By
Dr. Ebrahim
Kazim
M.B;B.S;
DTM & H; M.R.C.P.
Director,
Islamic Academy
Trinidad,
Fasting is a universal custom and
is advocated by all religions of the world, with more restrictions in some than
in others. The “Siyām’’ should not be interpreted as “fasting” lest it may be misunderstood as mere starvation or as an
act of self-denial and ascetism, and therefore, a renunciation of the world.
For the purpose of this article, let us call it the “Islamic Fast”.
Readers are kindly requested to refer to Q. 2:183-185, where the main fruit of fasting is to achieve Taqwā that essentially means self-restraint.
“O ye
faithful! fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before
you so that you may guard against evil”. This is also translated by some as
“…you may learn self-restraint”, or
“…you may develop Taqwā٬ (God-consciousness)” (Q.2:183).
Thus, the Islamic fast is for those Muslims, who are preparing
to become Mu᾿minīn (true and firm believers in faith). Faith carries
much more weight than belief or doctrine. In this verse, Allah gives an open invitation
to us as: “Oh ye faithful!" Although multiple
benefits accrue, Muslims in general fast because it is Allah's command and not
merely for the physical benefits.
General considerations: Fasting is the most rigorous of
all spiritual disciplines imposed on every adult Muslim man and woman. Fasting
frees oneself from egoism, replacing it with an indescribable peace within,
which makes the person accept differences in humans. The aim of this spiritual
exercise is to enable man to achieve proximity to Allah and obtain His
pleasure.
In Islam, fasting is obligatory in the lunar month of
Ramaḍān, a lunar month of 29 or 30 days. During this period there is
complete abstinence from food, drink, smoke, marital relationship, and any evil
thought, word or deed. The advantage of the lunar month , compared to solar, is
that fasting takes place by cyclic rotation under different climatic
conditions, during the life span of the individual while residing in the same
geographical location.
Fasting gives us an opportunity to fine tune the body, to
develop qualities of endurance, and to control anger, sensual desires and a
malicious tongue. The fasting person
should avoid such actions as might arouse passion in him as well as in others,
such as casting lustful eyes at a woman. He should also abstain from thinking
carnal thoughts and fantasizing pleasures incompatible with the spiritual
regimen.
It is a well-known fact that beasts can be brought under control
by keeping them occasionally hungry and then feeding them at planned intervals.
Similarly, man can tame the animal within himself and become its master by
fasting for one whole month. One of the
objectives is to bring unruly passions under control. The man who can rule his
desires and makes them work as he likes, has attained true moral excellence.
Allah puts our faith to a severe test for one month, with strict
non-indulgence in physical gratifications, during long hours of a day. If we
emerge triumphant in this test, more strength develops in us to refrain from
other sins. Our brain then also responds by sending recurrent and frequent
signals to us to protect ourselves by rejecting evil immediately. In fact, this
exercise trains us to receive warning signals at all times, whether
Ramaḍān or not, so that we should not see evil, hear evil, utter
evil or act evil. Besides abstention from food and drink, the fasting of the
pious man is to curb unchaste desires, to fast from looking at the provocative,
from hearing the mischievous, and from uttering the obscene. A fasting man is
also required to avoid slander and from thinking about inflicting injury to
others. He should never find himself in a situation which may expose whatever
animal qualities in whatever form he possesses.
The effect of fasting on the human personality is dominant and
decisive. It enables man to subdue the strongest worldly urges raging within
him and brings a harmonious equilibrium between the temporal (the body) and the
spiritual (the soul), both coming together for peaceful co-existence.
Fasting is an institution for the improvement of the moral and
spiritual character of man. The purpose
of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification,
God–consciousness, compassion, spirit of caring and sharing, and the love of
Allah and humanity. The objective of fasting is to develop our personality to a
high standard of God-consciousness and maintain that standard throughout life,
so that on the Day of Judgment before God, we would already be well-off to a
good start, to begin our life in Hereafter.
However, for some Muslims, Ramaḍān is a burst of
Islamic activity in a year-long ocean of un-Islamic behaviour. As soon as the fasting programme is over,
some Muslims throw to the wind whatever good and hard-earned qualities they might
have gained as a result of that exercise, and sooner or later return to their
vicious habits and practices of their pre-Ramaḍān days, be they of
thoughts, words or deeds. We ought to
remind ourselves that we must not allow the weeds in our garden to stifle the
flowers and the fruits. Islam is neither
a Sunday religion nor a Ramaḍān only religion. Ramaḍān is not meant to be a
30-day fast ending on ‘Id with a feast to beat
all feasts. Some of the greatest
achievements in Islam were made during Ramaḍān, e.g. the Battle of
Badr. If the newly converted Muslims had
gorged themselves after Ifṭār parties at nights and had slept in the
day, they could not have become victorious at the Battle of Badr, and we, even
now, might still have been pagans.
From a moral point of
view, during fasting, one becomes more sympathetic and tolerant towards those
in needy circumstances. It brings about
a better realisation of human understanding.
In this world of today, with a population explosion, where two-thirds of
the world goes to sleep on an empty stomach, the quicker this realisation takes
place, the sooner the problems would be appreciated and solved. It is only during such time as
Ramaḍān that one can reflect and make an inventory of the importance
of the basic moral values affecting oneself and the community.
Requirements: “Ṣaum” or “Ṣiyām” is a special kind of service to Allah (“‘Ibādah”) by able-bodied and
sane persons, who observe a particular kind of abstinence (from food, drink,
and marital relationship etc.) for a specific compulsory period (from dawn to
sunset), in the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar, called Ramaḍān. The following categories of persons need not fast: (a) the very young, the elderly, the infirm,
the insane; (b) menstruating women, pregnant and nursing mothers. They must make up for the lost non-fasted
days later on in the following month or as soon as they are able to keep up the
fast; (c) travellers also can postpone the fast, if they wish to; (d) persons
suffering from some diseases that cause episodic hypoglycaemia (low blood
sugar) such as insulinomas (insulin-secreting growth of the pancreas) or
certain in-born errors of metabolism e.g. glucose-6-phoshate deficiency or
fructose–1,6–diphosphate deficiency and
others.
