Ask Ali: Deaths during Ramadan are considered blessed

Dear Ali: Several times during the past month, senior family members of my Muslim friends have passed away. But when I was expressing my sincere condolences to my friends’ families, all of them seemed quite relaxed and not as upset as I would expect. They were all repeating that it’s good that it happened during Ramadan. What does that mean? FL, Abu Dhabi

Dear FL: Please pass on my condolences. I understand what you mean, and I hope that my answer will help you understand more about your friends’ feelings.

Muslims believe that Ramadan is a special, blessed time when God forgives sins. Because we don’t know when our last day will be, Muslims who pass away during Ramadan are considered to be blessed – they might be granted entry to Paradise because they passed away during such a holy time.

Condolences are expressed a bit differently during Ramadan. There’s not much sadness, but hope for a better everlasting life in the hereafter. This belief influences our attitude towards death.

A family who has lost someone will organise a gathering inviting all relatives, neighbours and friends to honour their memory. They will also ask people to pray for those who passed away, asking God to grant that person Jannah – Paradise.

In other times, we are also taught to express patience and seek the mercy of God for those who passed away. It doesn’t mean that people don’t grieve, but they patiently accept that this life is temporary for everyone.

Dear Ali: Is it true that Muslim people can’t brush their teeth or take a shower during Ramadan? What about hygiene? Doesn’t this lead to people suffering from bad breath? KR, Sharjah

Dear KR: Hygiene is a very important aspect of our life. Not only does religion teach us to keep the body clean, our cultural ethics relate bad smell with disrespect towards others. Therefore taking a shower and brushing your teeth is the minimum that every person should regularly do.

However, during Ramadan, we can face challenges – during fasting, sometimes we notice the unpleasant smell of bad breath.

Mostly, if a person doesn’t have any disease, the smell of bad breath is affected by what that person ate in the morning for suhoor or even at iftar the previous day.

That’s why people are advised to take care with what they eat during Ramadan, specifically to avoid eating foods such as fresh garlic or onion because of the strong unpleasant smell, which may cause inconvenience to the fasting person as well as those with whom he or she communicates throughout the day.

Additionally, taking refreshments or chewing gum isn’t allowed from dawn to sunset.

In regards to brushing their teeth for those who are fasting, there’s no problem providing the person makes sure they don’t swallow anything.

The same rule applies to taking a bath or shower. It’s fine to take a shower, even during the daytime, in Ramadan. In Islam, we’re taught that intention is everything, and if your intention is to simply take a bath or shower and not wish that some water will go inside your mouth, then it’s absolutely fine to wash.

Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.