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There is a wisdom behind every
act in Islam, no matter how big or small. In time we may know the wisdom behind some acts,
and for others we may never
know. Salaat, the five daily prayers for instance, is a daily training for purifying a
believer and reminding him that he is a member in a community of believers. Fasting, on
the other hand, is an annual institution containing all conceivable attributes for human
excellence. It is a training for the body and soul, a renewal of life, encouraging the
spirit of sharing and
giving. The following are some of the general benefits:
Self-Restraint (Taqwaa)
Allah (SWT) states: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self restraint." (Al-Qur`an,
2:183)
This verse indicates the first lesson or wisdom to be gained by fasting:
Self-restraint, (Taqwa) or the fear of Allah (SWT). That is to say, fasting instills in
the heart the essence of consciousness of the Creator. Which leads to a moral courage both
in secret and in public by guiding the heart (the seat of emotions) from spoilage and
moral indecency.
Fasting instills Taqwaa, and does so by controlling two aspects of the human body, which
are the root causes of human downfall. Namely the stomach and the private parts. The human
body is constructed with the need to please the two of them and, in the process, man
transgresses the rights of other fellow human beings, and even violates Allah's (SWT)
Commandments. Fasting raises the level of Taqwaa, thus, eliminating the chances to commit
sins, which are detrimental to life itself.
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Behavior Modification
One of the most benefiting factors of fasting is that its observer is able to control or
change his or her old or so called 'unbreakable' habits. The reason being is that human
life is an embodiment of acquired habits. To
change or control a habit is to wage a war on oneself. If Jihad is mandatory on every
believer because it is the peak of the essence in Islam, and it entails changing habits,
then fasting is the training ground for the
inevitable that will occur. The believer cannot wage a war and hope to defeat an enemy if
he cannot even wage a war against his own desires. Thus, the fasting person is admitted to
the compulsory training opened only in Ramadan. The learning in this school is obligatory
and succeeding or scoring high is mandatory, otherwise it is like one has never entered.
The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Many a faster receives naught from his fast except the pain
of hunger and thirst." And how does Ramadan fasting helps control habits? The answer
is simple. The two most important habits are eating and drinking. An average person eats
three meals a day, 21 meals a week. The way the fast is structured, with its basic and
drastic alteration of eating habits, a fasting person takes only light meals early in the
morning and late in the evening. If a believer can do that then it will undoubtedly be
easy for him or her to control other habits, including the habit of smoking, drug abuse
and illicit sex. If one can control his tongue, hands, and all the other parts of the body
for a month then it will be easy for him to apply the same training for the rest of the
year.
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Health Care
Fasting is a sentinel against disease, provided that the faster follows the strict dietary
rule: eat during fast breaking and avoiding over-eating. Allah (SWT) States: "...Eat
and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah
loves not the wasters." (Al-Qur`an, 7:31) A great deal of ailments originates from
stomach indigestion. This is why the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says: "The son of Adam
will never fill a container with something worse and evil than his stomach. It will
suffice him some morsels (food) that will keep him on his feet, otherwise, he should
divide his stomach into three parts: one-third for his food, the other for his drink and
the other third for his breath." (Ibn Hibban) This hadith indicates that the stomach
is the origin of harmful bacteria. Even in the age of sophisticated machines, you can
hardly find a machine so fragile but yet so remarkably durable and efficient like the
stomach. This is the machine that receives food particles, processes and refines them, and
distributes the products to different parts of the body. This is a lifelong operation. For
the non-faster, the stomach will have no chance for rest.
When the stomach is empty, as a result of fasting, it gets well-desired rest, to renew and
rejuvenate its energy. With the fasting, the stomach is forced to go through a discharge
whereby harmful residues are eliminated through perspiration as the body searches for food
during fast. During fast, the system of secretion is organized, and this in turn benefits
the blood pressure, inhibiting hardening of the arteries. The heart and kidney functions
are enhanced as the workload tapers off. Fasting helps to correct the problem of obesity
and diabetes. Doctors over the years have used fasting as a prescription for certain
ailments.
