Goal of fasting:

Turning mind, body and soul towards Allah

By Mohammed NAALIR

Muslims in Sri Lanka and the world over fast during this time of the year. Ramadan, the month of fasting, started in the latter part of July. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims will celebrate Eid-ul-fitr, the festival of charity.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, and is the month of fasting for Muslims. Because the cycle of the lunar calendar does not match the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan change slightly each year. Officially, the Ramadan month begins with the sighting of the new moon in the Western horizon.

This has historically been a point of contention as the timing of the moon’s visibility may vary by location, but the start and end dates are now generally agreed upon, based on modern understanding of the lunar calendar.

Lailathul Qadr is the holiest day in the month. Muslims believe that the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad on this day. The observance of Ramadan is also mandated in the second chapter of the Qur’an, verses 183-185: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous”.

Pillars of Islam

This practice Sawm (fasting) is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires people to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual intercourse. Each evening, Muslims break fast at sundown with Iftar. All Muslims are expected to observe the fast when they reach the age of puberty.

By eliminating material desires, one can focus fully on devotion and service to Allah. Many Muslims go beyond the physical ritual of fasting and attempt to purify themselves of impure thoughts and motivations such as anger, cursing, backbiting and greed. As part of this ritual, service to the community and to those in need is a major activity throughout the month.

Hunger is the worst thing in one’s life. It is the bounden duty of the rich and those who have enough wealth to appease the hunger of the poor people.

Islam gives a valuable message to Muslims through fasting about hunger and starvation.

According to Islamic principles, worldly life is unstable and it is a harvest land for life after death. If one sows more and more on this earth, one can harvest more in Jennathul Firdhouse (most luxurious heaven). One cannot achieve this goal without sacrificing one’s life for the Almighty during one’s lifetime.

Fasting is a practical way of realising the hunger and thirst experienced by the poor. This will lead the rich to do more charity towards the poor.

Based on certain elements, Islam has divided Ramadan into three parts, each comprising 10 days. In the first phase, Muslims will fast, begging for blessings and in the second phase, they fast asking for the pardon of God for their previous sins. During the third phase, Muslims beg of Allah for release from the abyss of hell.

Most important night

The Lailathul Qadr night which falls within the last 10 days, on the odd numbered days, is the most important night in the whole month. However, this night cannot be predicted as it is hidden by Allah. So, Muslims must engage in performing more merits in the odd numbered days from the 21st to the 29th of the holy Ramadan month.

Allah says that the “Mumin (Muslim) who sacrifices eating and drinking which are most important for one to survive, and other sensations, for me will get a reward for those sacrifices.” Unlimited merit will be granted by Allah if the fast is observed properly. Allah says relating to the fasting, “As it is for me I will reward it.”

There are two types of happiness for a Mumin who is fasting. The first one is when ending the fasting in the evening (Iftar). At this time he feels a different happiness. The second is that the smell emanating from the mouths of those who are fasting is supreme than musk in the presence of the Almighty.

At another time, Prophet Muhammad revealed that he would warrant heaven to the Mumin who successfully protects the tongue and sex organs.

When Ramadan comes, the doors of heaven are open. The doors of the abyss are shut. Satan will also be tied up. The Al-Qur’an says that “the fasting has been assigned to you as was to your ancestors.”

Remembering the poor

Ramadan will be a training to evacuate unwanted passions from the mind. Fasting makes one perfect in the manner to follow the Sharia (Islamic law) properly.

Fasting will lead to thousands of good qualities in the mind of the Muslim. The good qualities of compassion and dedication arise in the mind of the Muslims.

He gets an opportunity to experience the grievances, sadness and the hardships being faced by poverty-stricken people, not having enough to fill their stomachs daily as well as their day-to-day needs. The real goal of fasting is to turn the mind, body, thinking and soul towards the Almighty. This is possible only through fasting.

During Ramadan, mankind comes closer to the Al-Qur’an than in other months.

When the last phase of Ramadan approaches, Prophet Muhammad (Sal) will be engaged in doing merit and also insists that family members be involved in acquiring merit.

The victory of fasting depends on the controlling of the mind and material desires. Eating is a must, but it is not life. However, mankind spends most of their time in eating and drinking.

Fasting is difficult for some. They think that they cannot pass the day without partaking in food. They engage in recreational activities to spend the day.

A number of interesting customs centred around the fast of Ramadan has evolved among local Muslims and though not necessarily religious in character, they seem to have become an integral part of the local tradition.

The Prophet declared that when one sees the crescent moon of the month of Ramadan, he should begin the fast. What usually happens in Sri Lanka is that when a believer sights the new moon, he conveys it to the people of the area who in turn inform the Grand Ulama in Colombo. The Ulama would then make an official announcement regarding the commencement of the fast.