Perfecting our Fast
The month of Ramadan is a holy season of worshipping Allah (swt) which should cause us to move forward toward all goodness in life and further from all evils. An-Nasa’i reported that the prophet (pbuh) said: “When Ramadan comes a caller (an angel) calls out every night: ‘Oh seeker of Good, draw near! Oh seeker of Evil, desist!’ “
Allah (swt) showers His servants on the month of Ramadan with glorious gifts of His Mercy, Forgiveness, and liberation from the Hell File. The Prophet (pbuh) gave good tidings about this holy month. Al-Bukhari reported that prophet (pbuh) said: “This is a month, the first part of which brings Allah’s Mercy, the middle of which brings Allah’s forgiveness and the last part of which brings emancipation from hellfire.”
Therefore, this month presents a very special opportunity for us, Muslims, to increase in righteousness and devotion more than at any other time of the year. The glorious Month of Ramadan is like a profitable exhibition and a marketplace opened for business to gain ever-lasting profits in the Hereafter.
Ramadan functions like showers because of which good deeds grow and flourish all year around. It is the best planting time to cultivate the crops to be harvested in the Hereafter.
In order to fully benefit of this great month of Ramadan we must perfect our fast by keeping away from all things that make our fast useless. Bediuzzaman Sa’id An-Nurasi(1) said: “The most excellent rank of fasting is to make the your senses and organs, like the eyes, ears, hearts, and thoughts fast together with the stomach; you should keep them away from haram (the unlawful) and use them only in halal (the lawful)”
1) The Basic Fasting
The common rank of fasting is the abstaining from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset. That is, to avoid what is Halal (permitted) during the fast. This is the basic degree of fasting. It is meaningless to abstain from lawful food, only to break one’s Fast on what is unlawful.
2) Fasting of the Senses
That next step to attain a higher rank of fasting is to fast from all prohibited actions and sins.
That is, to keep your organs: the ears, eyes, tongue, hands, feet together with all the other senses free from sin.
Take a step forward to control your senses. They are gifts from Allah and you will be held responsible for them on the Last Day. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Indeed, fasting is a trust; let each of you, therefore, take good care of his trust.” When he recited the verse: “Allah orders you all to hand back the trusts to their owners …” he raised his hands so that they touched his ears and eyes and said: “The gift of hearing and sight are each a trust from Allah.”
Similarly, the gift of speech is a trust, for if it were not so the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would not have said: “If anyone disputes with another and swears at him, let the latter say ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.”
You must tell yourself, “O my tongue! Just as you are keeping yourself from tasting food and drink, yet still you must be careful. Don’t say anything that is prohibited.”
You must guard your eyes, your tongue, your ears, your hands, your feet and all other organs of your body from all sorts of wrongdoing.
i- Fast of the Eyes
Fasting of the eyes is refraining from looking at anything that is blameworthy or disapproved. We should restrain our gaze and avoid looking at people lustfully, Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “There are five things that break the fast: telling lies, backbiting, telling tales, perjury, and lustful glance.”
In another tradition, he (pbuh) said: “The lustful glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan, on him be God’s curse. Whoever forsakes it for the fear of Allah, will receive from Him (Great and Gracious is He) a faith, the sweetness of which he will find within his heart.” al-Hakim
ii- Fast of the Tongue
Fasting of the tongue is keeping it free from ranting and raving, lying, backbiting, tale-telling, obscenity, abusive speech, wrangling, and hypocrisy. Rather, one should keep his tongue busy with the truth by using it in activities like reciting the Qur’an, praying, glorifying Allah’s names, asking for Allah’s blessings on the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), seeking forgiveness for sins, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, and saying words of kindness, advises, and encouragement.
iii- Fast of the Ears
Fasting of the ears is keeping them from hearing the harmful talk and sound; The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The backbiter and the listeners are partners in sin.” One should not waste his time in listening to songs and music. Allah substitute the Muslims with the Quran. We should rather listen to Quran, the words of truth, as well as other useful things.
Fasting of other senses and organs is to keep them away from sins. Restraining the hand from evil, curbing the feet for the pursuit of wickedness, avoidance of questionable foods at the break of the fast.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Many people may receive nothing from the fast except hunger and thirst.” This tradition has been explained as referring to the person who breaks the fast on unlawful food and drink. It has also been explained as referring to people who abstain from lawful food, and break the fast on the flesh of men through illicit backbiting; also, that it refers to the person who does not keep his senses free from sin.
3) Fasting of the Heart
Fasting of the heart is to purify it from bad thoughts, worldly worries, and evil intentions such as: shirk (2), hypocrisy, fame, pride, arrogance, envy, hatred, revenge, anger, jealousy, selfishness, too much love of this world, wickedness, self-worship, and anything else that may divert us from the straight path of Allah (swt).
Fast of the Heart is the Hardest
Fasting of the heart is one of the hardest tasks for a believer for the greatest struggle is the struggle against the evil of ourselves.
Turn to Allah for Help
The prophet (pbuh) directed us to turn to Allah (swt) seeking refuge in Him from the evils of ourselves and ask Him to help us purify our hearts from ill motivations and desires because Allah (swt) is our Creator; He is well aware of the most hidden secrets of ourselves as Quran says: “By a soul and by He (God) Who perfected it. And inspired it with what is wrong and what is right” Surat Ash-Shams, Chapter (91), Verses: 7,8.
The Excellent Fast
Fasting of the heart together with other organs and senses is the most excellent rank of fasting. For this rank of fasting is the key of success both in this life and in the Hereafter because it helps us control our conduct. It lightens up our way, and brings happiness, harmony, and peace to our life, and multiply our good deeds. In fact, with pure heart a little deed is much better than mountains of good deeds with impure heart. The prophet (pbuh) said :“Purify your intention, and a little righteous deed will be sufficient for you.”
Be of the Wise
Avoid to be of the unwise people who derive very little benefits from fasting or not at all. Ramadan for them is the month of fun and a season for celebration. They gain nothing of their fasting but thirst and hunger.
They spend days of Ramadan sleepy, lazy, nervous, and tired. They do not work under the pretense of being tired because of fasting. They waste the invaluable time of Ramadan in shopping, watching TV, and idle talks.
Take a pledge on yourself this Ramadan to improve yourself in order to attain the highest rank of fast. The indication for reaching this very high spiritual station of fasting is to taste the sweetness of faith. That is, to come out of Ramadan intending to do all what you can for Allah’s sake to attain His pleasure and avoid His displeasure, longing to see Allah’s word the higher, preferring Allah’s way to any other way of life, and Allah and His messenger are dearer to you than other thing in the world.
1- “The Risale-i Noor”, by Bediuzzaman Nursi who is a well known, highly respected Turkish scholar
2- To associate partners with Allah.
3- Jihad means to exert effort for God’s sake. Fighting is one form of Jihad.
- June 03, 2016
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