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Our Beloved Nabee Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam in dealing
with the question of fasting said:
“Know that there is charity for everything, and the charity that you
pay for your health is the fast.”
What needs to be understood is that there is most certainly a
charity for everything; that is to say, there is something one must
give up, donate, expend for everything in life that’s good and
agreeable. And, the charity that you pay for your health is the
fast. In the physical sense, fasting allows you to gain health
Fasting helps you to promote health. Fasting
produces a spiritual state that, in turn, generates the mental
state, the proper conduct, the guidance and nderstanding that leads
one to think, to eat and to act correctly. This is what is meant by: |
“Fasting is good for you, if only you knew.”
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala has given us a tool. He has
blessed us with fasting during the month of Ramadaan so that we can
begin to break that cycle, so that we can begin to gain control over
our appetites as well as our passions. Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal
has commanded fasting as He commanded it upon people before us so
that we may learn self-restraint, so that we may “Tattaqoon”-
experience Allah-consciousness; that we may guard against evil.
Ramadaan is a month of Jihad, both within and without. It is a month
of physical deprivation through hunger and thirst but also of moral
and material reward. Every year we fast during the month of Ramadaan.
Every year we remember the great Battle of Badr. Every day during
this great month of Tilawat and Ibadah we repeat the Most Glorious
Qur’an in our homes, our Masaajids and on the airways. |
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“Fasting that you may learn self-restraint.”
Why is self-restraint important to be successful? Our Beloved Nabee
Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said that the strongest man is
not he who is the best wrestler, but he who can control his anger.
He who can control his anger is able to control his appetite and
passions.
“Fasting that you may guard against evil.”
Fasting - that we may increase in our remembrance of Almighty Allah
Jallah Wa’ala, for it is through fasting that Muslims give up things
that are lawful; Muslims give up food and drink; they give up the
conjugal rights they have with their spouses. Yes, Muslims give up
all these things during the hours of fasting, to gain
Allah-consciousness; to get closer to their Glorious Creator and
Sustainer and to come to a deeper understanding of the Din of
Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal and the Sunnah of His Beloved Nabee
Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam.
In this manner, a Muh’min increases his or her remembrance of
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, concentrating on pure and good
things. This gives him or her an opportunity to purge themselves
from things that are not beneficial. Fasting is a tool – a Divinely
ordained program – so that we may learn self-restraint and
appreciate what is of real benefit. Our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo
Alayhi Wasallam, while on an expedition with some of his companions
to a distant land, was asked:
“O Rasullullah! Since we don’t have our wives and mates with us, is
castration lawful for us?”
Our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam answered: “Our
castration is fasting. It curbs the passions.”
Almighty Allah Jallah Wa’ala has blessed us with this most wonderful
program that enables us to gain mastery over ourselves, to check our
appetites and our passions. We need a tool to remove the veil that
keeps us away from our Glorious Creator and the tool that will
remove the veil is fasting. Islam has played a reformative role of
great significance in Fasting. It has made it an easy and pleasant
observance, full of social and spiritual benefits and operative
throughout the Muslim community. The conception of fasting had
undergone a complete transformation in the pre-Islamic times.
We have seen how among the Bani Isra'eel fasting had become symbolic
of suffering, defeat and misery. Instead of this gloomy way of
looking at it, Islam gave it a new and positive character, animated
with faith, hope and earnestness. Islam made fasting into a popular
institution, evoking a ready response among its followers. The
assurances and happy tidings of Divine Recompense and Good Pleasure
are a source of joy and inspiration to all Muh’min’s and they
observe fasting cheerfully. The relevant Qur’anic verses and
Traditions, with their irresistible appeal to the basic instincts of
man, are immensely helpful in imparting to the Muslim Ummah a sense
of faith hopefulness. A celestial Tradition, in Hadith Qudsi for
example says:
“Fasting is the only thing for which I (Allah) will recompense
directly.”
Another Tradition of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam:
"Liel sa iemie farhataan farhatoen ienda Iftaariehie Wafarhatoen
Ienda Liekaa'ee Rabbie'hee."
“There are two moments of special joy for a person who fasts: one is
when he or she breaks the fast and the other will come in the
Aghirah when he or she will be presented before Almighty Allah Azza
Wajjal.”
Islam has surrounded the Muh’min who fasts with a unique atmosphere
of virtue, dignity and sublimity. It is related that our Beloved
Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said: “The bad odour emanating
from the mouth of a fasting person is more pleasant in the judgement
of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala than the sweet smell of musk.”
This is radically different from the mood of oppression and
pessimism prevalent among the Jews. Fasting in Judaism is synonymous
with penance and mortification and this is how it has been
interpreted generally in its holy Texts. On the other hand, the
Islamic Sharia’h holds fasting neither to be a means of self-torture
or a form of punishment. There is nothing in the Most Holy and
Glorious Qur’an nor in the Traditions to suggest it.