Muslims are asked to stay away from food, water, sex, smoking
and verbal or physical misconduct during the period of fast. They are advised
to engage in acts of piety such as prayer, charity, or reading the Qur᾿an
during this month.
The arkān (pillars) of the
fast, besides the ṣā’im (the one who fasts) are the niyyah (intention), and
abstention from the muftirāt (things that vitiate the fast).
One can formulate the niyyah before dawn on each day of fasting.
However, the Shāfe‘īs can follow the
Mālikī Madhhab by making the niyyah for the whole month in advance,
in the night before the first of Ramaḍān. The mufṭirāt
are: (a) taking into the body something consciously, which is preventable, e.g.
swallowing food, drinking beverages, chewing gum and inhaling cigarettes; (b)
sexual intercourse; (c) deliberate seminal emission; (nocturnal emissions
during sleep are not mufṭir); (d) menstruation and post-partum bleeding
(child-birth); (e) insanity; (f) intoxication; (g) deliberate vomiting.
We should remember that Allah says that fasting has been prescribed
for you. It is a divine prescription from Allah Who is the Greatest
Physician. It is different from a medical doctor’s prescription and hence this
prescription should be duly respected and carried out in full. It is also a pre-scription i.e. it was also
prescribed for religious communities before the advent of Islam. If a person
fasts for temporal motives only e.g. slimming according to a doctor’s
prescription, he will be far from performing his religious duty or achieving
nearness to Allah or obtaining His pleasure. In order to subjugate the body
with the sole purpose of developing will power and a dominant personality, it
is essential to bring certain forces within the body under control and thus
develop will power. Besides hunger, thirst and carnal desires, we must gain
full control of the tongue, mind and the rest of the body. Hence, Muslims call
Ramaḍān a blessed month of compassion and mercy, a month of
self-purification and re-dedication, a month of commiseration with the poor and
the hungry, who are in the majority among mankind. It is a unique month of
self-analysis, of taking stock of one’s moral and spiritual assets and
liabilities and of examining critically one’s spiritual portrait.
Why is it that we fast in the daytime and not, for our own
convenience, at nights? This is because
the human personality only develops when a person is exposed to maximum
social conditions. Hence, Islam puts
great stress on family and community life. Islam does not advocate running away
from society or becoming a monk or leaving the family to retire in a desert,
with all the solitude and the solitary confinement. Personality only develops during encounters
with others in a society or community. To alienate from society is not Da‘wah
(invitation to Islam). Religion does
not become perfect without the world. We must work for the community and
also with the community for the common welfare and the good of the
Ummah. Islam regards the interest of the
society above the interest of the individual. Service to Allah is rendered
through a clean life in the turmoil of this world in the multitudes of society.
Perhaps it would be interesting to consider why fasting was
not made compulsory every single day of one’s life. Allah gives us a month
of compulsory fast and then gives us eleven lunar months to asses the result of
this month-long effort. This 11-month grace period is the reason as to why we
should not fast every single day of our lives. If we had done so, we would have
remained under continuous compulsory restrictions of the Islamic fast throughout
the year, and without the complete and unrestricted freedom to do as we like. Our
will power would not have been given a chance to develop a strong personality.
Personality grows much more when we are free to do any wrong we would like, but
choose not to do it under unrestricted conditions, such as during the eleven
months following the Ramaḍān fast. Both during Ramaḍān
and after, Allah gives us the opportunity to examine our spiritual profile and
see where the defect lies. Has some jealousy,
hatred, malice, miserliness, tendency to give short measure, cheating and
intrigue and unforgiving thoughts and actions been
removed in our acquired attributes?
Fasting is an institution by which an individual and by
extension a community, may benefit physically and morally. The Islamic fast
strengthens the disposition of the individual to obedience of laws and respect
for social order. Islam lays stress on submission to Allah and consequently,
lays stress on submission to just authority, beginning with example in the
home.
What are the three components of personality that we put to the
acid test in the month-long exercise of fasting? They are (a) our physical cravings, (b)
sensory desires, and (c) material longings. If we are successful in overcoming
these, we shall pass the first part of our examination, emerging a far better
Muslim within ourselves, fully laden with Taqwā (God-consciousness). We see a
much better individual unfolding itself from within us, a person that was lying
dormant for long. Now the same person in the month of Ramaḍān, has
become the captain, the master of the control room of the self, controlling and
at times eliminating certain types of worldly desires. It is easy now for such a person to be “on guard” and reject evil
temptations as fast as they come, even challenging and encountering more
temptations without any fear of giving in to them.
The
purpose of the Islamic Fast is to obey Allah’s Command with a view to
becoming His vicegerent (Khalīfah). It trains
all those who volunteer for service to Allah before allowing them to take on
the job of His vicegerency and establish Allah’s rule on Earth.
There is no guarantee that the fasting
person has definitely acquired the laudable achievement of Taqwā or God-consciousness. Some of us,
who fast, often wait anxiously for Ramaḍān to end so that we could
resume our nefarious activities. Sometimes, during the fasting month Satan
becomes more active than usual. Allah may use such situations to test a fasting
person’s Taqwā if and when he makes his evil passion his god.
The English translation of Q.2:183 is usually expressed
as “…you may develop taqwā”.
Note the
word “may”. There is no guaranty that a fasting person would
definitely develop God-consciousness and piety or enough will power that he
could guard against evil. In fact, the fasting person cannot develop Taqwā
if he continues to backbite, slander, tell lies, harm others, deceive people
and show malice, anger and hatred towards fellow beings. It is easy for any
belittler, slanderer, tyrant or businessman who gives short measure or a miser
who does not disburse Zakāt money, to starve himself during Ramadan days.