There was a discussion between Ali Bin Husain bin Waquid (RAA) and Caliph Haroon
Ar-Rasheed's Christian physician about Islam's outlook on the science of medicine and
health care. The physician said to Ibn Waquid: "There is not in your Book, Al-Qur`an,
anything about medicine. For if Al-Qur`an is a book of science, what about this science?
Aren't there two kinds of sciences: the science of the body and the science of the
soul?" Ibn Waquid responded:
"Allah, the Most High has combined both sciences in half of a verse, when He states:
"...Eat and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the
wasters." (Al-Qur`an, 7:31) The physician said: "Why, then, has nothing been
mentioned about medicine
from the mouth of your Messenger?" Ibn Waquid replied: "Our Messenger (PBUH),
has combined the sciences about medicine in a few words when he
says: "The stomach is the house for disease and prevention is the essence of
medicine." The Christian physician then said: "Then your book, Al-Qur`an,
and your Prophet Muhammad left nothing about medicine for Jalienas (a famous physician of
the ancients)." (Arkanul Arba`ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)
An American physician published a report on fasting and its benefits saying:
"It is mandatory on every person who is sick to restrain from food certain days in a
year whether he be wealthy or poor. Because if bacteria can find food in abundance in the
body, it will grow and multiply. But with fasting
it becomes weak.'' He then praised Islam. It should be considered as the wisest religion,
for as it mandated fasting it has mandated health care. He continued: "Indeed,
Muhammad, who brought this religion, was the best physician who succeeded in his
teachings, for he called for prevention before ailment. That is apparent in fasting and
the nightly prayer (Taraweeh) that Muslims observe after breaking the fast every day in
Ramadan. These physical acts contain big benefits in digesting food." (Arkanul
Arba`ah by Abul Hasan (Nadwi)
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Patience
Fasting helps in conditioning the heart, the soul, and the body on the virtues of
patience, tenacity, and firmness in the face of adversity.
Patience is the pinnacle of self-mastery, discipline and spiritual agility. Patience is to
turn the phrase "I can't" into "I can." It is to say the difficult is
easy. It is an inner and psychological demolition of things perceived by others as
impossible. Fasting helps in all these shades for the virtuous and patient person. Because
the conditioning is that if a believer can exercise patience and forsake gourmet food and
drink and all its
exhilaration, as well as marital association, for a month with the realization that the
barrier between you and food is the consciousness of his Creator then he is able to
exercise patience in virtually everything in
life.
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Social Outlook
Socially, fasting is an expression of solidarity with the poor, the family and the whole
society. This is a period in which the rich have first-hand experience of what it is to be
poor. The pains that indigents suffer in normal living conditions. The process of
disciplining resulting from Islamic fasting instills in the rich the virtue of mercy,
which is very important in terms of social well being, and proliferation of harmony. Allah
(SWT)
Bestows His mercy upon those who themselves are merciful to others. The Messenger (PBUH)
said "Those who are merciful to others, the Merciful will have mercy upon them,"
He continued, "Have mercy upon those on earth, and those in heaven will have mercy
upon you." (Abu Dawud/Tirmidhi)
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Family Ties
Fasting strengthens family ties, especially in that the family is an endangered
institution in the western society. It helps the family gather together to break fast at
Iftar, and then eat sahuur (food before fasting)
together at least twice a day for a month. The family even makes Salaat together with
normally the head of the family as an Imam.
Fasting enhances and energizes friendship, as Ramadan is known as the month of invitations
and visitations. Friends, family members, and neighbors
extend invitations to each other to come to their homes to have Iftar together. The
Messenger (PBUH) said, "When a believer invites you, you should respond." Beside
that, the Muslims gather together in the Masajid for the Taraweeh prayers every night for
a month.
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