Fasting has been instituted in Islam as a form of Ibadah – the sole
aim of which is the propitiation of Almighty Allah Jallah Wa’ala.
The regulations laid down for it do not inevitably lead to the
mortification of the flesh. They do not place fasting beyond the
endurance of man. On the contrary, the Islamic Sharia’h insists on
partaking of the pre-dawn meal of Suhuur as a Sunnah and advises its
followers to make it as late as possible.
In may ancient faiths (and evidence of it is available even now)
fasting was confined to a particular group of people. Among the
Hindus, for instance, it was reserved for the Brahmins, and, among
the fire-worshippers, for the priests. In ancient Greece only the
women folk were required to fast. Islam did away with these
classifications and made fasting a universal religious duty. In
spite of the discriminatory nature of their injunctions the ancient
religions made no concessions to those who were really incapable of
fasting due to illness or some other reason.
Islam exempted them and gave them full protection. In some of the
earlier faiths there was such an exaggeration of emphasis on
severity that abstention from food was enjoined for forty days in
continuation, whereas, in others, leniency was carried to the extend
of forbidding only the eating of meat while all other articles of
food were allowed.
But the Law of Islam is equally opposed to excessive sternness and
excessive leniency. Fasting in Islam is based on fairness and
moderation. In it neither mortification is permitted nor slackness.
Islam also condoned the lapses made inadvertently while fasting. In
it, a fast is not made void by an involuntary act or circumstances
beyond one’s control, like vomiting, nose-bleeding and (Ihtilaam)
pollution in sleep.
It is related by Hazrat Abu Hurairah Radhiallahu Ta’ala Anhu that
our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said:
“Anyone who ate or drank due to forgetfulness, let him or her not
abandon the fast. It is a feast conferred upon him or her by
Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal.”
Imaam Bukhari and Imaam Muslim have also reproduced this Tradition
in the following words:
“Whoever forgot that they were fasting and ate or drank anything, he
or she should complete his or her fast for it was from Almighty
Allah that he or she was offered to eat and drink.”
Ibadah is a Divine discipline imposed by Almighty Allah Subhanahu
Wata’ala on each of his servants and slaves. Islam therefore treats
worship not only as an obligation (Fareedah) to be fulfilled but
also a discipline, a means
to nurture the soul and to guide it to maturity. What applies to the
individual, moreover, applies to the community, which Islam views as
a unified body of the people of faith. Therefore fasting (Siyaam),
like Salaat, is also a corporate act of worship. It is in the end
the individual who fasts and who must be rewarded for fulfilling
this Divine obligation. But the activity of fasting also creates a
strong social bond, as anyone who has ever been in a Muslim country
during Ramadaan can testify.
Fasting in Ramadaan must remind the person who fasts that there are
people in the world who are hungry even without having to fast. It
is the responsibility of all concerned Muslims’ to share Almighty
Allah’s Bounty with those who are destitute and less fortunate.
Fasting is therefore not only a time of privation, Ibadah and
hunger, it is a festival of giving
freely, caring and sharing. We read in a Hadith Qudsi that Almighty
Allah Jallah Wa’ala declares: |
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“All the works of the children of Bani Adam are his except fasting.”
It belongs to Me and I will reward him for it.” That is to say, in
whatever other acts of worship we perform we are fulfilling an
obligation. We are, so to speak, building up credit balances for
ourselves in the Aghirah. Fasting, however, we do most willingly for
Almighty Allah Tabaraqa Wata’ala. Very intimately tied to the
obligation of fasting is the feeding of the poor. Those who are old,
or chronically ill, or unable to fast must ransom their fasts by
feeding the poor if they have the financial means. Hence fasting in
Islam is not simply a duty. It is a lesson – although one which we
Muslims have not yet fully comprehended. |
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A person who is blessed with Divine wealth of knowledge and Imaan
will become familiar with the history, philosophy and design of
fasting in the earlier religions. By observing the conditions of the
earlier religions and by comparing it with the Islamic conception
and structure of fasting, such a person’s heart is filled with
gratitude and the stirring words of praise and thanksgiving which we
find in part of verse 43 of Surah Al-A’raf come spontaneously to his
or her lips :
“All Praise to Allah, Who hath guided us to this. We could not truly
have been led aright if Allah had not guided us.
Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did bring the Truth.”
O Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen! Illuminate our hearts with the
light of Your Greatness and Glory. Bless the Muslim Ummah with peace
and happiness during this Glorious Month of Tilawat, Ibadah, caring,
sharing & Muhabbat.
Purge our hearts of the love for this egotistical and materialistic
world. Make our hearts understand the rewards of our good deeds and
the results of our evil deeds while the Door of forgiveness and
Tawbah is still open to us.
Ameen - Ya Rabbul Ala'meen!
Baarak Allaahu Feekum wa-sal-Allahu wa-salam 'alaa Nabiyyinaa
Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam
Sheikh Abdul Hamid Lachporia - Canada
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