But, how can such a person develop God-consciousness and divine qualities? Such
a person, besides committing sins of commission and omission, may simply be
wasting his time by fasting. Shall we spend a month every year, in which we
starve and become thirsty, fast and eat, while our condition does not change -
our rich remain rich and our poor remain as poor? Prophet Muhammadﺹ
had warned that poverty may lead to unbelief. This is why a person who steals
food while facing starvation is not to be punished according to the
What about other factors? “Ṣaum”
also refers to fasting of the tongue as in Q.19:26. The saying: “Hādha
kalām yubattiluṣ Ṣaum”
means this is speech which breaks or
vitiates the fast. During the Islamic fast (and indeed at all times), the
person must refrain from indecent talk, slander, lies and backbiting. Prophet
Muhammadﺹ is reported to have said: “If
one did not give up speaking falsehood and acting by it, Allah does not require
of him to give up eating or drinking”. Also in another Hadīth: “Many are the people who fast but who gain
nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst; many are those who stand up
praying all night but gain nothing except sleeplessness”.
A major difference
between the Islamic Fast and mere starvation is that the Ramaḍān
fast is an exercise in self-discipline involving food intake, use of tongue, hands,
eyes, ears, thoughts, and sex, etc. Many of the undesirable habits and traits
of the previous months are automatically corrected during this month. Some of
us, God forbid, may have been habituated to a particular type of wrong-doing
e.g. gambling, smoking, drinking, backbiting, fornication, fraud, hot temper,
domestic violence, etc. Fasting breaks that habit either gradually for some or
immediately for those of us with a stronger will power, especially if supported
by constant supplications in seeking Allah’s assistance. To do so, it needs
faith and determination. The usual antidote is to put an entirely opposite
thought in the mind contained in a Qur᾿anic verse, for immediate
implementation, which would block and displace the evil trend.
During the Islamic Fast, every organ
in the body that has been given to us as Trust by Allah is put to a critical
test. We must not see, hear, utter or
act evil. This is a training session for us to develop Taqwā (God-consciousness) and piety, as well as to
show gratitude for the great favour of the Revelation of the Qur’an during the
month of Ramaḍān in Lailatul
Qadr (Q.2:183-185). These organs include:
(a) The
tongue: The tongue is too noble
an organ for it to be abused. It must be kept clean and should not be used for
backbiting, slander, ridicule, obscene language and telling lies. In fact, all
these violate the sanctity of fasting and cancel it. Allah has placed the
tongue in a special compartment behind bars (our teeth) and properly sealed it
(with our lips), and has left it for us to constantly watch and guard it. The
same tongue that is used to spread evil could also be used to spread
righteousness instead. This latter is classified as charity and has an added
advantage. We lose nothing and gain much. With this same tongue, we can cause
mischief and bloodshed, and yet it could also be used to make peace between
persons and families and transform the lives of hundreds of homes into happy
ones. Injury caused by the tongue may be worse than that caused by a knife
since the latter heals in a week or so but that of the tongue may often never
heal at all. Allah is the Unseen Guest in every company and is the Silent
Listener in every conversation. It is just as important to know when to speak
and why not to. Well-timed silence could be the most commanding expression and
a suitable reply to many.
Ṣadqatul-Fiṭr
is a charity amounting to feeding one person per member of the family at the
end of the month of Ramaḍān and is meant to safeguard against vain
speech and other abuses of the tongue done unintentionally
during the fasting period. It is compulsory on every Muslim, rich or poor. Although Muslims try their best to be pious
at all times, mistakes can occur unknowingly and unintentionally, and this
charity of Ṣadqatul-Fiṭr expiates one’s mistakes of the tongue
during Ramadān.
(b) The hand: With one hand, we can take away people’s money and
yet with this same hand we can give also.
To give is a divine quality; to take is human. With this same hand, we
can knock down a person weaker than ourselves. But strength lies not in
knocking down a weaker person but lies in lifting someone who is already fallen
on the ground. Here the poet explains:
Agar ché ghaalébee az
doshman é za eef bé tars; ké teeré aahé sahar bar neshaanah mee aayad: Even if you have overpowered, be fearful of the weak enemy since the
arrow of the grieving sighs at dawn aim straight at the target.
(c) The legs: Surely these legs can carry us to the discos, pubs
and nightclubs. But these same legs can also carry us to the mosque or to an
orphanage or to a hospital to visit the sick.
(d) Others: Similarly,
the other perceptual organs of the body given to us by Allah as trust should
not be abused. The eyes must not look at anything evil; the ears must not
listen to gossip and vulgar jokes. The mind that controls the body should be
tuned to a different frequency of clean thoughts and intentions; the sexual
organs should only be used for the legal partner and that, too, after the fast
is broken.
Fasting has been prescribed by Allah as a form of worship, also as a training
period to develop Taqwā, as well as to show gratitude
for the great favour of the Revelation of the Holy Qur᾿an during
Ramadān in Lailatul Qadr. The best way to show
gratitude for a favour is to fulfil His Commandments (Q.2:183-185).
Spiritual strength cannot be gathered from fasting unless the
fasting person is fully conscious of its purpose, and he himself
motivates his thoughts, words and deeds. Taqwā is indeed the most valuable
fruit of fasting. Fasting is a duty and an ‘Ibādah (worship) which is free from hypocrisy and show. Fasting, unlike
prayers, Zakāt and Ḥajj, is strictly private since no one can know
about it unless the fasting person mentions it.
During fasting, one subdues the animal within oneself and masters one’s
instincts and desires to the point of determining as to when and how they may
be satisfied. This in turn depends on the will-power one has developed.
Whenever there is conflict between reason and passion and reason dominates,
then we are free to choose and implement our actions according to the moral and
spiritual laws. This freedom is
universally possessed by all human beings, the freedom to will as one wishes. Free will is the authority man has to direct
his mind in any direction he chooses. It
is important to choose the direction carefully, since this would indicate
success or failure of will. The development of will power and the personality
is an arduous task and is an outcome of this conflict. However, if we abide by and follow the
spiritual laws, will power develops slowly but surely. Fasting strengthens the will and hence the
will power, a welcome and plausible addition to our spiritual curriculum vitae.
