This is the primary aim of fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) affirmed that when he said: "Whoever does not
give up false speech and acting upon it and ignorant behaviour, Allaah
has no need of his giving up his food and drink." So if a person
refrains from disobeying Allaah, this is true fasting. As for outward
fasting, this is abstaining from things that invalidate the fast and
refraining from things that break the fast from dawn until sunset asan
act of worship towardsAllaah, because of the verse in which Allaah
says(interpretation of the meaning):
"So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allaah has
ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread
(light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread
(darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the
nightfall"
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
We call this kind of fastingoutward fasting, which is the fasting of
the body only. As for the fasting of the heart, which is the primary
aim of fasting, this means refraining from disobedience towards
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
Based on this, if a person observes the fast outwardly, in the
physical sense, but he does not fast in his heart, then his fast is
severely deficient, but we do not say that it is invalid, rather we
say that it is lacking. Similarly,we say concerning prayer that the
aim of prayer is humility before Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted, and prayer of the heart comes before prayerof the limbs, but
if a person prays physically but not with his heart, notfocusing at
all, then his prayer is very deficient, but it is still valid as it
appears to be, but is very deficient. Similarly the fastis very
deficient if a person does not refrain from disobeying Allaah, but it
is valid, because acts of worship in this world are to be judged as
they appear to be. End quote.
Liqaa'aat al-Baab il-Maftoohah (116, p. 1).
Secondly:
The scholars divided patience into three categories: patience in
obeying Allaah, patience in refraining from disobeying Him, and
patience in accepting the Divine decree. Fasting combines all these
kinds of patience.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The best kind of patience is fasting, for it combines all three types
of patience.It is patience in obeying Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted, and it is patience in refraining from disobeying Him, because
a person gives uphis desires for the sake of Allaah even though his
self may be longing for them. Hence it says in the saheeh hadeeth that
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: "All the deeds of the
son of Adam are for him, except fasting. It is for Me and I shall
reward for it, because he gives up his desire and his food and drink
for My sake." Fastingalso involves patience in accepting the
consequences which may result in hunger and thirstfor the fasting
person. Endquote.
Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hikam (p. 219).
Whoever manages to fast as Allaah has prescribed will attain a great
reward from his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted. It is sufficient
for him to knowthat Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full,
without reckoning"
[al-Zumar 39:10]
Thirdly:
In order for the Muslim to protect his fasting from being deficient
due to committing sins, he must achieve patience in refraining from
sin. One ofthe scholars said that patience in refraining from sin is
greater than the other two types of patience.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said:
Here there is an issue which people debated about: which type of
patience is better – patience in refraining from sin or patience in
obeying Allaah? One group of people suggested that the formeris
better, and they said that patience in refrainingfrom sin is the
attitude of the siddeeqeen, as some of the salaf said: Good deeds are
done by righteous and immoral alike, but no one has the power to
refrain from sin except a Siddeeq, and because the motive to commit
sin is greater thanthe motive to stop being obedient, because the
motive to commit sin is pleasure, but the motive to stop being
obedient is laziness and sloth, and undoubtedly the motive to commit
sin is stronger. They said: Sin may be promoted by one's own self,
whims and desires, the shaytaan, worldly reasons, a man's companions,
a desire to imitate, and natural inclinations......
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