Glorious fast and holy month of Ramazan

I. H. M. Ghaffoor

The Holy Quran says ‘O you believers! fasting is prescribed unto you as it was prescribed to the followers of the Prophets before you that you may guard yourself against evil.’ Ramazan fast is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting in this month is obligatory to every Muslim except those who are sick, feeble and weak.

The month of Ramazan is among the holiest months in the Muslim Calendar because it also has another significance: it is on the 27th night (lailathul qadr night) of this month that the Noble Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

The Muslim fast is as simple as is stringent. It begins just before dawn (Sahar), each day and ends at dusk (Maghrib prayer) at specified times.

Fasting is simple, because there are no elaborate preparations or rituals to be followed to commence a fast. Even a simple meal would suffice. Similarly, just a date fruit and water is enough to break the fast. Besides, no rituals are needed. The fast begins with a simple prayer, the niyyath, and at breaking fast, too, it is with the azan or the Maghrib call for prayer.

The fast is stringent because it not only prohibits drinking (not even a drop of water) and eating but, also expects those who are observing the fast to be steadfast in their prayers, physically and mentally eschew evil and wrong deeds, control baser instincts, habits, passion and temper. In short, exercising self restraint and control in every sphere of a follower’s life, not on drinking and eating alone.

One of the main objectives of fasting is to realise the pangs of suffering of the starving poor and the lesser off. This is precisely why, this month is also a month of charity. Through this month, Islam seeks to make an equitable distribution of wealth among the Muslims aimed finally at eliminating poverty in the community.

On the other hand, if a generous/philanthropic act of a Muslim helping the poor and needy, promotes begging and multiplies beggars, the whole act of charity can be vitiated.

Indeed, Islam expects charity to be distributed at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries, not waiting for them to come to the giver. True charity begins with the killing of the ego of the giver, rather than boosting his ego using what belongs to Allah: Allah says ‘I have given everything to you as a trust/loan. Hence, you are rewarded according to how well you use them for my sake’.

In fact, everyone of us is a chauffeur though we are pretending to be owners, so to speak. It is well for everyone of us to realise this truth in every act of ours. Allah’s wealth is not meant to flaunt our self-importance or indulge in obscene ostentation.

As a man made machine needs rest, so, the human machine also needs a rest. By this fast, many worn out aspects of the human machine which would have been overworked get respite.

In like manner, so many who have found it difficult to abandon their addictions; smoking, consuming liquor and other evil habits have found in fasting an opportunity to control and completely stamp them out. When they fast for the one month, they necessarily have to restrict these habits; and, at the end of the fasting month, many of them have found they have enslaved the habit which kept them enslaved earlier.

Allah has prescribed fasting for both spiritual and material benefits of his followers. It is a cure for many illnesses. It is a cure for many evil habits and indulgences. As it forbids evil in thought and action, it serves as a ‘detergent’ cleansing his impurities mentally and physically.

In other words, fasting is an exercise which is entirely for the benefit of its observer. When a doctor prescribes against food and drinks in the treatment of his patient, the latter scrupulously follows the regimen trusting the doctor’s advice, even though the cure is in Allah’s hands. Then, why shouldn’t one observe fasting which is prescribed by Allah, the trustworthy, the all knowing and all powerful, as also a cure for illnesses?