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Provisions
of the Soul: Fasting
By
Mustafa
Mashhur
We have mentioned that worship like Salah, Sawm, Zakah and Hajj are
very important and renewed sources for provision in our path. We
tried clarifying that concerning prayer, and now we will do the same
with Fasting and may Allah help us. Allah, Most High, says, {O ye
who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you, that ye may (learn)) self-restraint}. (Al-Baqarah:
183)
So,
fasting is a shield, which protects those who are fasting from
temptations. Fasting is different from any other worship that is
related to Allah, the Most High. It was related that Abu Hurairah,
(my Allah be pleased with him) said, the Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah, Most High, said, ‘Every
deed of son of Adam is for him except Fasting, it is for Me and I
give reward for it. Fasting is like a shield (from the Fire and from
committing sins). If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual
relation with his wife and quarrelling, and if somebody should fight
or quarrel with him, he should say, I am fasting. By Him in Whose
Hands my soul is! The smell coming from the mouth of a fasting
person is considered better to Allah than the smell of musk. There
are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of
breaking his fast and the other at the time when he will meet his
Lord. Then he will be pleased because of his fasting.”
The
duty of Fasting is connected with the month of Ramadan. When Ramadan
is mentioned, it is as if a wide paradise is mentioned where a
Muslim passes when he walks in the middle of the desert of this life
and its heat and temptations.
Allah
designates an abundance of good during the month of Ramadan and if
we know it, we will wish the whole year to be the month of Ramadan.
In that month, the Qur’an was revealed: {Ramadan is the (month) in
which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear
(signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong}. (Al-Baqarah:
185)
Another
quality of that month is Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Determination)
and what makes you realize what is Laylatul-Qadr, Laylatul-Qadr is
better than a thousand months. In the month of Ramadan, the gates of
Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, devils are
bound and reward is doubled. There is also I`tikaf (seclusion in the
mosque for the purpose of worship) and Al-Qiyam (Night Vigil). Thus,
the true Muslim is happy with Ramadan as the happiness of believers
with the Mercy and Favor of Allah. For, he can take a break from the
burdens of life in this month and renew his energy to continue his
path. No one feels this feeling except the one who fasts Ramadan as
what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, guided
us to.
This
month is called the month of Qur’an because people recite and
memorize the Qur’an more than any other month over the year. We
also perform Qiyamul-Layl with it. Qur’an is considered to be
truth, wisdom and guidance to us.
This
month is also the month of Al-Qiyam. When people fast, they perform
Al-Qiyam every night. This leads to patience in worship and the
continual submission and solemnity to Allah.
In
Ramadan, there is I`tikaf. It has its effects on people. During
I`tikaf, the Muslim lives as a guest in the House of Allah. He
leaves all worldly affairs and does nothing except remembering Allah
by prayer, invocation, communing, reciting the Qur’an, asking for
forgiveness and shedding tears due to his fear of Allah. Then, Allah
is generous to His guests. He guides them and strengthens their
faith. Allah, Most High, says, {When My servants ask thee concerning
Me, I am indeed close (to them): I respond to the prayer of every
suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also, with a will, listen
to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way}.
(Al-Baqarah: 186)
Fasting
makes Muslims gain the quality of being sincere to Allah. It is a
secret between the slave and his Lord. Sincerity to Allah is the
greatest provision for Muslims in the path of Da`wah. There is no
reward for any deed or effort if it is not sincere to Allah, the
Most High. Allah does not accept any deed except the one, which is
sincere to Him.
Fasting
enables a Muslim to strive against temptation of the soul. This
strengthens his determination and this is very important for whoever
calls for Allah and strives in His cause. Fasting keeps the Muslim
away from temptation and unlawful things in every day of that month.
This helps him avoid unlawful things in the rest of the time.
Fasting
makes the Muslim gain the virtue of patience which is a very
important quality of whoever calls for Allah. Patience helps Muslims
face problems and continue their way without weakness: {But they
never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah’s way, nor did
they weaken (in will) nor give in. and Allah loves those who are
firm and steadfast}. (Al `Imran: 146)
So,
warning, threatening, harming and frightening away have no effect on
the men of Da`wah.
