur'anic Verse which provides details on fasting (See Suratul Baqarah 2:185 ). A similar lesson is learnt from the following Qur'anic Verses:
-(Suratul-Maa'idah 6)
-(Suratul Hajj 78)
Hence, if something is usually difficult to avoid and cannot be avoided, it does not affect one's Islamic Practices – which include a person swallowing his saliva when fasting.
The great scholar of Islam Ibn Qudamah said:
"What cannot be avoided, such as swallowing one’s saliva, does not invalidate the fast, because avoiding that is difficult. This is similar to dust on the road and the dust from flour. Even if a person lets saliva gather and swallows it deliberately, that does not invalidate his fast .....". (SeeAl-Mughni, 3/16 ).

Based on the aforementioned facts, I arrived at the following conclusion:
1- I think there is no justification for those who spit a great deal when they are fasting. Therefore, it should be avoided so as to maintain the good image of Muslims as being clean and civilized people.
2- Too much of spitting causes dryness in the mouth and makes the fasting person thirsty, which results to making fasting difficult .
3- It also causes hardship, especially if the muslim is in places where spitting is not possible.
4- It undermines the decent nature of Islam and exposes it to a huge mockery from it's enemies.
May Allah SWT grant us the proper understanding of Islam and the blessings of the Month of Ramadan.

29/03/2022

Three Requirements For A Successful Ramadan

As we prepare to commence with the month of Ramadan in few days, we need to make sure that proper mechanisms are put into place to perfectly regulate our worships and spiritualities throughout the Holy month.
I name those regulations as "Three Requirements For A Successful Ramadan".

Below is a list of them:

1- Sincere Intention: We must ascertain the purity of our intentions before caring on any form of Ibadah (worship). This is to keep our good works free from Riyaa (showoff) or Minor Shirk.

2- Authentic Knowledge: We must know the Islamic rulings on all matters relating to Ibadah (worship) before going ahead in doing them, so as to protect our good works from being nullified or labeled as Bid'ah (Religious Innovation).

3- Comprehension of the Divine Texts on Fasting: We have to learn and comprehend the meanings of the verses which talk about fasting in Suratul Baqarah (Qur'an Chapter 2 verses 183-187), as well as some Hadiths which discuss the virtues of fasting and other Ramadan related topics, so as to guide us throughout Ramadan to acquire maximum blessings and help others do the same.

May Allah SWT forgive our sins, accept our worships, improve our financial status and make us go through a successful Ramadan.