A fatwa that allows Shiite fasters to drink water during their day-long fast that was issued by senior ayatollah Bayat Zanjani a few days ago has caught the attention of Iran’s media and is stirring controversy. The ayatollah Zanjani’s official website has acknowledged that after the fatwa a number of clerics had gone to the senior cleric’s house and raised their issues with him. In cyberspace too there has been much reaction because while the fatwa is not political in nature it does contradict the views of ayatollah Khomeini and ayatollah Khamenei.

A Fresh Look at Religion

On July 12, 2013 ayatollah Bayat’s website published a report that was rapidly reproduced in cyberspace. The story said that according to verified documents and detailed narratives connected to Imam Sadegh (one of the twelve revered Shiite imams, rightful successors of prophet Mohammad in Shia) those who fast but cannot tolerate the pressure of thirst may drink just enough water to stop the thirst which would not invalidate their fast and they do not have to refast. The author also wrote that this was not the original view of the cleric in his guide but that it was a new religious edict.

Among the first responders was Etemad newspaper which quoted seyed Reza Borghei Modarres from the Qom Theological Seminary and ayatollah Khomeini’s former representative in the Persian Gulf states. He concurred with the weight of the fatwa and said many similar viewpoints had been made in Shiite figh (jurisprudence) in the past and added that “we cannot be very strict” about enforcing Shiite rules or insist that only the rules be the standard.” He concluded that a learned mujtahid could announce his fatwa based on prevalent conditions. In short, he said the fatwa was legitimate and could be followed. He also called Bayat’s fatwa a “bold” act and added that Islam was not a frozen or rigid religion.”

Mohammad Ayub Kazemi is another cleric who welcomed the fatwa and echoed Bayat’s arguments and logic. He also praised Bayat and even went further by saying Bayat maybe the cleric who can break through the religious bottlenecks that currently exist and mentioned some areas where they exist to be music, relations between men and women, the hijab, relations between people and authorities, economic issues, etc.

Parsineh website also published a story supporting the fatwa and quoted a number of other ayatollahs who had said drinking was permissible during Ramadan fasting.

But the majority of the official media in Iran remained silent on this indicating that there are those who do not approve of it. Mehr news agency also wrote about the “controversial fatwa over drinking water during fasting” and wrote that senior clerics had said that such an act would invalidate the fast, as they referenced the views of ayatollah Khamenei, ayatollah Makarem Shirazi and ayatollah Sistani to support this.

Science is Good, but not Modernity

Mehdi Khalaji, an Islamic scholar wrote on his Facebook page that issuing a fatwa like that “would not reconcile Islam with the human and society’s modern condition.” He added that this was done merely to please the young and become “modern.” He concluded that to be a mujtahid (a senior cleric who is acknowledged to issue religious edicts) requires that the person be knowledgeable, not that his fatwas be modern.

An Authoritative Cleric with a Blocked Website

In Shiite Islam, a marjae taghlid (senior cleric who can be the source of emulation for others) must have many credentials, including the publication of a religious book. And even though marjae taghlid have had a prominent political and religious position in contemporary history, it has never been clear as to how they attain that title and authority. This is why it is not clear who in fact is a marjae taghlid in Iran.

Some specialists on religious issues have argued that in recent years with the dominance of the supreme leader of the Islamic republic, theological centers have come under the influence of political considerations and some clerics have been boycotted while others supported.

http://www.roozonline.com/english/news3/newsitem/archive/2013/july/16/article/is-ayatollah-zanjanis-edict-a-model-to-breakthrough-religious-deadlocks.html

na wa for this shia ayatollah, he fall my hand big time.

I weak. I confuse. I tire mehn.

