Q. Did the Prophet (peace be upon him) fast on his birthday? Should we fast on that day? Could you also tell me on which days of which months fasting is not allowed and why?
A. Yusuf
A. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not fast on his birthday, as we nowadays call a birthday, which is the same date on which a person is born. Indeed the exact date on which the Prophet was born is not very certain. The best known report gives this date as 12 Rabiul Awwal, but other reports suggest that he was born on 8 or 10 of that month. What is certain though is that he was born on a Monday. The Prophet used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. He was once asked why he fasted on Mondays, and he answered that he was born on a Monday. Yet this is not the only reason for fasting on that day. Otherwise, why did he fast on Thursdays? He simply recommended fasting on these two days, but if a person does not fast any voluntary days, he does no wrong.
Fasting is prohibited on five days in every lunar year. These are the day of Eid Al-Fitr, which immediately follows the month of Ramadan. The reason is obvious. There must be a clear sign that the obligatory fasting is over, and this is done by not fasting on the first day after Ramadan. The other four days are those of the Eid of Sacrifice. The reason here is that these are the days when the pilgrims are offering their great act of worship. These days should not be associated with two different types of worship.
Practices in Leading Prayer
Q. In some mosques, the imam moves forward and backward during the prayer in order to be near the microphone, but sometimes this makes his voice extremely loud. Before starting the prayer, one imam spends considerable time to ensure that the rows are straight. Another takes a relatively long time standing after rising from the position of bowing or in the sitting position between the two prostrations. Some remain silent for sometime after reading the Fatihah. Please comment on such practices.
(Name and address withheld)
A. There is no doubt that the imam is responsible for making the congregational prayer right. He should advise the congregation to make their rows straight and ensure that the first line is straight. But this is easy to achieve if everyone stands shoulder to shoulder with the person next to him. Some imams make a strenuous effort on this point, which reflects their keenness, but then they can easily err by being too cautious.
It is also the responsibility of the imam to ensure that the prayer is done in comfort. Nowadays, with microphones and loud speakers, noise could be very loud. He should ensure that it does not irritate his congregation by being too loud.
There are certain supplications that we are recommended to say in the positions mentioned by the reader, and in others such as prostration and bowing. However, the imam must not make his prayer, or any part of it too long, because he should consider that people may not be able to tolerate such lengthy situations. For example, a person with back pain cannot remain in bowing position too long, and an asthmatic person may find prostration too strenuous if it is made unduly long. The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised one of his companions who recited long passages of the Qur’an in prayer to make his prayer short. If one is praying alone he may make his prayer as long as he wishes, but if he is leading the prayer, he should be considerate.
According to the Shafie School of Fiqh the imam is advised to remain silent, or to read the Qur’an privately, for a time sufficient for members of the congregation to read the Fatihah themselves, as this school requires everyone of the congregation to read the Faitihah in every rak’ah. However, this is a matter of choice. The imam can go on and read aloud without waiting for his congregation to do anything. In this case, the people praying behind him must not read it, because the fact that he has already read the Fatihah is sufficient for them as well.
