THE MERITS OF FASTING

Islam is built on five pillars. Each represents a unique institution through which the believer builds his/her relationship with the Creator and the creation. Of all the pillars of Islam, none is more special than Siyaam or fasting. While there may be an appearance of Riya, or show, in all other pillars such as- Salaat, Zakaat, Hajj, and even the Kalimah - there is no such possibility in fasting. The only One Who  knows that you are really abstaining from food and drink is Allah, the Almighty. It is easy to pretend to be fasting; while  secretly, you may eat or drink.

It has been reported by the way of Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (sas) reported that Allah (SWT) said in a Hadith Al-Qudsi: "All services of the son of Adam are for him except fasting. It is for Me, and I will reward him for it. Fasting is a shield. On the day you fast, do not use obscenity, nor yell at others, nor act ignorantly towards them. However, if anyone abuses you verbally or attempts to draw you to fight with him, say 'I am fasting' two times. The Prophet (sas) then states: I swore by the One (Allah) in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the faster is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Judgment than  the scent of musk. The fasting person experiences enjoyment twice: he is pleased when he breaks his fast, and he is pleased when he meets his Maker" (Muslim).

Certainly, there is only one reason why a believer will put himself or herself through this ordeal or trying physical exercise and that is to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT). The fast is the single most important device to test the Iman, or faith, of the believer and the depth of his sincerity and commitment to the concept of Tawheed, the Oneness of Allah.

The hadith also states that fasting is a shield, an armor protecting the believer from sinful acts (ma'asi). When you eat, the blood flow increases considerably, and the energy level increases, making it easier        for Satan to use your own energy level to tempt you to commit sins. In another hadith, the Prophet states: "Satan runs in the circulatory system of the son of Adam in the same way blood circulates in our system; so tighten his passages with hunger." (Bukhari/Muslim)

Fasting enables the believer to guard against his archenemy. It also helps him against human evil by putting the patience and perseverance gained from fasting into use with forbearance and forgiveness. Otherwise, in this case, Al-Qur'an allows the believer to repel evil without transgression.

Also it is the month of social activities among Muslims. During the month the entire lifestyle of Muslims undergoes a dramatic change, with the nights wearing a festive look.  The whole pattern of  private and public life is transformed along with the timings for schools and universities.

The spiritual fervor of Ramadan supersedes all other activities throughout the year. No one can explain        the happiness unless he seeks the blessings of this month day and night. For these and many other reasons, the following is recommended for those who wish to benefit from this month. Preparations in this regard should start at least from the month of Rajab, two months in advance. Al­lah has revealed in Surah Al-Tawbah (Re­pentance) concerning the four sacred months:

The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year); so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred.” (9: 36)

(Zul Qi’dah, Zil Hijjah and Muharram; and then the month of Rajab, which is be­tween Jamada II   and Sha‘ban.)

Therefore, it is recommended that Muslims in­crease their fasting in those months so as to be close to Allah. Moreover, they would be pre­paring themselves for Ramadan before it comes. Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) used to fast most of the month of Sha’ban. The Prophet said: ‘Many people are unaware of this month's sig­nificance; it is between Rajab and Ramadan. In this month the deeds of the people are lifted to the Lord of the Worlds. I like my deeds to be lifted while I am in a state of fasting.”

Ramadan is the month of fasting. As the Qur’an says: ‘0 you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was a prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self-restraint (Taqwa).” (2:183)

Taqwa can be realized through three opportunities provided for us by the fast:

The disciplining of the will (tarbiyat ul-Iradah)

The purification of the self (tazkiyat un-Nafs)

The purification of the soul (tasfiyat ur-Ruh)

Allah (SWT) says: " That He wants you to complete the prescribed period (of fasting) so that you are able to magnify the greatness of Allah for His having guided you, and so that – perchance – you may be thankful" (2: 185).

The greatness of Ramadan therefore lies in the opportunity it offers for the development of Taqwa –  a virtue that allows us to truly participate in that great cosmic celebration in honor of the revelation of  the Qur'an as a Huda to all people, which is, as mentioned earlier, Ramadan itself. Ramadan allows us          to magnify Allah Ta’ala as He ought to be magnified, namely, with complete awareness of our earthly duties and spiritual work; and, therefore, to be of those who are truly thankful to Allah. It is a virtue too, which is ultimately celebrated in the Quran itself, for Allah says: " The best of you are those who have learnt Taqwa" (49: 13).

Rec­ommendations to increase the spiritual strength ¹

* Try to reduce the number of hours that you watch TV, and instead spend sometime read­ing Qur’an, Hadith, Sirath, Fiqh, Shariah and any literature about Islam.