To love, honour and obey Allah is to conscript oneself
voluntarily into His service. Just as the government trains men for the army,
police force and civil service before employing them to do their job, so does
Islam. It first trains all those who volunteer
for service to Allah before allowing them to take on the job of His vicegerency
for establishing Allah’s rule on Earth. Just as an annual military exercise is
compulsory in national military services of many countries, conducted by their
respective governments, similarly the month of Ramaḍān is a
compulsory annual spiritual exercise for full one month once a year, conducted
by Allah Himself. Ramaḍān is the
month of Allah. The mere fact that fasting has been made compulsory in Islam,
goes to show that it must be having multiple and colossal benefits to the body
and to the soul, both in this life and in the Hereafter. Allah says in Q.2:184:- “It is better for you to fast, if you only knew”.
A Muslim is continuously kept tied with rules and
regulations like a soldier in an army, for full one month and then released for
eleven months, to test whether the training he has received for one month has
been effective, and if not, any deficiency found could be corrected and made up
in the next year’s Ramaḍān programme. One or two days of fasting are not
enough to achieve the noble goal of attachment to Allah. In Q.2:185, Allah advises us to
fast the whole month and “complete the
prescribed period”. Thus we have in our possession this
divine prescription. Far from weakening
a person, the Islamic fast enables him to draw more strength from the Unseen
Power, so close to him. The
Ramaḍān atmosphere enhances this driving force by which every
individual races to reach his full potential.
After having completed the period of fasting, we are advised to
glorify Allah for having guided us and be thankful to Him (Q.2:185). Allah wants us to make
the right choice and behave well when left alone and unattended. We must always
be on the look-out for Satan because, although we are told he is chained during
Ramaḍān, he could be very active.
In Islam we must not say “I”, we must say “We”, because of emphasis on community life.
Even when we pray, we say: “Ihdinas
Sirātal Mustaqīm”, i.e. guide us to the straight Path, not
me alone. The ultimate result of our fasting together each day is the emergence
of a well-organised, well-disciplined pious Muslim community, the Ummah, where
each person is more spiritually evolved, and better equipped with fortitude to
act and live according to the divine moral codes laid down in the Holy
Qur᾿an. To come nearer to Allah is possible only by firm faith and
conviction and by actually doing good deeds (Q. 34:37). The more a man develops
within himself the divine attributes, the nearer he comes to Allah and to His
magnificent qualities.
The month of
Ramaḍan: Ramaḍān is derived from Ramḍ
which means ‘to burn away’. In this month, all
sins are burnt away and annulled. In fact, this is the month in which Allah
grants amnesty to all believers, to all fasting Muslim men and Muslim women (Q.33:35). But for us
to be eligible for that mercy and forgiveness, we must also look upon our
fellow human beings and show them forgiveness and compassion. Prophet
Muḥammadﺹ had said: “Allah will
not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind”.
Just like
the “great sale” of the departmental stores which are advertised during certain
times of the year, Allah also advertises during the month of
Ramaḍān, the “Greatest Sale” of the year, when He gives away lots of
blessings, mercy and forgiveness besides free hand-outs of gifts, perks,
bonuses, gift coupons, lagniappe (i.e. An extra or
unexpected gift or benefit) and extra points in exchange for any act of
goodness, however small. The VAT (Value Added Tax) that we see registered on
the counter while shopping in Allah’s Plaza would appear as Virtue Added Tag on
the divine screen in the Hereafter. Allah’s stocks are so huge that He is never
out of stock. Prophet Muḥammadﺹ is reported to have said that the first 10 days in
Ramaḍān is when Allah showers His mercy, the middle ten days is
forgiveness and the last ten days are reserved for saving the fasted persons
from Hell-fire.
The holy month of Ramaḍān suffuses the
whole environment with a spirit of righteousness, virtue and piety. Just as
plants have their season of flowering, Ramaḍ̣ān is the time of
the year for the growth and flourishing of goodness and righteousness. In the
season of blossoming of goodness and piety, not one but millions of people
jointly water the garden of virtue. The month of Ramaḍān is
earmarked as a time for all Muslims to fast together and ensure similar
results. This measure turns individual ‘Ibadah (worship)
into collective ‘Ibadah by the Muslim
Ummah. Collective aspects of fasting manifest themselves in the fact that it
takes place in the same lunar month for the faithful all over the world.
The Prophetﺹ
used to become unusually kind and generous during Ramadān. No beggar in
this month left empty-handed from his door and as many slaves as possible were
set free. Prophet Muḥammadﺹ
defined the good and felicitous man as one whose career adds to the total value
of the universe and who leaves the world a better place than in which he was
born.
The holy month of Ramaḍān inculcates a spirit of
fortitude and gratitude. The seeds of virtue and personality enhancement that
have remained so dormant in the summers, autumns and winters of our lives
germinate and blossom in this holy month of Ramaḍān, the spring-time
of the Mu᾿minīn. The atmosphere of Ramaḍān is such that
positive thoughts wishing the welfare of one and all, including those who have
wronged us, are automatically invoked round the clock.
The Islamic Fast is unique and different from other types of
fasting observed in religions such as Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism. It is compulsory, for a specific period of
time from dawn to sunset, and in a specific lunar month called
Ramaḍān. It involves a voluntary renunciation of all appetites of
the flesh for defined hours during that month, with a cheerful and willing
acceptance of this beneficial Divine Mandate. A stable monotonous environment
of eating three times daily tends to produce stereotyped reaction patterns.
Fasting gives a variable environment with rigid strategies and sufficient
degrees of freedom to cope with the changing conditions. It is a complimentary
device for the regenerative processes of the body.
