The secret of fasting

[Polanyi]

Regarding His , Guidance in Fasting

 

 

Since the intention behind fasting is to restrain oneself from desires

in order to prepare oneself for seeking that wherein lies the utmost

happiness and the acceptance of that which purifies the heart and

reduces the sharpness of hunger and thirst and reminds one of the

hunger felt by the needy and narrows the courses of Satan by

narrowing the courses of food and drink. It is the bridle of Al-

MuttacifinE the shield of the warriors and the ( spiritual) exercise of

the righteous, who are near to Allah And out of all acts, it is for the

Lord of the worlds, for the fasting person does not do anything; he

only refrains from following his desire - and that is abandoning the

things which he loves for love of Allah and it is a secret between the

slave and his Lord, for the slaves might Observe one abstaining from

the things which clearly break the fast, but as for him abstaining

from them for the sake of the One Whom he worships, that is

something that mankind cannot see and that is the reality of fasting.

Fasting has an amazing effect on protecting the limbs (from sin) and

the internal urges from attraction to corrupting elements and in

removing the harmful substances from the body which prevent it

from attaining good health. It is one of the greatest forces in helping

one to achieve Tagwa, as Allah, Most High says:

 

-O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) isprescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that

you may become Al-Muttaqun-M (the pious ).

 

 

And the Prophet A ordered those whose desire for marriage is

intense, but who are unable to do so, to fast and he declared it to be a

means of controlling these desiresPI

The guidance of the Prophet W, was the most perfect of guidance and

the greatest in achieving the goal of fasting and the easiest for human

beings to follow And since weaning people away from their desires

and the things to which they are accustomed is one of the most

difficult things, the injunction to fast was delayed until after the

Hzfrah; and at first its obligation was in the form of a choice

between fasting and feeding a needy person for each day, then fasting

was made compulsory and feeding a needy person was granted for

the old man and the woman, if they are unable to bear fasting. And it

was permitted for the sick person and the traveller to break their fast

and to make up for it; likewise, it was permitted for the pregnant

woman and the breast-feeding woman, if they fear for their health.

And if they fear for the safety of their children, then in addition to

making up for the fast, they must feed a needy person for each

day.E

 

 

This is because their breaking the fast is not due to fear of

illness, but it is done in spite of the woman being in good health and

so she must feed a needy person, as was the case with a person who

broke his fast in the early days of Islam.

 

It was a part of his guidance e: in the month of Ramadan to perform

many acts of worship of various types, and Gabriel (peace be upon

him) used to go over the Qur'an with him in the month of Ramadan.

He also used to perform many acts of charity and benevolence, recite

the Qur'an and pray, mention Allah's Name (Dhikr) and perform

ttikaf. [ He used to favor Ramadan with more acts of worship than

 

other times. So that he would sometimes fast continuously for two

days or more without breaking the fast (Al-Wisal), in order to devote

the hours of the day and night to worship. But he forbade his

Companions 4 from practising Al-Wisal. They said to him: "But you

practise Al-Wisal." He said: "I am not as you." I stay with my Lord and

he sustains me." 111 He prohibited it out of compassion for his people

and he permitted it up to the predawn.

 

( Ibn qayyim Al Jawziyya- provisions of the hereafter)