In the month of Ramadhan, it is very important that we spend a few moments to take a stock of and understand the real purpose for this month of fasting. Unfortunately, many Muslims come into this month without even contemplating of the real objective of fasting. No wonder our beloved Prophet Nabi (saw) said: "Let it not be the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal." Meaning, one's behavior, attitude or outlook are the same whether one fasts or not (i.e. fasting has no effect upon that person.) This is why we need to reflect on the very pinnacle of fasting.

Fasting has been legislated in order that we may gain TAQWA. Allah (swt) said: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may gain Taqwa" [2:183]. In other words, Qur'an describes attainment of Taqwa to be the real purpose of fasting.

WHAT IS TAQWA?

Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu) said: " A person with the quality of Taqwa is like a person walking with a caution on a thorny road. The way he would take care to save his clothes from getting entangled in the thorns, so is a person with Taqwa conscious of every action he does (for fear of falling into wrong).

On the other hand, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (radiallahu anhu) said: " Taqwa means fearing Allah, acting in accordance with the Qur'an, contentment with whatever little you have, and preparing for the day of departure (death)."

Taqwa in this case means learning self-restraint and God-fearing. So, we should ask ourselves when we break our fasts: "Has this fasting day made us more fearful and more obedient to Allah? Has it resulted to restrain ourselves from the "thorns" that our way in the form of worldly temptations in the society in general? Has it aided in distancing ourselves from sins and disobedience?

Fasting is extremely efficient for the acquisition of Taqwa without which a Muslims cannot gain closeness to Allah (swt). The prime benefit in the pursuit of Taqwa is the suppression of the erratic desires and demands of the nafs (based carnal desire), which is always working in collusion with Shaytaan, to spiritually and morally ruin the believer. If the nafs is allowed freedom, then it will succeed in making man a slave of lust, passion and base emotions, due to which his Imaan will suffer.

By fasting, a Muslim learns to suppress his lowly desire. Thus, the ability of inculcating Taqwa is created. Further, fasting purifies the soul, and creates gratification in worship, making the heart conducive for worship. The bond with Allah (swt) is also strengthened. Once our beloved Prophet Nabi (saw) supplicated: "O! Lord of the Universe! When does the servant become closest to You? The Divine Reply came, "When the servant is hungry and when he is in sadjah (prostration).

The concept of Taqwa is always linked to Ibaadah in the Qur'an. Ibaadah can be defined as doing what Allah (swt) has commanded and what He has prohibited. Ibaadah has also been defined as a concept that includes all actions that Allah (swt) loves and approves of whatever they are actions of the heart, the tongue or the limbs. Taqwa is the fruit of doing the actions of Ibaadah. In other words, if one does what Allah (swt) has commanded Him to do, and abstains from that which Allah (swt) has forbidden, he will achieve Taqwa.

WRONG CONCEPT OF IBAADAH

The greatest mistake of all is to regard Salah and Fasting and their outward shape as real Ibaadah and we suffer from the delusion that whoever fulfilled those requirements performed the "Ibaadah" of Allah (swt). We think that mere abstention from eating and drinking throughout the day is called fasting and that this alone is "Ibaadah". Therefore, we observe it meticulously. We feel the fear of Allah (swt) to the extent that we avoid every transgression which even slightly endangers the break-up of the fast so much so that eve if our life is at stake, we are not prepared to break the fast. But we do not know that being merely hungry and thirsty is not real "Ibaadah" but only a form of it. And the wisdom of prescribing this form is to create in us the fear of Allah and love of Allah or simply called TAQWA. And thereby develop in us so much strength that by repressing ourselves, we are enabled to avoid the seemingly profitable things but which actually displease Allah (swt), while on the other had, by controlling ourselves we made ourselves agreeable to those things which possibly entail risks and losses but definitely please Allah (swt).

This strength can be developed only when we understand the purpose or wisdom behind fasting and make use of the practice we have gone through for curbing the corporeal urges, under fear of Allah (swt) and love for Allah (swt), and then making these urges work according to the pleasure of Allah (swt).

THE REAL PURPOSE OF FASTING

Contemporary scholar Sayyed Abul 'Ala Al-Maududi in his article entitle "Let Us Be Muslim" strongly emphasized the real purpose of fasting by making a comparison of the purpose of fasting to eating. He stressed that the purpose of eating in the case of food, for instance, is to remain alive and maintain our strength. The method of achieving this purpose is that we take a morsel, put it in our mouth, masticate it and push it below the throat. This method is adopted by us since it is the most effective and proper one to achieve this purpose. But every one of us knows that the main thing is the purpose for which food is taken and not the form and procedure of this action.

But what will 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 that this man is out of his mind. Why? Because this idiot man did not understand the real purpose of eating and is suffering from the misunderstanding that only the aforesaid four component actions constitute eating. Likewise, you will call that person also mad who after taking the food vomits it by thrusting his fingers into his throat.

If we have a little sense then how could we fast and engaged in the Ibaadah of Allah from morning till evening and at the same time in the midst of that Ibaadah, we utter a lie and indulge in backbiting? Why do we quarrel at the slightest pretext and utter abuses from our mouth? How dare we encroach on other people's right? How do we acquiring illicit money and giving money to others illicitly? And having done all those things, we still think that we have performed Ibaadah of Allah (swt). Does this not resemble the work of that person who eats cinder and mud, and think that by merely completing the four requirements of eating, he has actually done the job of eating.

Prophet Nabi (saw) has drawn attention in various ways towards the real purpose and wisdom behind fasting. He (saw) has also explained that to be hungry and thirsty without keeping in view of the objective is in no way useful. He said: "Whoever did not give up falsehood in speech and action, Allah is no need of his giving up food and water." In another hadith, he said: "Many are 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 purpose of these hadiths is quite plain. It means that being merely hungry and thirsty is not by itself "Ibaadah" but an instrument of performing the real "Ibaadah". The real Ibaadah consists in not violating the law of Allah (swt) for fear and love for Him and lastly avoidance of satisfying corporeal urges as far as possible. Why should Allah (swt) need to make us merely give up food and water for twelve to fourteen hours?

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ABOUT THE SUBMITTER:

Written by AbdulGaphor M. Panimbang who can be reached at his online web journal "The Lake Lanao Post" at http://gpanimbang.wordpress.com . This article may be published without the consent of the author so long as the publisher's box is included in the post.

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