LESSON ONE
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O believers! Fasting has been made compulsory upon you as it was made compulsory on those before you, so that you may create piety within yourselves. [Baqarah verse 180]
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
SIGNIFICANCE OF FASTING
After testifying to tawheed [divine unity] and risalat [messengership], salaat, zakaat, fasting and hajj are the four important pillars of Islam.
Rasulullah H declared these five to be the pillars of Islam. The meaning of them being pillars is that they possess a special effect in creating, building and giving life to Islam, which refers to a way of life in obedience to Allah B. The effects and speciality of fasting has clearly been mentioned in the Qur’an Majid. In Surah Baqarah, together with making mention the compulsion of the fasts of Ramadhan, Allah B states that the object of fasting is to create taqwa in oneself [لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ].
Allah has made man a combination of body and soul, or in other words, of animality and spirituality. In his nature are present all the physical and carnal propensities that are peculiar to animals, yet there also dwells within him the luminous element of spirituality which is the characteristic quality of supernatural beings of the celestial world i.e. the angels. The success and salvation of man depends upon the subservience of the animal part of his nature to the heavenly part and the keeping of the sensual instincts and desires within proper limits. Such a thing can be possible when the animalistic aspect of the human personality renders habitual obedience to the celestial aspect, instead of opposing it.
The main aim of fasting is to make the carnal urges and inclinations subservient to the divine commandments and spiritual ideals, and since this is also the main object of messengership and the shariah, fasting was prescribed in all earlier shariats as well. While giving the command of fasting to the Muslims, the Qur’an declares,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O believers! Fasting has been made compulsory upon you as it was made compulsory on those before you, so that you may create piety within yourselves. [Al- Baqarah verse 183]
Be that as it may, as fasting is a special means for controlling the desires of the self and stomach, as well as keeping the carnal desires subordinate to the divine injunctions and spiritual strength, it had also been enjoined upon all the former religious communities, although there was some difference in the duration etc. of the fasts in view of their individual needs and circumstances. For the final ummah i.e. the Muslims, fasting for a month in the year and from dawn to sunset has been prescribed. This definitely is the most appropriate, moderate and reasonable arrangement with reference to the aforementioned purposes in the current age. The aim of moral and spiritual disciplining and inculcation of the virtue of self-restraint could not be realised had it been less than that. If on the other hand, the time and duration of fasting was longer, as for example, food and drink were permitted only at the time of sehri [break of day] or fasting was ordered for two or three months in succession in a year, it would have been unbearable for most of the people, and also harmful to health.
Again, Allah has prescribed fasting in the month in which the Qur’an was revealed, and in which there has also been concealed a night of countless blessings and mercy [Lailatul-Qadr]. No other month could obviously be more suited for it. In this month, apart from fasting during the day, an extraordinary institution of worship at night has also been established which is found in the ummah in the form of taraweeh. The joining together of the fasts of the day and taraweeh in the night has resulted in an increase in the effulgence and effect of the month of Ramadaan, which is felt by everyone in proportion to his inner awareness and perception. After studying this introduction, read the advices of Rasulullah H regarding Ramadhan, fasting, etc.