Lectures in Ramadan

Home

In spite of the fact that he fought in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and other major encounters, an-Nuayman remained a light-hearted person who was quick at repartee and who loved to play practical jokes on others.

He belonged to the Banu an-Najjar of Madinah and he was among the early Muslims of the city. He was one of those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet at the Second Pledge of Aqabah. He established links with the Quraysh when he married the sister of Abdu r Rahman ibn Awl and later Umm Kulthum the daughter of Uqbah ibn Mu'ayt. She had obtained a divorce from her husband az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam on account of his harshness and severity.

Unfortunately for a time an-Nuayman became addicted to alcohol. He was caught drinking and the Prophet had him flogged. He was caught a second time and then he had him flogged again. Because he still did not give up the habit, the Prophet ordered that he be flogged with shoes. When all this did not persuade him to stop drinking, the Prophet finally said: "If he goes back (to drinking) then kill him."

This was a severe Pronouncement and Umayr, one of the companions of the Prophet, understood from it that should he return to the drinking of alcohol, an-Nuayman would go outside the pale of Islam and deserve death. Umayr gave vent to his anger and disgus t by saying: "La 'nat Allah alayhi - may God's curse be on him."

The Prophet heard Umayr's imprecation and said: "No, no, don't do (such a thing). Indeed he loves God and His Apostle. The major sin (as this) does not put one outside the community and the mercy of God is close to the believers."

While being firm, the Prophet still held out hope for an-Nuayman's reform especially on account of his past sacrifices as a veteran of Badr. Because he was not someone who went out of his way to conceal his actions, it was easier for him to acknowledge hi s crimes and repent and seek forgiveness from God. This he did and he won the favor of the Prophet and his companions who enjoyed his pleasantries and his infectious laughter.

Once an-Nuayman went to the suq and saw some food being sold which appeared to be tasty and delightful. He ordered some and sent it to the Prophet as if it were a gift from him. The Prophet was delighted with the food and he and his family ate of it. The vendor of the food then came to an-Nuayman to collect the price of it and an-Nuayman said to him: "Go to the Messenger of God it was for him. He and his family ate it."

The vendor went to the Prophet who in turn asked an-Nuayman: "Didn't you give it to me?" "Yes," said an-Nuayman. "I thought you would like it and I wanted you to eat some of it so I had it presented to you. But I don't have any dirhams to pay the vendor f or it. So, pay, O Messenger of God!"

The Prophet had a good laugh and so did his companions. The laugh was at his expense, literally, for he had to pay the price of the unsolicited gift. An-Nuayman felt that two benefits came out of the incident: the Prophet and his family ate food t hat they enjoyed and the Muslims had a good laugh.

Once Abu Bakr and some companions went on a trading expedition to Busra. Various people on the trip were given fixed duties. Suwaybit ibn Harmalah was made responsible for food and provisions. An-Nuayman was one of the group and on the way he became hun gry and asked Suwaybit for some food. Suwaybit refused and an-Nuayman said to him:

"Do you know what I would yet do with you?" and went on to warn and threaten him but still Suwaybit refused. An-Nuayman then went to a group of Arabs in the suq and said to them: "Would you like to have a strong and sturdy slave whom I can sell to you." T hey said yes and an-Nuayman went on: "He has got a ready tongue and is very articulate. He would resist you and say: 'I am free.' But don't listen

to him"

The men paid the price of the slave - ten qala'is (pieces of gold) and an-Nuayman accepted it and appeared to complete the transaction with business-like efficiency. The buyers accompanied him to fetch theft purchase. Pointing to Suwaybit, he said: "This is the slave whom I sold to you."

The men took hold of Suwaybit and he shouted for dear life and freedom. "I am free. I am Suwaybit ibn Harmalah..."

But they paid no attention to him and dragged him off by the neck as they would have done with any slave.

All the while, an-Nuayman did not laugh or batter an eyelid. He remained completely calm and serious while Suwaybit continued to protest bitterly. Suwaybit's fellow travellers, realizing what was happening, rushed to fetch Abu Bakr, the leader of the car avan, who came running as fast as he could. He explained to the purchasers what had happened and so they released Suwaybit and had their money returned. Abu Bakr then laughed heartily and so did Suwaybit and an-Nuayman. Back in Madinah, when the episode was recounted to the Prophet and his companions, they all laughed even more.

A man once came to the Prophet on a delegation and tethered his camel at the door of the Masjid. The Sahabah noticed that the camel had a large fat hump and their appetite for succulent tasty meat was stimulated. They turned to Nuayman and asked: "Would you deal with this camel?"

An-Nuayman understood what they meant. He got up and slaughtered the camel. The nomad Arab came out and realized what had happened when he saw people grilling, sharing out and eating meat. He shouted in distress: "Waa 'aqraah! Waa Naqataah! (O my camel!)"

The Prophet heard the commotion and came out. He learnt from the Sahabah what had happened and began searching for an-Nuayman but did not find him. Afraid of being blamed and punished, an-Nuayman had fled. The Prophet then followed his footprints. These l ed to a garden belonging to Danbaah the daughter of az-Zubayr, a cousin of the Prophet. He asked the companions where an-Nuayman was. Pointing to a nearby ditch, they said loudly so as not to alert an-Nuayman: "We haven't found him, O Messenger of God ." An-Nuayman was found in the ditch covered with palm branches and leaves and emerged with dirt on his head, beard and face. He stood in the presence of the Prophet who took him by the head and dusted the dirt from his face while he chuckled with laughte r. The companions joined in the mirth. The Prophet paid the price of the camel to its owner and they all joined in the feast.

The Prophet obviously regarded an-Nuayman's pranks for what they were light-hearted sallies that were meant to create some relief and laughter. The religion of Islam does not require people to disdain seemly laughter and levity and remain perpetually gloomy. An appropriate sense of humor is often a saving grace.

An-Nuayman lived on after the Prophet and continued to enjoy the affection of Muslims. But did he put an end to his laughter? During the caliphate of Uthman, a group of Sahabah were sitting in the Masjid. They saw Makhramah ibn Nawfal, an old man who was about one hundred and fifteen years old and obviously rather senile. He was related to the sister of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl, who was a wife of an-Nuayman.

Makhramah was blind. He was so weak that he could hardly move from his place in the Masjid. He got up to urinate and might have done so in the Masjid. But the companions shouted at him to prevent him from doing so.. An-Nuayman got up and went to take him to another place, as he was instructed. What is this other place that an-Nuayman took him to? In fact he took him only a short distance away from where he was sitting at first and sat him down.

The place was still in the Masjid!

People shouted at Makhramah and made him get up again all in a frenzy. The poor old man was distressed and said: "Who has done this?" "An-Nuayman ibn Amr," he was told.

The old man swore and announced that he would bash an-Nuayman on the head with his stick if he should meet him.

An-Nuayman left and returned. He was up to some prank of his again. He saw Uthman ibn Allan, the Amir al-Muminim, performing Salat in the Masjid. Uthman was never distracted when he stood for Prayer. An-Nuayman also saw Makhramah. He went up to him an d in a changed voice said: "Do you want to get at an-Nuayman?"

The old man remembered what an-Nuayman had done. He remembered his vow and shouted: "Yes, where is he?" An-Nuayman took him by the hand and led him to the place where the Khalifah Uthman stood and said to him: "Here he is!"

The old man raised his staff and bashed the head of

Uthman. Blood flowed and the people shouted: "It's the Amir al-Muminin!"

The dragged Makhramah away and some people set out to get an-Nuayman but Uthman restrained them and asked them to leave him alone. In spite of the blows he had suffered, he was still able to laugh at the deeds of an-Nuayman.

An-Nuayman lived up to the time of Muawiyah when fitnah saddened him and discord filled him with anguish. He lost his levity and laughed no more.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, may Allah reward you abundantly for your interest in knowing the teachings of your religion, Islam!

It is well-known that insults and the use of foul language is not permissible in Islam, especially when it is directed to someone like one’s own wife.

Almighty Allah says: "O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), nor let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turneth not in repentance, such are evil doers." (Al-Hujurat: 11)

This brother needs to learn to control his tongue and busy himself with Allah’s Remembrance, and the recitation of Qur’an. This, in turn, will train his soul (nafs) and his tongue to obey Allah Almighty. There are many Adhkar (plural of dhikr) that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite during the day and the night and on many other occasions. This brother should learn these and implement them into his daily life.

To do this, one should realize the consequences of the mistakes of his tongue. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said: "Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e., his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked by one of his companions, "O Messenger of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say!?" He responded, "May your mother be bereaved of you! Is there anything else that throws people into the Fire on their faces except the harvests of their tongues!" This Hadith is sufficient as a warning concerning the danger of this little piece of flesh that we have in our mouths (i.e. tongues). May Allah help us all!

As far as anger is concerned, it is a very serious disease which Islam warned Muslims against its evil consequences. Regarding the danger of anger and its bad consequences, we’d cite the following:

"Anger is a destabilizing thought. It is the most dividing emotion between friends; it takes away judgment, leads to depression, madness and wrong actions that we would repent later on when we are not angry. But why do we get angry? It is either an unexpected provocation or unexpected situation, which leads to frustration and an angry response.

During anger, one may physically or verbally abuse a person that he or she loves, hurt another living being like an animal, or during the dejection phase of anger, one can even hurt him- or herself and even attempt suicide.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who was sent to mankind to teach them good morals, learned to control his anger toward the unbelievers and teach them appropriate expressions. He constantly warned his companions not to be angry. One companion asked him, Give me some short advice by virtue of which I hope for prosperity both in this life and in the Hereafter, and he said, "Don't be angry." Another person asked, what will save me from the Wrath of Allah, and he said, "Do not express your anger." A third person asked three times, O Prophet of Allah, give me an order to do a short good deed, and he said, "Don't be angry." Once he asked a question of his companion, "Who among you do you consider a strong man?" They said, the one who can defeat so-and-so wrestler in a fight. But he said:"That is not so. The one who is strong is the one who can control himself at the time of anger." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have stated that anger is like fire, which destroys you from within, and it can also lead you to the fire of hell by your own expressions of anger unjustly."

How to Control One’s Anger:

In addition to its call for controlling one’s anger, Islam prescribed remedy for the person when in a state of anger, asking him to sit down or lie down as it is not easy to hit someone else in those positions. Also, performing Wudu’ is a good way to put out the "fire" of his anger. May Allah forgive us all and protect us from the Hellfire, Amen.

Finally, one should also try the following:

"One should ask himself the following questions: "are you in control of yourself, or would you allow Allah to take control of you?" Think of Allah’s Punishment. Is Allah’s Wrath less than your wrath? And what happens when He expresses His Wrath? We humans who seek forgiveness from Allah must forgive others first. When one forgives someone else, it establishes peace and tranquility in one's heart, but at the same time, the matter of injustice or wrong actions which made one angry, become a dispute between him and Allah; and if one do not take revenge and forgive, Allah might act on ones behalf."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from:
http://www.soundvision.com

May Allah help us all to be kind towards each other, especially to our wives. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said: "The best of you are the best of you to your wives (and family), and I am the best to my wives."

Allah Almighty knows best.

Al-Islam, has taken the lead in reforming the institution of fasting. This was a radical reform in the meaning, rules and purpose of the fast. It made the fast easy, natural and effective. The following are some of the points in this regard:

1. Fasting was a symbol of sadness, mourning, atonement for the sins, a reminder of disasters as well as self - mortification in Judaism and Christianity. Islam radicalized this doom and gloom concept of fasting, into an enlightened concept of triumph over the forces of evil. The month of fasting in Islam is a month of worship Muslims welcome each year with energy and happiness, and are saddened only when the month departs. This is contrary to the atmosphere of mourning. Fasting is for the living.

2. Fasting is not self-denial and punishment of the body and soul, a belief that was wide-spread among the medieval European ascetics. Indeed, there is not such a thing in Islam, nor in Al-Qur`an or the Sunnah. The laws that govern the institution are not extremely unbearable, the restrictions are not enforced 24 hours every day. The tradition of sahuur is a perfect example. The faster is allowed to delay and eat sahuur until he or she is certain that there are just a few minutes before morning prayer. Similarly, when it is time to break fast, the rule is to break as soon as the sun sets, with no delay. Besides, sleeping and resting during the day are all allowed. Working is not stopped and businesses are not closed down for the fast. In Judaism, working during the period of fast is prohibited. Allah (SWT) said: "...Allah intends every facility for you. He does not want to put you to difficulties...." (Al-Qur`an, 2:185)

3. Fasting was for special classes of people in the previous religions. For the Brahmin class in the Hindu religion, fasting is mandatory only for the high priests. In the some Latin religions, it is only women who must fast and there are no exceptions.