Prophet Muḥammadﺹ
said ‘Every good deed of a man is granted
manifold increase, ten to 700 times, but Allah says: ‘Fasting is an exception. It
is exclusively for Me, and I will reward it as much as I wish’. And Allah
always repays the account to the full (Q. 35:30;
2:272 and others).
During this month each year, we celebrate the most important anniversary
to mankind, viz. the Revelation of the Holy Qur᾿an in Lailatul Qadr, the
night of Power and Glory, which is equal to 1000 months or more than 83 years.
If Prophet Muḥammadﺹ had laboured
for over 83 years without having received the revelations of the Holy
Qur᾿an, he could not have achieved the desired result. Allah’s blessings
are showered down in this night through the angels. What should we ask Allah on
this night of Lailatul Qadr? This was the question asked by Bibi ‘Āyesha, R.A., and Prophet Muḥammad ﺹreplied: “Say, ‘Oh Allah, You are the Most Forgiving
and the most Merciful. You love to forgive. So forgive my errors and sins’ ”.
Lessons learnt: Fiṭr: (fatara) means “to break the fast”, which is deliberate
and at a specific time. The fasting
person rejoices and celebrates every sunset in Ramaḍān, for the sunset
signifies the achievement of his victory over himself during the day. Every
evening, we wipe our spiritual wind-shield, so that we can see better where we
are heading, and avoid possible mistakes of omission and commission. During the
month of Ramaḍ̣ān, we become special guests of Allah, since at
every Ifṭār we thank our Host by saying .
Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ‘alā
rizqika aftartu: O Allah for Thy sake I have
fasted and for thy sake I am breaking the fast.
Everything must be avoided which might affect the purpose of the
fast, e.g. at Ifṭār, one should not eat more than what is necessary. Prophet Muḥammadﺹ
used to have a light Ifṭār and a light saḥūr. In the
Prophet’s times, there were no lavish Ifṭār parties throughout the
night, as is prevalent in many Muslim countries today. If each of us eats only one morsel of food
less per meal, and if we ensure that the morsel is given to the needy, there
would not be left a single hungry mouth on the face of this Earth. We are nearly 2 billion Muslims i.e. 2,000
million Muslims, and this makes nearly 2 billion morsels of food available each
time for distribution. Prophet Muḥammadﺹ
said: “The food of one person is
sufficient for two”. This is much more than one morsel of food. It is half of a plate! In fact, if we really share and give half of the plate, the whole
world would be adequately fed.
During Ramaḍān, we have to get up for
Saḥūr early before dawn, stop eating and drinking before the break
of dawn, abstain from such and such actions during the day and deliberately take Ifṭār (break the fast) in the evening at the exact time
of sunset. This is precise timing. The month of Ramaḍān teaches us to
be precise in our timing with the clock and punctuality at all
times. The accurate timing for
initiating the fast at Saḥūr and breaking it at Ifṭār
with the right countdown to the last minute, teaches us the demarcation line
between right and wrong, between Ḥalāl and Ḥarām.
The act of self-denial in
Ramaḍān strengthens the will and hence the will power. This extra
will power helps to overcome obsessions, addictions and bad habits. Fasting also reduces the person’s ability to
commit crimes and since Muslim criminals also fast during Ramaḍān,
the crime rate in Muslim countries falls drastically. If the fasting person has
developed sufficient self-restraint (Taqwā), then he would not respond or
retaliate whenever another person quarrels or curses him. He would restrain
himself by saying “I am fasting”.
Allah's Apostle said, "Fasting is a
shield ……… if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice,
'I am fasting’." (Ḥadith: Bukhāri).
Fasting and patience: Ramaḍān
is also called the month of patience, because fasting teaches us this difficult
lesson on a daily basis for one full month annually. “Nobody can be given a blessing greater than patience” (Ḥadīth:
Al-Bukhāri). Because man was created hasty (Q.21:37), he is ever
hasty (Q.17:11), and having
been created very impatient, he gets fretful when evil touches him (Q.70:19-20). Hence, Allah advises
us to constantly persevere in patience so as to be eligible for His blessings
and rewards. In Q.2:177, Allah
recommends that we should be patient in suffering and adversity and throughout
the periods of panic. Here is a consoling Persian poem by Shaikh Sa‘di:
Khodaa gar zé hekmat bé bandad daree; zé rahmat goshaayad dar é
deegaree: If God were to close
a door in His wisdom, He would open another door in His mercy.
Various ailments which we are afflicted
with are not a calamity but a mercy from Allah. Man develops immunity by
suffering many infectious diseases. When we undergo hardships and misfortunes,
the Nafs (person) gets purified. Illness for a believer acts as a detergent
of the human Nafs and purifies it from the burden of sins so it can eventually
qualify to reflect in whatever little way the beautiful Attributes of Allah called Asmā al-Ḥusnā.
It is more often during times of adversity
than of prosperity that we resort to virtue. A Chinese proverb says that
adversity elicits talents which otherwise would have remained dormant. The
lessons of adversity are put there for us by One who knows how and when we
should be tried, so that we make use of the brain to open up our
problem-solving capacity and improve ourselves. It is not for us to tell Allah
how to run His world. These difficulties are meant, for us to become better,
not bitter. Moreover, Allah showers His mercy on us after adversities have
touched us (Q.10:21). Stumbling
blocks can become stepping stones if we learn to use them, depending on Allah’s
guidance. It is after having endured frustrations and sufferings that blessings
appear, once we have observed patience. The grey hair of an old person should
be respected, since it represents all the difficulties he has patiently passed
through and many a pair of shoes worn out during rough and tortuous periods in
his Earthly journey.
The quality of patience is highly
recommended for the believers and the faithful. We should seek help with
patient perseverance and prayer for Allah is with those who patiently persevere
(Q.2:153). The key to
success lies in vying in perseverance of patience and constancy, strengthening
each other and being God-conscious (Q.3:200). It is
through perseverance that what seemed as certain failure gets transformed into
evident success. Sometimes, a man can accomplish singly what a whole community
cannot, once he has patience and he perseveres.
