Fasting cleanses body and soul

By Mohammed NAALIR

Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said that 'Truly there is a piece of flesh in the body which, if it be wholesome, the whole body will be healthy, and if it be diseased the whole body will be diseased. Truly it is the heart. Thus goodness of the heart is the guarantee for the happiness in this world and in the hereafter. Likewise, corruption is the surest way to destruction, the extent of which only the Almighty Allah knows.

Every creature has a heart. In reality they have two hearts, a heart that is alive and pulsating with the light of faith. It is filled with intense conviction and God consciousness. The other is dead heart, covered and diseased with every wreckage and rubbish.

The heart of the believer purifies during the Ramadhan and outside of Ramadhan. The fasting of the heart is done by emptying it of all corrupt material such as destructive form of polytheism, false beliefs, evil suggestions, filthy intentions and degenerate thoughts. The heart of the believer is adorned with the love of Allah. It knows its Lord by His names and qualities as He has described Himself. This heart explores with discerning eye the lines of His names and qualities and the pages of Allah's making in the universe and the books of his creations.

The believer's heart is filled with a brilliant light which does not allow any darkness to remain with it. It is the light of the eternal message, the divine teachings, and the omnipotent laws.

The believer's heart glows like a lamp, shines like the sun and sparkles like morning light. It increases in faith whenever the believer listens to the verses of the Al-Quran, it grows in conviction when it contemplates, and increases in guidance when it reflects.

The believer's heart abstains from pride because it breaks its fast. Pride does not reside in the heart of a believer because it is unlawful. The abode and dwelling place of pride is the heart. Hence, if it enters any heart, that person will become afflicted, foolish, arrogant and frivolous.

The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from egoism. Egoism is when the individual sees himself as perfect, better than others and in possession of good qualities, that are not found in anyone else. This is destruction in its most naked form. The Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said, 'Three things which are totally destructive: a person's self-centredness and conceit, his reluctance to obey and his following of his desires'.

The cure for this self-importance is to look at one's own faults, one's many shortcomings, thousands of sins and misdeeds that one has committed, wrongs that one has done and forgotten but the knowledge of which are with Allah in a book. For Allah is not led astray nor does he forget.

The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from envy because it lowers righteous deeds, puts out the light of the heart and stops its progress towards Allah the Most High. Allah says in the Glorious Quran: Do they perchance, envy other people for what God has granted them out of his bounty.

The tongue has a special fast. It is well-known to those believers who turn away from everything that is frivolous. The fasting of the tongue is a permanent feature of Ramadhan and out of Ramadhan, though in Ramadhan the tongue is disciplined and curbed.

The Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said 'Control this' and he pointed to his tongue. In response Mu'adh said: 'Even if we start to speak about what we should. O Messenger of Allah?' The Prophet replied: Your mother would grieve for you. O Mu'adh, will people not be thrown into the fire on their faces only because of the fruits of their tongue.

The harm of the tongue is great and its danger is huge. Abu Bakr al Siddiq (Rali) used to hold on to his tongue and says: 'This is what landed me in this position'.

The tongue has seven injuries, the serpent bites and fire burns. Do not mention the faults of people with your tongues. For all of you have faults and the people have tongues.

The Al-Quran says that Every expression is recorded and every word is counted. 'And never does Allah, the least wrong to his creatures'. In this regard the Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said: Whoever can protect for me what is between his jaws and legs, I will guarantee for him a place in paradise.

The tongue is a means to good or evil. What a delight it would be for those who remember Allah, seek His forgiveness, praise Him, glorify Him, give thanks to Him, and repent with their tongues.

The fast of the eye is to prevent it from seeing forbidden things and to cover it from indecencies. 'Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not display their charms [in public] beyond what may [decently] be apparent thereof; hence, let them draw their head-covering over their bosoms.

The eye is an opening to the heart and a door to the spirit. Ali ibn Abi Talib once asked the Prophet (Sal) about the gaze. He [Prophet Muhammad (Sal)] replied: Lower your gaze'. Hence whoever does not lower his gaze will be afflicted by four calamities.

(1) The disposing of heart in every direction, and its tearing apart in every field.

(2) Punishment of the soul and training it with the loss of what it saw and did not get. The soul, because of the act of the eye, is in constant distress, anxiety and turmoil.

(3) With the release of forbidden glances, the sweetness of worship and obedience is lost. Thus, say goodbye to the light of faith if the eye is not disciplined and made to fast from the unlawful sights. The soul will neither taste faith nor find conviction except through the control of the eyes.

(4) Because of the great sin incurred by its violation of honour and privacy, the eyes would be rewarded with great sin. No one ever fell into filth and perversion except after his eyes had gone astray. Surely there is no movement and no power except with Allah the most High, the most Magnificent.

There are five benefits and honours to be gained from lowering the gaze.

(1) Obedience to Allah Almighty's command to lower the gaze. This, by itself is enough as blessing and honour in this world and the next.

(2) Peace of the heart, its nourishment as well as its realisation of its full potential, comfort, happiness and ease.

(3) Avoidance of calamities and safety from trails and misdeeds.

(4) Allah opens for his servant the doors of knowledge, understanding, success and uprightness; a fitting reward for his piety.

(5) Allah will instil a sense of discernment in the heart of the learned and His perfect light in the souls of truthful; again a reward for those who lowered their gaze.

Allah says: Verily [thy] hearing and sight and heart, all of them -will be called to account for it [on Judgement Day]!

The ear is responsible before Allah for what is heard. The righteous people are those who listen carefully to what is said and follow it.

The ear fasts from listening to obscenities, music and all forms of lewd material.

The fasting of the stomach implies its avoidance of unlawful things. Apart from the abstinence from food, drink and all that invalidates the fast during the days of Ramadhan, it also requires avoidance of the prohibited things after the breaking of the fast.