"those who fast but cannot tolerate the pressure of thirst may drink just enough water to stop the thirst which would not invalidate their fast".

this is controversial and an issue that have to do with fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).now someone who cannot tolerate thirst and is vulnerable to break his fast can drink according to the fatwa,in order to possibly prevent the person from fainting and experiencing health problems.in fact this fatwa summarizes the entire idea of fasting or behind fasting.fasting in Islam is the most sincere act of worship.if you don't pray or go to mosque,people can see you even if you lie about it.fasting remains the only act whereby you can claim to be fasting while you are not.so if you are fasting or not,Allah (swt) is watching.you find yourself many times alone and you can easily break your fast.holding on to your fast and standing the test of hunger and thirst is the most sincere act of worship which Allah (swt) witnesses alone.therefore this fatwa treats the exception and not the rule that everyone.the opinion of the majority of scholars is that drinking breaks the fast or if you are not able to fast because of reasons that have to do with health,you should not fast.this scholar however gave his opinion that you can drink.but obviously fasting is not done with drinking in islam.that is the general rule.and in my opinion if a doctor establishes your weak state of health and if you cannot withstand thirst and fasting can lead to health complications,then do not fast at all,rather than changing the mode of fasting.

when I saw the topic I thought the Ayatollah is telling everyone to drink while fasting. just another moment from Vedaxcool to stir trouble and arguments and cause fitnah.this fatwat is controversial and thought provoking unlike the many ridiculous and obscene fatwas by Sunni (especially Wahhabi/salafist) clerics.but this is Ramadan,and I am fasting so id contain myself with this reply.at least our shia scholars still exercising the power of thinking and using their brains.

^
ok oh feel free to drink water when u thirsty but Muslims don't fast like that.

vedaxcool: ^
ok oh feel free to drink water when u thirsty but Muslims don't fast like that.

I as a Shia Muslim can tolerate the pressure of thirst and I fast the way Prophet Muhammad (sa) and the Quran ask us to fast.i thank Allah (swt) that my health is sound which enables me to fast the normal way that Islam teaches us to fast.

and a confused Sunni like yourself should stop talking in the name of us Muslims.

OK confused shiia man, feel free to follow the ayatollah who contradicts Mr. Khomeini position. we Muslim will fast the waay the messager of Allah instructed. thank u to your way shia to me my way Islam.

vedaxcool: OK confused shiia man, feel free to follow the ayatollah who contradicts Mr. Khomeini position. we Muslim will fast the waay the messager of Allah instructed. thank u to your way shia to me my way Islam.

whatever.

yes whatever happened to following Mr. Khomeini.

Hmm.

This is a big joke. If you drink water or anything else, your fast is broken.

vedaxcool what are you?

well,its a test for this generation. its left for every who calls himself a muslim to verify any fatwa which is presented before him to see if its matches with Qur'an and sahih hadith.

this is just a fiqh issue and nothing else. this kind of fatwa could also come from a 'Sunni'(sorry to use this divisive term) sheikh. Who knows, some of them might even concur. on a side note, i have learnt that its usually fatally wrong to discredit in haste any 'strange' ruling. Body of Islamic knowledge is so vast. I can only have a definite position on this after reviewing his evidences. Meanwhile, i would still be proclaiming that drinking intentionally invalidates fast.

jelel6: vedaxcool what are you?

maclatunji: This is a big joke. If you drink water or anything else, your fast is broken.

there is no bigger joke than you in this forum.if I ever had any respect for you,i have lost it.

I wonder why you made this thread a sticky,when it is not as "shocking" and "funny" as it was intended to be, going by the explanations made and the content of the ruling, on an aspect of fasting that is an exception and not the rule or norm.you want to scare others and forbid them to air their views.you are a no body and you cannot do that.it is my human and constitutional right to air my views.i will continue to air my views and post even if you come out of my computer screen with your mouth wide open to bite me-I will keep typing! I wonder if Vedaxcool is another username for Maclatunji.the former has been very much distressed because I started this thread:

"Muslims Reject Child Marriage And Absolve Islam Of The Blame Based On Facts"
https://www.nairaland.com/1366430/muslims-reject-child-marriage-absolve

are you on the pay list of some people/pedophiles Mr. Maclatunji that you're joining Vedaxcool's spamming campaign to mislead people? you cannot intimidate anyone by childish moves, not to post what I see as right.Islam and the Quran very much encourages us to think,something you and all those following fascist ideologies (that contradict Islam) are opposed to.

na wa oh,

^^^^^
I suggest you leave this matter.
There are strange fatwas and practices and there will always be enemies of Islam commending the issuers for being "bold"
I have seen a Shia Ayatollah recommend traveling SOLELY for the purpose of avoiding fasting

Peace to all.
(quran 2:184-185).

peace!