Patience gradually creates confidence which
eventually leads to success. The reason that patience is the key to success is
that, during the period when man bears the heavy load of patience and tolerance
in any difficult situation, he does not give in to hasty decisions in response
to emotional impulses. Instead, he takes his time and formulates a rational
move to solve the problem peacefully. Hence, he does what others would not and
therefore he achieves what others could not. That is how he realises his own
indefatigable potential. When faced with difficult situations, instead of
grumbling and saying “why”, he says “why not” by relying on Allah’s assistance. We are instructed to face adverse
circumstances and calamities with patience and fortitude. When we are afflicted
with frustrating times, we must remind ourselves that whatever Allah does is
good, either in itself or in its consequences, a thought that initiates
patience. Allah loves those of us who are patient (Q.3:146). In fact,
those of us who were constantly patient, have been promised by Allah that
angels will salute them from every gate to convey greetings of salāms in
the Hereafter, with a reward of the highest place in the heaven (Q.13:22-24; 25:75).
Although sometimes we fight in order to
maintain peace between nations, it should not necessarily be so if we observe
patience. It is easy to make an acquaintance but with patience, we can make
life-long friends. Patience teaches us to love and forgive our enemies. In many
verses in the Holy Qur᾿an we are instructed to show patience and exercise
restraint in response to provocations, to bear hardships with patience and also
to recommend others to have patience (Q.103:3). Patience
subdues anger and maintains peace in the community. Even during states of anger
and minor quarrels, simply saying “a
‘ūdhu billāhi minash shayṭān ir rajīm” would defuse the existing tensions (Ḥadīth:
Bukhari and Muslim).
On occasions of calamities and bereavement,
just uttering “Inna lillāhi wa
inna ilyhi rāji‘ūn” would instil a great deal of patience and
solace to the bereaved and remind the listener that Allah Who gave us life in
the first instance is also the One to take it. Offering condolences to someone
means sharing in his grief and encouraging him to be patient. Of course, just
as when a person comes out of darkness into light, it takes some time for the
eyes to adjust, so is the delay in getting the fruits of patience. And if you
have patience, then “You shall certainly
know the truth of it all after a while” (Q.38:88).
It does need a lot of mettle to have
patience but during this exercise we learn humility, tolerance, contentment and
gain eventual success when these same pains and sufferings appear later on in
the form of blessings. Remembrance of Allah is directly proportional to the
degree of pain we suffer. During such periods of patience, we can take time,
sit quietly and listen to promptings of our inner selves. Although we may at
times encounter a rough passage and stormy weather in our life, we would have
peace and tranquillity, amid the storm followed by a safe landing. The Persian
proverb says:
. Sabr talkhast lykin baré sheerin daarad. Patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet. We were born because of
the patience and much suffering of labour pains by the mother, sometimes
bringing mother and child both, nearer to death.
The tears that flow from us in times of
affliction wash our eyes so that we can see Allah’s divine guidance much
clearer. The reason we face problems from time to time is that Allah wants our
attention to be turned to Him. In fact, the raison
d’être of our adversities is that our Great Teacher, who is All-Wise, loves
us and knows the time when we are due to
learn our lessons in patience. Sometimes, due to the refraction of light
through our tears, we can see a rainbow in the dark clouds of adversity. That
is the reason why mankind needs difficult and stressful situations from time to
time so that we should remember Allah, follow His commandments more carefully
and be thankful for the experience. Haḍrat ‘Ali, R.A. said: “The One Who sends you calamities is the One Who will bring you out of
it”. A believer should always be smiling in times of adversity. For this he
needs patience.
Allah brings people into deep waters to
cleanse them, not to drown them. Moreover, patience teaches us humility, the
only attribute not mentioned among Allah’s 99 attributes, but which man
possesses. Hence Allah exalts those of us who profess humility. Wa
man Tawāḍ̣a‘a lillāhi rafa‘ahullāhu, (Ḥadīth:
Imām Aḥmad) meaning “Allah
exalts him who is humble to Allah”.
Calculations: As mentioned before, 2½%
of our time (approximately 36 minutes for the 5-time daily compulsory ritual
prayers) is reserved for Allah. Moreover, 2½ % of our net cash savings is also
reserved to be compulsorily disbursed in Allah’s cause. Now in the month of
Ramaḍān, Allah tests us further by combining both (2½ % + 2½ %)
i.e. 5% of our time annually, for the
compulsory Islamic fast so that we could see for ourselves whether we are
capable of becoming His vicegerents or not. This is an exercise to be rewarded
by Allah Himself. (The geographical position of the country is a determinant of
the length of the fast. Depending upon this factor, the length of the fast may
vary from 12 to 19 hours a day. By taking the average of 14.16 hours a day for
30 days, the total time amounts to 5% of 354 days of the lunar year. Such a
multi-disciplinary approach prepares mankind for Allah’s vicegerency). Four hundred and
twenty five hours of intensive study in any subject of one’s choice in any
university, qualifies a student for a diploma in that particular subject,
provided certain standards are met. Similarly, 425 hours of intense devotion in
Ramaḍān is certainly expected to uplift the practising Muslim to a
stage of higher spiritual achievement, and get a certificate of merit from
Allah. Allah does not deny the reward of
his/her good deeds, and therefore this is a month of harvesting the fruits of
our actions. Ramaḍān is also known as the month of Allah since He
Himself rewards it.
Exam
results: If we have passed this Ramadān examination, only then we are
entitled to celebrate the Achievement Day called ‘Id-ul-Fiṭr, also called ‘Iduṣ Ṣaghīr or the Minor ‘
Muslims celebrate at least three
anniversaries every year viz. (a) Birthday of Prophet Muḥammedﺹ
(b) Anniversary of the Holy Qur᾿an on Lailatul
Qadr,
culminating in ‘Id ul Fiṭr,
(c) Anniversary of the last sermon of the Holy Prophet on Mount ‘Arafāt, culminating in ‘Id ul Aḍ ḥa. And finally with the
customary embrace, it brings about peace and harmony among the family members
and the society.
