Spiritual Virtues and Benefits of Fasting
Siyam
in Arabic means abstaining. Termly, it means abstaining from things that break
the fast, from dawn until sunset, having first made the intention (niyyah) to
fast.
The
Muslim Ummah is agreed that fasting the month of Ramadan is obligatory, the
evidence for which is in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah says:
“O you who believe!
Observing al-sawn (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for
those before you, that you may become al-muttaqûn (the pious).”
(Al-Baqarah
2:183)
Rasulullah
ﷺsaid:
“Islam is built on five [pillars]…” among which he mentioned fasting in
Ramadan. (Al-Bukhari). Whoever breaks the fast during Ramadan without a
legitimate excuse has committed a serious major sin, Rasulullah ﷺsaid, describing a dream
that he had seen:
“… until I was at the mountain, where I
heard loud voices. I asked, ‘What are these voices?’ They said, ‘This is the
howling of the people of Hellfire.’ Then I was taken [to another place], and I
saw people hanging from their hamstrings, with the corners of their mouths torn
and dripping with blood. I said, ‘Who are these?’ They said, ‘The people who
broke their fast before it was the proper time to do so,’ i.e., before the time
of iftar.”
(Sahih
At-Targhib)
Al-Hafiz
al-Dhahabi RahimAllah said,
“It
is well-established among the believers that whoever does not fast in Ramadan
without a valid excuse is worse than an adulterer or drunkard; they doubt
whether he is even a Muslim at all, and they regard him as a heretic and
profligate.”
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The Virtues of Fasting
The
virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the things reported in the
authentic hadiths is that Allah has chosen fasting for Himself, and He will
reward it and multiply the reward without measure, as He says [in the hadith
qudsi]:“Except for fasting which is only for My sake, and I will reward him for
it.”
(Al-Bukhari).
Fasting
has no equal (An-Nisa’i), and the du`a’ of the fasting person will not be
refused (Al-Bayhaqi).
The
fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast and one when
he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting (Muslim).
Fasting
will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment, and will say, “O Lord, I
prevented him from his food and physical desires during the day, so let me
intercede for him.” (Ahmad).
The
smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allah than
the scent of musk. (Muslim).
Fasting
is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from the Fire.
(Ahmad).
Whoever
fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove his face seventy years’
distance from the Fire. (Muslim).
Whoever
fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allah, if that is the last day of his
life, he will enter Paradise. (Ahmad).
In
Paradise there is a gate called Ar-Rayyan, through which those who fast will
enter, and no one will enter it except them; when they have entered it will be
locked, and no-one else will enter through it.” (Al-Bukhari).
Ramadan
is extremely significant in Islam; the Qur’an was revealed in this month, and
in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. “When Ramadan
begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and
the devils are put in chains.” (Al-Bukhari).
Fasting
Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months (Ahmad). “Whoever fasts Ramadan out
of faith and with the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
(Al-Bukhari).
At
the breaking of every fast, Allah will choose people to free from Hellfire. (Ahmad).
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The Benefits of Fasting
There
is much wisdom and many benefits in fasting, which have to do with the taqwa
mentioned by Allah in the ayah:
“… that you may become
pious.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:183)
The
interpretation of this is that if a person refrains from permissible things
hoping to earn the pleasure of Allah and out of fear of His punishment, it will
be easier for him to refrain from doing the impermissible things.
If
a person’s stomach is hungry, this will keep many of his other faculties from
feeling hunger or desires; but if his stomach is satisfied, his tongue, eye,
hand and private parts will start to feel hungry. Fasting leads to the defeat
of Shaytan; it controls desires and protects one’s faculties.
When
the fasting person feels the pangs of hunger, he experiences how the poor feel,
so he has compassion towards them and gives them something to ward off their
hunger. Hearing about them is not the same as sharing their suffering, just as
a rider does not understand the hardship of walking unless he gets down and
walks.
Fasting
trains the will to avoid desires and keep away from sin; it helps a person to
overcome his own nature and to wean himself away from his habits. It also
trains a person to get used to being organized and punctual, which will solve
the problem that many people have of being disorganized, if only they realized.
Fasting
is also a demonstration of the unity of the Muslims, as the Muslim ummah fasts
and breaks its fast at the same time.
Fasting
also provides a great opportunity for those who are calling others to Allah. In
this month many people come to the mosque who are coming for the first time, or
who have not been to the mosque for a long time, and their hearts are open, so
we must make the most of this opportunity by preaching in a gentle manner,
teaching appropriate lessons and speaking beneficial words, whilst co-operating
in righteousness and good deeds. The dai’yah should not be so preoccupied with
others that he forgets his own soul and becomes like a wick that lights the way
for others while it is itself consumed.
(Syeikh
Mohamad Salleh Al Munajjid)