Shias and their funny fatwas.The next fatwa will read ''YOU CAN EVEN EAT WHEN HUNGRY PROVIDED THE FOOD DOESN'T CONTAIN PEPPER''.Hmmm

lanrexlan: Shias and their funny fatwas.The next fatwa will read ''YOU CAN EVEN EAT WHEN HUNGRY PROVIDED THE FOOD DOESN'T CONTAIN PEPPER''.Hmmm

do you have sense at all? do you know who has ridiculous fatwas? after these you still pointing finger?:

https://www.nairaland.com/976055/tomatoes-christian-egyptian-salafist-group

https://www.nairaland.com/991658/sodomy-sake-islam

BetaThings: ^^^^^
I suggest you leave this matter.
There are strange fatwas and practices and there will always be enemies of Islam commending the issuers for being "bold"
I have seen a Shia Ayatollah recommend traveling SOLELY for the purpose of avoiding fasting

please what is the name of the Ayatollah?

LagosShia:

do you have sense at all? do you know who has ridiculous fatwas? after these you still pointing finger?:

https://www.nairaland.com/976055/tomatoes-christian-egyptian-salafist-group

https://www.nairaland.com/991658/sodomy-sake-islam

Rhetorical question

lanrexlan: Shias and their funny fatwas.The next fatwa will read ''YOU CAN EVEN EAT WHEN HUNGRY PROVIDED THE FOOD DOESN'T CONTAIN PEPPER''.Hmmm

Hehehe

Na waa for all this strange sect... Wetin we no go hear, I thank Allah(SWT) for I'm just a Muslim no sect tag not a shia, wahabi, salafi, sunni, ahmadiyya, submitter etc...

Christians and others are better than these chameleons. When you see them wearing big bears, jumpy trousers etc you want to say this one is a Muslim. Alas! they are not.

tintingz: Hehehe

Na waa for all this strange sect... Wetin we no go hear, I thank Allah(SWT) for I'm just a Muslim no sect tag not a shia, wahabi, salafi, sunni, ahmadiyya, submitter etc...

deceiving yourself.taraweeh + folding your hands in prayer + plus shaking your finger up and down (like a lizard or praying mantis) during shahada in solat,and you're not sunni.LOL

strange sect indeed you're!

LagosShia:

deceiving yourself.taraweeh + folding your hands in prayer + plus shaking your finger up and down (like a lizard or praying mantis) during shahada in solat,and you're not sunni.LOL

strange sect indeed you're!

Shaking finger during shahada or tashahhud? All what you listed above is optional.
Your Ayatollah issued a fatwa that is against the Quran and sunnah of the prophet(pbuh).Think about that hmmm

BetaThings: ^^^^^
I suggest you leave this matter.
There are strange fatwas and practices and there will always be enemies of Islam commending the issuers for being "bold"
I have seen a Shia Ayatollah recommend traveling SOLELY for the purpose of avoiding fasting

Lol some one is seriously waging cyber jihad against shites this ramadan.

I see you cyber mujahideen.

LagosShia:

there is no bigger joke than you in this forum.if I ever had any respect for you,i have lost it.

I wonder why you made this thread a sticky,when it is not as "shocking" and "funny" as it was intended to be, going by the explanations made and the content of the ruling, on an aspect of fasting that is an exception and not the rule or norm.you want to scare others and forbid them to air their views.you are a no body and you cannot do that.it is my human and constitutional right to air my views.i will continue to air my views and post even if you come out of my computer screen with your mouth wide open to bite me-I will keep typing! I wonder if Vedaxcool is another username for Maclatunji.

Did maclatunji actually sticky this thread?
Hian! Na wa o. I don't understand this gang up against LagosShia in this section.
Is it because the guy has differing views abi wetin?

LagosShia, please write anything you like and don't let anyone dissuade you. This section is for Muslims and you are still a Muslim whether you are Shia or Sunni.

^
aww, how sweet pls help pet lagoshia, you know even grown ups have their moments.

anyways it would have been more islamic had you asked him for proofs of his allegation instead of repeating what he said u know. . . but well ask him someplace else. . .