4. In Judaism, the faster eats only after the break and there is no more food. The Arabs, before Islam, would not eat after sleeping. Islam, on the other hand, threw away all these human imposed restrictions. Allah said: "...And eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from it's black thread..." (Al-Qur`an, 2:187)

The person who makes a mistake in fasting is not punished, and the one who forgets and eats is forgiven.

5. Fasting in some other religions is based on a solar calendar, like the Gregorian calendar. This demands vast knowledge of calculation and astronomy in the making of a calendar. Besides, the months are fixed in a specific season, they do not rotate or change. Fasting in Islam is based on the lunar calendar and is tied to the sightings of hilal, the crescent, or new moon. Allah (SWT) states: "They ask you concerning the new moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time...." (Al-Qur`an, 2:189) And the hadith: "Eat until you see the crescent and break not until you see the crescent. If it is cloudy calculate the period of the month." (Muslim and others)

This enables Muslims in every corner of the earth, east and west, north and south, and all in between, in remote villages, on mountains, in conditions of illiteracy or literacy, in jungles or deserts to start and end the fast all at the same time, without difficulty.

Why the moon instead of the sun as the basis for starting and ending fast? There are several reasons:

The lunar year is about ten or eleven days less compared to the Gregorian. Thus, if Ramadan 1990 began on March 27th, Ramadan in 1991 would begin around March 16th. Consequently, in the course of 36 years, every Muslim would have fasted every day of the year, the short days of the year, the long days of the year, the hot days and the cold days of the year. Muslims in different regions of the world would have had total equality in the number of days they fasted, and would have had an equal amount of seasonal and climatic changes. They would have an equal amount of cold or mild weather Ramadans.

If the fast were based on the Gregorian calendar, the Muslims in hot summer climates would have Ramadan during hot weather every year, forever. Some Muslims would have fasted long days while others short days, because Gregorian calendar months are fixed and immobile.

There is another interesting reason; fruits, vegetables for using the lunar calendar and some food items come in certain seasons. Fasting based on the lunar system means we may miss certain fruits in certain seasons, but by the end of the circle a Muslim would have tasted and tried different fruits during Ramadan, whereas fasting based on the Gregorian calendar would have prohibited some fruits during Ramadan, forever. This is why Muslims did not change the month of Ramadan, nor did they distort it by increasing or decreasing days, nor did they change it to different months.

The subject of fasting in Christianity is very difficult to discuss, simply because Christianity as a whole is very short on religious laws. Besides, there is fundamental disagreement among the scholars to whether Jesus (saas) commanded fasting. Fasting in Christianity seems to have evolved with time and is affected by social, political, and economic factors.

Jesus (saas) according to the Bible fasted 40 days before starting his mission. It is possible that he fasted on the Day of Atonement, which was an established tradition in Judaism. By the 4th century, there was no sign of 40 days of fasting in Christianity. There are traditions of fasting which differ greatly according to the country in which Christians live. The fast in Rome is different from the fast in Alexandria. Some abstain from meat, while others from fish and birds.

Some will not eat fruits and eggs; some just fast on white bread. Some will abstain from all the above. Certain days had been made for fasting in later centuries to commemorate some events, such as the life of Jesus. There was a fast for three days in English law.

During the time of Edward VI, James I, and the Elizabethan period, meat was prohibited during the fast, and James justified that saying: "The fishing industry and maritime commerce must become encouraged and it must be profitable." (Arkanul Arba'ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)

This is why when Allah prescribed fasting, He says: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self restraint." (Al-Qur`an, 2:184)

Islamic way of life is a way of LIFE. Thus, the scope of Islam and life should be fully convergent. As Islam is based on human nature, it also fully takes into account that nature in all its dimension. As a reflection of many different types of extremities among us as Muslims, some have divorced Islam in search of their jest and fun. Others, due to their "love" for Islam, have purified Islam and their life from any jestful dimension: so, no fun or humor. 

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (p) said, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #627]

Hadith like this is well-known and the unintended impact of such Hadith has been such that we forgot to have a sense of humor altogether. Indeed, the more religious we are, the less we laugh. On top of this, I have observed that the more religious and scholarly Muslims are, their faces are stiffer, even when they have their pictures taken. Life is more than just weeping and crying. There might be some proportionality, but there is plenty of lighter dimension of life as well. So, go ahead, cry a little, laugh a little.

The Prophet (s) usually had a very friendly, inviting disposition. He smiled, and laughed as situations "naturally" warranted. Just like he did not try to artificially induce tears in his eyes, he did not suppress his laugh during situations that were humorous. Those Hadith that indicate Prophet's (s) smile or laugh are very special to me, as those Hadith lightens me up when I need a little lift. Those Hadith also brightens my day every so often.

Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah: Simak ibn Harb asked Jabir ibn Samurah, "Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) ?" He said: Yes, very often. He (the Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stand, and they (his Companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while (the Prophet) only smiled. [Sahih Muslim, #1413]

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: A man came to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: I came to you to take the oath of allegiance to you on emigration, and I left my parents weeping. He (the Prophet) said: Return to them and make them laugh as you made them weep. [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 2, #2522]

Some people's face might have been stiff for so long that they might need little bit of help and practice to laugh. Turn to one of the fascinating creatures of God for little help. Click on our winged friend. Then, click on the clown, and you will get the hang of it!

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud: Verily the Messenger of Allah said: The last to enter Paradise would be a man who would walk once, stumble once and be burnt by the Fire once. Then when he passes beyond it, he will turn to it and say: Blessed is He Who has saved me from thee. Allah has given me something He has not given to any one of those in earlier or later times.

Then a tree would be raised for him and he will say: O my Lord! Bring me near this tree so that I may take shelter in its shade and drink of its water. Allah, the Exalted and Great, would say: O son of Adam, if I grant you this, you will ask Me for something else. He would say: No, my Lord. And he would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord would excuse him because He sees what he cannot help desiring; so He would bring him bear it, and he would take shelter in its shade and drink of its water. Afterwards a tree more beautiful than the first would be raised before him and he would say: O my Lord! Bring me near this tree in order that I may drink of its water and take shelter in its shade and I shall not ask Thee for anything else. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam, if I bring you near it you may ask me for something else. He would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord will excuse him because He sees something he cannot help desiring. So He would bring him near it and he would enjoy its shade and drink its water.

Then a tree would be raised for him at the gate of Paradise, more beautiful than the first two. He would say: O my Lord! Bring me near this (tree) so that I may enjoy its shade and drink from its water. I shall not ask Thee for anything else. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam! Did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me for anything else? He would say: Yes my Lord, but I shall not ask Thee for anything else. His Lord would excuse him for He sees something the temptation of which he could not resist.

He (Allah) would bring him near it, and when He brings him near it he would hear the voices of the inhabitants of the Paradise. He would say: O my Lord! Admit me to it. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests to Me? Will it please you if I give you the whole world and a similar one with it? He will say: O my Lord! Art Thou mocking at me, though Thou art the Lord of the worlds?

Ibn Mas'ud laughed and asked (the hearers): Why don't you ask me what I am laughing at. They (then) said: Why do you laugh? He said: It is in this way that the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) laughed. They (the companions of the Holy Prophet) asked: Why do you laugh, Messenger of Allah? He said: On account of the laugh of the Lord of the universe, when he (the desirer of Paradise) said: Art Thou mocking at me though Thou art the Lord of the worlds? He would say: I am not mocking at you, but I have the power to do whatever I wish. [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, #359, 361]

However, my dear brothers have forgotten, as most of us traditionally do, that human experience is the only one we have to "think" about Allah. In a
Hadith-e Qudsi it has been reported: "God said, 'I am to my servant as he THINKS of Me.'" [Reporter: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (r); Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 9: #596].

I would like to learn and be enlightened as to how we think of Allah without refering to human experience, when Allah himself has used human illustrations such as mother's emotion toward child to help us understand how merciful He is. The key point to remember is that we must NOT attribute any physical parameter or dimension on Allah's being. However, the question I have raised does not fall into that category.

In the Baha'i faith fasting and the obligatory prayers are the "two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of God". The sacred writings say: " We have [God has] commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age, as a bounty from His Presence..."(Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas)

To Baha'i believers, the "material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God. (Abdu'l-Baha: Selections... Abdu'l Baha)

The fasting period lasts 19 days, from March 2-20. It involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset. It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul.

Its significance and purpose are fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.

The universal fast is observed by believers from age 15 to 70. Exceptions to this obligation are those who do hard work, such as workers in heavy industries, and travellers. If one older than 70 years desires to fast and is strong enough to, one is free to do so.

In the same month of fasting, from Feb 26-March 1, which have been designated intercalary days, Baha'is make spriritual preparation by fasting, doing works of charity and gift-giving.

As believers of the Baha'i faith believe that their "spiritual being" is directly related to God, they also recite prayers of forgiveness based on the Baha'i scriptures. (Copies of some Bahai writings were furnished by Mr Daniel Chu, a Bahai representative to the IRO).

Zoroastrian tradition

Zoroastrians do not practise fasting, said Mr Russi Ghadiali, a Zoroastrian representative to the IRO. Our "religion teaches that the body must be nourished all the time to remain healthy," he clarified. However, prayers are the most important part of the Zoroastrian faith and believers are supposed to pray "at least four times a day". They also pray before meals.

The faith also emphasises the need to share what one has. "The strength of a person is not judged by how strong or rich one is but how one is helping the weak and the poor," said Mr Ghadiali.

According to Mr Ghadiali, although the Zoroastrians are the smallest religious community in the world, in India, (where they are known as Parsis or Parsees) they are acknowledged by other religious communities with the saying "Parsi, thy name is charity".

Hindu tradition

Among Hindus, fasting is traditionally observed by not consuming food on certain days of the week, or month throughout the year or by doing so for a number of days before the advent of a certain festival, said Mr Ravi-Shankar Maythil.

The degree of the fast varies according to the capacitiy of the individual. For some, it may mean not consuming food from sunrise to sunset. For more advanced saints and yogis, it could mean going without food or water for any number of days.

For Hindus, fasting does not merely mean starving the body of food. It is a spiritual discipline that signifies abstinence from anything impure that is input through the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste.

The real purpose of fasting is to control all the senses and see that they abstain and keep away from evil and undesirable things. The Sanskrit word used in the scriptures for fasting means "living with and living near God".

In its highest sense, fasting means living in the unbroken constant presence of the Lord, by chanting His name. The most common prayer to those who observe a fast is to chant the name of the Lord itself.

During Thaipusam, those carrying the kavadi will begin their observance from the day they assume the kavadi to the day of the festival when it is offered to the Lord.

During this interim, the observance will consist of taking in only pure vegetarian food (meat, excessively processed foods and other diets that are known to agitate the mind are avoided).

The person also abstains from sexual acts and all sorts of intoxicating drinks and drugs, and continually thinks of God.

Thaipusam marks the triumph of the individual against the inner enemies of Anger, Greed, Hatred, Lust, Ego and Jealousy. It marks the defeat of unrighteousness and the establishment of Righteousness in the individual.

The various penances, prayers and observances are a means towards this end. Repentance and acts of charity are part of the Hindu lifestyle.

Hence, special days are not marked out to serve this purpose.

The scriptures declare that every individual is supposed to live and practise the following axioms to all sentient beings:

* To help ever and hurt never -- even in thought, word or deed.

* To always have love for God and fear of sin. Every night Hindus recite a prayer asking the Lord for forgiveness.

Jewish tradition

There are two major and five minor days of fasting in the Jewish tradition.

Yom Kippur - literally "Day of Atonement," is the holiest day of the Jewish year, said Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, a religious leader of the Jews in Singapore. Yom Kippur is a day of "self-denial" (Lev. 23-27) so that believers may be cleansed of their sins. It is observed eight days after Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). It is believed that on Rosh Hashana God inscribes all the believers' names in the "books", and on Yom Kippur the judgment entered in these books is sealed. The days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe.