Fasting
controls the senses in this month. It does not only control the
desires of the stomach and sex, but also controls all his senses not
to do whatever Allah prohibits. It controls eyes, ears, tongue,
hands, legs besides mouth and sexual lusts. This is something very
important for the personality of a Muslim.
Fasting
makes a Muslim gain the virtue of forgiveness. If any one fights
him, defames or agitates him, he must be calm and forgive them
saying “I am fasting, I am fasting”. People who are in the path
of Da`wah must have this quality of forgiveness and not being angry.
Allah, most High says, {Wert thou severe of harsh-hearted, they
would have broken away from about thee}. (Al `Imran: 159)
This
saves time and effort for Da`wah and production because Muslims will
not waste their time in anger and argument because if it happened
the only victim will be Da`wah. Allah, the Must High, says: {Nor can
goodness and evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better}. (Fussilat:
34)
Fasting
makes the heart of a Muslim full of kindness towards the poor and
the needy. When he feels pain as a result of hunger, he will help
them. Zakatul-Fitr emphasizes that meaning. This is an important
behavior, which must be general between Muslims. During fasting and
when the stomach is empty, this makes the soul reach a spiritual
stage and the heart becomes pure by the recitation of the Qur’an,
asking for forgiveness, repentance and invocation. This is the right
happiness and the feeling of being near to Allah. This refers to the
meaning of what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, said, “Satan moves in the body of the son of Adam as blood
does, so combat him by hunger.”
So,
fasting, especially during hot days, teaches a Muslim how to be
patient in the field of strife and fighting and to be strong when
facing the enemy. It also teaches him to face hard conditions of
Da`wah and bodily needs will not hinder him from continuing his way.
Fasting
teaches the believer to be happy of Allah’s Favor and help when he
performs worship and be sincere to Allah. The Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings be upon him, reminded us with the two joys of
fasting one when a person breaks his fast and two when he meets his
Lord with his fast. Allah Most High says, {Say: ‘In the Bounty of
Allah. And in His Mercy, in that let them rejoice.’ That is better
than the (wealth) they hoard}. (Yunus: 58)
This
is a correction of the misunderstanding of many people who are happy
when they reach goods of life and become unhappy when they lose
them.
Fasting
supports the meaning of community inside the fasting Muslim. Muslims
all over the world of different nationalities and colors all fast
during one month. They feel the unity of Muslims and this is very
important especially for people of Da`wah.
The
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, knew the
benefits of fasting, so, he mentioned in his Sunnah other days than
the month of Ramadan during the year to fast them because he, peace
and blessings be upon him, loved whatever was good for us.
It
is because of Allah’s Mercy that he made prayer in traveling,
illness and war easy for us by relieving it. He, the Must High, also
brings His Mercy upon us and gives us permission not to fast if we
are traveling or sick by fasting other days or paying Fidyah
(ransom).
Fasting
creates a link between a Muslim and the universe and what it has of
plants and stars when he tries to see the crescent of Ramadan and
Shawwal and becomes acquainted with that side of creation and its
evidence of the Glory and Ability of Allah.
Fasting
teaches a Muslim to be punctual and always on time. Every fasting
Muslim knows by heart the time of Imsak (the time when he stops
eating) and the time of breaking his fast just to keep his fast
right. This happens every day during that month and it makes him use
his time and not kill it without doing something useful.
With
all these things, fasting also has its healthy effect on the body.
Nowadays medicine proves this fact and some sanatoriums use fasting
as a means to cure many diseases.
All
these effects of fasting are easy to gain for those who have pure
intention and fast as what Allah told us and as the teachings of the
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
But,
nowadays we find that the month of fasting becomes a month of
indigestion and many kinds of food instead of hunger and little
food. It is changed from a month of worshiping, Qiyam and Qur’an
into month of chatting and amusement and becomes a chance for
artists, male and female, to spend the night of Ramadan in
corruption. All these things disfigure the truth of Ramadan. And
Allah is not satisfied with this nor is His Messenger and it is
obligatory to correct them.
Finally,
I ask Allah to make us benefit from Ramadan and fast and what I have
mentioned is not all the information concerning this subject but
some sides of it, may Allah lead us to make use of them.
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