The previous permission to join prayers together and to shorten them has been taken from

yhe verse of the holy Quran which says: when you travel throughout the world, there is no blame
attached to you if you shorten your prayer for fear that the unbeliever may attack you, for the
unbelievers are born enemies into you.

According to this verse, it seems that, if there is no fear during the travel, there is no need
to shorten the prayer; and this was commented upon by Omar, the second Caliph, who was asked
why god gave us permission to shorten and join together prayers.

Omar replied that he too had wondered the same thing and said: Then I mentioned this to
the prophet (peace be upon him!), his answer was that this must be considered as one of the
mercies of God : we have to accept it.

FASTING ISLAM

Fasting during ramadhan is one the five pillars of Islam.

This is because the prophet (peace be upon him!) said Islam is upheld by five pillars: firs, to
bear witness that there is not other God but Allah and that Muhammad is His massanger.

The second is to pray regularly.

Third, to pay zakat(i.e. divine tax) to the poor.

Fourth, to fast during the month of Ramadhan.

Fifht, to visit the house of God in mecca once in a lifetime, for those who are able to make
the journey.

Fasting can be defined as abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and having sexual
intercourse from dawn to sunset.

Fasting for the month of ramadan was prescribed during the second year of the Hijrah.

Fasting was an ancient form of worship prescribed by God from the beginning of time.

The aim of ordering people to fast is that they should learn how to be patient, to have good
morals, to purify their hearts , to ennoble their character and to be gentle in dealing with people.

One should feel the suffirings of hunger and thirst in order to be quick to help those who are
suffiring when seeing them.

One must always learn to feel the fear of God and His mercy.

Fasting in Islam hasbeen prescriders by the Quran and the sayings of the prophet.
 The Quran says: o, you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you, that you may learn self-restraint (Qs , 2 : 183).