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There are essentially two component factors in any work a person has to perform. The first thing is the purpose for which a work is done and the second is the particular shape of that work which is chosen to achieve that purpose.
For instance, in the case of food: the object of eating food is to remain alive and maintain strength. For achieving this object, a person takes a morsel, puts it in his or her mouth, masticates it, and pushes it into his or her throat.
This method is adopted since it is the most effective and proper one to achieve this object. However, everyone knows that the most important point is the purpose for which food is taken and not the form or the procedure of this action.
What would be said if anybody were to make a morsel of sawdust or cinder or mud, put it in their mouth, chew it, and gulp it? It would, certainly, be said that their brain is out of order. Why? Because this idiot did not realize the real purpose of eating and misunderstood that only the aforesaid four-step process constitutes eating.
Likewise, you will call also mad that person who soon after taking the food vomits it by thrusting his or her fingers into his or her throat then complains that he or she has not availed of the benefits said to obtain from taking food.
This fool blames the food for his or her growing weakness not realizing that this is his or her own action. He or she imagined that life vitality could be got by fulfilling those requirements, which constitute the act of eating.
Therefore, such a person wondered why he or she should sustain the load of food in his or her stomach? "Why not throw it out so that the stomach may become light? I have already fulfilled the requirements of eating," this person surmises.
Naturally, he or she caused him- or herself to suffer the penalty of harboring such a foolish idea and then implementing it. He or she ought to have known that the vitality of life cannot be obtained until the bread that enters the stomach gets digested, transformed into blood, and diffused into the whole body.
Although the outward actions, without which the bread cannot reach the stomach, are also necessary, the object cannot be achieved by merely fulfilling these outward actions. Blood does not start running, magically in the veins by merely fulfilling these actions. Blood will be obviously produced according to the law prescribed by Allah. If you break it, you will kill yourself by your own hands.
Are Outward Rituals the Real Worship?
Pondering over this detailed example, some Muslims can understand why their
`ibadah (worship) has become inefficacious today. The greatest mistake of many Muslims is to regard the acts of
salah and fasting and their outward shape as real
`ibadah and suffer from the delusion that fulfilling these requirements is the perfect performance of worshipping Allah.
Bearing this understanding in mind, the Muslim will be just like that person who thinks that performing the four acts (i.e., making the morsel, putting it in the mouth, masticating it, and pushing it into the throat) makes up the process of eating and that whoever did these four things has eaten the food and so should receive the benefits of eating whether he or she pushed down mud, stone, or tasty food in his or her stomach, or vomited the food soon after eating it.
With a little sense, then how can fasting Muslims who are engaged in worshiping Allah from morning till evening utter a lie or indulge in backbiting? Why do they quarrel at the slightest pretext and utter abuses from their mouths? How dare such Muslims encroach on other people's rights? How do they indulge in acquiring illicit money and giving money to others illicitly? How are they, having done these entire things, still thinking that they have performed
`ibadah to Allah?
Does this not resemble the work of that person who eats cinder and mud and thinks that by merely completing the four requirements of eating he or she has actually performed eating?
Freedom From Ramadan Again!
How then, after actively engaged in all sorts of worship for thirty days, 360 hours, do all the effects of this whole exercise in piety disappear on the first day of
Shawwal?
Some Muslims unfortunately commit during the `Eid days all that Hindus do in their festivals, even adultery, wine-drinking, and gambling. Others whom the light of faith slightly touched their hearts keep fasting during the day and drink wine and commit adultery at night.
The majority of Muslims, by the grace of Allah, are free from such disgraceful acts; however, at the end of Ramadan, many of them do not retain the effects of piety and virtuousness on the second day of the
`Eid.
Which teaching of Islam is left inviolate? What part of their time is devoted to good deeds? How much is selfishness reduced?
Wrong Conception of Worship
Thinking and pondering what can be the reason for this, it can be assured that its only reason is that the very meaning and purport of `ibadah has become twisted in some Muslims' minds. They think that mere abstention from eating and drinking throughout the day is considered fasting and that this alone is
`ibadah.
Therefore, they observe it meticulously. They fear Allah to the extent that they avoid every transgression which even slightly may break their fast. Even if life is at stake, they are not to break the fast.
Sorrowfully, those people do not know that being merely hungry and thirsty is not the real `ibadah but only a form of it. The purpose of prescribing this form is creating fear of and love for Allah in the hearts of Muslims so that they develop the strength of faith by which they can avoid the seemingly profitable things that actually displease Allah. On the other hand, by controlling oneself, one would be agreeable to those things which possibly entail risks and losses but definitely please Almighty Allah.
This strength can be developed only when Muslims understand the purpose of fasting and make use of the practice they have gone through to control the corporeal urges in the course of fear of and love for Allah, thus satisfying these urges according to Allah's pleasure.
