Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Ramadan prep and support for Muslim inmate

eman dua despair faith

As salaamu alaikum warahmatuAllah wabarakatuhu. In shaa Allah t'aa u will be able to offer suggestions. My Zawj is incarcerated and as such is extremely limited in the items he is able to consume for suhoor and iftar. Since he is unable to purchase and/or receive halal meat, he has chosen to eat fish only. Masha Allah. There are so many foods that provide us with good energy for fasting but his selections are extremely limited. He is also a very active brother, running 5+ miles per day and a former trophied power lifter. Would u have any suggestions for this brother so that he may be able to maintain his daily fast? Jhazak Allah khair for your time and efforts in connection with this website. May Allah subhana wa t'ala reward u with good for helping the ummah.


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3 Responses »

  1. Asalam alaikum,

    Suggest him to read entire Quran piece by piece during Ramadan instead of killing himself on exercises that he cant drink even water after.


  2. He should stop running and power lifting during Ramadan. That will conserve his energy.

  3. Assalaamualaikam

    Depending on where he's living, different prison systems may have different provisions available for inmates who are fasting. For example, some might make no allowances to meal times, while others may be able to provide iftar and suhoor at the correct times. His first port of call should probably be the prison's imam (if one is available) - they can inshaAllah advise him on what is feasible in his situation.

    As has already been suggested, he should try to adjust his physical activity schedule so that he's not exhausting himself - fasting is tiring work in itself, and strenuous exercise on top of that can be a bad idea. Rather than giving up his exercise altogether, maybe he could do something gentler such as walking on a treadmill or gentle cycling on an exercise bike, ideally in the evening when it should be cooler?

    Food in institutions such as prisons can be less than inspiring, but in most countries there is a requirement on the people in charge to ensure that the food meets necessary levels of energy and nutrition. As he's likely to be eating outwith standard mealtimes, there may be additional limitations on what can be provided - for example, it may not be possible for him to have cooked meals in the evening if it is much later than everyone else's meal. If he approaches things with realistic goals and is polite to the people in charge, inshaAllah they may be able to accommodate him.

    Ramadan is about more than simply fasting. It's a time to get rid of the haram in our lives and strengthen our faith. It may be a good time for him to think about the choices he made and the lifestyle he led that resulted in him going to prison, as he may see things that he wants to change or would do differently if he could. He should repent for his sins, as we all should, and try to steer his life back onto the straight path.

    Ramadan is also a time to think about others. There may be other brothers in the prison who are preparing for Ramadan, so it might be helpful for them to arrange a Quran study group or a prayer group, if this is allowed (some prisons allow such things under their rehabilitation policies, so it's worth asking about). This could help him as well as other brothers, inshaAllah.

    Midnightmoon editor

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