* Avoid looking at any unlawful or salacious pictures whether they are from commercial magazines of departmental stores or oth­erwise.

* Avoid going to theaters. Instead try to go to Masjid, and make it a habit at least once a day.

* Avoid eating in excess, and try to curb your eating habit. Don’t eat unless you are hungry and try not to overload your stomach.

* For those who have the habit of drinking coffee, tea or soda, try your best to reduce their consumption.

* For those given to smoking cigarettes, try to curb this habit before Ramadan.

* Those fond of music, rap-music and songs should reduce the time spent on them. In­stead they should recite or listen to the Noble Qur'an.

* For those who enjoy playing cards, cut it out and fill your time with something useful.

* For those who enjoy picnics to enjoy social outings, apply a break on this habit before Ramadan.

* If you have friends who do not practise the teachings of Islam, try your best to avoid so­cializing with them.

* If you travel quite often for the sake of business, try to do local business so that you will be close to your family and your local community.

*If you are a late night sleeper, go to bed early, so that you will be able to wake up early for Salat Al-Fajr.

*Try to fast Mondays and Thursdays as of today.

* Keep yourself in a state of Wudoo’, most of the time.

* Evaluate yourself daily before going to sleep. Thank Allah for the good deeds you have done, and apologize to Him for the mis­take you have made.

* Give yourself the time to isolate yourself for contemplation, remember Allah through Zikr: Tasbeeh (Subhaan Allah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), Tahmeed (Al-hamdu Lillah) and Tah­leel (La ilaha ill-Allah).   You will be elated spiritually and you will enjoy life tremendously.

* Those of you, who can perform Umrah be­fore Ramadan, please do so.

* Start giving charity on a daily basis no mat­ter how little it is.

* Find time to pray the extras, such as Duha Salat, Qiyam Al-Layl and Tahajjud.

* Find time to help others with your wisdom. Knowledge, and other talents.

* Try to educate Muslims and non-Muslims through articles.

* Associate yourself with Muslim scholars, Hafiz, Qari’ and other Ulama so that you will be able to learn from them.

* Train yourself to do good and render ser­vices free of charge to others.

*Try to learn how to make Da'wah to non-Muslims.  It is an art with knowledge and di­plomacy.

To prepare ourselves before Ramadan ap­proaches us is far better than waiting till it comes. To prepare ourselves for anything else in life is a sign of wisdom and maturity. To train ourselves step-by-step is an excellent idea instead of last minute training.  Muslims should train and pre­pare themselves well in advance before Ram­adan and Hajj.

THE WISDOM BEHIND FASTING ²

There are reasons and wisdom behind every single act in Islam, no matter how small. It is possible to know the wisdom  behind some acts, and for others we may never know. Salaat, for instance, is a daily training for purifying the believer and reminding him or her  that he/she is a member in a community of believers. Fasting, on the other hand, is an annual institution containing all conceivable attributes for human excellence. It is a training for the body and soul, a renewal of life, encouraging the spirit of sharing and giving. The following are some of the general benefits:

Self-Restraint (Taqwa)

Allah (SWT) states: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self restraint." (Al-Qur'an, 2:183)

This verse indicates the first lesson or wisdom to be gained in fasting is  Taqwa (self-restraint  or the conscious  of Allah (SWT)). That is to say, fasting instills in the heart the essence of consciousness of the Creator, moral courage both in secret and manifest, guiding the heart, the seat of emotion from spoilage and moral indecency.

Fasting instills taqwa or conscious of Allah, and does so by controlling two aspects of the human body, which are the root causes of human downfall, namely the stomach and the private parts. The human            body is constructed with the need to please the two of them and, in the process, man transgresses the         rights of others, fellow human beings, and the commandments of Allah are violated. By Fasting one        raises the level of taqwa, thereby the person avoids the sins, which are detrimental to life itself.

Behavior Modification

It is possible for a fasting person to control or changes his or her habits; the reason being human life is an embodiment of acquired habits. To change or control a habit is to wage a war on oneself. If jihad is mandatory on every believer because it is the peak of the essence in Islam, and it entails changing habits, then fasting is the training ground for the inevitable that will occur. The believer cannot wage a war and hope to defeat an enemy if he or she cannot wage a war against his soul. For a fasting person who controls the consumption of food and drink, it will undoubtedly be easy for him to control other habits, including the habits of smoking, drug abuse and illicit sex. If you can control your tongue, hands and all other parts of your body, it will be easy for you to apply the same training for the rest of          the year.

