Fasting is a great opportunity for believers who genuinely fear Allah
and search for a means of drawing closer to Him.

Fasting is a Shield Against Satan!

The month of Ramadan is an extremely profitable display and market for the trade of the hereafter. It is an extremely fertile piece of land for the crops of the hereafter. For the growth and flourishing of actions, it is like April showers in the spring. It is like a brilliant holy festival for the parade of mankind's worship in the face of the sovereignty of Divine dominicality. (The Risale-i Nur Collection, Letters, The Twenty-Ninth Letter, The Second Section, Seventh Point)

As Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has informed us in these wise words, the month of Ramadan has the force of a sacred festival for Muslims. Muslims who fear Allah and live to gain His good pleasure fulfill their obligation to fast during the month with great enthusiasm and excitement. Fasting, which Allah has made a religious obligation in the verses, "You who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that hopefully you will have taqwa," (Surah al-Baqara: 183) and "That you should fast is better for you, if you only knew," (Surah al-Baqara: 184), is a duty that brings countless benefits to Muslims. This obligation, fulfilled by all Muslims together, further increases the enthusiasm of and solidarity between Muslims, who are dispersed all over the world. The fact it is observed en masse further increases its spiritual nature. In one of his sayings, Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) emphasises the importance of Ramadan as follows: "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month. A month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntarily pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time. It is the month of patience and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased." (narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah).

Fasting is a great opportunity for believers who genuinely fear Allah and search for a means of drawing closer to Him. Obeying Allah's command, waiting patiently the whole day through to earn His good pleasure, breaking one's fast, and rising early to eat and drink are all means of gaining a divine reward. For that reason, Muslims who are in a constant search for divine recompense greet the month of Ramadan with enormous joy. Throughout the month, Muslims who seek to please Allah with every step they take and to live in the manner revealed by Him earn both the reward for all the obligations they always perform, and also further reward by fasting. This is how Bediuzzaman Said Nursi explained the importance of the obligation of fasting to Muslims in the hereafter: "The month of Ramadan comprises and gains a permanent and eternal life in this fleeting world and brief transient life".

Many people who do not fully live by Islamic values the rest of the time display many examples of pleasing morality along with fasting during Ramadan. That is because Allah enhances the clarity and frees the conscience of these people as they perform their obligation. For that reason, the month is a means whereby many people are able to draw closer to their religion and abandon the bad things they do.

Indeed, there is a serious drop in the crime rate in Muslim countries during Ramadan. A great number of people turn away from many examples of poor morality that are displeasing to Allah, such as lying, doing that which is forbidden, gossiping and back-biting, because they are fasting. Their desire and enthusiasm for thinking and doing good increase. By means of fasting, they begin to think about many matters they had never considered before. A fear of Allah and the hereafter thus develops in such people, and they draw closer to religion. Some of them then begin to live the rest of their lives in a more devout and sincere manner. In another wise analysis, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi explains how all the senses of someone fasting are turned in the direction of worship: "The most excellent fasting is to make the human senses and organs, like the eyes, ears, heart and thoughts, fast together with the stomach. That is, to withdraw them from all unlawful things and from trivia, and to urge each of them to their particular worship". (The Risale-i Nur Collection).

One of the many instances of wisdom in fasting is that in this act of worship, people are better able to understand the blessings they enjoy. Even for a sincere Muslim, there is a danger of taking the blessings he enjoys for granted. That prevents a person from giving thanks for the blessings given to him by Allah in the way he should. In a number of verses, however, Allah has told people they should give thanks to Him for the blessings He has imparted, and that those who do so will be given still greater blessings. A person who fasts is protected from the danger of being led by Satan to forget these things and take the blessings given to him for granted. Someone who has never thought deeply before, begins to consider how many things Allah has given him, and what great blessings all things are. Moreover, someone who fasts considers how needful he is of Allah, and understands the weakness of his own body. The urgings of his desires are weakened, and arrogance becomes impossible. Fasting is also a means whereby such pleasing characteristics as patience, trust in Allah and fortitude come to develop in a person. That makes him a more sympathetic individual, keen to help others. These are by no means all the benefits that come from Ramadan and fasting. There are a great many more, unknown to or unappreciated by us, but which Allah has decided are advantageous for us, hidden within the obligation.

By Harun Yahya

The writer can be reached at
info@harunyahya.com

Share this post