Social story · 9 pages
When my family fasts in Ramadan
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Ramadan is a special month. In Ramadan, grown-up Muslims fast.
Source: Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183-185
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Fasting means not eating or drinking from dawn until the sun sets.
Source: Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187
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My family may wake up very early to eat before dawn. This meal is called suhur.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1923; Sahih Muslim 1095
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In the day, my family may feel tired or hungry. They may need to rest.
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Young children do not have to fast. I can eat and drink when I need to.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 4398, graded sahih by al-Albani
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When the sun sets, my family eats together. This meal is called iftar.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1954; Sahih Muslim 1100
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Many families start iftar with dates or water, like the Prophet ﷺ did.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 2356, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani
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I can help. I can set the table or pass the dates.
For grown-ups
Mealtimes move in Ramadan. Keep your child's own meals at their usual times where you can, and add the family's new times to their picture schedule.
Fasting is not required of a child before puberty: the Prophet ﷺ said the pen is lifted from a child until he grows up.Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 4398, graded sahih by al-Albani
Some of the Companions let their children practise fasting on the day of Ashura, and made them toys of wool to play with until it was time to eat.Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1960; Sahih Muslim 1136
Sources
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183-185
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1923
- Sahih Muslim 1095
- Sunan Abi Dawud 4398, graded sahih by al-Albani
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1954
- Sahih Muslim 1100
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2356, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1960
- Sahih Muslim 1136
Faith lines come only from the Quran and from hadith graded sahih or hasan. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a scholar you trust.
Pictograms: Sergio Palao, ARASAAC (arasaac.org), Government of Aragón, under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence.