why fasting is prescribed?
Praise be to Allah,we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness.We seek
refuge with Allah from the evil of our ownselves and from our evil
deeds.Whomsoever Allah guides cannot be misled,and whomsoever He leads
astray cannot be guided.I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
alone,with no partner or associate,and I bear witness that mohammed is His
slaves and Messenger.
Allah has bless His slaves with certain seasons of goodness,in which
hasanaat(rewards for good deeds) are multiplied,sayiaat(bad deeds) are
forgiven,people's status is raised,the hearts of the believer turn to their
master,those who purify themselves attain success and those who corrupt
themselves fail.Allah has created His slaves to worship Him,as He says in
the Holy Quran:" And I (Allah) created not jinns and humans except that they
should worship Me (Alone)".51:56.One of the greatest acts of worship is
fasting,which Allah has made obligatory on His slaves,as He says in the Holy
Quran: " Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you,that you may become al-muttaqoon(pious)."
[2.183].
Now lets us examine the reasons in detail.
Firstly we must note that one of the names of Allaah is al-Hakeem (the Most
Wise).The word Hakeem is derived from the same root as hukm (ruling) and
hikmah (wisdom). Allaah alone is the One Who issues rulings, and His rulings
are the most wise and perfect.
Secondly:
Allaah does not prescribe any ruling but there is great wisdom behind it,
which we may understand, or our minds may not be guided to understand it. We
may know some of it but a great deal is hidden from us.
Thirdly:
Allaah has mentioned the reason and wisdom behind His enjoining of fasting
upon us, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you
as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon
(the pious)"
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
Fasting is a means of attaining taqwa (piety, being conscious of Allaah),
and taqwa means doing that which Allaah has enjoined and avoiding that which
He has forbidden.
Fasting is one of the greatest means of helping a person to fulfil the
commands of Islam.
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have mentioned some of the
reasons why fasting is prescribed, all of which are characteristics of
taqwa, but there is nothing wrong with quoting them here, to draw the
attention of fasting people to them and make them keen to attain them.
Among the reasons behind fasting are:
1 - Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for
pleasures. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse,
which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time,
we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of Allaah are not
recognized, but when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so
this motivates you to be grateful for them.
2 - Fasting is a means of giving up haraam things, because if a person
can give up halaal things in order to please Allaah and for fear of His
painful torment, then he will be more likely to refrain from haraam things.
So fasting is a means of avoiding the things that Allaah has forbidden.
3 - Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is
full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak.
Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O young
men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is
more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever
cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him."
4 - Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because
when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers
those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts
of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is a means
of feeling empathy with the poor.
5 - Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytaan; it weakens the effects
of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because
the Shaytaan "flows through the son of Adam like blood" as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the
passages through which the Shaytaan flows, so his influence grows less.
Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 25/246
Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats
and drinks, the passages through which the devils flow - which is the blood
- become wide. But if a person fasts, the passages through which the devils
flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to do good deeds, and to give up
evil deeds.
6 - The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allaah is
always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is
able to take them, because he knows that Allaah can see him.
7 - Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world
and its desires, and seeking that which is with Allaah.
8 - It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship,
because the fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used
to that.
These are some of the reasons why fasting is enjoined.We ask Allaah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to help us to achieve them and to worship Him properly.
WHO ARE EXEMPTED?
Those exempted from fasting:
1.Travellers and sick people may abstain from fasting and make up the
equivalent number of days which they have missed in Ramadaan when their
situation returns to normal.
11.A woman in menstrution or in a period of confinement after having been
delivered of her child (maximum forty days) but she must fast the equivalent
number of days when she resumes normal life.
111.Breast feeding and pregnant woman,if they fear harm to their health or
that of their baby,may abstain from fasting.However,they must fast later.
1v.People who are unable to fast due to old age.or disabling
disease,should,if they can afford,compensate for not fasting by feeding a
poor person for every day of fasting they have missed.
WHAT DOES NOT INVALIDATE THE FAST.
The following does not invalidate fasting:
1. Medication in the form of an injection.
11.Brushing your teeth any time of the day.
111.Swallowing your saliva.
1v.Bathing or having a shower.
INTENTION OR NIYYAH:
At the beginning of the fast one must pronounce the intention of fasting:
NAWAYTU AN ASUMA GHABAN LILLAAHI TA'ALA.
This means:
I intend to fast tomorrow In obedience to Allah,most High.
BREAKING THE FAST:
When breaking the fast one must say:
ALLAHUMMA LAKA SUMTU,WA BIKA A AMANTU,WA'ALA RIZQUKA AFTARTU.
This means:
O Allah,I have fasted in obedience to Your command,
In You do I have faith,
and I break the fast with sustenance provided by You.
RECOMMENDED PRACTICES.
The reward of any good action in Ramadaan is multiplied many times.The
following are highly recommended practices:-
1. Feeding the poor.
11. Voluntary salat(prayer).
111.Reading the Glorious Quran.
1V.Remembrance of Allah(dhikr Allah).
OBNOXIOUS BEHAVIOUR.
The following detracts from the reward of your fast:
1.Backbiting.
11.Slandering.
111.Lustful Intentions.
1v. Entering Into Arguments.
******HAPPY RAMADAAN MUBARAK TO YOU ALL,MAY ALLAH SUBHANAHU WA TA'ALA GUIDE
US AND ACCEPT ALL OUR SINCERE EFFORTS DURING THIS HOLY AND BLESSED MONTH OF
RAMADAAN.AMEEN.*******
With the very best of good wishes,
Musa Amadu Pembo
Glasgow,
Scotland
UK.
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Da’wah is to convey the message with wisdom and with good words. We should
give the noble and positive message of Islam. We should try to emphasize
more commonalities and explain the difference without getting into
theological arguments and without claiming the superiority of one position
over the other. There is a great interest among the people to know about
Islam and we should do our best to give the right message.
May Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,grant us entrance to paradise .
We ask Allaah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will
benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allaah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and
companions..Amen.
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