(9) There is another important facet that one could say is the key to all of this: turning to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى for help and assistance. This is, in fact, what a Muslim does in the month of Ramadhaan.
The Muslim should realise during Ramadhaan that the food and drink that he needs for his continual sustenance comes from Allaah سبحانه و تعالى. If Allaah سبحانه و تعالى willed to take away all of the water and food in his area, He has the ability to do so. Therefore, the believer realises how greatly he is in need of Allaah سبحانه و تعالى, even for the most mundane and necessary aspects of his life.
When the Muslim realises that fact, he should also realise his great need to have Allaah سبحانه و تعالى guide him to the straight path and help him to remain firm along that path. When the person realises this important fact, he turns wholeheartedly to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and begs for His continual help, both with respect to his worldly needs and his spiritual needs.
(10) The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسل�... said, "For whoever guarantees for me what is between his jawbones and what is between his legs, then I guarantee for him Paradise." (al-Bukhari)
This hadeeth shows that a person's downfall is often rooted in these two sources, his mouth and his private parts. If a person is trained to control these two potential sources of evil, it will be easy for him to control any other source of evil. On this point, Islahi noted,
"The other blessing of fasting is that it bars to a great extent the main doors of corruption on man. These doors of corruption, as defined in more than one tradition, are his hunger and sexual urge. It is due to them that man gets involved in so many troubles and drags others into as many. These are routes by which Satan attacks man.
Fasting takes best care of these two. While fasting not only eating and drinking are prohibites, but also quarrelling, telling lies, backbiting, indulging in idle talk and gossip, are all at cross purposes with fasting."
(11) Fasting, once again, is a reminder of one's purpose in life. People have to eat and drink to sustain themselves and must procreate to continue the existence of humans. However, that is not what life is all about. These are simply meant to be a means for a greater purpose. Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى says, "Those who disbelieve will enjoy (this world) and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode." (Soorah Muhammad, 47:12)
The type of behaviour described in this verse should never be the life of a believer. A believer is, for example, not simply eating to live but he is eating and living in order to worship Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى properly and to get closer to Him. There is a great distance between the one who can recognise this fact and the one who simply eats to live without any real purpose behind his life. (Of course, hedonistic cultures, like perhaps today's modern society, have taken this denigration one step further and live to eat.)
(12) Fasting is an act that demonstrates one's sincerity to Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى. Only Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى is aware if a person truly fasted or not. No one can know if he secretly broke his fast. Therefore, Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى has a special reward for those who fast. This is stated in the following hadeeth qudsi,
Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى has said, "He leaves his food, drink and desires because of Me. Fasting is for My sake and I shall reward for it [in a special way]. And every good deed shall be rewarded ten-fold." (Saheeh al-Bukhari)
In the Qur'an, Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى praises those people who are sincere in their worship of Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى, having fear of Him and worshipping Him properly even in private with no human eyes around. In fact, it is these people who truly adhere to the admonitions and it is, in reality, they who are along the path of purification. They are the ones who are truly seeing aright and living in the light of guidance. Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى has said, "And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden, and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. You (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسل�...) can warn only those who fear their Lord unseen, and establish the prayers. And he who purifies himself (from all kinds of sins), then he purifies only for the benefit of his ownself. And to Allah is the (final) Return (of all). Not alike are the blind (disbelievers in Islamic Monotheism) and the seeing (believers in Islamic Monotheism). Nor are (alike) the darkness (disbelief) and the light (Belief in Islamic Monotheism)." (Soorah Faatir, 35:18-20)
Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى also says, "Verily! Those who fear their Lord [while] unseen, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)." (Soorah al-Mulk, 67:12)
There is a difference of opinion among the Quranic commentators as to whether the words بالغيب bil-ghayb ("in the unseen") refer to Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى as He is unseen or if it refers to the individuals who have the fear of Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى while not being seen by others. At least with respect to ayah 12 of Soorah al-Mulk, Imam Ibn Katheer رØ�...Ù‡ الله gives only the following interpretation, "Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى speaks about those who fear the standing in front of his Lord while he is alone with Him and out of the view of the people. [Under those circumstances] he refrains from sinning and fulfills the acts of obedience, whereas no one but Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى is seeing him."
(13) A disease that has spread throughout the world today is "the desire for more." Advertising and other aspects have made humans believe that many things are necessities today that one cannot live without. This puts the human into a rat race wherein he believes that he needs to keep piling up more and more - he has been convinced by Shaytaan or by whoever that this amassing of goods is not a case of extravagance or luxury but it is a matter of basic needs and mere survival. Through the fast, the believer is able to put quite a different perspective on the abundance of goods, including food and drink, that he surrounds himself with. Shaykh Sulaiman Nadwi رØ�...Ù‡ الله noted,
"No doubt the needs and wants of human beings are vast and endless, but it is worth pondering what and how much are his real needs. He has in his heart a hoard of desires, a collection of wishes and self-made needs, but he has to ask himself questions whether it is not possible for him to live without pretty clothes, beautiful houses, delicious foods and fast moving transport... After negating and denying to oneself the self-made needs, perhaps the vast assemblage of so-called wants will shrink and be confined to a couple of real basic needs, such as food and drink... If all human crimes and sins are listed and if the basic reasons of greed, avarice, destruction and murder are sought, the ultimate link will be found in the excessive desire for pleasure and for these two things, namely food and drink. The real [actually, one] object [of fasting] is that a human being might gradually decrease the multiplicity of his needs and by continuous efforts try to free himself of excessive desire for power and want of food."