The Minor ‘Īd following the
completion of the fast, entitles us to climb one step up the ladder on Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm. If we as Muslims, adhering faithfully
to the five pillars of Islam, had fasted in the month of Ramaḍan, then
for us the first part of this examination is over, and we are now entitled to
celebrate the ‘Īd-ul-Fiṭr, also called ‘Īd -us Saghīr or the Minor ‘Īd. Later, after this
celebration, in order to climb one more step on the ladder, we are now expected
to learn to sacrifice much more of our time, money, leisure, pleasure, skill,
talents and other God-given gifts and bounties, and be prepared to share them
with our fellow-men. Allah now gives us 2 months and 10 days to prepare for the
‘Id-ul-Aḍ ḥa or the ‘Id of sacrifice, also
called ‘Īd-ul-Kabīr, the Major ‘Īd. As Mu᾿mins adhering to the seven
branches of Īmān (i.e. seven principles of faith), we must accomplish
good deeds. This in turn will now prepare us for the second examination of
higher spiritual achievement. If successful in it, we will then be able to
climb one more rung on the ladder up Ṣ̣irāṭal
Mustaqīm, and entitled to celebrate ‘Īd-ul-Aḍ ḥa as Mu᾿minīn and Mu᾿mināt.
Before we could join the second level, let
us ask ourselves: Was our fast accepted
by Allah? Or was it mere
starvation? A hunger strike is not an
Islamic Fast, just as suicide is not sacrifice. Did we utter any word which
could have broken our fast? Words like “that
person is not trustworthy” amounts to back-biting and. Hādhā kalām yubaṭṭilul
ṣaum: means: “this
is speech which cancels the fast”.
Did all such words like “Hell”, “Damned”, “Shut up” and many others
disappear from our vocabulary in that month or not? And did such words return
after Ramaḍān was over? Did we indulge in any wrongful deed such as
adulteration of goods, fraud, short measure, profiteering, selling defective
items, etc.? Did we continue to abuse
our tongue by back-biting, slander, telling lies etc.?
During the eleven months when we were free
to do whatever we wanted, did we discard whatever good qualities and the
Taqwā we had achieved during Ramaḍān or did we hold on to them
and improve on them as months passed by?
Did we continue to abuse our tongue by back-biting, slander, telling lies,
etc.? Did we continue to deceive people,
use intrigue or show malice? Did we
forgive all those who wronged us, knowing that Allah also grants general
amnesty in the holy month of Ramaḍān? Did we take full advantage of
this fasting month wherein we strengthen our physical, biological and spiritual
stamina? Did we put on weight instead of losing some, in spite of knowing that
decreasing meal frequency and caloric intake prolongs life? Did we really
achieve constancy and permanency in our Taqwā so that we would be in the
company of the prophets in the Hereafter? Can we name one bad habit that we
have discarded because of this exercise? Did we say au revoir and al-widā‘ to bid
farewell to Ramaḍān, on a full stomach and bulging pocket, leaving
behind many needy and frustrated on-lookers aghast and empty-handed?
Thus, during the eleven months when we were
free to do whatever we wanted, we must ask ourselves many questions and reflect
on whether we discarded whatever good qualities and the Taqwā we had achieved
during Ramaḍān, or did we hold on to them and improve on them as
months passed by.
MEDICAL BENEFITS
Science is in a state of continuous evolution, and discoveries
follow on one another’s heels. There is
a large quantum of digitised information, flowing like a spring from symposia,
medical journals and the Internet. It expands our horizons and explains the
benefits of Islamic injunctions.
The original meaning of Ṣaum is to be at rest. We give rest to the
gastro-intestinal tract, the sexual organs, the tongue, the eyes and ears, etc.
The transit time for a bolus of food from the mouth to the end of the large
intestine, called colon, is about 14 hours. This corresponds to the period of
14 hours during which we fast and withhold any stimulus reaching the digestive
system.
During fasting, the secretion of the growth hormone by the
pituitary gland also increases. This is
an anabolic hormone for synthesis of proteins and collagen that produces a
positive nitrogen balance. The collagen synthesis may be responsible for
keeping the skin of fasting Muslims wrinkle free, even when they get very old.
Ramaḍān puts a healthy mind into a healthy body (in Latin: mens
Because the Islamic fast hardly exceeds 14 hours or so, the
normal steady state of the body is maintained as a result of coordinated
physiological mechanisms. There is no significant alteration in routine
haematology. Nearly all the biochemical results in the laboratory are normal,
such as blood levels of Na, K, Ca, P; lipids such as total cholesterol, high
density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides;
hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, TSH, etc. The fast does not
cause any adverse medical effect and on the contrary, may have some beneficial
effect on weight, although the ‘lipostat’ situated in the pituitary gland in
the hypothalamus part of the brain helps to maintain the body mass at a steady
level. Liver function tests (such as
SGOT, SGPT, Alk. Phosphatase, thymol turbidity, cephalin-cholesterol
flocculation test, serum albumin, globulin and total serum proteins) show
normal values. This constancy of the serum globulin level during fasting
ensures against the tendency to produce deficient antibody formation. Plasma
cholecystokinin and gastrin levels are also normal. Thyroid function tests
including Basal Metabolic Rate, Thyroid-stimulating Hormone and
Protein-bound-iodine levels also remain normal. Kidney function tests (such as the specific gravity of urine,
glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine) are also
normal. Blood
glucose concentration is maintained normally at 80 mgms %, due to hepatic
production of glucose equalling utilisation, mainly by the brain which oxidises
approximately 100 gms. glucose/ minute to CO2 and H2o. The brain alone consumes 1/4 to 1/3 of the
total calories or about 500 calories / day.
