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The Inner Secrets of Fasting
Imām Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī
This article was send in by Dina Sewar, jazak Allahu
khayran.
Know, that in the fast (Sawm) is a special quality that is
not found in
anything else. And that is its close connection to Allah, such that He
says:
"The fast (Sawm)
is for Me and I will reward it." [Sahīh al-Bukhārī
and
Muslim]
This connection is enough to show the high
status of fasting.
Similarly, the
Ka`bah is highly dignified due to its close connection to Him, as
occurs in
His statement:
"And sanctify My House." [Sūrah al-Hajj:26]
Indeed, the fast is only virtuous
due to two significant concepts:
The first: It is a secret and hidden action thus, no one from the
creation
is
able to see it. Therefore riyā' (showing off) cannot enter into it.
The second: It is a means of subjugating the enemies
of Allah. This is
because the road that the enemies (of Allah) embark upon (in order to
misguide the Son of Ādam)
is that of desires. And eating and drinking
strengthens the desires.
There are many reports that indicate the merits
of fasting, and they
are all
well known.
The recommended acts of fasting
The pre-dawn meal (suhūr) and delaying
in taking it are preferable, as
well
as hastening to break the fast and doing so with dates.
Generosity in giving
is also recommended during Ramadān, as well as
doing
good deeds and increasing in charity. This is in accordance with
the
way of
the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam).
It is also recommended to study the Qur'ān
and perform I`tikāf during
Ramadān, especially in the last ten days, as well as increasing upon
the
exertion (towards
doing good deeds) in it.
In the two Sahīhs, `Ā'ishah said:
"When the (last) ten days (of Ramadān) would
come, the Prophet would
tighten his waist-wrapper (izār), spend the night in worship, and wake
his
family up (for
prayer)." [Sahīh al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
The scholars have mentioned two views concerning the meaning of
"tighten
his
waist-wrapper (izār)":
The first: It means the turning away from women.
The second: It is an expression
denoting his (sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam)
eagerness and diligence in doing good deeds.
They also say that
the reason for his (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam)
exertion in the last ten days of Ramadān was due to his (sallallahu
`alayhi
wa sallam) seeking of the Night of Al-Qadr (Lailatul-Qadr).
An explanation of the inner secrets of
fasting and its characteristics
There are three levels of fasting: The general fast, the specific fast,
and
the
more specific fast.
As for the general fast, then it is the refraining of the stomach and
the
private parts from
fulfilling their desires.
The specific fast is the refraining of ones gaze, tongue, hands, feet,
hearing and eyes,
as well as the rest of his body parts from committing
sinful acts.
As for the more specific fast, then it is the
heart's abstention from
its
yearning after the worldly affairs and the thoughts which distance one
away
from
Allah, as well as its (the heart's) abstention from all the things
that
Allah has placed on the same level.
From
the characteristics of the specific fast is that one lowers his
gaze
and safeguards his tongue from the repulsive
speech that is forbidden,
disliked, or which has no benefit, as well as controlling the rest of
his
body parts.
In
a hadīth reported by Al-Bukhārī:
"Whosoever does not abandon false speech and the acting upon it,
Allah
is
not in need of him leaving off his food and drink." [Sahīh al-Bukhārī,
Abu
Dawūd, at-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah]
Another
characteristic of the specific fast is that one does not
overfill
himself with food during the night. Instead, he
eats in due measure,
for
indeed, the son of Ādam does not fill a vessel more evil than his
stomach.
If
he were to eat his fill during the first part of the night, he would
not
make good use of himself for the remainder
of the night. In the same
way, if
he eats to his fill for suhūr, he does not make good use of himself
until
the
afternoon. This is because excessive eating breeds laziness and
lethargy. Therefore, the objective of fasting disappears
due to one's
excessiveness in eating, for what is intended by the fast, is that one
savors the taste of hunger and
becomes an abandoner of desires.
Recommended Fasts
As for the recommended fasts, then know that preference for fasting
is
established in certain virtuous days. Some of these virtuous days occur
every year, such as fasting the first six
days of the month of Shawāl
after
Ramadān, fasting the day of `Arafah, the day of `Āshūrā, and the ten
days of
Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram.
Some of them occur every month, such as the first part of the month,
the
middle part
of it, and the last part of it. So whoever fasts the first
part
of the month, the middle part of it, and the last
part of it, then he
has
done well.
Some fasts occur every week, and they are every Monday and Thursday.
The
most virtuous of the recommended fasts is the fast of Dawūd
(`alayhis
salām). He would fast one day and break his
fast the next day. This
achieves
the following three objectives:
The soul is given its share on the day the
fast is broken. And on the
day of
fasting, it completes its worship in full.
The day of eating is the day of
giving thanks and the day of fasting is
the
day of having patience. And Faith (īmān) is divided into two halves -
that
of thankfulness and that of patience. [Note: the hadīth with a similar
stament is unauthentic, see adh-Dha`īfah:
625]
It is the most difficult struggle for the soul. This is because every
time
the soul gets accustomed to
a certain condition, it transfers itself to
that.
As for fasting every day, then it has been reported by Muslim,
from the
hadīth of Abu Qatādah, that `Umar (radhiallahu `anhu) asked the Prophet
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam):
'What is the case if one were to fast every day?' So he (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) said: "He did not fast nor did
he break his fast -
or -
he did not fast and he did not break his fast." [Sahīh Muslim]
This is concerning
the one who fasts continuously, even during the days
in
which fasting is forbidden.
Characteristics of the
most specific fast
Know that the one who has been given intellect, knows the objective
behind
fasting. Therefore,
he burdens himself to the extent that he will not
be
unable to do that which is more beneficial than it.
Ibn Mas`ūd
would fast very little and it is reported that he used to
say:
"When I fast, I grow weak in my prayer. And
I prefer the prayer over
the
(optional) fast.
Some of them (the Sahābah) would weaken in their recitation
of the
Qur'ān
while fasting. Thus, they would exceed in breaking their fast (i.e. by
observing less optional fasts),
until they were able to balance their
recitation. Every individual is knowledgeable of his condition and of
what
will
rectify it.
There were a slight modification to the article by the editor, such as
the
exclusion of the couple
of statements.
Mukhtasar Minhāj ul-Qāsidīn (pp. 38-41) Hudā, Ramadhān 1419 Translated
by
Ismā`īl Ibn al-Arkān
and edited by Abu Khaliyl.
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