Heath Benefits

The benefits of fasting transcend guiding the faster from idle talk and indecent acts. Fasting is a guard against disease, provided the faster follows the strict dietary rule: eating during Iftar (fast breaking) and avoiding over-eating. Allah (SWT) states: "...Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not wasters." (Al-Qur'an, 7:31).

Some disorders originate from stomach indigestion. This is why the Messenger of Allah (sas) says: "The son of Adam will never fill a container with something worse and evil than his stomach. It will suffice him some morsels (food) that will keep him on his feet, otherwise, he should divide his stomach     into three parts: one third for his food, one third for his drink and the other third for his breath." (Ibn Hibban)

The fast helps to correct the problem of obesity and diabetes. Doctors over the years have used fasting as a prescription for certain ailments.Once there was a discussion between Ali Bin Husain bin Waquid (ra) and a Christian physician to the Khalifah, Haroon Ar-Rasheed, about Islam's outlook on the science of medicine and health care. The physician said to Ibn Waquid: "There is not in your Book, Al-Qur'an, anything about medicine. For if Al-Qur'an is a book of science, what about this science? Aren't there two kinds of sciences: the science of the body and the science of the soul?" Ibn Waquid responded: "Allah, the Most High has combined  both sciences in half of a verse, when He states: "...Eat and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters." (Al-Qur'an, 7:31)

The physician said: "Why, then, has nothing been mentioned about medicine from the mouth of your Messenger?" Ibn Waquid replied: "Our Messenger (sas), has combined the sciences about medicine in a few words when he says: "The stomach is the house for disease and prevention is the essence of medicine." The Christian physician then said: "Then your book, Al-Qur'an, and your Prophet  Muhammad left nothing about medicine for Jalienas (Galen - a famous physician of the ancients)." (Arkanul Arba`ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)

An American physician published a report on fasting and its benefits saying: "It is mandatory on every person who is sick to restrain from food certain days in a year whether he be wealthy or poor because if bacteria can find food in abundance in the body, it will grow and multiply. But with fasting it becomes weak.'' He then praised Islam. It should be considered as the wisest religion, because by mandating  fasting it has mandated health care. He continued: "Indeed, Muhammad, who brought this religion, was the best physician who succeeded in his teachings, for he called for prevention before ailment, that is apparent in fasting and the nightly prayer (Taraweeh) that Muslims observe after fast breaking  every day of Ramadan, for these physical acts contain big benefits in digesting food." (Arkanul               Arba`ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)

Patience

Fasting helps in conditioning the heart, the soul, and the body on the virtues of patience, tenacity, and firmness in the face of adversity. Patience is the pinnacle of self-mastery, discipline and spiritual agility. Patience is to turn the phrase "I can't" into "I can." It is to say, the difficult is easy. It is an inner and psychological demolition of things perceived by others as impossible. Fasting helps in all these shades           for the virtuous, patient person because, the conditioning is that if a believer can exercise patience, and forsake gourmet food and drink, and the exhilaration we enjoy while eating or drinking our favorites, as well as marital association, the gratifying of other normal appetites for a whole day, for a month the realization that the barrier between you and food is your consciousness of your Creator, can better  make you able to exercise patience in virtually everything in life.

Social  Benefits

Socially, fasting is an expression of solidarity with the poor, the family and the whole society. This is a period in which the rich have first-hand experience of what it is to be poor, the pains the indigent suffers    in normal living conditions. The process of disciplining resulting from Islamic fasting instills in the rich         the virtue of mercy, Rahmah, which is very important in terms of social well - being and proliferation of harmony. Allah bestows His mercy upon those who themselves are merciful to others. "Those who are merciful to others, the Merciful will have mercy upon them," the Messenger said. He continued, "Have mercy upon those on earth, and those in heaven will have mercy upon you." (Abu Dawud/Tirmidhi)

Family Ties

Fasting strengthens family ties, especially in that the family is an endangered institution in western society. It helps the family gather together to break fast, at Iftar, and eat Sahur together at least twice a day for a month. The family even makes Salaat, together with the father as Imam. Fasting enhances        and energizes friendship, as Ramadan is known as the month of invitations and visitations. Friends, family members and neighbors extend invitations to each other to come to their homes to have Iftar together. Muslims communities have Iftar in the Masajids. The Messenger said, "When a believer invites you, you should respond."  In addition, Muslims get together in the Masajid for Taraweeh and ta' aleem.

REFERENCES

1.  Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr (Pres­ident, Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, P.O. Box 665, Lombard, IL 60148. Fax: 708-627-8894)  " Gear Yourself for Ramadan" Islamic Future-Vol. XII, No. 64, p. 3, Dec-Jan 1996/1997.

2. http://www.contactpakistan.com/Communitylibrary/Islam/Ramadan/wisdom.htm