[One Ummah] - Fast, and Be United

[One Ummah Network]

Submission by:  Athiya Maulvi 
(Islamic Unification Movement) [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Topic:               Fast, and Be United

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Text:  

Fast, and be united


‘Fasting is a shield against the fire of Hell, like a shield belonging to
anyone of you against fighting.’ 

[ibn maja vol. 3 h # 1639, reported by Uthman]


            ‘Inform me [a Bedouin] what Allah has made compulsory for me
as regards Fasting. He [s] replied, ‘You have to Fast
during the whole month of Ramadan, unless you want to Fast more as
Nawafil.’

            [bukhari vol. 3 h # 1891, narrated by Talhah ibn Ubaydullah]


Fasting, as prescribed in the Holy Qur’an has a great social value, which
is more effective than that which is realized through prayer. 

        ‘O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
prescribed to those before you, that ye may [learn] self-restraint.’
[baqarah 2: 183]

In prayer, the rich and the poor may stand shoulder to shoulder in one row
in the mosque; but in their homes they live in different environments. The
rich sit down at tables laden with dainties may be thrice a day; while the
poor cannot find sufficient food with which to satisfy their hunger even
twice a day. a great social barrier thus exists between the two classes in
their homes, and this barrier is removed only when the rich are made to
feel the pangs of hunger like their poorer brethren.

        ‘… the smell coming out from the mouth of a person observing
sawm [Fast] is better with Allah than the smell of musk.’ [bukhari vol. 3
h # 1894]

So both, the rich and the poor, are thus throughout the Muslim world,
brought in the same level. 

Islam envisages a society in which its members treat each other with
compassion. In a world infested with distinction of caste, creed, color,
race, and tribes, Islam gave the dream of unity a practical shape,
modestly, through Fasting.

Fasting is a spiritual and physical training in self-discipline. Its
objective is to give a person the power to keep in check his unruly
desires, and tendencies that make him prone to greed, revenge, anger,
provocation, and fear; that make him commit various sins, acts of
aggression, cruelty and oppression. It seeks to free the human soul and
lends it moral and spiritual strength to promote beauty, harmony, goodness,
truth, kindness, peace, compassion, and justice.

The month of Ramadan is taken seriously even by people who do not act
according to the teachings of Islam the year through. We see them offering
prayers regularly with congregation, feeding the poor, as well as giving
charities.

            Narrated Ibn Abbas [ra], ‘The Prophet [s] was the most
generous amongst the people; and he was more so in             the month of
Ramadan.’

            [bukhari vol. 3 h # 1902]


            Abu Hurayrah reported the prophet [s] as saying, ‘Fast is a
shield; when one of you is Fasting, he should neither             behave in
an obscene manner nor foolishly.’

            [abu dawud vol. 2 h # 2356] 

The precincts of mosques bustling with mats decorated with delicacies are
common sights. Most of the food is donated by Muslims whose mercy goes out
to the homeless who, at the time of breaking the Fast, will not have a
decent meal to take. This food is free for anyone who wishes to join and
the moment is a remarkable sight in terms of unity.

            The Prophet [s] said, ‘Whoever feeds another who Fasted in
order to break the Fast for him there shall be                 forgiveness
for his sins and freedom from the Fire. And for this person who feeds the
Fasting Muslim, the reward will be the same as that of the person who
Fasted, without the Fasting person’s reward reduced in the least.’ 

 
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