Even the most concentrated brain work causes no extra demands on caloric
output. After 12 hours of fasting, the
glucose level in the capillary blood approximates to that in the venous blood.
During the first few
hours of a fast, the increased glucagon and the decreased insulin secretion
result in stimulation of hepatic glycogenolysis and the gradual depletion of
the hepatic glycogen store. As the level
of glucose falls the rate of insulin secretion decreases and that of glucagon
rises. The secretary pattern of these
two islet hormones is actually pulsatile rather than continuous, the pulse
intervals being approximately ten minutes in humans. Under normal circumstances, the plasma
glucose falls more slowly during the transition from the fed to the fasted
state and stabilises at levels well above 50 mgms %. Muscle, fat and the brain are the main
glucose consumers.
During fasting the
secretion of ACTH and cortisol is normal.
The fasting stomach is empty and contracted. The rate of bile secretion is low and the
pressure in the bile duct is correspondingly small.
FASTING IN ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES
However, if there are
adverse circumstances surrounding the Islamic fast such as (a) dehydration due
to excessive sweating because of hot weather or exercise, or (b) too little
food or water was available at saḥūr, or (c) fasting was prolonged
for any reason, then following changes may be observed. If the diet is normal, the renal flow remains
unchanged even after four days of complete deprivation of water. There would be no decrease in plasma volume
and no haemo-concentration, because the interstitial reserves of water will be
called upon. Then the urinary output
will be reduced. In water deprivation,
the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland secretes anti-diuretic hormone which
reduces urine flow to a minimum, thus conserving water. The total water content of the body decreases
due to loss of extra-cellular fluid.
Urinary acidity is maintained.
Only when fasting is prolonged (which is un–Islamic) does the
Basal Metabolic Rate fall together with the voluntary physical activity, thus
conserving calories. This ensures that weight loss is not excessive. With the fall in BMR, the pulse rate and the
blood pressure also fall. The
concentration of T3 (tri-iodothyronine) also falls. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity
(ACE) is reduced during fasting. The serum triglyceride is slightly elevated.
FASTING
WITH UNDERFEEDING
During fasting, the subject must
live on his own body tissues for energy purposes. In a 70 kg man, stored carbohydrate totals
about 2000 calories, available from 100 Gms. of liver glycogen, 380 Gms. of
muscle glycogen and 20 Gms. of glucose in extra cellular fluid. In contrast, 140,000 calories are available
as stored fat in the body and the remainder in proteins. Energy is stored in adipose tissue as
triglyceride, with glucose serving as the main source formed during glycolysis
in the fat cells.
In the Islamic fast of around 14 hours, the body proteins are
not used up, as the glycogen stores are the first to be utilised at the
beginning of the fast.
It has been observed
that underfed animals live longer than their heavily fed counterparts. They also suffer fewer illnesses including
auto-immune disease, which may help to explain their longevity. Inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
in man decrease during fasting. Moreover,
there are certain diseases which are benefited by loss of weight through fasting
and caloric restriction e.g. hypertension, diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis,
radiculopathies, etc. We should not
overeat at Ifṭār and at Saḥūr if we wish to lose some
weight.
There is also an incident reported in the Hadīth that once
Prophet Muhammedﺹ was asked as to why such and such a tribe lived so long. The prophetﺹ
replied that they would not eat until and unless they were really hungry and
that they would stop eating before their appetites were half-filled.
Prophetﺹ used to have
a light Ifṭār and a light Suḥūr. If after Ramadān is over, we find that
we have put on weight instead of losing some, we better look critically at
ourselves. It is obvious that we have
not followed the Sunnah of Prophet Muḥammedﺹ.
FASTING
AND MAGNESIUM
It
has been observed that during fasting, the serum magnesium is elevated. The following points about magnesium are
worthy of note:
(1) Several actions of magnesium
ion can contribute towards its cardio-protective effects and hence magnesium is
now more frequently used in the treatment of heart attacks.
Plasma magnesium levels
are low for a day or two after myocardial infarction and chances of patients
recovering from a heart attack are increased if magnesium is given immediately
after a heart attack. Fasting halves the mortality rate in myocardial
infarction, probably by reducing the risk of serious arrhythmias, especially
ventricular fibrillation induced by the raised local concentrations of
catecholamine.
Magnesium has also
anti-platelet effects and hence prevents extension of the thrombus. Magnesium
also acts as a vasodilator and prevents vascular stasis. Magnesium deficiency
increases coronary artery tone and favours thrombosis.
(2) Magnesium and calcium ions are inversely
related. Ca and Mg ions compete with
each other. Magnesium inhibits calcium influx into myocardial cells. When the magnesium level is lowered, calcium
is raised and may get deposited in tissues. Potassium acts as a
cardio-protector in cardiac ischemia in synergy with magnesium. Potassium in
combination with magnesium produces more reduction in systolic and diastolic
B.P. than magnesium alone.
(3) Magnesium is essential for the
activity of many enzymes, especially for phosphorylation and energy transfer.
Phosphates bind magnesium in the bowel and prevent its absorption. A 12 oz. can of carbonated soft drink might
contain 30 mgms of phosphate and take up an equivalent amount of dietary
magnesium. The average daily requirement
of magnesium is 300-400 mgms while an average diet provides 250-500 mgms
daily. Taking too little magnesium makes
it harder for the body to perform its usual tasks.
(4) Magnesium is a membrane stabiliser acting on the sodium/potassium/calcium flux at the membrane level. When (a) acting on the specialised connecting system of the heart, it relieves cardiac dysrhythmia and therefore prevents sudden death due to myocardial infarction; (b) on the vascular muscle cell of the coronary artery, it dilates the coronary arteries and relieves angina; (c) on the cell membrane of the neurons, it blocks transmission of nerve impulses, thus reducing neuro-muscular irritability. Magnesium therapy has a beneficial effect on most neuropathies; (d) on synapses, it relieves cerebral dysrhythmia and hence it is useful in various types of epilepsy. Persons who fast stop having epileptic fi