Islamic Studies MCQs – Page 7 (Q61-70)

'Sawm' is the Arabic term for fasting, specifically referring to abstaining from food, drink, and other prohibited actions from dawn until sunset, most notably practiced throughout the month of Ramadan. As the fourth pillar of Islam, Sawm is obligatory upon healthy, adult Muslims and is intended to build self-discipline, empathy for the less fortunate, and heightened God-consciousness (taqwa). Beyond the obligatory Ramadan fast, voluntary fasting is also encouraged on certain other days throughout the Islamic calendar, such as the Day of Ashura or the six days of Shawwal following Eid al-Fitr.

Sawm (fasting) is traditionally listed as the fourth pillar of Islam, following Shahada, Salah, and Zakat, and preceding Hajj. Its position reflects a progression from belief and worship toward increasing self-discipline and sacrifice, as fasting requires abstaining from basic physical needs for an entire month. The obligatory fast of Ramadan commemorates the month in which the Quran began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, linking the physical practice of fasting to the spiritual significance of divine revelation reaching humanity through the final messenger.

Fasting is obligatory during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorating the period in which the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the Angel Jibreel (AS). Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan shifts approximately eleven days earlier each solar year, meaning it can fall in any season over a roughly thirty-three-year cycle. The month concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting period and one of the two major festivals in the Islamic calendar, alongside Eid al-Adha.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar (Hijri) calendar, following Sha'ban and preceding Shawwal, and is regarded as the holiest month in Islam due to its association with the revelation of the Quran. Because the Hijri calendar is purely lunar, without adjustment to match the solar year, Ramadan gradually rotates through all four seasons over time. The sighting of the new crescent moon traditionally marks both the beginning and end of Ramadan, a practice still followed by many Muslim communities today, including in Pakistan, to determine the exact dates of the fasting month.

During Ramadan, fasting hours extend from dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib), during which a fasting Muslim abstains from food, drink, and other prohibited actions throughout the daylight hours. This period can vary significantly in length depending on the season and geographic latitude, posing particular challenges in regions with very long summer days. The fast is broken each evening at Maghrib with a meal called Iftar, often beginning with dates following the practice of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and resumed again the next dawn after the pre-fast meal known as Suhoor.

Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal eaten before beginning the daily fast during Ramadan, taken shortly before the Fajr prayer time begins. The Prophet ﷺ specifically encouraged Muslims to eat Suhoor, describing it as containing blessing (barakah), and recommended delaying it close to dawn rather than eating it too early in the night. Suhoor helps sustain energy throughout the long fasting day and is considered a Sunnah practice distinct from the obligatory fast itself. Many Pakistani households treat Suhoor as an important family meal, often eaten together before the Fajr Adhan is called.

Iftar is the meal eaten to break the fast at sunset, timed to coincide with the Maghrib prayer, and is traditionally begun with dates and water, following the example of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Breaking the fast promptly at sunset, rather than delaying it, is considered a recommended practice distinguishing Islamic fasting customs. Iftar gatherings are often significant social and charitable occasions during Ramadan, with mosques, families, and communities across Pakistan and the wider Muslim world hosting shared meals, and offering iftar to others is considered a highly rewarded act of generosity.

The seriously ill are among the groups generally exempt from the obligation to fast during Ramadan, along with travelers, the elderly, pregnant or nursing women, and those experiencing menstruation, reflecting Islam's principle of removing undue hardship from religious duties. Depending on the circumstances, those temporarily unable to fast are generally expected to make up the missed days later (Qadha), while those permanently unable to fast, such as the chronically ill or very elderly, may instead pay compensation (Fidya) to feed a needy person for each missed day.

A person who misses fasts for a temporary reason, such as illness or travel, is generally required to make up (Qadha) the missed fasts on other days once the reason for missing them has passed, restoring the total number of days fasted to match Ramadan's requirement. This differs from Fidya, which applies to those with a permanent or long-term inability to fast, such as the chronically ill or elderly, who instead pay compensation to feed the needy. This distinction between temporary and permanent exemptions reflects the flexibility Islamic law builds into obligatory worship.

Fidya is compensation paid, typically in the form of feeding a needy person, by those who are permanently or chronically unable to fast, such as the elderly or those with long-term illnesses, as an alternative to making up the missed fasting days later. This differs from Qadha, which applies to those with only a temporary inability to fast, who are expected to make up the missed days once able. Fidya reflects Islam's balance between maintaining religious obligations and accommodating genuine, lasting hardship, ensuring no one is left without a means of fulfilling their duty in some form.