But soon after Ramadan, some Muslims throw to the winds this practice, as well as the virtues acquired from it just as a person vomits food soon after taking it by thrusting his or her fingers into his or her throat.
Now, as it can be decided from the above debate, there is no magic in Ramadan and fasting that by mere completing their outward shape Muslims can acquire that strength, which in reality should emanate from genuine fasting.
Just as physical strength cannot be obtained from the bread until it is digested and transformed into blood penetrating every vein, spiritual power cannot be obtained from fasting until the fasting person fully comprehends the purpose of fasting and allows it to permeate his or her heart and mind and dominate his or her thought, motive, intention, and deeds.
Fasting: Source of Piety
In the verse of ordaining fasting, Almighty Allah says,
(O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).)
(Al-Baqarah 2:183)
It is not thought that any Muslim will automatically become pious and virtuous by fasting because the outcome of fasting depends on each Muslim's perception and intention of fasting.
Whoever understands the real purpose of fasting and tries hard to achieve its objective will become pious to the desired extent. On the other hand, the Muslim who does not comprehend the purpose of fasting and does not even try to achieve any goal of it will not gain anything out of the blessed month.
Real Goals of Fasting
Considering the above, the logical question is: What are the real purposes of fasting? What can the Muslim achieve out of it? How can the Muslim reach the utmost level of piety and righteousness through this sacred month?
These are some selected purposes that the Muslim can try hard to achieve yearning to become one of the pious.
Abstention From Lying. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has drawn attention in various ways to the real aim of fasting and has explained that to be hungry and thirsty without keeping in view the objective is in no way useful. He said,
"[For] whoever did not give up lying and practicing falsehood, Allah is in no need of his giving up food and
water" (Al-Bukhari).
In another hadith, he said,
"Many are the fasters whose fasting does not bring them anything except hunger and thirst, and many are those who keep standing at night [praying] but their standing does not bring them anything except staying up and exhaustion." (Ahmad)
The purport of both these hadiths is quite plain. It means that being merely hungry and thirsty is not by itself `ibadah but it is an instrument of performing the real
`ibadah.
The real `ibadah implies higher levels of obedience, such as not violating Allah's orders in the course of love and fear of Him pursuing every work that would pleases Him and reining corporeal urges as far as possible.
Indeed, the Muslims who remain heedless of this real conception of `ibadah are unnecessarily causing inconvenience to their stomachs with hunger and thirst. So, it is pointless for them to give up food and drink, and consequently they will get nothing from the fast except hunger and thirst.
Faith and Self-Scrutiny. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has drawn attention to the real aim of fasting saying,
"[For] whoever observed fast while imbued with faith and with the expectation of reward from Allah
(ihtesab), all his past sins are forgiven." (Ahmad)
The essence of faith implies that belief in Allah should remain fully vivid in the minds of Muslims. Expecting a reward from Allah (which means
ihtesab in Arabic) denotes that Muslims should be desirous of only what constantly pleases Allah and should keep an eye on their thoughts and actions lest they do anything that displeases Him.
Achieving this, Muslims will have all their past sins forgiven, even if they were once unruly or disobedient; they have now turned fully repentant to their Lord as if they were starting a new life. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"A penitent is like one who has, as it were, never committed a sin at all" (Al-Bayhaqi and
At-Tabarani).
Shield Against Sins. If Muslims are tied to the requirements of the real fasting, this would actually serve as a protective shield for them against sins. In a part of one hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"The fast is like a shield (junnah)"
(Al-Bukhari).
Therefore, when Muslims observe the fast, they should utilize this shield by abstaining from disorderly behavior. They should not be engaged in any abuse or quarrel with anyone. This is based upon the Prophet's order in the following
hadith:
"If it is a day on which one of you is fasting, he should not be obscene nor vociferant, and if anyone abused or quarreled with him, he (the fasting Muslim) should say, 'I am fasting, I am fasting (meaning, I shall not take part in such activities of yours).'"
(Al-Bukhari)
Temptation of Goodness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has directed that in Ramadan Muslims ought to do more and more good deeds and should be eager to perform benevolent acts, particularly during the fast.
Muslims must have a full intensive, sympathetic sentiment for their Muslim brothers and sisters who are inflicted with hunger and thirst. They can surely realize what is befalling other Muslims in their plight of destitution and misery.
One of the sources of great reward that Muslims should not miss in Ramadan is the reward of providing other Muslims with iftar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"[For] whoever, in Ramadan, provides a fasting person with iftar, this will become forgiveness for his sins and safety from Hellfire and he will get as much reward as the fasting person without any reduction in the recompense of the latter." (Ahmad)
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