Yom Kippur is, essentially, the last chance to demonstrate repentance and change the judgment.  In addition to fasting and praying, there are other restrictions according to the Talmud (book of Jewishish civil and religious laws). Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes and engaging in sexual relations.

It is customary to wear white to symbolize purity and call to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). Prayer services on Yom Kippur are lengthy and solemn. The level of public solemnity on Yom Kippur surpasses that of any other festival, including Rosh Hashanah.

The Jews pray for forgiveness for sins between themselves and God, and correct wrongful actions between each other. Most of the holiday is spent in prayer in the synagogue. To differentiate the Yom Kippur prayer service from other days and to show the solemnity of the prayers, special melodies are used for some of the prayers.  

Tisha B'av, the second major fast, is the ninth (tisha) day in the Hebrew month of Av. It is a day of mourning. In addition to being the day on which the First and Second Temples were destroyed and Jerusalem was conquered, many other tragic events occurred on this day. Believers are prohibited from eating and drinking, washing (hands can be washed only up to the knuckles), anointing with lotions, wearing leather shoes, having marital relations and studying Torah subjects not related to the day.   At the evening prayer service, the entire congregation sits on the floor and recites the Book of Eicha (Lamentations).

The Minor Fasts: There are five minor fasts in the Jewish calendar. With one exception, these fasts were instituted by the Sages to commemorate some national tragedy. The minor fasts (that is, all fasts except Yom Kippur and Tisha Beav) last from dawn to nightfall, and one is permitted to eat breakfast if one arises before sunrise for the purpose of doing so. There is a great deal of leniency in the minor fasts for people who have medical conditions or other difficulties. The date of the fast is moved to Sunday if the specified date falls on Sabbath.

Acts of Charity must be performed especially during the month of Elul which precedes the high holidays as well as during the minor fasts as above. Charity must also be dispensed on a daily basis before and during the daily morning services. -- CN FEB 17, 2002

Hinduism is one of the ancient religions in which fasts are observed and a vast majority of the population of our country professes it. We have the following to learn about the form and manner of fasting in that faith from Prof. Mahadevan of Madras.

Among the Jews fasting was instituted in Biblical times as a sign of morning, or when danger threatened, or when the seer was preparing himself a divine revelation. Occasional fasts were also instituted for the whole community, specially when the nation believed itself to be under Divine displeasure, or a great calamity befell the land, or pestilence raged, or drought set in.

The Jewish calendar contains comparatively few regular fast-days. Besides the day of Atonement, which is the only fast-day prescribed by the Mosaic Law, there were established after the captivity four regular fast-days in commemoration of the various sad days that had befallen the nation during that period. There were fasts of the fourth month (May), of the fifth month (June), of the sixth month (July) and the tenth month (Tebet). According to some Rabbis of the Talmud these fasts were obligatory only when the nation was under oppression, but not when there was peace for Israel.

In addition to these there are other fasts which are observed in memory of certain disasters that befell Israel. These are not regarded as obligatory and have found little acceptance among the people. Their number, with a few changes, is twenty-five.

Besides the fixed fast-days, there are some other fasts which may be described as local or regional. These fasts, too, are related to an unfortunate occurrence or another in the history of the Jews. Many fasts are divided among different classes, with each class observing the fast in memory of a certain calamity, or of a particular occasion of joy or sorrow. It is customary among many Jewish communities to fast on the eve of New Year's Day. The Synagogue is empowered to impose fasting in case of a misfortune befalling the people, such as pestilence, famine, or an evil decree enforced by the ruler of the day.

Private fasts have also been frequent among the Jews during the earliest times. One may take upon oneself to fast on certain days, either in memory of certain events in his own life, or in expiation of his sins, or in time of trouble to arouse God's mercy. The Rabbis, however, did not encourage such abstinence. They positively forbade it in the case of a scholar who would be disturbed in his study, or of a teacher who would thereby be prevented from doing his work properly. Fasting was also done in consequence of seeing an evil dream. While in general no fast is permitted on Sabbaths or holidays the Talmud allows it to be undertaken on these days provide that it is complemented later by another fast.

The Jewish fasts begin at sunrise and end with the appearance of the first stars of the evening, except those of the Day of Atonement (tenth day of Seventh Month - Tisri) and the ninth of Ab (in commemoration of the first or second event of the burning down of the Tabernacle) which last from 'eve to eve'. There is no special ritual for the ordinary fast-days. The giving of charity on a fast-day, specially the distribution of food necessary for the evening meal, is encouraged.

The first nine days of Ab, and with some Jewish communities, the period from the seventeenth of Tammuz to the tenth of Ab, are regarded as partial fasts in which the eating of meat and the drinking of wine alone are forbidden. (Jewish Encyclopaedia vol.5 pg.347-9)

It is difficult to enter into a detailed discussion on the significance of fasting among the Christians. The common law of Christianity is lagging behind other religions in jurisprudence. It has, also, often been subjected to change and reform, under the stress of social and political impulsions, with the result that it can hardly be given the name of a Divine Law. We will, however, briefly trace the outline of the institution of fasting in Christianity which will also enable us to realize the extent of the alterations that have been taken place in it from time to time.

To quote from the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, 'Although he (Christ) himself fasted for 40 days before the beginning of his ministry, and probably as a devout Jew, kept the one fast-day that was obligatory at the time – the Day of Atonement – he left no regulations for fasting. He gave the principles and left his Church to make rules for carrying them out. No rules on the subject could claim to come directly from the Master himself … The Jewish Christians, doubtlessly, continued to keep the Day of Atonement, and St. Luke mentions it as an epoch but the Gentiles were almost certainly not pressed to observe it.

Fasting in Comparative Perspective

1. The purpose of Fasting in other religions and philosophies is invariably partial. It is either for spiritual aims, or for physical needs, or for intellectual cultivations. But in Islam it is for all these gains and many other purposes, social and economic, moral and humanitarian, private and public, personal and common, inner and outer, local and national – all combined together as mentioned above.

2. In other religions and dogmas, in other philosophies and doctrines, the observer of fasting abstains from certain kinds of food or drinks only, but he is free to substitute for that with other substituting food and drinks. In Islamic Fasting one abstains from all the things of material nature i.e. all kinds of food & drinks, smoking and intimate intercourse.

3. The non–Islamic fasting does not demand more than a partial abstinence from certain material things. But the Islamic Fasting is accompanied by extra devotion and worship, extra charity and study of the Qur’an, extra sociability and liveliness, In particular Islamic Fasting demands extra self-discipline and conscience-awakening: The Prophet said "Whoever does not give up lying speech and acting on those lies and evil actions [i.e. if one does not eschew lies and false conduct], God is not in need of his leaving his food and drink [i.e. God will not accept his fasting]"; also The Prophet said "When anyone of you is observing Fasting on a day , he should neither indulge in obscene language  nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say: ‘I am observing Fast’".

4. Other moral philosophies and religions teach man that he cannot attain his moral aims or enter the Kingdom of God unless and until he uproots himself from the stem of worldly affairs. Accordingly, it becomes necessary for such a man to divorce his mundane interest, to retreat from the normal course of life and to resort to some kind of severe asceticism of which fasting is an essential element. But Fasting in Islam is not a divorce from life but a happy marriage with it, not a retreat but a penetration with spiritual armaments, not a negligence but a moral enrichment. The Islamic Fasting does not divorce religion from daily life or separate the soul from body. It does not break but harmonizes. It does not dissolve but transfuses. It does not disintegrate but bridges and redeems.

5. The timetable of the Islamic Fasting is a striking phenomenon. In other religions and dogmas the time of Fasting is fixed at a certain time of the year. But in Islam the time of Fasting comes with the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the year. The Islamic Calendar is lunar one, and months go according to the various position of the moon. This means that over a period of a limited number of the years the Islamic Fasting covers the four major seasons of the year and circulates back and forth between the summer and the winter through the fall and the spring in a rotating manner. The nature of the lunar calendar is such that the month of Ramadan falls in January, for example, in one year and in December in another year, and at any time in between during the succeeding years. In a spiritual sense this means that the Muslim enjoys the moral experience of Fasting on various levels, and tastes its spiritual flavors at variant seasons of variant climates, sometimes in the winter of short and cold days, sometimes in the summer of long and hot days, sometimes in between. But this variety of experience remains at all times an impressive feature of the liveliness of the Islamic institution. It also stands as an unfailing expression of readiness, dynamism and adaptability on the part of the Muslim believer. This is certainly a healthy, remarkable component of the teachings of Islam.

Lecturer of Entomology – Faculty of Agriculture – Al-Azhar University

Wonderfully, in the world of insects beetles tend to spend the winter season on peaks of mountains, with their freezing temperature. As soon as they feel the coldness of air and the approach of the winter season, they hasten to peaks of mountains as if they call their species to swim against the current.

It is well known that peaks of mountains and lofty locations in the European countries are very cold to the extent that they are covered with snow and consequently the (degree of) temperature lowers to thirty degrees centigrade below zero.

No doubt, such a freezing temperature will have effect on these insects, in the sense of making them in dire need of extra amount of energy, though their bodies are filled with fatty substances on which they can depend throughout the overwinter and fasting period; that extra energy will provide them with warmness, especially in the latter days of the winter season.

A question arises here: What about those insects whose time of breaking fast isn’t due yet? Do they give in to such critical condition or Allah Almighty grants them a proper means to overcome it?

Of course, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, Who has fashioned all His creatures in a very beautiful manner and perfection, has bestowed on each creature the proper means to lead a satisfied life. So, Allah does not let these insects or other creatures down. Actually, an important process happens within bodies of these insects during their migration to mountains' peaks. During this period, they eat hungrily and store the extra amounts in the form of fats.

At the same time, they abstain from drinking water. Hence, the ratio of water diminishes in their bodies and the free water existing in their bodies takes another form, i.e. bounded water.

This kind of water dissolves some ingredients and turns them into a high-condensed shape of water. This process is of paramount importance for these insects which, thereby, gain the ability to endure the low degrees of temperature. Consequently, water in their bodies does not freeze when (the degree of) temperature becomes below zero.

If the temperature reduce harshly to an extraordinary degree that cannot be endured, Allah's mercy with these creatures provides them with another important characteristic, which enables them to get an extraordinary energy through the water reserved in their bodies, and it’s normally within the inherent temperature of water.

If the air temperature lowers to thirty degrees centigrade below zero, the insects will release water's energy and thus the temperature of their bodies will rise to zero.

Lecturer of Entomology – Faculty of Agriculture – Al-Azhar University

Penguin is one of the sea birds that live in the cold regions. In fact, there are 17 species of these birds in the entire world. Only one of these species inhabits the North Pole territories while the remaining species are distributed widely in the Southern Hemisphere, extending along south Australia, Africa and America.

These species differ totally in their way of laying and hatching eggs. As for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, they spend the winter therein. With the coming of spring, they return in groups to their native land in the North Pole, covering (a distance of) hundreds of miles until they reach their destination and proper location for reproduction. Upon arriving there, they start immediately building their nests out of stone pieces.

Following three weeks from their arrival, they will have completed building these nests and the process of procreation. In the usual course of things, the female lays two white eggs mixed with blue color. The male penguin undertakes the task of brooding eggs instead of the female penguin, which is engrossed in seeking food in the deep-water seas.

On the other hand, the male penguin goes on in a state of fasting for two weeks until the chicks (the young penguins) develop. When this happens, the male penguin rushes at maximum speed into the sea to drink some of the seawater and to eat from Allah’s provisions.

It eats this food in a state of merriment whereas the female penguin (the mother) comes back in order to feed the flourishing young penguins.

Unlike all species of penguins, there is another kind called "the Emperor" which does not build nests for the young. Actually, it spends winter in the North Frozen Zone wherein it lays its eggs; the mother lays the eggs, not on snow, but on its back feet.

Sometimes, the male penguin (the father) may relieve her and they remain in a state of fasting throughout the winter season.

With the advent of spring, the ice melts and the eggs are incubated reproducing those young penguins. The secret behind this strict kind of fasting is that the (penguin’s) eggs require this specific degree of coldness. Practically, when the young penguins grow up, they start observing fasting through abstaining from food until their down falls out and their bodies are covered with feathers. At this very moment, they rush into water declaring the end of this fasting through having food and drink.

