The Essence Of Fasting

[Attari.Rafique]

Fasting is a bounty, grace and gift of Allah Ta’ala to His slave. It has not been made obligatory for

going without meals. It has been enjoined upon those who have faith so that they can attain the

pleasure of Allah Ta’ala and become pious. It energizes the strength of servitude to Him. It is

sustenance for the spiritual strength to be fortified.

Hujjatul Islam Hazrat Imam Ghazzali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that there are three grades of

fasting: the fast of common people, the fast of the pious and the fast of the ascetics. The fast of the

common people is to refrain from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse and is the lowest form

of fasting. The fast of the pious is, in addition to the abovementioned acts, to keep the hands, feet,

sight, tongue and all other limbs of the body free from sin. The fast of the ascetics involves fasting

of the mind. They refrain from all worldly activities and do not think of anything else except

Allah Ta’ala and the hereafter. [ihya-ul-Uloom]

The essence of fasting is stated in the Holy Qur’an in the following Verse wherein Allah Ta’ala

states, “O Believers! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you as was made obligatory upon

those before you, so that you may become pious. [surah 2, Verse 183] Fasting therefore does not

only entail the mere act of refraining from food, drink and sexual intercourse but is a means for us

in restraining ourselves from sin and from the clutches of our nafs (lower self) and becoming

pious.

According to Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) hunger is a cause of trouble to the

body but a source of life to the heart and soul. Eating to one’s fill strengthens the stomach but

hunger strengthens the inner and natural state. He who endeavours hard to strengthen the inner

state is dearer and a special slave of Allah Ta’ala. He is protected against worldly worries and

concerns. Hunger is the food of sincere men, religion of the disciples and the imprisonment of

Shaitaan. [Kashful Mahjoob]

Hazrat Shaikh Yahya bin Ma’az (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has stated, “When man is caught in the

cobweb of greed for eating, the fire of lechery consumes him. Man’s self is assailed by numerous

sorts of diseases caused and spread by Shaitaan. So when man goes without food, he is busy

curbing the lower self and desire with the help of abstention from food. The ills and evils bred in

him by the lower self are not only lifeless but deadened, or are glutted by the singing flame of

hunger. On the contrary, when man is engaged in eating his fill with extravagant food, the evil

elements in him are revitalized and energized. Consequently, Shaitaan overpowers them.”

[Awaariful Ma’aarif ]

The act of eating to one’s fill is like a canal of desire whereby Shaitaan passes through. Hunger is a

canal, where angels make their appearance. Even merely a conscious person defeats Shaitaan, let

alone the person engrossed in worshipful service. But Shaitaan embraces him who eats to his fill,

even if he stands to worship, let alone while he is asleep. [Awaariful Ma’aarif ]

Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is reported to have said, “The stomach of a hungry

person is dearer to Allah than seventy wise pious people.” Hazrat Shaikh Bishr Haafi (Radiallahu

Ta’ala Anh) once said, “Hunger cleanses the heart of malice, kills desires, makes one the heir of

the refinement of knowledge and reveals its mysteries.” [Kashful Quloob]

The essence of fasting is to weaken the forces which are Shaitaan’s means of leading us back to

evil. It is therefore essential to cut down one’s intake from what one would consume on a normal

night, when not fasting. No benefit is derived from the fast if one consumes as much as one would

usually take during the day and night combined. There is no receptacle more odious to Allah

Ta’ala than a belly stuffed full with lawful food. Of what use is the fast as a means of conquering

Allah Ta’ala’s enemy and abating appetite, if at the time of Iftaar one not only makes up for all

one has missed during the daytime, but also indulges in a variety of extra foods? It has become the

custom these days to stock up for Ramadaan with all kinds of foods, and emphasis is placed so

much on food that womenfolk spend most of their days preparing for Iftaar rather than making

Ibaadat. A certain Saint of Allah Ta’ala once said that a sin is written for one whose efforts during

the day are made only to prepare for breaking fast. [ihya-ul-Uloom]

Eating ravenously diminishes the importance of fasting. Fasting basically aims at curbing the

desire and the lower self, training them to observe temperance. This is how desire and the lower

self are restrained, curbed, tamed and coached into meritorious habit of feeling content during

fasting and observing temperance in food, controlling the tongue and restraining other behaviour

for putting oneself into accord with Allah Ta’ala’s will.

Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states, “The heart of the hungry is sharper and

his instinct healthier and more purified than those of others, especially one who does not drink

much water and cleanses the lower self with the help of spiritual endeavour. A hungry man’s

body is modest and heart humble and Allah fearing. Hunger kills the power of desires.” [Kashful

Mahjoob]

The faster should bring himself to the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. He should not talk about

other creatures and not indulge in profane gossip. He should not fight and abuse others; if he is

beaten or abused by someone, he should not avenge himself on him. Forgiveness is a more

meritorious act. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “When someone from amongst

you keeps fast, he should neither use disrespectful language, nor should he talk ignorantly. In case

someone abuses him, in response he should say that he is fasting.” Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi

Wasallam) said, “Five things destroy fasting: falsehood, back-biting, slander, perjury, and lustful

gaze.” In another Hadith Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) stated, “Fasting is a possession

entrusted to the fasting person. So, every fasting person should protect his possession.” Break your

fast with whatever you have and show gratitude to Allah.

Hazrat Sufyaan Thauri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “The fasting person who slanders others gets

his fast adulterated.” Hazrat Shaikh Abu Talib Makki (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is of the opinion

that Allah Ta’ala has declared the acts like listening to lies and talking evil, synonymous and

tantamount to eating out of forbidden as Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qur’an, “They are

habitual listeners of lies, great devourers of the things forbidden.” [surah 5, Verse 42]

The Awliya Allah observe a mode of fasting which aims at nothing but seeking the pleasure of

Allah. They observe fast with mutual harmony of the internal and external. To them the essence

of fasting is to keep the outer limbs and internal organs away from sinfulness and transgression by

putting restraint on imagination and mind, by developing internal and external control. Restraint

should be put on the desire to have too much food for breaking fast.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to understand the true essence of Ramadaan and to focus

our attention on Ibaadat and becoming pious rather than on food and worldly affairs, Ameen.

Edited 14 اگست 2011 by attarirafique