JAMB Islamic Religious Knowledge Past Questions & Answers - Page 36

When it is recommended to fast
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recommended that we fast the three "white days" of every lunar month, the day of 'Arafa, 'Ashura (10th of Muharram) and either the day preceding or following it, and the six days from the month of Shawwal, promising a great reward for the person who fasts on any of these days.
When it is unlawful to fast
It is unlawful to fast on the following:
- 'Eid ul-Fitr.
- 'Eid ul-Adha.
- Ayam al-Tashreeq (the three days following 'Eid ul-Adha).
Ayam al-Tashreeq
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called these the days of food and drink.

Fasting on 'Ashura
'Ashura (10th day of Muharram)
This is the tenth day of Muharram, the month of Allah Almighty.
This is because the Prophet said: "And as for fasting on the day of 'Ashura, I expect that Allah Almighty shall forgive the sins of the year prior to it." [ Source: Muslim.]
The reason for fasting on this day is in accordance with what was related from the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, who said: "When the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on 'Ashura. Then he inquired why (do they fast on that day)? They answered, 'This a good day, the day Allah Almighty saved the children of Israel from their enemy, and as such Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) fasted thereafter (on that day).' Then the Prophet said: 'I have more right to Musa than you.' Then he fasted and ordered the Muslims to fast on that day.

The obligatory prayer is a primary religious obligation starting at the age of fifteen and it is the most important kind of prayer.The purpose of the obligatory prayer is to foster the development of humility and devotion.The Baháʼí writings strongly warn against neglecting the prayers or minimizing their importance. The obligatory prayers are a personal spiritual obligation, and failure to observe the law is seen to have only a spiritual penalty

Iman (إِيمَان ʾīmān, faith or belief) in Islamic theology denotes a believer's faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, known as arkān al-īmān.
Faith (iman) breaks down into six axioms:
1.Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Allah).
2.Belief in the existence of angels.
3.Belief in the existence of the books of which God is the author: the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), the Torah (revealed to Moses), and Psalms (revealed to David).
4.Belief in the existence of all Prophets: Muhammad being the last of them, Jesus the penultimate, and others sent before them.
5.Belief in the existence of the Day of Judgment: in that day, humanity will be divided into two groups: that of paradise and that of hell. These groups are themselves composed of subgroups.
6.Belief in the existence of God's predestination, whether it involves good or bad.

When Muhammad (ﷺ) was about 12 years old, he accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on a trade journey to Syria. In a place called Busra a very interesting incident took place, which caused Abu Talib to return Muhammad to Makkah.On their trade journey they met a Christian monk by the name of Bahira, who lived a simple life in a monastery which contained ancient sacred texts that were not available anywhere else. Bahira had very simple provisions and lived a harsh life, surviving on the bare essentials. His diet was very simple and the clothes he wore were also coarse and well worn. He was looking outside and caught sight of a caravan approaching. His residence was on the main caravan route and he regularly saw caravans passing by, carrying different goods destined to be sold in the great markets of Syria.He noticed that this caravan was different; there was something special about it. He decided to invite the people to a meal and find out more. Bahira sent a message to the caravan that his hospitality was extended to all the members of the caravan. The caravan traders accepted the invitation and arrived at the monk's place.