As for the old penguins, they also observe fasting for another period that is sufficient to replace their old feathers with another which is more glowing and flourishing. They throw themselves into the sea merrily as if they imitate the human beings when they wear new clothes on the coming of the `Eid that comes after fasting in Ramadan or as if the human beings imitate these wondrous creatures. More accurately, we can say, "It is a recurring Sunnah in Allah's creation."
Allah, Most High, says,

[…That is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing]

The aquatic environment introduces to us various patterns of fish species that fast. Here we present the fasting of the red salmon whose natural fasting is considered one of Allah’s signs and an image of the wondrous biological diversity.

In the early stages of life, these species inhabit fresh water. Before long they migrate to salt water in the seas and oceans.

Characteristically, red salmon spend one part of their life, extending from about four to seven years, in the high seas. When they are about to mature sexually and prepare to reproduce, they gather together in the ocean via a tough journey from four to five thousand kilometers.

Afterwards, each species heads for its native land, and they continue their journey to reach the mouth of the river in which they were hatched.

Wonderfully, these fish start their fasting as soon as they leave salt water swimming to fresh water. This journey lasts for several months.

Obviously, they make use of the sensitive feeling generated by the long period of fasting to recognize the proper location.

Each fish swims upstream in the river in which it was hatched to reproduce in the same place from which it originated. When they are guided to the fitting place, the salmon start to dig holes for eggs.

Generally speaking, both parents share in this work. The females lay eggs, then the males cover them with their sperm to fertilize them externally, as is the case with most great fish.

Following this process, the females are motivated by instinct to cover the eggs with an appropriate layer of soil from the riverbed.

They stay behind the eggs until they incubate and the young red salmon come out of their holes and shake off their dust. Both parents cast a final look on the young and realize that they have successfully concluded their mission.

Then they pass away in a state of fasting in the same location, leaving behind a new generation of the young that prepare themselves for another cycle of suffering that is experienced by all creatures.

When those young grow up and become sexually mature, they will start their fasting and then pass away in a state of fasting in their fathers’ birthplace.

[Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).]

Al-Azhar University

The world of insects introduces us patterns of fasting that indicate Allah's Omnipotence and Wonder in His creation. Although it is well known that food is among the factors of growth for living organisms, silkworms prove that fasting and abstaining absolutely from food and drink do not impair the body. Rather, it reforms these creatures in a captivating and wondrous way. In order to grasp the secrets of this fasting, firstly we should look into some facts about the lifecycle of this creature; this can be shown as follows:

In the beginning of spring, the eggs incubate small gluttonous larvae. The newly hatched larvae do not take long before they feed on mulberry leaves for five days. Their bodies, thereby, grow up too quickly to the extent that their skin cannot bear this rapid development and thus be replaced by another spacious one. Thus, they are obliged to observe fasting for one or two days until their bodies are physiologically adapted to cast away the old skin. This process recurs five times during the earliest stage before the completion of this metamorphosis in a period amounting to thirty days. Eventually, they will have completed the stage of development and reached a remarkable size.

When the larva reaches this size, it certainly enters into another kind of fasting that extends for about six days. Thus, it takes shelter in a quiet location to spin a covering for their pupal stage.

Truly speaking, it’s very captivating to know that the larva spins only one thread of fine, strong, lustrous fiber whose length ranges from 400 to 1200 meters. This covering is called cocoons, which are the source of commercial silk that souls yearn to wear garments made of it but for Allah, Most High, has prohibited it (silky clothes) to men and made it lawful for women. At this very moment, we can say that the worm has entered into the no-feeding stage (between the larva and adult in the metamorphosis of holometabolous insects), during which the larva typically undergoes complete transformation within a protective cocoon.

The pupal stage needs complete quietness for it is not actually one of the stages of development or hibernation however it seems as such. Rather, it resembles an important stage in the life of this wondrous insect, which is subject to various kinds of sequent and rapid transformations. This stage prepares these insects to transform and reshape into another following stage.

Eventually, the dormant fasting worm turns into a rebellious giant that destroys fetters to get out into the spacious world. It secretes a caustic liquid that dissolves a part of this cocoon to raise the covering, producing a beautiful organism called the silkworm moth, which lays its eggs after fertilization. It spends the remaining five days of its life in a state of fasting after it lays its fertilized eggs, which will be hatched in the coming spring to restart the cycle once again. Glory be to Allah, the Originator, the Restorer!

Snails are small, snail-like gastropod mollusks. Some live in water, others on land. They have a slow-moving elongated body with a shell to protect them from danger.

Ground snails prefer damp areas. They bury themselves under the surface layer of the earth during broad daylight and become active at night and on cloudy days. They do so to avoid the heat and light of the sun so that their skin won’t dry. 

Snails get their nutrition from plants and from organic substances in the soil. They are so greedy while eating that their bodies acquire extra fat. 

Where winters are cold, snails hibernate like many other animals, fasting through the cold weather. But they also fast in hot weather.

Allah Almighty has provided theses creatures with the ability to secrete a mucus cover for themselves to protect their bodies from drying out. During hot, dry periods, snails are threatened with dehydration.

So they seal themselves off with a parchmentlike membrane, and often attach themselves to tree trunks, fences or walls. During this time they fast until cooler, wetter weather comes. Both males and females do this.

When the cooler weather comes, snails come out of their shelters to seek their nutrition, declaring the end of their fast. At that time they have lost their extra fat and returned to their vitality. 

Almighty Allah gives His slaves many examples of the variety of life and proofs of the oneness of the Creator.

Lecturer of Entomology – Faculty of Agriculture – Al-Azhar University  

There are many types of spiders in the world. Spiders have eight legs, mandibles converted into poison fangs, two feelers, and a large unsegmented abdomen bearing several spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects. Spiders have six or eight eyes on the back of the cephalothorax, the upper part of their body.

There is a Surah  in the Noble Qur’an called "Al-Ankabout", meaning "The Spider". There Allah says: "The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew." [Al-Ankabout 41]

Spiders played a great role in hiding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) when they were in the Cave of Thawr on the way to Al-Madinah during the course of the Hijrah (the Prophet’s emmigration from Makkah to Madinah). Spiders spun a great web across the entrance of the cave, and this misled the polytheists who were seeking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion. They thought that the spiders had spun their web years before Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born.

Spiders fast during the period of laying eggs and incubating them. At that time they do not have any sort of food. Female spiders spin nests and coccoons and lay their eggs. Then they remain there all the time to protect the eggs till the young emerge. The length of incubating varies from one species of spider to another. But in all cases, this term is spent without any food, which makes the spiders very weak.

From specific glands the spiders release some liquids that are necessary for feeding the young, who are not able to seek their food by themselves until they grow up. So they take these juices until they are able to hunt their food from the surrounding environment.

At that time mother spiders break their fast and return back to their normal life. This is another demonstration of Allah’s Power manifest in His creatures. Chance has nothing to do with such demonstrations of Allah’s Might. Rather it is the ultimate truth of creation.

She, Fatimah the Resplendent One, was just twenty nine years old

[ And if anyone believes in Allah, (Allah) guides his heart (aright)] (At-Taghabun 64:11). 

The guidance of the heart is the basis of all guidance, the law of all success, the origin of every deed, and head of every action. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Truly there is a piece of flesh in the body which, if it be wholesome, the whole body will be healthy and which, and if it be diseased, the whole body will be diseased. Truly it is the heart."

Thus the goodness of your heart is the guarantee of your happiness in this world and in the hereafter. Likewise, its corruption is the surest way to destruction, the extent of which only Allah knows.

[ In this, behold, there is indeed a reminder for everyone whose heart is wide-awake — that is [everyone who] lends ear with a conscious mind] (Qaf 50:37).

Every human has a heart. In reality though, they are two hearts. One is a heart that is alive and pulsating with the light of faith. It is filled with intense conviction and God-consciousness. The other is a dead heart, covered and diseased with every wreckage and rubbish.

Allah Almighty says concerning the hearts of the foolish folk:

[ In their hearts is disease, and so God lets their disease increase] (Al-Baqarah 2:10).

[ But they say, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge." Nay, but God has rejected them because of their refusal to acknowledge the truth: for, few are the things in which they believe] (Al-Baqarah 2:88).

Allah also says:

Will they not, then, ponder over this Qur’an? — or are there locks upon their hearts?

(Muhammad 47:24).

[ And so they say, [as it were:] "Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness"] (Fussilat 41:5).

From all these verses we learn that hearts can become ill, they can be covered and locked, and they die. The enemies of Allah have hearts in their bosoms but they do not perceive with these hearts. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say:

"O Dispenser of hearts, make my heart firm in Your religion."

The heart of the believer fasts during Ramadan and outside of Ramadan. The fasting of the heart is done by emptying it of all corrupt material such as destructive forms of shirk (associating others with Allah), false beliefs, evil suggestions, filthy intentions, and degenerate thoughts. The heart of the believer is adorned with the love of Allah. It knows its Lord by His names and His qualities as He has described Himself. This heart explores with a discerning eye the lines of His names and qualities, and the pages of Allah’s making in the universe, and the books of His creations.

The believer’s heart is filled with a brilliant light which does not allow any darkness to remain with it. It is the light of the eternal message, the divine teachings, and the divine laws. To it is added the natural light upon which the servants of Allah were created. Thus two great lights come together

[ Light upon light! God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided]; and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things] (An-Nur 24:36).

The believer’s heart glows like a lamp, shines like the sun, and sparkles like the morning light. It increases in faith whenever the believer listens to the verses of the Qur’an, it grows in conviction when it contemplates and increases in guidance when it reflects. The believer’s heart abstains from pride because it invalidates the heart’s fast. Pride does not reside in the heart of a believer because it is unlawful.

Allah Almighty says in a hadith qudsi:

"Pride is My upper garment and grandeur is My lower one, whoever contests with Me for them I will punish him."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself said:

"Whoever shows arrogance to Allah, He will humble him, and whoever is humble to Allah, He will raise him in station."

The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from egotism. Egotism is when the individual sees himself as perfect, better than others, and in possession of good qualities that are not found in anyone else. This may cause one to be totally destroyed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"(There are) three things which are totally destructive: a person’s self-centeredness and conceit, his reluctance to obey, and his following of his desires."

The cure for this self-importance is to look at one’s own faults, one’s many shortcomings, the thousands of sins and misdeeds that one has committed, the wrongs that one has done and forgotten but the knowledge of which are with Allah in a book. For Allah is not led astray nor does He forget.

The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from envy because it lowers righteous deeds, puts out the light of the heart, and stops its progress toward Allah the Most High. Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an:

[ Do they, perchance, envy other people for what God has granted them out of His bounty?] (An-Nisaa’ 4:54).

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed one of his Companions three times that he would be among the people of Paradise. When he was asked about what was it that had earned him a place in Paradise, the man said, "I do not sleep with envy, grudge, or deceit in my heart for any Muslim."

Are there any hearts that would reflect on this?!

O Allah guide our hearts to the straight path and make it firm on faith, O Lord of the worlds.

Taken from the book: Thirty Lessons for Those Who Fast (published by Message of Islam)

How to Keep Away from Pride? 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

"Kibr or false pride is undoubtedly one of the most heinous of all sins, for it is not becoming of Man—who is a servant of Allah—to act proudly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "No one who harbors an atom’s weight of pride in his heart can hope to enter Paradise." Allah has warned those who act proudly of terrible chastisements in the Hereafter.

The opposite of pride is humility. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) acted as a perfect role model of humility for us. Thus he was never tired of reminding himself that he was a servant of Allah. He used to say, "I am a servant of Allah; I sit like a servant and eat like a servant." He also said, "Whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah will exalt him and enhance his honor and dignity." It is, therefore, imperative that we develop the attitude of humility.

How do you develop humility?

As Imam al-Ghazali has stated, the only way one who is guilty of pride (kibr) can condition himself to be humble is by using both the cognitive and practical resources and using them to acquire the habit of humility.

1. The cognitive steps involve knowing first why you are acting so proudly and then convincing yourself against it. For instance, if you are proud because of the wealth you possess, then you should think of what became of those who were wealthy and acted proudly. Think of the terrible fate of Pharaoh, Nimrod, Qaroon, etc. Think of those rich people who never benefited from their riches; rather their riches became a source of doom and gloom for them.

2. You should also remind yourself of your true status as a creature of Allah. You was born of a despicable drop of semen; that was your beginning. As for your end, you will be reduced after death to a rotten corpse eaten by worms and finally disintegrating into the earth. How can anyone who is aware of his true nature act so proudly?

On the other hand, think of the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who, in spite of being the best and the chosen servant of Allah, was always so humble that he never set himself apart from his people in any way. Thanks to his humility, Allah has exalted his status. As opposed to this, the status of those who acted proudly became diminished in the sight of Allah as well as people; people today only remember them with utmost contempt and derision.

3. To reinforce this concept further, list as many verses and Hadiths as you can find that speak about the terrible punishments or fate awaiting those who are proud.

Now coming to the practical tips to counter pride and learn humility. We cannot break any bad habit unless we acquire the opposite habit. So if you wish to break the habit of pride, you should do what the humble people do consistently until humility becomes a second nature with you. This will be easy when you use every opportunity to be humble when you meet people. You should be consistent in this behavior until humility is acquired as a habit, just as you had acquired the habit of being proud.

Concomitantly with all of these, turn to Allah in repentance and pray to Him to inspire you with humility. You can use the following supplications:

Allaahumma innee a`aoodhu bika min ash-shiqaqi wa an-nifaaqi wasoo’ al-akhlaaq

(O Allah I seek refuge and protection in You from discord, hypocrisy and all base morals and character).

Allaahumma habbib ilaynaa al-imaana wa zayyinhu fee quloobinaa wa karrih ilaynaa al-kufra wa al-fusuqa wa al-`isyaana

(O Allah! Make faith dear to our heart and beautify it in our heart, and make us hate unbelief, corruption and disobedience)."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.muslims.ca

You can also read:

Refinement of the Soul (Tazkiyat an-Nafs )

Allah Almighty knows best.

Intro: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Assalamu alaykum wa Rahmatulahi wa Barakatuh

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa." Quran 2:183

"Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul."

"People of the world don’t look at themselves, and so they blame one another."

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering."

"Whereas the average individuals "often have not the slightest idea of what they are, of what they want, of what their own opinions are," self-actualizing individuals have "superior awareness of their own impulses, desires, opinions, and subjective reactions in general."

"Retire into yourself as much as possible. Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those whom you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one. People learn as they teach."

I do hope that we will learn something as well as enjoy listening.

Islam Without Fear offers a very interesting socio-political understanding of modern Egypt . Through the book one can better understand, though not necessarily sympathize, with the motives of various groups of people within Egyptian society. Anyone seeking to comprehend the religious, secular and political make-up of Egypt today should read this book.

Ramadan Challenges in History

All praises to Allah, Lord of the worlds. He who revealed in His Glorious Quran, "Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your duty to your Lord (having taqwa)," 2:185. And may blessings and-peace of Allah be upon His last Messenger Muhammad ibn Abdullah, forever.

Oh you who believe, Ramadan is a sacred month wherein Almighty Allah is constantly testing His creation and giving humanity the opportunity to achieve infinite, endless Bliss. Fasting is a complete purification and a means to developing the consciousness of Allah's presence. The consciousness of Allah, Taqwa, is a protection against the schemes of Shaitan, and the suffering of this world. Allah has informed us that, "Whoever keeps his duty to Allah (has taqwa), He ordains a way out for him and gives him sustenance from where he imagines not. And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah attains His purpose. Allah has appointed a measure for everything." (65:2)

Many Muslims today have a misconception about fasting and the activities of a fasting person. They go into a state of semi-hibernation, spending most of their daylight hours in bed. If they fear Allah, they wake up for prayer, but then return to sleep immediately. This unnatural sleep makes them become lazy, dull witted and often cranky.

Ramadan is actually a time of increased activity wherein the believer, now lightened of the burdens of constant eating and drinking, should be more willing to strive and struggle for Allah. The Prophet passes through approximately nine Ramadan's after the Hijrah. They were filled with decisive events and left us a shining example of sacrifice and submission to Allah.

In the first year after the Hijrah, the Prophet sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib with thirty Muslim riders to Saif al Bahr to investigate three hundred riders from Quraish who had camped auspiciously in that area. The Muslims were about to engage the disbelievers, but they were separated by Majdy ibn Umar al-Juhany. The Hypocrites of Al-Madinah, hoping to oppose the unity of the Muslims, built their own masjid (called Masjid al-Direr). The Prophet ordered this masjid to be destroyed in Ramadan.

On the seventeenth of Ramadan, 3 A.H., Almighty Allah separated truth from falsehood at the Great Battle of Badr. The Prophet and 313 of his companions set out to intercept a caravan of their own goods that had been left in Makkah. It was led by Abu Sufyan, himself, and estimated at 60,000 dinars. They were met, instead, by a well equipped army of the nobility of Quraish, intent on putting out the light of Islam. Despite being outnumbered three to one and appearing weak and unseasoned, the Muslims defended their faith with a burning desire to protected the Prophet and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah gave them a decisive victory on this day of Ramadan, that would never to be forgotten.

In 6 A.H., Zaid ibn Haritha was sent to Wadi al-Qura at the head of a detachment to confront Fatimah bint Rabiah, the queen of that area. Fatimah had previously attacked a caravan led by Zaid and had succeeded in plundering its wealth. She was known to be the most protected woman in Arabia, as she hung fifty swords of her close relatives in her home. Fatimah was equally renowned for showing open hostility to Islam. She was killed in a battle against these Muslims in the month of Ramadan.

By Ramadan of 8 A H., the treaty of Hudaibiyya had been broken and the Muslim armies had engaged the Byzantines in the North. Muhammad felt the need to strike a fatal blow to disbelief in the Arabian Peninsula and conquer the city of Mecca. Allah had declared His Sanctuary a place of peace, security and religious sanctity. Now the time had come to purify the Kaabah of nakedness and abomination. The Prophet set out with an army having more armed men than Al-Madinah had ever seen before. People were swelling the army's ranks as it moved toward Makkah. The determination of the believers, guided by the Will of Allah, became so awesome that the city of Makkah was conquered without a battle, on - 20 Ramadan. This was one of the most important dates in Islamic history for after it, Islam was firmly entrenched in the Arabian Peninsula. During the same month and year, after smashing the idols of Makkah, detachments were sent to the major centers of polytheism and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa, some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were destroyed.

Such was the month of Ramadan in the time of the Prophet. It was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding evil, and striving hard with one's life and wealth. After the death of the Prophet, Muslims carried on this tradition and Allah used the true believers to affect the course of history. Ramadan continued to be a time of great trials and crucial events.

Ninety-two years after the Hujrah, Islam had spread across North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Spain was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had forced his six million serfs and persecuted Jews to seek the aid of the Muslims of North Africa in order to be delivered.

Musa ibn Husair, the Umayyad governor of North Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad at the head of 12,000 Berber and Arab troops. In Ramadan of that year, they were confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led by Roderic, himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory silver, and precious gems and drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariq preached to the Muslims warning them that and Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat and the sea to the rear. T

hey burst with great enthusiasm and Allah manifested a clear victory over the forces of disbelief. Not only was Roderic and his forces completely annihilated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating whole of Spain, Sicily and of France. This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.

In the year 682 A.H., Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, after battling with the Crusaders for years, finally drove them out of Syria and the whole of their occupied lands in the month of Ramadan. The Muslim world was then destined to meet one of its most frightening challenges.

In the seventh century A.H., the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying everything that lay in their path Genghis Khan called himself "the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins."

In 617 A.H. Samarkand, Ray, and Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than 700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Baghdad, the leading city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimates say that as many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome carnage.

The Christians were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the masjids and no Azan (call to prayer) was allowed.

In the wake of such a horrible disaster and with the threat of the whole Muslim world; and then Europe being subjected to the same fate, Allah raised up from the Mamluks of Egypt, Saifuddin Qutz, who, united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on 26th Ramadan, 468 A.H. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah, cunning strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror.

The whole of the civilized world sighed in relief and stood in awe at the remarkable achievement of these noble sons of Islam.

This was the spirit of Ramadan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer while calling upon Allah for His mercy and forgiveness.

Today, the Muslim world is faced with drought, military aggression, widespread corruption and tempting materialism. Surely we are in need of believers who can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet, the illustrious Sahabah, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Qutuz, Salahuddin and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we are in need of believers who are unafraid of the threats of the disbelievers, yet kind and humble to the believing people; Muslims whose fast is complete and not just a source of hunger and thirst.

May Allah raise up a generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to all corners of the globe in a manner that befits our age, and may He give us the strength and the success to lay the proper foundations for them. May Allah make us of those who carry out our Islam during Ramadan and after it, and may He not make us of those who say what they do not do. Surely Allah and His Angels invoke blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad. Oh you who believe send blessings and peace to him forever.

Answer:

It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "While a man was strutting in two gowns out of self-admiration, Allah caused the earth to swallow him up, and he has been submerging therein up to the Day of Resurrection."

And it was reported that Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Destruction lies in two things: self-admiration and despair." Ibn Mas`ud put self-admiration and despair together because happiness cannot be obtained without exerting much effort; the despairing person does not make any effort because of his despair, and the self-admiring person believes that he has got what he wants, so he feels he does not have to make any effort either.

Self-admiration leads to pride, and pride leads to many destructive flaws.

Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, favored man when He created him and provided him with all the blessings he has. Therefore, no one should be self-admiring because of his actions, knowledge, beauty, or wealth, as these are bounties provided by Allah out of His Grace. Even man’s being favored with such bounties is another favor from Allah upon him!

Moreover, even a person’s righteous deeds will not admit him to Paradise because it is Allah Who guides him and enables him to do them. It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." They (the Prophet’s Companions) said, "Not even you, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Someone may say that a nobleman may be self-admiring because of his noble lineage, and he may wish that his noble relatives intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection.

Commenting on this, we can say that all Muslims wish for intercession on their behalf, and it is true that intercession may not be accepted when one’s sins are very great. Allah the Almighty declares, [… Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you…] (Al-Hujurat 49: 13)

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his daughter, "O Fatimah, I have no power (to protect you) from Allah in anything." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Therefore, it is only a person’s righteous deeds and good qualities that make him noble or honorable in the sight of Allah. Besides, we have on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I should not find that any of you should come on the Day of Resurrection with a growling camel mounted on his neck and should appeal to me for help saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, help me,’ and I should say, ‘I have no authority to help you; I already communicated to you.’" (reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

So, whoever knows and comprehends these facts will start occupying the rest of his life with as many acts of worship and obedience as he can, as this is the only road to success.

Signs

sanurīhim •āyātina fī al•āfāqi wafī anfusihim ĥatta yatabayyana lahum annahu alĥaqqu awalam yakfi birabbika annahu `ala kulli shaī•in shahīdun

"Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?" Q41:53

wa•ida `alima min •āyātina shaī•an attaķhadaha huzuwan ūla•ika lahum `adābun muhīn

"And when he learns something of Our Signs, he takes them in jest: for such there will be a humiliating Penalty." Q45:9

waqul alĥamdu lillahi sayurīkum •āyātihi fata’rifūnaha wamaa rabbuka biĝh āfilin `amma ta’malūn

"And say: "Praise be to God, Who will soon show you His Signs, so that ye shall know them"; and thy Lord is not unmindful of all that ye do." Q27:93

One should know that in the fast (Sawm) is a special quality that is not found in anything else. And that is its close connection to Allah, such that He says:

"The Fast (Sawm) is for Me and I will reward it."

This connection is enough to show the high status of fasting. Similarly, the Ka`bah is highly dignified due to its close connection to Him, as occurs in His statement:

"And sanctify My House."

Indeed, the fast is only virtuous due to two significant concepts:

THE FIRST: It is a secret and hidden action, thus, no one from the creation is able to see it. Therefore Riya’ (showing off) cannot enter into it.

THE SECOND: It is a means of subjugating the enemies of Allah. This is because the road that the enemies (of Allah) embark upon (in order to misguide the Son of Adam) is that of desires. And eating and drinking strengthens the desires. There are many reports that indicate the merits of fasting, and they are well known.

The pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and delaying in taking it are preferable, as well as hastening to break the fast and doing so with dates. Generosity in giving is also recommended during Ramadan, as well as doing good deeds and increasing in charity. This is in accordance with the way of the Messenger of Allah. It is also recommended to study the Qur’an and perform I`tikaf (seclusion in the mosque for worship) during Ramadan, especially in its last ten days, as well as increasing upon the exertion (towards doing good deeds) in it. In the two Sahihs, `A’ishah said: "When the last ten days (of Ramadan) would come, the Prophet would tighten his waist wrapper (izaar)". The scholars have mentioned two views concerning the meaning of ‘tighten his wrapper (Izaar)’ The first is that it means the turning away from women. The second is that it is an expression denoting his eagerness and diligence in doing good deed. They also say that the reason for: the last ten days of Ramadan was due to his seeking of the Night of Power (Laylatul-Qadr).

There are three levels of fasting, the general fast, the specific fast and the more specific fast. As for the general fast, then it is the refraining of ones stomach and their private parts from fulfilling their desires. The specific fast is the refraining of ones gaze, tongue, hands, feet, hearing and eyes, as well as the rest of his body parts from committing sinful acts. As for the more specific fast, then it is the heart’s abstention from its yearning after the worldly affairs and the thoughts which distance one away from Allah, as well as its (the heart’s) abstention. From all the things that Allah has placed on the same level. From the characteristics of the specific fast is that one lowers his gaze and safeguards his tongue from the repulsive speech that is forbidden, disliked, or which has no benefit, as well as controlling the rest of his body parts. In a Hadith by Al-Bukhari: "Whosoever does not abandon false speech and the acting upon it, Allah is not in need off his food and drink."

Another characteristic of the specific fast is that one does not overfill himself with food during the night. Instead, he eats in due measure, for indeed, the son of Adam does not fill a vessel more evil than his stomach. If he were to eat his fill during the first part of the night, he would not make good use of himself for the remainder of the night. In the same way, if he eats to his fill for Suhoor, he does make good use of himself until the afternoon. This is because excessive eating breads laziness and lethargy therefore, the objective of fasting disappears due to one's excessiveness in eating, for what is indeed intended by the fast, is that one savors the taste of hunger and becomes an abandoner of desires.

As for the recommended fasts, then know that preference for fasting is established incertain virtuous days. Some of these virtuous days happen every year, such as fasting the first six days of Shawwal after Ramadan, fasting the day of `Arafah, the day of `Ashura’, and the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram. Some of them occur every month, such as the first part of the month, the middle part of it, and the last part of it. So whoever fasts the first part of it, the middle part of it and the last part of it, then he has done well. Some fasts occur every week, and they are every Monday and Thursday. The most virtuous of the recommended fasts is the fast of Prophet Dawud. He would fast one day and break his fast the next day. This achieves the following three objectives, the soul is given its share on the day the fast is broken. And on the day of fasting, it completes its share in full. The day of eating is the day of giving thanks and the day of fasting is the day of having patience. And Faith (Iman) is divided into two halves- that of thankfulness and that of patience. It is the most difficult struggle for the soul. This is because every time the soul gets accustomed to a certain condition, it transfers itself that. As for fasting every day, then it has been reported by Muslim, from the Hadith of Abu Qatadah that `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him: What is the case if one were to fast everyday? So he, peace and blessing be upon him, said: ‘‘He did not fast nor did he break his fast or, he did not fast and he did not break his fast.’’ This is concerning the one who fasts continuously, even during the days in which fasting is forbidden.

Know that the one who has been given intellect, knows the objective behind fasting.Therefore, he burdens himself to the extent that he will not be unable to do that which is more beneficial than it. Ibn Mas`ud would fast very little and it is reported that he used to say: "When I fast, I grow weak in my prayer. And I prefer the prayer over the (optional) fast." Some of the Companions would weaken in their recitation of the Qur’an when fasting. Thus, they would exceed in breaking their fast (i.e.. by observing less optional fasts), until they were able to balance their recitation. Every individual is knowledgeable of his condition and of what will rectify it.

* Excerpted from www.islaam.com with slight modifications. This article is taken from the book Mukhtasar Minhaajul-Qaasideen (p. 38-41) of the illustrious scholar and righteous Imam, Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi (d. 529A.H.). This article was translated by Isma`il Ibn Al-Arkan and edited by Abu Khalil.

If he becomes angry with his brother, the true Muslim restrains his anger and is quick to forgive him, and does not see any shame in doing so. Rather, he sees it as a good deed which will bring him closer to Allah and earn him His love which He bestows only on those who do good:

There are essentially two component factors in any work which a man has to perform. The first thing is the purpose for which a work is done and the second thing is the particular shape of that work which is chosen to achieve that purpose. For instance, take the case of food your object in taking food is to remain alive and maintain your strength. The method of achieving this object is that you take a morsel, put it in your mouth, masticate it and push it below the throat. This method is adopted by you since it is the most effective and proper one to achieve this object. But everyone of you knows that the main thing is the purpose for which food is taken and not he form and procedure of this action. What will you say if anybody were to make a morsel of saw-dust or cinder or mud, put it in his mouth, chew and gulp it? You will say only this that his brain is out of order. Why? Because this idiot did not understand the real purpose of eating and is suffering form the misunderstanding that only the aforesaid four component acts constitute eating. Likewise, you will call that person also mad who soon after taking the food vomits it by thrusting his fingers into his throat them complains that the benefits said to accrue from taking food have not been availed of by him and that, contrarily, he is daily getting lean and is on the verge of death. This fool blames the food for his growing weakness little realizing that it is due to his own stupidity. He imagined, due to his intellectual deficiency, that life vitality could be got by fulfilling those requirements which constitute the act of eating. As such, he thought why should he sustain the load of food in his stomach? "Why not throw it out so that the stomach may become light? I have already fulfilling the requirements of eating", he surmises, Naturally he has himself to suffer the penalty of harboring such a foolish idea and then implementing it also. He ought to have known that until the bread gets digested after entering the stomach and having transformed into blood, is diffused into the whole body the vitality of life cannot be obtained. Although outward actions are also necessary, because without them the bread cannot reach the stomach, yet the object cannot be achieved by merely fulfilling the outward actions. There is no magic in these actions that by merely fulfilling them, blood starts running in a wizardly manner in the veins of a man. Blood will be obviously produced according to the law prescribed by Allah. If you break it, you will kill yourself by your own hands. 

If you ponder over the example I have just placed before you in detail, you can understand why your ‘`Ibadat’ have become inefficacious today. As I have already pointed out repeatedly, the greatest mistake of all is to regard the acts of Salah and fasting and their outward shape as real ‘`Ibadat’ and you suffer from the delusion that whoever fulfilled these requirements performed the ‘`Ibadat’ of Allah. You are just like that person who thinks that performance of four acts, i.e. making the morsel, putting it in the mouth, masticating it and pushing it below the throat makes up the process of eating, and that whoever did these four things has eaten the food and so should receive the benefits of eating irrespective of whether he pushed down in his stomach mud and stone, or vomited the bread soon after eating it. If you have a little sense then tell me how a man who is fasting and is thus engaged in the ‘`Ibadat’ of Allah from morning till evening, can in the midst of that ‘`Ibadat’ utter a lie and indulge in backbiting? Why does he quarrel at the slightest pretext and utter abuses from his mouth? How dare he encroach on other people’s rights? How does he indulge in acquiring illicit money and giving money to others illicitly? And having done all these thing, he still thinks that he has performed ‘`Ibadat’ of Allah? Does this not resemble the work of that person who eats cinder and mud and thinks that by merely completing the four requirements of eating he has actually done the job of eating. 

Then tell me how is it that when you are relieved after doing Allah’s ‘`Ibadat’ for about 360 hours throughout Ramadan all the effect of this whole exercise in piety disappears on the 1st of Shawwal? You do during the ‘`Eid’ days all that Hindus do in their festivals, so much so that in the cities even adultery, wine-drinking and gambling are resorted to on ‘`Eid’ day. And I have seen some wretched people who keep fast during the day and drink wine and commit adultery in the night. The general Muslims, by the grace of Allah, are not degenerated to that extent but after the end of Ramadan how many of you are there who retain some effects of piety and virtuousness on the second day of ‘`Eid’ also? Which law of Allah is left un-violated? What part of your time is devoted to good deeds, and how much is selfishness reduced? 

Think and ponder as to what after all can be the reason for this? I assure you that its only reason is that the very meaning and purport of ‘`Ibadat’ has become twisted in your mind. You think that mere abstention from eating and drinking throughout the day is called fasting and that this alone is ‘`Ibadat’. Therefore you observe it meticulously. You fee the fear of Allah to that extent that you avoid every transgression which even slightly endangers the break-up of the fast so much so that even if the life is at stake, you are not prepared to break the fast. But you do not know that being merely hungry and thirsty is not real ‘`Ibadat’ but only a form of it. And the purpose of prescribing this form is to create in you the fear of Allah and love of Allah, and thereby develop in you so much strength that by repressing yourself, you are enabled to avoid the seemingly profitable things but which actually displease Allah, while, on the other hand, by controlling yourself you make yourself agreeable to those things which possibly entail risks and losses but definitely please Allah. This strength can be developed only when you understand the purpose of fasting and make use of the practice you have gone through for curbing the corporeal urges, under fear of Allah and love for Allah, and them making these urges work according to the pleasure of Allah. But soon after Ramada you throw to the winds this practice as well as the virtues acquired from if just as a man after taking food vomits it by thrusting his fingers into his throat. In fact, some of your spew the virtuousness of the whole day soon after breaking the fast. Now you yourself decide, is there in Ramadan and fasting a magic that by mere completing their outward shape you can acquire that strength which in reality should emanate from genuine fasting? Just as physical strength cannot be obtained from the bread until it is digested after entering the stomach and until it is transformed into blood and penetrates every vein in the same way spiritual power cannot be obtained from fasting until the person who keeps fast does not fully comprehend the purpose of fasting and allows if to permeate his heart and mind and dominate his thought, motive intention and deed. 

This is why Allah said after ordaining fasting: "La`allakum tattaqoon" i.e. fasting is made obligatory on you, may be you become pious and virtuous. It is not said that you will certainly become pious and virtuous because this outcome of fasting depends on the perception and intention of the man concerned. Whoever will understand its purpose and will try through it to achieve its objective, will become pious to the desired extent, but one who will not comprehend its purpose and will not even try to get at if, cannot hope to gain any thing out of it. 

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has drawn attention in various ways towards the real aim of fasting and has explained that to be hungry and thirsty without keeping in view the objective is in no way useful. He said: "Whoever did not give up lying and practicing falsehood, Allah is in no need of his giving up food and water". In another Hadith he said: "Many are the fasters whose fasting does not bring them anything except hunger and thirst and many are those who keep standing in the night but their standing does not bring anything except being awake in the night". The purport of both these Hadiths is quite plain. It means that being merely hungry and thirsty is not by itself ‘`Ibadat’ but an instrument of performing real ‘`Ibadat’. And real ‘`Ibadat’ consists in not violating the law of Allah for fear of Allah, and for the love of Allah an eager pursuit of every such work as would please Him, and lastly avoidance of satisfying corporeal urges as far as possible. Whoever remained heedless of this real ‘`Ibadat’, unnecessarily caused inconvenience to his stomach with hunger and thirst. Why should Allah need to make him merely give up food and water for twelve to fourteen hours? 

The Prophet has drawn attention to the real aim of fasting thus: "Whoever observed fast imbued with faith and with the expectation of reward from Allah, all his past sins are forgiven". The reference to faith implies that the belief in Allah with a Muslim should remain fully fresh in the mind of a Muslim, ‘Ihtisab’ denotes that man should be desirous of only Allah’s pleasure constantly keeping an eye on his thoughts and actions to check if he is doing anything against the pleasure of Allah. If, in accordance with these two principles, a person where to observe all the fasts of Ramadan, he will have all his past sins forgiven because even if he was once an unruly and disobedient slave he has now turned fully repentant to his master - and "A penitent is like one who has, as it were, never committed a sin at all" this the Prophet said. 

