Wisdom of Fasting

Ramadan is a special month. Apart from being the time chosen by Allah to be the time for the revelation of the Qur'an. Ramadan is also the time when the fourth pillar of Islam is carried out, namely fasting, which is mandatory for every Muslim in the world. Allah says:

الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَۙ

"O you who believe, it is prescribed for you to fast as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may be pious." (Quran 2:183)

Fasting has many privileges. Among other things, it is the only worship that Allah says for him: "Fasting is for Me and I myself will repay it". (Shahih Al-Bukhari hadith 1894)

There are many wisdom behind the law of fasting, among these wisdom mentioned by Sheikh Muhammad Ali As-Shabuni in his book as follows:

وعرف سر حكمته العقلاء والعلماء فأدركوا بعض فوائده وأسراره وأيدهم فى ذلك الأطباء, فرأو في الصيام أعظم علاج وخير وقاية وأنجح دواء لكثير من الأمراض الجسدية التي لا ينفع فيها إلا الحمية الكاملة والإنقطاع عن الطعام والشراب مدة من الزمان

"Scholars know the secret of wisdom behind fasting. They found many benefits and secrets in it. It is also confirmed by health experts who see that in fasting there is good handling and care, it is also the most effective medicine for many diseases in the body that cannot be treated except by perfect care, and breaking off from eating and drinking for some time." (Muhammad Ali As-Shabuni, Rawaiul Bayan, chapter I, page 217).

Furthermore, Sheikh As-Shabuni mentioned four wisdoms in fasting. Below are, the four wisdoms of fasting :

1) Fasting is a form of worship that is prescribed to train humans to submit and obey Allah's commands.

فإن الله عز وجل ما شرع العبادات إلا ليربي فى الإنسان (ملكة التقوى) وليعوده على الخضوع والعبودية والإذعان لأوامر الله العلي القدير. فالصيام عبودية لله، وامتثال لأوامره، واتقاء لحرمته. ولهذا جاء فى الحديث القدسي: كل عمل ابن أدم له إلا الصوم، فإنه لي وأنا أجزي به، يدع طعامه وشرابه من أجلي. فشعور الإنسان بالعبودية لله عز وجل والإستسلام لأمره وحكمه هو أسمى أهداف العبادة وأقصى غاياتها

"Allah will not prescribe worship except to educate people (form the ability to be pious), make them accustomed to submitting, worshiping and obeying Allah's commands. Fasting is a form of servitude to Allah, carrying out His commands and maintaining His honor. Therefore, in the hadith qudsi it is stated: "Every deed done by the son of Adam belongs to him except fasting. Fasting belongs to Me and I alone will repay it. He left eating and drinking for My sake.”

So the servitude performed by humans to Allah and the total submission of himself to Allah's commands and laws is the main goal of religious law (As-Shabuni, Rawaiul Bayan, I/217).

Second, fasting is prescribed to train the soul and make it accustomed to bearing the burden of fatigue in the way of Allah.

ألامر الثاني من حكمته مشروعية الصيام هي تربية النفس وتعويدها على الصبر وتحمل المشاق فى سبيل الله، فالصيام يربي قوة العزيمة وقوة الإرادة، ويجعل الإنسان متحكما فى أهوائهx ورغباته

2) The second lesson prescribed by fasting is to educate the soul and make it a habit to be patient in enduring hardships in the way of Allah.

"Fasting in this case educates the strength of the desire to do something and makes humans wiser in managing their passions and desires." (As-Shabuni, I/217).

3) Fasting trains humans to be more sensitive to the environment, sensitive and compassionate towards fellow human beings by softening the hearts and souls of those who do it.

أن الصوم يربي فى الإنسان ملكة الحب والعطف والحنان ويجعل منه إنسانا رقيق القلب، طيب النفس، ويحرك فيه كوامن الإيمان. فليس الصيام حرمانا للإنسان عن الطعام عن الطعام والشراب بل هو تفجير للطاقة الروحية فى نفس الإنسان ليشعر بشعور إخوانه ويحس بإحساسهم

"Fasting trains the innate love, compassion in humans, makes them human beings who are soft-hearted, have a good soul, move in humans the source of faith. So fasting is not just preventing people from eating and drinking. Rather, it is a way of bringing out spiritual strength in humans so that they can feel what many of their brothers and sisters feel." (As-Shabuni, I/218).

4) Fasting cleanses the human soul by instilling in humans a sense of fear and that they are always being watched by Allah so that they are reluctant to approach things that are forbidden by Allah so as to produce piety as said by Allah.

أن الصوم يهذب النفس البشرية بما يغرسه فيها من خوف الله جل وعلا ومراقبته فى السر والعلن ويجعل المرء تقيا نقيا يبتعد عن كل ما حرم الله, فالسر فى الصوم هو الحصول على مرتبة التقوى

"Fasting cleanses the human soul by instilling in it the fear of Allah, that it is always under surveillance by Allah both in secret and openly. Making him a pious and clean human being by keeping him away from everything that is forbidden by Allah. So the secret behind fasting is to achieve the dignity of piety to Allah." (As-Shabuni, I/218).

Wallahu a’lam bissawab..