When the believer realises this fact via, for example, the fast of Ramadhaan, he can free himself to concentrate on what is of real importance: not chasing after the supposed needs of this world but racing forward to earn the pleasure of Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى.
It is interesting to note that the fast of Ramadhaan was not made obligatory until the second year after the Hijrah. Shaykh Sulaiman Nadwi رØ�...Ù‡ الله notes that this may be significant in the fact that during the Makkan stage, in which time the Muslims were very poor and faced starvation on occasion, Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى did not require them to fast. It was only after the obstacles were removed the material situation of the Muslims began to steadily improve, when worldly luxuries could become easily available to them, that Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى obliged the Muslims to fast Ramadhaan.
If this fact is admitted, it should once again cause one to consider the situation in which many Muslims of today are living. Indeed, the luxuries are there and readily available to them. Unfortunately, many Muslims have succumbed to the diseases of wallowing in these luxuries. This era is perhaps an especially important time to reflect on the importance of the fast and the many lessons it has to offer for the purification of the soul.
It must also be realised that there are some clear indications from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسل�... that the fast may not have its desired effect in purifying the soul if it is not performed in the proper manner. In particular, while abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse, one is required to make an extra effort to abstain from the other acts that Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى forbids at all times. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسل�... said, "If one does not give up false speech and acting according to it, then Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى is not in need of him giving up his food and drink." [1]
One of the early Muslims said, "The easiest part of fasting is giving up food and drink." In fact, the fast is meant to be a period of training and development of "taqwa" (God-consciousness). [2] If a person does not abstain from forbidden acts during that time of fasting, then he is actually not receiving or enacting the proper type of training. Hence, the act in itself becomes nothing more than a burden and hardship on the person without any beneficial outcome in this life or, possibly, in the Hereafter. Hence, the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسل�... also said, "Perhaps the fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger. And perhaps the praying person [at night during Ramadhaan] gets nothing from his standing [in prayer] except sleeplessness." [3]
What a contrast is found in the different statements of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسل�.... In some ahaadeeth, there is mention of the great, special reward coming from Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى as believers draw closer to Him via the fast. Yet, in this hadeeth, there is a mention of those who get nothing from the fast but hunger. However, as al-Baidhaawi رØ�...Ù‡ الله stated, the goal of fasting is not thirst and hunger. The goal of fasting is the overcoming of one's desires and defeating the base desires of the soul. [4]
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim رØ�...Ù‡ الله stated this point forcefully when he wrote, "The purpose of fasting is that the spirit of man was released from the clutches of desires and moderation prevailed in his carnal self, and, through it, he realised the goal of purification and everlasting felicity. It is aimed at curtailing the intensity of desire and lust by means of hunger and thirst, at inducing man to realise how many there were in the world like him who had to go even without a small quantity of food, at making it difficult for the Devil to deceive him, and at restraining his organs from turning towards things in which there was the loss of both worlds. Fasting, thus, is the bridle of the God-fearing, the shield of the crusaders and discipline of the virtuous." [5]
Sayyiduna Jaabir رضي الله عنه said, "While you are fasting, let your hearing, sight and tongue also abstain from lying and the forbidden. Avoid harming your neighbours. You should have calmness and tranquility on the day of your fast. Do not let the day you fast and the day you break your fast be the same." [6]
This author feels compelled to add a final note of caution. Unfortunately, it is a recognised fact that many people do not leave what is forbidden during the daytime of Ramadhaan. They simply continue in their old ways, even though they may be fasting. As for others, as soon as they break their fasts, they go back to their old ways. In the Muslim world today, many spend their whole nights awake, busying themselves with watching soap operas, movies, playing cards, shopping. Many of these people then sleep the whole day until it is time to break the fast. Nowadays, in many parts of the Muslim world, Ramadhaan has become a festival when the stores and shops open all night long and people are partying throughout the night. Instead of spending this time remembering Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى, praying to Allaah سبØانه Ùˆ تعالى, reading the Qur'aan and so forth, they are losing this precious time and for that reason you see no change in them from year to year although they physically fast this month of Ramadhaan. Actually, it is said that one of the signs of the acceptance of one's good deeds is that the person is guided to follow up those good deeds with additional good deeds [7], but many people are not even performing the act properly during the month of Ramadhaan.
Hence, everyone has to make an effort to change during the month of Ramadhaan and take advantage of its special blessings and teachings. After Ramdhaan, in order for that fast to be accepted, one should have the intention to continue with the lessons that one learned during the month. [8]
[3] Ibn Maajah. According to Shaykh al-Albaani رØ�...Ù‡ الله, it is it saheeh. See Saheeh al-Jaami', vol.1 , p. 656. In a hadeeth, it is stated that the devils are chained down during the month of Ramadhaan. Thus, if someone still insists on performing forbidden acts during that month, even given the very positive atmosphere and environment to improve his soul, this is a sign that he himself is not truly interested in purifying his soul. It is, therefore, not surprising that he does not receive anything for his fasting save hunger and exhaustion.
[4] Quoted in Ahmad Ibn Hajar رØ�...Ù‡ الله, Fathul Baari, (al-Maktabah as-Salafiyya, n.d.), vol. 4, p. 117
[5] Quoted in Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi رØ�...Ù‡ الله, The Four Pillars, (Lucknow, India: Academy of Research and Publications, 1976), p. 173
[6] Quoted in Ibn Rajab رØ�...Ù‡ الله, Lataa'if, p. 292
[7] cf., Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Al-Khutab al-Munbariyyah fi al-Munaasabaat al-Asriyyah (Beirut: Muassasat ar-Risaalah, 1987), vol. 1, p. 104
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