In another Hadith it is said: "Fasts are like a shield (just as a shield is meant for protection from the enemy’s assault, so is fasting for protection from Satan’s attack)". Therefore when a man observes fast he should (utilize this shield and) abstain from disorderly behavior. If anybody abused him or quarreled with him, the person who keeps fast should tell him: "Brother, I am fasting (do not expect from me that I shall take part in such activities of yours)". 

The Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, has directed in other Hadiths that man while fasting ought to do more and more good works and should be eager to perform benevolent acts. Particularly during fasting, he must develop with full intensity a sympathetic sentiment for his other brothers because being himself in the throes of hunger and thirst he can all the more realize what is befalling other slaves of Allah in their plight of destitution and misery. It is related by Hadrat Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, used to become especially kind and benevolent during Ramadan. No beggar in that period went empty-handed from his door, and the slaves secured emancipation. 

According to a Hadith the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said: "Whoever in Ramadan provide a person who is keeping fast with Iftar, this act will become a source of forgiveness for his sins and safety from Hell Fire and he will get as much reward as will the keeper of fast get without any reduction in the recompense of the latter".

* Excerpted from Let Us Be Muslims by Abu Sayyed Abul A`la Al-Maududi with some little modifications.

Mind that there are three degrees of fasting: ordinary fasting, special fasting, and extra-special fasting.

(1) Ordinary fasting means abstaining from food, drink, and sexual gratification.

(2) Special fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands, and feet, and all other organs, free from sin.

(3) Extra-special fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but Allah Most High.

The extra-special fasting is nullified by thinking of other interests other than pleasing Almighty Allah. [This is to say, when one becomes mindful of any other beside Almighty Allah, one loses the degree of extra-special fasting, which is the best degree of fasting.]

The Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them all), the righteous predecessors (salaf), and the persons close to Almighty Allah would observe the extra-special fasting.

It is a degree that requires one to exert one’s utmost and be mindful of nothing but Allah Most High, following, heart and soul, what is implied in Almighty Allah’s words: [ Say: ‘Allah. Then leave them to their play of caviling.’] (Al-An`am: 91)

As for special fasting, it is that kind of fasting that the righteous people observe. In order to observe it, six steps are required.

First, one is to lower the gaze and not look lustfully at the opposite sex, for this distracts one from remembering Allah Most High.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A lustful gaze to the opposite sex is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Satan (may Allah Almighty accurse him). So, he who avoids it out of fearing Almighty Allah, Allah Most High will grant him such faith whose sweetness he feels in his heart."

Second, one is to guard the tongue from twaddle, lying, backbiting, obscenity, etc. One should, rather, utter nothing unnecessary, keep remembering Almighty Allah (dhikr), and recite the Qur’an. This is the fasting of tongue.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fasting is a shield [for one against evil deeds]. So, the person fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.’"

Bishr ibn Al-Harith, a righteous predecessor, quoted Sufyan, an eminent righteous predecessor, as saying: "Backbiting nullifies fasting."

It was also reported that Mujahid, an eminent righteous predecessor, said: "Two things nullify fasting: backbiting and lying."

Third, one is to close the ears to everything reprehensible, for what is reprehensible for one to say is reprehensible for one to listen to. On describing the evil Jews, Allah Almighty has paralleled listening to falsehood to acquiring illicit gains. He Almighty says: [ Listeners for the sake of falsehood! Greedy for illicit gain!] (Al-Ma’idah: 42).

He Almighty also says: [ Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid their evil speaking and their devouring of illicit gain?] (Al-Ma’idah: 63).

Thus, he who listens to evil speaking is like he who utters it; both deeds are reprehensible.

Allah Almighty says: [ He hath already revealed unto you in the Scripture that, when ye hear the revelations of Allah rejected and derided, (ye) sit not with them (who disbelieve and mock) until they engage in some other conversation. Lo! in that case (if ye stayed) ye would be like unto them.] (An-Nisaa’: 140).

Fourth, one is to keep all other limbs and organs away from what is reprehensible and avoid altogether breaking the fast with forbidden food. He who breaks his fast with unlawful food is like one who builds a palace and then demolishes the area (where the palace is) completely. Doing unlawful things may ruin one’s good deeds.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How many a fasting person that gains from fasting nothing but hunger and thirst." There are three points of view in explaining what this hadith refers to. It was said that this hadith refers to those who break their fast with unlawful food. It was said also it indicates those who abstain from eating lawful food during the fast day, yet nullify it by eating the forbidden flesh of their fellow Muslims through backbiting them. And it was said it refers to those who do not keep their organs, in general, from sins.

Fifth, one is to avoid overeating on breaking the fast. Allah Almighty dislikes eating to excess even if it is eating lawful food. How can one fulfill the aim of fasting, i.e., training oneself to overcome temptations and base desires of the flesh, while one seeks on breaking the fast to get an excess of he had abstained from during the fast day?

Moreover, many people are used to eating during Ramadan alone an amount of food equal to what they may eat in some months together!

The theme of fasting is to achieve piety through training oneself to resist temptations and one’s base desires. If one abstained from eating throughout the fast day, and on breaking fast rushed madly upon food, the influence of one’s other pressing desires would be increased, which would, in turn, ruin the aim of fasting.

It is the very objective of fasting to weaken the influence of one’s desires, which Satan employs to tempt human beings to do evil. The direct means that helps one achieve such objective is to eat little food on breaking fast, or in other words, to eat the amount one has been used to eating on having dinner when one is not fasting.

It is also one of the requirements of special fasting not to sleep a lot during the fast day, so that one feels hunger and thirst and experiences the weakening of the influence of one’s desires upon one. When one meets such requirements, one is provided with such spiritual feelings that make it easy for one to observe further acts of worship and dhikr at night. Maybe when one is doing so, Satan keeps away from one, and Allah Almighty reveals to one part of the Unseen.

This occurs on Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Power), about which Allah Almighty says: [ Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.] (Al-Qadr: 1-3)

One can get such a privilege when one manages to overcome one’s appetite for food and resist all the other base desires, paying attention only to what pleases Almighty Allah. The key to achieving all this is to avoid overeating.

Sixth, after breaking one’s fast, one is to be concerned with whether Almighty Allah has accepted one’s fast or not. One is to worry whether Allah will reward one for fasting sincerely and thus will draw one closer to Him Most High, or will render one’s fast ineffective and thus alienate one away from Him Most High. So should be the case of true believers after observing any act of worship.

It was reported that once, Al-Hassan ibn Abi Al-Hassan Al-Basri, an eminent pious scholar, passed by a group of people laughing and enjoying their time in amusement during Ramadan. Seeing them in such a state, he said, "Allah Most High has made the month of Ramadan a sphere for His creation so that they may vie sincerely in obeying Him Most High. A group may do so and win His pleasure, while many others may abstain from doing so and lose His pleasure. I really wonder at those who take it easy and enjoy themselves at a time in which people are supposed to be either winners or losers in Almighty Allah’s sight."

Abu Ad-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that one act of worship observed by pious and devout persons is far better than heaps of acts observed by persons showing off.

Some scholars would describe the persons who do not meet the requirements of sincere fasting as: "How many are those who fast yet they are not fasting!"

To conclude, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fasting (Ramadan) is a trust assigned to you, so, be keen to keep (and observe) your trust."

Muslims all over the world start this month with fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 29 or 30 days as ordained in Quran.

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)

We are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.

But why do we need to fast? It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and sincerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and eating the whole day, heading to fatness.

We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.

Now when one is fasting, he or she should not do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and eating as well as smoking cigarettes if he does.

No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be reduced and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.

When it comes to Medical benefits of Ramadan, Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract. There are many adverse effects of total fasting.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, the effects will be long lasting.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk.

Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The bodily processes effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure.

In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, fatness, and essential hypertension.

In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting.

While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition.

On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan.

Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases.

Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting."

This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes.

There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output.

Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting.

The most important thing in Fasting, God says in hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it".

In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (SAS) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".

There are reasons and wisdom behind every single act in Islam, no matter how small. In time we may know the wisdom for behind some acts, and for others we may never know. Salaat, for instance, is a daily training for purifying the believer and reminding him that he is a member in a community of believers. Fasting, on the other hand, is an annual institution containing all conceivable attributes for human excellence. It is a training for the body and soul, a renewal of life, encouraging the spirit of sharing and giving. The following are some of the general benefits:

Allah (SWT) states: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self restraint." (Al-Qur`an, 2:183)

This verse indicates the first lesson or wisdom to be gained in fasting, is self-restraint, (Taqwa) or the fear of Allah (SWT). That is to say, fasting instills in the heart the essence of consciousness of the Creator, moral courage both in secret and manifest, guiding the heart, the seat of emotion from spoilage and moral indecency.

It has been reported that Abdul Malik bin Al-Asma'e was in Makkah when Ramadan came, so he decided to leave for Taif to escape its heat. On the way, he met a Bedouin who told him that he was heading for Makkah. Abdul Malik asked him, "Aren't you afraid of Makkan heat in Ramadan?". The Bedouin replied, "It is from the heat (hellfire) I am running away."

Fasting instills taqwaa, fear of Allah, and does so by controlling two aspects of the human body, which are the root causes of human downfall, namely the stomach and the private parts. The human body is constructed with the need to please the two of them and, in the process, man transgresses the rights of others, fellow human beings, and the commandments of Allah are violated. Fasting is equivalent to life, because with the level of taqwaa being raised, the person avoids the sins which are detrimental to life itself.

One of the most important things fasting affords the observer is helping him control or change his or her habits, the reason being human life is an embodiment of acquired habits. To change or control a habit is to wage a war on yourself. If jihaad is mandatory on every believer because it is the peak of the essence in Islam, and it entails changing habits, the fasting is the training ground for the inevitable that will occur. The believer cannot wage a war and hope to defeat an enemy if he or she cannot wage war against his soul. Thus, the faster is admitted to the compulsory training opened only in Ramadan, the learning in this school is mandatory and succeeding or scoring high is mandatory, otherwise it is like you never entered. The Prophet (saas) said: "Many a faster receives naught from his fast except the pain of hunger and thirst." (

If he scores high the reward is guaranteed: "Three people's prayers are not rejected-among them - the faster, until he breaks." (Ibn Hiban) Now, does a Ramadan fast control one`s habits? Simple, two of the most important habits are food and drink. An average person eats three meals a day, 21 meals a week. The way the fast is structured, with its basic and drastic alteration of eating habits, a faster takes light meals early in the morning and late in the evening. If the believer can control these two habits, food and drink, it will undoubtedly be easy for him to control other habits, including the habits of smoking, drug abuse and illicit sex. Do you not see that, if you can control your tongue, hands and all other parts of your body, it will be easy for you to apply the same training for the rest of the year.

The benefits of fasting transcend guiding the faster from idle talk and indecent acts. It is a sentinel against disease, provided the faster follows the strict dietary rule: eat during fast breaking and avoiding over-eating. Allah (SWT) states: "...Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not wasters." (Al-Qur`an, 7:31)

A great deal of ailments originate from stomach indigestion. This is why the Messenger of Allah (saas) says: "The son of Adam will never fill a container with something worse and evil than his stomach. It will suffice him some morsels (food) that will keep him on his feet, otherwise, he should divide his stomach into three parts: one third for his food, the other for his drink and the other third for his breath." (Ibn Hibban)

This hadith indicates that the stomach is the origin of harmful bacteria. Even in the age of sophisticated machines, you can hardly find a machine so fragile but yet so remarkably durable and efficient like the stomach. This is the machine that receives food particles, processes and refines them, and distributes the products to different parts of the body. This is a lifelong operation. For the non-faster, the stomach will have no chance for rest. When the stomach is empty, as a result of fasting, it gets well-desired rest, to renew and rejuvenate its energy. With the fasting, the stomach is forced to go through a discharge whereby harmful residue are eliminated through perspiration as the body searches for food during fast.

During fast, the system of secretion is organized, and this in turn benefits the blood pressure, inhibiting hardening of the arteries. The heart and kidney functions are enhanced as the work load tapers off. The fast helps to correct the problem of obesity and diabetes. Doctors over the years have used fasting as a prescription for certain ailments.

