الصيام والزكاة
Fasting and zakat
01
What breaks the fast in Ramadan?
The things that break the fast are eight: sexual intercourse, eating, drinking, ejaculation by one's own action…
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02
How much zakat do I have to pay, and on what?
The rate is one-fortieth of the wealth — 2.5% — and it falls on wealth that has reached the minimum threshold (nisab)…
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03
What is zakat al-fitr, and how much is it?
Zakat al-fitr is a charity every Muslim owes at the end of Ramadan — one sa' of the staple food of their land, given to…
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04
Who is excused from fasting in Ramadan, and how do they make it up?
Those who are genuinely unable to fast are excused, and the way they make it up depends on whether the inability is…
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05
When is Laylat al-Qadr, and what should I do on it?
Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten nights of Ramadan, and the odd nights are the most likely — with the twenty-seventh…
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06
What is the reward for fasting six days of Shawwal?
The reward is that fasting them is like fasting a whole year — the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts Ramadan and then…
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07
Do I need to make the intention for fasting every night in Ramadan?
The Hanbali school holds that each day of Ramadan needs its own intention, made the night before — so thirty intentions…
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08
What if I eat or drink by mistake while fasting?
If you eat or drink forgetfully while fasting, your fast is valid and you owe nothing — no make-up, no expiation, no…
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09
Can I brush my teeth or use a miswak while fasting?
Yes — both are permitted while fasting, and neither the miswak nor the toothbrush with paste breaks the fast, provided…
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10
Do injections or blood tests break the fast?
Injections and blood tests do not break the fast. This is the position of Shaykh Ibn Baz and Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen…
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11
What is the expiation for intercourse during a Ramadan fast?
The expiation for deliberate intercourse during a Ramadan fast is the major expiation (kafarah mughallazah): freeing a…
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12
How and when do I make up missed Ramadan fasts?
Making up missed Ramadan fasts is obligatory, and it must be completed before the next Ramadan begins. You have the…
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13
What is fidyah, and who pays it instead of fasting?
Fidyah is a compensation paid in food — one poor person fed for each day of fasting missed — and it applies to those…
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14
Do pregnant and breastfeeding women have to fast in Ramadan?
A pregnant or breastfeeding woman may break her fast in Ramadan if fasting would harm her or her child, and she makes…
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15
What is the reward for fasting the day of Arafah?
Fasting the day of Arafah expiates the sins of the year before it and the year after it — two years, not one. The…
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16
Why do Muslims fast on the day of Ashura?
Muslims fast on Ashura because the Prophet ﷺ fasted it and commanded it, and because it was the day Allah saved Musa…
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17
Is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays a sunnah?
Yes — fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is a confirmed sunnah, not an obligation. Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله states…
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18
What is i'tikaf, and how is it done?
I'tikaf is a confirmed sunnah: staying in the mosque to devote yourself to worshipping Allah, cut off from everything…
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19
Should Ramadan begin by local moon sighting or by calculation?
Ramadan begins by sighting the crescent with the eye, or — if it cannot be seen — by completing Sha'ban at thirty days.…
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20
What are the white days, and why are they fasted?
The white days are the 13th, 14th and 15th of each Hijri month, and fasting them is a confirmed sunnah — a strongly…
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21
How do I calculate zakat on gold and jewellery?
The zakat on gold and silver jewellery is 2.5% (a quarter of a tenth) of its value, due once a full lunar year has…
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22
How do I pay zakat on business stock?
Zakat on business stock is owed on the market value of the goods you hold for resale, once that value reaches the nisab…
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23
Who is allowed to receive zakat?
Zakat is not given to whoever is in need or whoever asks. Allah Himself fixed who may receive it, and the scholars list…
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24
Can I give my zakat to my relatives?
Yes — you may give your zakat to relatives who are eligible for it, and it is better to give it to a poor relative than…
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25
Do I pay zakat on my savings and salary?
Yes — zakat is due on savings, including salary you have set aside, once the total reaches the nisab (the minimum…
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26
How is zakat paid on shares and investments?
The zakat on shares depends on why you hold them. If you bought them to trade — to sell when the price rises — they are…
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27
Is there zakat on my house or my car?
No zakat is due on a house you live in or a car you use for yourself. Zakat falls only on wealth that is of a kind…
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28
What is the difference between zakat and sadaqah?
The two are not two separate obligations but a general and a specific: sadaqah is the wider term, zakat the narrower…
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29
What is sadaqah jariyah?
Sadaqah jariyah is an ongoing charity — a gift whose benefit keeps flowing to people after the giver's death, so the…
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30
Do I pay zakat on money that people owe me?
Yes — zakat is due on money owed to you, but when you pay it depends entirely on whether the debtor can pay. If he is…
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