Divine Messages in Fasting-II

Divine Messages in Fasting-II

Fifth: Fasting prepares the slave to look forward to the Hereafter. The fasting person relinquishes some worldly affairs in hope of the reward of Allah The Almighty. The criterion for his loss and gain is one of the Hereafter. He leaves food, drink, and sexual intercourse during the day of Ramadan in expectation of an enormous reward on the Day of Resurrection. This is a great lesson for the fasting person to accustom his heart to belief in the Unseen and the Hereafter, being attached to it, and disdaining the transient pleasures of this life which cause laziness and adherence to the worldly life. Moreover, he is rewarded abundantly in this life and enjoys it by maintaining his physical health, the happiness of the heart with worship, and the expansion of the chest by faith. People with materialistic criteria do not view fasting as anything more than as deprivation of the pleasure of food, drink, and intercourse, which make the soul happy and fulfill the bodily needs.

Six: Fasting teaches man to have a strong will and patience. Fasting is sometimes called patience, and that is why the month of Ramadan is called the month of patience. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah].} [Quran 2:45] Some scholars of Tafseer (exegesis) said that patience in the verse refers to fasting, so it means seeking help through fasting and prayers. That is because fasting nurtures the quality of patience and strong will, and people always need to strengthen their will.
Success requires three elements:
  • Desire: Everyone wants to be strong, successful, and rich among other things.
  • Strength or power: Most people have a mind, a body, and capabilities such that if they are employed optimally, they would succeed.
  • Will: Strong will is one of the major causes of man's success in this life and in the Hereafter.
Fasting boosts and utilizes all these elements. It instructs man to endure hardship in all affairs of life – a state that exists only with successful people who managed to achieve these desires through using the talents Allah The Almighty granted them.
Seventh: Fasting suppresses desire. The Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "O young men, whoever affords marriage let him marry, and the one who can not afford it, let him fast. Fasting will be a shield for him."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) pointed out that observing fasting prevents the man from pursuing his sexual desires. Some scholars linked this Hadeeth (narration) with the other Hadeeth which was narrated on the authority of Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), said: "The devil runs in the veins of man like blood." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] In another narration, he adds: "So narrow the veins onto him by getting hungry or by fasting." But this addition is fabricated and unauthentic and is not found in the books of Hadeeth.
Thus, fasting suppresses sexual desire, which may occur by narrowing the veins as stated by some scholars. The more preponderant opinion is that suppression of sexual desires occurs when the Muslim is engaged in and attached to a particular act of worship. This prevents him from following his desires and forbidden looking, and thus from falling into what is prohibited.
Eighth: The psychological and physical effects of fasting. These effects are numerous, and doctors sometimes talk about fasting and its impact on the body, being a dietary regimen and that it is a form of protection. Doctors may advise some patients to observe fasting. These things are certainly part of the benefits of fasting, and the same is said about prayer, Hajj, and other acts of worship.
However, a Muslim in principle does these acts out of worshiping and obeying Allah The Almighty even if he does not know any benefit for them on his body. Even if it is supposed that an act of worship entails harm on the body, still the Muslim would do it. Yet, Allah The Almighty never orders us to do harmful acts except in one case, that is, if there is a greater benefit involved.

Divine Messages in Fasting-I

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