There was a discussion between Ali Bin Husain bin Waquid (raa) and a Christian physician to the Khalifah, Haroon Ar-Rasheed, about Islam's outlook on the science of medicine and health care. The physician said to Ibn Waquid: "There is not in your Book, Al-Qur`an, anything about medicine. For if Al-Qur`an is a book of science, what about this science?. Aren't there two kinds of sciences: the science of the body and the science of the soul?" Ibn Waquid responded: "Allah, the Most High has combined both sciences in half of a verse, when He states: "...Eat and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters." (Al-Qur`an, 7:31)

The physician said: "Why, then, has nothing been mentioned about medicine from the mouth of your Messenger?" Ibn Waquid replied: "Our Messenger (saas), has combined the sciences about medicine in a few words when he says: "The stomach is the house for disease and prevention is the essence of medicine." The Christian physician then said: "Then your book, Al-Qur`an, and your Prophet Muhammad left nothing about medicine for Jalienas (a famous physician of the ancients)." (Arkanul Arba`ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)

An American physician published a report on fasting and its benefits saying: "It is mandatory on every person who is sick to restrain from food certain days in a year whether he be wealthy or poor because if bacteria can find food in abundance in the body, it will grow and multiply. But with fasting it becomes weak.'' He then praised Islam. It should be considered as the wisest religion, for as it mandated fasting it has mandated health care. He continued: "Indeed, Muhammad, who brought this religion, was the best physician who succeeded in his teachings, for he called for prevention before ailment, that is apparent in fasting and the nightly prayer (Taraweeh) that Muslims observe after fast breaking every day of Ramadan, for these physical acts contain big benefits in digesting food." (Arkanul Arba`ah by Abul Hasan Nadwi)

Fasting helps in conditioning the heart, the soul, and the body on the virtues of patience, tenacity, and firmness in the face of adversity. Patience is the pinnacle of self-mastery, discipline and spiritual agility. Patience is to turn the phrase "I can't" into "I can." It is to say, the difficult is easy. It is an inner and psychological demolition of things perceived by others as impossible. Fasting helps in all these shades for the virtuous, patient person because, the conditioning is that if a believer can exercise patience, and forsake gourmet food and drink, and the exhilaration we enjoy while eating or drinking our favorites, as well as marital association, the gratifying of other normal appetites for a whole day, for a month the realization that the barrier between you and food is your consciousness of your Creator, can better make you able to exercise patience in virtually everything in life.

Socially, fasting is an expression of solidarity with the poor, the family and the whole society. This is a period in which the rich have first-hand experience of what it is to be poor, the pains the indigent suffers in normal living conditions. The process of disciplining resulting from Islamic fasting, instills in the rich the virtue of mercy, Rahmah, which is very important in terms of social well - being and proliferation of harmony. Allah bestows his mercy upon those who themselves are merciful to others. "Those who are merciful to others, the Merciful will have mercy upon them," the Messenger said. He continued, "Have mercy upon those on earth, and those in heaven will have mercy upon you." (Abu Dawud/Tirmidhi)

Fasting strengthens family ties, especially in that the family is an endangered institution in western society. It helps the family gather together to break fast, at Iftar, and eat sahuur together at least twice a day for a month. The family even makes Salaat, together with the father as Imam.

Fasting enhances and energizes friendship, as Ramadan is known as the month of invitations and visitations. Friends, family members and neighbors extend invitations to each other to come to their homes to have Iftar together. The Messenger said, "When a believer invites you, you should respond." Besides, Muslims gather together in the Masajid for taraweeh and ta'aleem.

Tips to Control Anger 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

Anger is a very serious disease, and Islam warns Muslims against its evil consequences. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed a remedy for the person in a state of anger, instructing him to sit down or lie down until he cools off. Also, he told us that performing wudu’ is a good way to put out the "fire" of one’s anger. May Allah forgive us all and protect us from Hellfire, Amen!

Answering your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

"Before giving you some du`a's I would like to give you some tips gleaned from Imam Ghazzali.

In order to control your anger, you must do two things:

First, you should ask yourself why, when, and how you are getting angry and control the circumstances that create such situations. By directing your thoughts in this way, you can often control your anger. So condition yourself to ask questions such as the following: Why am I getting angry? What is the big deal about reacting to something that happened in the past? Can I change it now? If the milk is already spilled, how is my anger going to help to bring it back? What benefit can I gain by reacting in anger? Is there anything far more beneficial I can do instead?

Furthermore, think of all the harmful effects of anger if it is not controlled. In fact, there is nothing more destructive than anger if it leads to violence or inflicting verbal or emotional abuse on people. So condition yourself to think of the destructive consequences of anger until you learn to associate anger with pain, ugliness and suffering. In this way, you will be better able to take control of your anger and make sure that it is not expressed in a harmful way.

Second, as soon you find yourself becoming angry, channel your energy in positive ways by immediately taking the following steps:

Say:

A`oodhu billahi mina ash-shaytaani ar-rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the accursed) three times, and walk immediately to the washroom and perform ablutions with cool water and pray two rak`ahs.

Alternately, you can repeat the above words, and go for a walk or take some deep breaths and do some minor exercises to release the tension and relax.

Finally, here are a few du`a’s you should recite and meditate upon consistently:

Allaahumma innee a`oodhu bika min hamazaati ash-shayaateen; wa a`oodhu bika rabbi an yahdhuroonee (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the whisperings of devils; and I seek refuge in You from their presence around me).

Astaghfiru Allah (I ask Allah for forgiveness) three times.

Rabbi qinee sharra nafsee; rabbi qinee sharra sam`ee; rabbi qinee sharra basaree; rabbi qinee sharaa lisaanee (My Lord, save me from the evils of my own self; my Lord, save me from the evils of my hearing; my Lord, save me from the evils of my seeing; my Lord, save me from the evils of my tongue.)

You can also simply make the following tasbeeh:

Subhaan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, laa ilaha illa Allah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa bi-llah (Sublime is Allah; praise be to Allah; there is no god but Allah; there is no power or strength except by the will of Allah)."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.islam.ca

For more information, you can read:

Anger: Its Danger and Remedy

Do keep in touch. If you have any other question, don't hesitate to write to us.

There is a divine seal on each person’s fingerprints. It is one of Almighty Allah’s miracles that He Most High has created for each individual fingerprints unique to him. No fingerprints of a person can ever be exactly the same as another’s, even in the case of identical twins. This has been proved by scientific experiments.

It is a scientific fact that fingerprints of people are completely different, but there is something with regard to people’s palms that is shared by them all. If every person looks at the palms of his hands on raising them towards heaven while supplicating Almighty Allah, he will find that in the right palm there are three lines forming the figure 8 1 , and in the left one there are three lines forming the figure 1 8 . These figures are Arabic numbers equivalent to the English numbers 18 (in the right palm) and 81 (in the left). If the numbers are added together, they equal 99, which is the total number of Allah’s Names! And in a believer’s heart there reposes the hundredth Name of Almighty Allah, i.e., His Greatest Name.

See Allah Most High willed that His Greatest Name be reposed in His believers’ hearts! This is implied in the hadith qudsi (divine hadith), in which Almighty Allah says: "Neither My earth nor My heaven can perceive My Greatness; it is only My true believers’ hearts that can behold it."

He whose heart is deeply attached to Almighty Allah will perceive Allah’s Greatness, for its repose is in his heart.

Let us fill our heart with Allah’s love, raise our hands that contain His Names towards heaven, and purify our hearts that perceive His Greatness in deep supplication to Him Most High. When we do so, Allah Almighty will answer our supplications. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Supplicate Allah Almighty and be certain that He Most High will answer your prayer."

When we perceive Almighty Allah’s great Names and turn unto Him Most High in sincere prayers, He Almighty will answer our prayers and admit us into Paradise.

There is a hadith to the effect that Allah Most High admits into Paradise he who learns His Great Names.

Allah Almighty also says: [ Allah’s are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them.] (Al-A`raf: 180).

He Most High also says: [ Say (unto mankind): Cry unto Allah, or cry unto the Beneficent, unto whichsoever ye cry (it is the same). His are the most beautiful names.] (Al-Israa’: 110).

oooo

Danger of Anger

Expressing Anger

Many people, when discussing risks, talk about how difficult

it is to express anger. This exercise is designed to help you

manage your anger and learn to express it clearly when it is

appropriate to do so.

Imagine a situation in your life which angers you; choose a

situation in which there is a particular person who angers you and

who you really should confront.

1) People have many fears about expressing anger. They are afraid

others will not like them, or will think they're out of control or

hysterical. Some people are afraid of losing control and doing

something harmful that they never intended to do. Others fear

losing a position or responsibility because of their anger. Ask

yourself if you have used, and are now using, these or any other

reasons not to express your anger.

2) A distinction exists between useful and destructive anger.

Useful anger is an angry feeling that is communicated carefully and

directly to a person in such a way that things change; destructive

anger is anger expressed in ways that hurt or alienate other

people. Useful anger is presented by a person in control, and is

informational rather than accusational. Anger is a powerful

emotion, and can be used to make persuasive arguments and important

points.

3) Anger is what psychologists call a "secondary emotion." It

comes as a result of a strong primary emotion, usually hurt, fear,

disappointment, or frustration. Analyze your situation and

determine what primary emotion or emotions are beneath the anger.

This is not done to diminish the importance of your anger, but to

make sure you're very clear about your position.

4) Imagine your situation, and make a list of all the things that

concern you. Put these items in priority order, with the most

important things at the top of the list and the petty annoyances at

the bottom. Imagine yourself phrasing these top-priority concerns

by making a case with the following steps:

a) State the situation (cause and effect)

b) State the reason this is a problem

c) State your feelings and interest in a solution

d) State your suggestions for resolution

Your presentation may go like this:

"When ___________________________ happens, it has the effect of __

_______________________________________________________________.

"This is a problem because ________________________________________

_____________________."

"I want to resolve this problem because the situation leaves me

feeling ___________________________________________________________

____________________ and angry."

"I feel that this situation would be helped by ____________________

_____________________."

By stating your feelings, your reasons, and your concerns in this

presentation, you project competence and concern. There is nothing

in this presentation that seems out of control; in fact, it is very

controlled.

5) Working with a partner who will just listen, present your

argument as if you're speaking with the person who is angering you.

Start by stating the problem and detail the reasons this is an

unacceptable situation. Ask for feedback from your partner.

When one person has spoken and received feedback, switch roles

so the listener becomes the speaker.

6) Discuss this exercise in a group

Did you feel that you made a controlled presentation of your

anger?

How could you improve the presentation?

Could you maintain this attitude throughout a lengthy

discussion?

What was it like to listen to someone state their case,

including their anger?

Did expressing anger diminish the effectiveness of their

presentation?

> Consider the following:

Sometimes you are so angry with someone that you cannot

maintain a calm attitude; when this is the case, it's very useful

to talk the situation over with an uninvolved person so you can

vent your anger until you feel you can present your case calmly.

Sometimes you are not angry with a particular person, but with

a social condition. It's not appropriate to use this process with

another person unless that person is directly responsible for what

is angering you.

> Further notes on the exercise:

People consistently report that they have a hard time

expressing anger, and that they are uncomfortable when others

express anger to them. Social conditioning discourages expressions

of anger, even though this may lead people to vent their anger in

other more harmful and inappropriate ways.

This is an exercise to help students learn that their anger is

real and legitimate, and that anger can be expresses in a

controlled, constructive and fully honest manner.

Allow plenty of time for discussion of each step in the

exercise, especially the early steps in which fears of expressing

anger and ways to identify the real issues are mentioned.

Emphasize the importance of having participants state that

they're angry. This makes it clear to everyone how strongly they

feel about the issue. It also keeps them from feeling defensive

about their anger; it's not something to hide.

If the group is open to it, you might extend the speaking and

listening into a more interactive exercise. Instead of just

listening, the person may both listen and respond as in a

role-play. This can help participants learn to manage their

feelings while thinking on their feet.

Time: 20 minutes to go through the basic steps; 10 to 15 minutes

for listening/role-play; 10 minutes for discussion

Here comes the judge

Intro

Nothing in existence takes place unless there is a reason behind it. Scientific endeavors and technical achievements have all progressed because of the search for cause and effect.

Let us now look at the inner meaning of the Qur`an. There cannot be an inner unless there is an outer and the outer is a true reflection of the inner.

Therefore, from the Qur`anic point of view, all things in this existence, whether they are material, intellectual or even subtler elements, are interconnected.

So truly speaking, there is no such thing as a visible element of our way of life separated from the invisible element.