Rules and regulations are meant to be followed in anything we do. In legal terms, they are called laws. In the elementary physics taught in senior secondary school in the sciences, there are newton’s laws of motions. Whereas in chemistry, there are le chatelier’s principle and general gas law.
Going to economics, there are various theories propounded. These include those of adam smith and malthus. Call them by whatever name you desire, they all inform us that a violation of these rules and regulations could be consequential to the violator.
Likewise, fasting during ramadan has its rules and regulations which are the same as its dos and donts.
Muslims should know what is allowed and forbidden in ramadan. They must understand the etiquettes of fasting and know their flexibility and inflexibility.
Swimming in a pool or a river does not invalidate fasting as long as the swimmer does not have an intention to deliberately drink water while swimming. It is allowed for a person fasting to take his bath if he feels like at anytime during ramadan either he wants to cool his body temperature or not. Also, a person fasting should hasten to break his fast at the time of iftaar and not delay it.
A person observing ramadan fast can clean his teeth with chewing stick or even toothbrush. This is allowed as confirmed in a hadith in sahih bukhari when aamir bun rabee’a (allaah be pleased with him) narrated that he saw the prophet (peace be upon his soul) cleaning his teeth with siwaak (a type of chewing stick) while he was observing fast so many times that he cannot count.
However, the person cleaning with the siwaak or toothbrush should spit out what he has in his mouth from the cleaning process. Likewise, fasting does not stop someone from using creams, oils and lotions.
On the other hand, muslims are prohibited from telling lies and slander; kissing and hugging by sexually active individuals; intentionally eating and drinking; raining curses and bad-mouthing; gambling and other things related to it and al-wisaal.
Kissing and hugging by a man that is no more sexually active or has gotten to adronopause is allowed while fasting. There is an authentic hadith that corroborates this in sahih bukhari.
Al-wisaal is absolutely discouraged while fasting. Al-wisaal is to observe fast continuously without eating or drinking anything by day or night; whether it is for a day or two or more. Anas (allaah be pleased with him) narrated in sahih bukhari that prophet muhammad (peace be upon his soul) said, “do not practise al-wisaal (that is fasting continuously without breaking one’s fast in the evening or eating before the following dawn).”
Some women fasting during ramadan are sometimes not too sure if they can taste the food they prepare for iftaar. They need not to stress themselves further as the hadith provides a solution. According to ibn abbaas (allaah be pleased with him) in sahih bukhari, he said that, “there is no harm in tasting the food of the pots or other meals.” therefore, women or anybody fasting is permitted to taste the food they are cooking.
Allaah makes life easy for muslims and they themselves should not make a mountain out of a mole-hill. Allaah says in chapter 2, part of verse 185 of the glorious qur’aan as follows, “allaah wants ease with you (humans) and he does not want difficulty with you (humans).
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