The easiest part of fasting is abandoning food and drink - II

24/06/2013| IslamWeb

The fasting of the organs of the body:

The heart should also observe fast in Ramadan by refraining from believing in disobedience, harboring grudge and practicing secret tyranny. The eye should refrain from forbidden looks. One should lower the gaze out of fear of The All Knowing King. One's sight should not observe any sins. The ears should abstain from obscene language and hearing songs so that it listens to the Quran that is the words of The Most Generous Lord. Moreover, the tongue should refrain from immoral words and utterances out of compliance with the Sharee‘ah. Furthermore, the hand should abstain from hurting slaves, practicing corruption, injustice and stubbornness and corrupting the lands. Feet should also observe fast by refraining from walking to forbidden places so that they never proceed towards a sin.

Between the righteous and the evildoers:

The correct fasting is that whose impacts appear upon the Muslim and it preserves him in all his states. He remembers it at all times and he does not reduce its reward by any reason of detraction. If the Muslim does this, this will result in forgiveness of sins. The Prophet said: "Whoever fasts in Ramadan out of sincere faith and seeking to attain the reward of Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven…" [Al-Bukhari]
There is no doubt that the act of fasting, because of these results, is loved by the pure, pious and clear souls that are pleased, purified and elevated with fasting.

Extreme lustful souls are lazy to fast and they wish that it comes to an end and that its days pass. That is why you see a great difference between the believer and the non-believer in Ramadan. The true believer wishes that this month remains and that its days are prolonged. Thus, consider and distinguish.

Rather, there is a group among the righteous predecessors, the allies and selected people of Allah whose entire year used to be like Ramadan. Some of them used to fast and increase their fasting and only break their fast with the needy. If they were prevented by their families to break their fast with the needy, they would abandon the dinner of that night. Some of them used to feed their companions with different kinds of food and stand with them to entertain them while they were fasting.

These are the ones who wish that the time of fasting is prolonged. Ramadan only increases their obedience, worship and activity even more than their state in Rajab, Sha‘baan and the rest of the year as all their deeds are similar.

Those whom the reality of fasting did not reach their souls and did not affect their hearts and they were not raised according to the correct upbringing, view it as heavy, wish that it ends as soon as possible and that its days finish and rejoice at every day they get rid of.

We frequently hear some weak people say that they wish Ramadan would come to an end. When the crescent of Shawwaal comes, they rejoice and become happy as if they got rid of a burden!

It is known that they left the season of goodness, the times of honor, the great days and the bright nights when the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils and rebellious jinn are chained. It is when Allah gave glad tidings of good and happiness. Such shallow and playful people did not know that they are replacing what is better with what is worse.

The predecessors and Ramadan:

That is why the predecessors, may Allah Have mercy upon them, used to give due care to the acceptance of their fasting. It is well-known that they used to supplicate Allah for six months before Ramadan to make them live to witness the month of Ramadan and they used to supplicate Allah for six months thereafter to accept it from them.

They were keen on every deed. When they did it and completed it, they would be concerned with whether it was accepted from them or not.

A predecessor saw some people laughing on the day of ‘Eed. He said: "If these were accepted, this is not the behavior of the thankful and if they were rejected, this is not the behavior of the fearful."

Has the time not come?

Has the time not come for sinners to be immersed in the river of fasting to purify these bodies from sins and wash the forbidden attachments from the heart? Has the time not come for the heedless to enter from the gate of the fasting people to the Lord of the Worlds to find pleasure in the position of security?

Ramadan is the easy chance of a lifetime, the season of the profitable commodity and the heavy side of the scale on the day when rewards are maximized, sins are expiated and misdeeds are obliterated.

The time has come for the dress of disobedience to be removed in Ramadan so that Allah dresses the slave with the raiment of pleasure and bestows upon him repentance that wipes out all sins and injustices.