Fasting

…Let us return to the commentary on the hadithof Harith, where he
Prophet speaks of what will rescue a servant from the Foe:
"And [God] enjoins upon you the fast. Verily, the similitude of that
is a man carrying a sack-full of musk in a crowd of people,all of them
marvelling at its fragrance—for the breath of someone fasting is more
fragrant to God, Most High, than the scent of musk." [Tirmidhi,Amthal,
2790; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 16542.]
The Prophet uses the image of someone carrying a sack-full of musk
concealed from view, hidden under his garments, after the habit of
those who carry musk. Fasting is, likewise, hidden from the eyes of
men and unperceived by their senses.
The fasting person's limbs fast from sins; his tongue fasts from lies,
base language and false witness; his stomach fasts from food and
drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If he speaks, he saysnothing
to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does nothing to spoil his
fast. Allhis speech is salutary and wholesome, as are his deeds—like
the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the bearer of musk.
Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his presence and
is safe from false witness, lies, base language and wrongdoing.This is
the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply abstinence from
eating and drinking.
Hence, a sound hadih states:
"When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the action
that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to
refrain from food and drink." [Bukhari, Adab, 5597; Ibn Maja, Siyam,
1679; also in Bukhari, Sawm, 1770, without the word 'ignorance']
And in [another] hadith:
"Some who fast obtain nothing from it but hungerand thirst." [Ibn
Hanbal, Musnad, 8501, with the ending 'And some may stand for prayer
at night and receive nothing from it but sleeplessness.' Also in
Bahyaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 3542, with 'standing at night' mentioned
first.]
True fasting is when the limbs fast from sin and thestomach fasts from
food and drink. As food and drink can break the fast or spoil it, so
sins can cut off its reward and spoil its fruits, as if one had not
fasted at all.

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