Benefits of fasting in Islam (II)

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

Almighty God says in Qur’an 3:25-27, “But how (will they fare) when We gather them together against a day about which there is no doubt and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned without (favor or injustice)? Say: ‘O God! Lord of Power (and Rule) thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest thou enduest with honor whom Thou pleasest and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleases. In Thy hand is all Good. Verily over all things Thou hast power. Thou causest the night to gain on the day and Thou causest the day to gain on the night. Thou bringest the living out of the dead and thou bringest the dead out of the living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure.’”

The emergence of the month of Ramadan when fasting is compulsory for the Muslims always heralds the spiritual and moral uplift of individuals and the society at large. Perhaps it is a month of training and re-training of the faithful to rededicate themselves to Allah, the Creator and Source of all goodness, truth and beauty. It is a period of re-awakening the spirits of man as a responsible, dignified, and honourable agent of Allah on earth (Qur’an 2:30; 32:9).

It is a month of spiritual retreat for man to reflect on the limitless blessings of Allah on him as everything in heavens and the earth are subjected to the service of mankind (Qur’an 2:29; 22:65, 31:20; 45:13). It is a blessed month when the mercy and forgiveness of Allah are sent down on the children of Adam for restraining themselves from the good things of Allah within the limit of their power and capacity for the sake of the Almighty (Qur’an 2:283, 286).

Ramadan is a unique month when high integrity and sound morality of man are guaranteed as we display high sense of moderation, practicality and balancing in the month of fasting. Ramadan is a special month of spiritualism when the obligatory acts of faith (iman), worship (salat), tax for charity (sakat), fast (sawm), and in fact lesser hajj (umrah) are observed with total submission to Allah. Man worships Allah and seeks His pleasure to the highest level during the month of Ramadan (Q.51:57).

Indeed, Satan is in chains in the month of fasting as the gates of paradise are opened and the gates of hell are closed. That is why believers and non-believers shun the routes to pools betting, brothels, liquor shops and other forbidden places in Islam.

Truly, the arrival of Ramadan has changed the attitude, behaviour, value and norms in our society. The twin-engine of the machinery of bribery and corruption and all forms of indecencies like nude pictures, obscene talks, back-biting and evil deeds like stealing, armed robbery, pen robbery, assassination, kidnapping and others are reduced to the minimum. This is one of the miracles about the blessed month of Ramadan.

The Prophet (SAW) says: “Fasting is a shield or shelter from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid obscenity and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say ‘I am fasting.’”

Besides, the Ramadan fast has provided a golden opportunity for us to atone for our past sins, errors and mistakes. And since Allah is the Great Forgiver (Al-Ghaffar), we engage in the fast in total obedience of His directive and instruction so that He may overlook our sins (Qur’an 22:60; 38:66:64:14).

Since Allah is the Forgiver of sins (Gaffar-lzambe), we engage in acts of worship in the month of Ramadan to seek His forgiveness of our minor and major sins (Qur’an 40:3).

We show kindness, love care and tenderness to others in the month of Ramadan so that Allah may also overlook our error (Qur’an 53:32).

And since Allah is the Most Forgiving (Al-Gaffar), we lower our gaze in total submission to Him and we submit the totality of ourselves and our belongings to Him in total humility in order to earn His forgiveness (Qur’an 4:24, 43:56; 22:60;58:2; 60:12; 64:14).

An authentic Hadith of Prophet Muhammad says on Ramadan and forgiveness of sins that “Salmon Al-Farsi reported that the messenger of Allah (SAW) addressed us on the last day of Sha’ban and said: ‘O people! A great and blessed month is at hand, the month in which comes a night better than a thousand months. Allah has ordained fasts for you and prescribed supererogatory prayer at night.”

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