Wednesday 27 Rabi‘ at-akhir 1446 - 30 October 2024
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A new Muslim wants to fast in secret

Question

I have a friend (girl)who has embraced islam recently.The conversion matter needs to be kept confidential for sometime.she has expressed sincere desire to fast,but as she is living in a hostel she would find it extremely difficult to conceal her fasting from other friends.she is in a dillema.I REQUEST YOU TO SUGGEST AS TO WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES MENTIONED ABOVE.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

We congratulate our sister for entering Islam and we ask Allah to make her steadfast in adhering to His religion and to cause her to die as a Muslim, and to keep her on the straight path. 

We advise our sister to avoid – as much as possible – places in which Allah is disobeyed. We understand from the question that she is studying in a mixed place, and living in a mixed hostel. This involves sin and danger to her and to her religious commitment. Muslim sisters have to explain to her, in the best manner, the ruling on her situation and the dangers it poses to her, and advise her that she should leave if possible, and so long as that will not put her in an even worse situation. 

Secondly: 

It is not permissible for you to take girls as friends, or for her to take men as friends. Relationships between men and women are governed by Islamic sharee’ah, and sharee’ah does not give men and women the freedom to make friends with one another, because that opens the door to a great deal of evil. This is one of the traps of the Shaytaan by means of which he tricks people and makes them commit immoral actions such as shaking hands with them, being alone with them and things that are more serious than that. 

Thirdly: 

With regard to her fasting: she has to fast and it is not permissible for her not to fast. If she is among other students that is easier than if she was among her family and relatives. She can make the people think that she is not fasting by carrying a glass of juice – for example – and let them think that she is drinking it, or she can say that she is sick and mean thereby that she is sick at heart because of what people do, as Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said: “I am sick” – or some other kind of permissible trick. 

She has to fear Allah and obey Him as much as she can, and whoever fears and obeys Allah, He will give him (or her) a way out. 

We ask Allah to grant her strength. 

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Islam Q&A