The Wisdom and Benefits behind Fasting
Author:Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah
Source:Abridged from his book Zaad al-Ma'aad [Al-Muntaqaa Newsletter: 1/9]
Translator:abu maryam
Produced by:al-manhaj.com
The objective behind fasting is to restrain the soul from (its) desires and to
prevent it from those things, which are beloved to it. And its purpose is to
control the soul's strength, so that it can be prepared to attain what is found
in it (the fast) from success and joy for the soul. Through the fast, one curbs
his hunger and thirst and is reminded of the condition of the hungry stomachs
of needy people.
Through fasting, one narrows the passages the Devil has inside the servant (of
Allaah) by narrowing the passages of food and drink. Also, it prevents the
forces of the limbs from getting too accustomed to things that are harmful to
it in this world and the hereafter. And each of the soul's body limbs and
energies can cease their rebelliousness (to Allaah) and be harnessed by its
bridle.
So therefore, the fast is the bridle of those who fear and obey Allaah and the
shield of those wage war (against desires). And it is a garden for the
righteous and devoted servants of Allaah. And it is for the Lord of the worlds,
over all other actions (done to please Allaah). This is since the person who
fasts, in fact does nothing. He only abandons his desire and his food for the
sake of the One whom he worships.
So fasting is an abandonment of those things that the soul loves and desires,
preferring instead Allaah's love and contentment. And it is a secret kept
between the servant and his Lord – no one else is aware of it.
Fasting has an amazing effect in preserving one's outer limbs and inner
capacities as well as protecting the soul from being overtaken by destructive
components, which can ruin and destroy it. And it has a remarkable effect in
causing all the harmful things that prevent the soul from being healthy to be
emptied out. So fasting guards and protects the health of the person's heart
and body limbs. And it returns the soul all that the hands of the desires has
taken from it. So it is from the greatest ways of improving one's Taqwaa, as
Allaah says: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you in order that you attain Taqwaa." [Surah
Al-Baqarah: 185]
The Prophet (saws) said: "Fasting is a shield." And he commanded those who had
intense desires for marriage but were not able to marry, to observe fasting,
making it a shield against those desires (of marriage).
When the benefits of fasting are born witness to by sensible minds and upright
intuitions, one will come to realize that Allaah prescribed it as a mercy for
mankind, goodness to them and a protection and shield for them. The Prophet's
(saws) guidance concerning it was the most perfect of guidance, and the best
for reaching the desired objective and the easiest on the soul.
Since restraining the soul from what it loves and desires is from the most
difficult and hardest of things, its obligation was delayed until the middle of
Islaam, after the Hijrah. This was at the point when the Tawheed and the Prayer
had become firmly established in the souls of the Muslims and when they loved
the commands of Allaah. So their souls were lead to its obligation in gradual
steps. It became obligatory in the second year of Hijrah.
When the Messenger of Allaah (saws) died, he had fasted nine Ramadaans in
total. Originally, it was obligated as an option left to the people to choose
whether they wanted to fast or to feed needy people for every day. Then that
option was transferred into the final obligatory fasting. And the matter of
feeding people was left only for the old men and women who did not have the
ability to fast.
Fasting had three stages. The first stage was its being obligated with the
option of fasting or feeding a needy person. In the second stage, only the
fasting was allowed, but if the person fasting slept before breaking his fast,
he was forbidden from eating and drinking until the following night. This was
abrogated in the third stage. And this is the stage at which the Religion has
settled with until the Day of Judgement.
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