moments to understand some of thewisdoms and lessons that we can learn
from this month of fasting.
Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a
companion of the Prophet,peace be upon him, said:"Let it not be that
the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal."
Meaning, one's behaviour, attitude and outlook are the same whether
one fasts or not, i.e. fasting has no effect upon that person. This is
why we need to reflect on some of these lessons.
LESSON 1: Gaining Taqwaa
Allah legislated fasting for gaining taqwaa,
"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has
been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain taqwaa."
(meaning of Soraat ul Baqarah (2):183)
Taqwaa in this case meansto make a shield between oneself and Allah's
anger and Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our
fasts, 'Has this fasting day made us fear Allah more? Has it
resultedthat we want to protect ourselves from the hellfire or not?
LESSON 2: Drawing closerto Allah
This is achieved by recitingand reflecting on Al-Qur'aan during night
and day, attending the taraaweeh prayers, remembering Allah, sittingin
circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah. Also for
those who can, making I`tikaaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of
Ramadaan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a
masjidjust thinking of Allah, so asto bring oneself closer to Allah
(SWT). When one sins, one feels distant fromAllah. That is why one
might find it heard to readthe Qur'aan and come to the masjid.
However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to Allah and wants to
worship Allah more, because he is not shy fromhis sins.
LESSON 3: Acquiring patience and strong will
Allah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur'aan
and has commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So
when one fasts, and gives up one's food and drink, and one's marital
sexual relations forthose hours, one learns restraint and patience.
ThisUmmah needs man and women that are strong willed, who can stand
upon the Sunnah and the Book of Allah and not waver in front of the
enemies of Allah. We do not need emotional people, who just raise
slogans and shout, but when the time comes to stand upon something
firm, they cannot do so, they waver.
LESSON 4: Striving for Ihsaan (righteousness and sincerity) and
staying away from riyaa' (showing off)
Ihsaan means to worship Allah as if one seeks Him, and even though one
doesnot see Him, He sees all. Hasan al-Basree said, "By Allah, in the
last twenty years, I have not said a word or taken something with my
hand or refrained to take something with my hand or stepped forth or
stepped back, except that I have thought beforeI have done any action,
'Does Allah love this action? Is Allah pleased with this action?' So
when one is fasting, one should gain this quality of watching oneself
and also staying away from riyaa' (showing off). That is why Allah
said in a hadeeth qudsee, "Fasting is for Me and I reward it."
(al-Bukhaaree) Allah singles out fasting from allother types of
worship saying, "Fasting is for Me", because no one knows whether you
are fasting ornot, except Allah. For example, when one is praying or
giving charity or making tawaaaf, one can be seen by the people, so
one might do the actionseeking the praise of the people. Sufyaan
ath-Thawree used to spend the nights and the days crying and the
peopleused to ask him, "Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of
Allah? He said, 'No.' They said, "Is it due to the fear of the
Hellfire?" He said, 'No. It is not the fear of Hellfire that makes me
cry, what makes me cry is that I have been worshipping Allah all
theseyears and doing scholarly teaching, and I am not certain that my
intentions are purely for Allah.'"
LESSON 5: Refinement of manners, especially those related to
truthfulness and discharging trusts.
The Prophet (may Allah send His blessing and peace upon him) said,
"Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah
(SWT) has no need that he should heave his food and drink."
(al-Bukhaaree) What we learn from this, is that we must pay attention
to the purification of our manners. The Prophet (may Allah send His
blessing and peace upon him) said, "was sent to perfect good manners."
(Maalik)
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