Spiritual delights of fasting Ramadhan (7)

Today on the 7th day of the blessed month of Ramadhan, we start our daily programme titled “Spiritual Delights of Fasting Ramadhan” with the special supplication for the day.

“O Allah, help me to keep fasts and to offer prayers in this (month). Protect me in it from errors and sins. Bestow on me Your remembrance and thanks through Your continuous guidance. O Guide of the Believers.”

Fasting, like the daily ritual prayer, the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the giving of Zakat to the poor, etc. is an obligatory act of worship, which Allah as enjoined upon adult able-bodied believers for the whole month of Ramadhan. Yet, unlike other acts of worship, it has its own unique characteristics. An important point to note is that the observance of fasting and abstention from food and drink during daylight hours, solely concerns the individual and depends on his sincerity towards God, without any pretensions in public, show-off to others, and even deception that might taint the performance of other acts of worship. Another point to note is that fasting is the longest act of worship, compared to other obligatory acts.

For instance, the five daily ritual prayers, at their specified timings from early dawn to evening, will at the most total an hour every day. Likewise, the Hajj Pilgrimage to holy Mecca will not take a week or two, and is obligatory once in a lifetime, and not every year. In contrast, fasting, depending on the geographical location of the person and the season of the year in which Ramadhan falls, might be anything from 10 to 20 hours, and that too for a whole month every year. In other words, a fasting person typically spends more than 300 to almost 600 hours for one month for worshipping Allah! But the amazing thing, despite such a long duration, is that fasting does not interrupt our daily life and the work we routinely perform, at home, at offices, at social events, during business transactions, and while shopping.

Thus, fasting, unlike other acts of worship does not interrupt our daily chores. For example, one cannot normally offer his/her daily ritual prayers whilst working. We ought to take a break from work, perform Wudhu, find a suitable place and offer the Salat or ritual prayer. Likewise, the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca requires a complete break of a week or few weeks, and cannot be observed whilst one is doing his/her normal daily work. But fasting does not interrupt our daily life at all. We need not take break from work and stay away from other routines of life for observing fasts. Interestingly, a fasting person is still in the state of worship of Allah even if he/she is asleep. This means fasting could be observed, along with the rest of our daily worldly duties.

Fasting is only in conflict with sins and frivolous acts. Moreover, all other acts of worship consist of some actions. Take the example of daily ritual prayers. It is the combination of recitation of some verses of the holy Qur’an, in addition to some Dhikr or glorification of God, in different postures. The same applies to Hajj, Zakat etc. This means, fasting is the only act of worship of Allah that amazingly consists of some non-doings! This is the reason why fasting is not in conflict with our daily life and its routines, and does not require leave from office or work.

Another interesting point is that fasting is the most sincere act of worship, and does not need a congregation to be performed. Worshipping God is like a perfume kept in a container. In other words, once the lid is opened the fragrance flies and others become aware of it. Or once the seal of the container is broken it may be spoiled by show-off to others. This means, all other acts of worship, except for fasting, are prone to show off. For instance, it is highly recommended to perform the daily ritual prayer in congregation, and here the sincerity of the worshipper is prone to temptation and could be tainted if the intention is to make others aware that he/she is performing the prayer. The same is the case of the Hajj Pilgrimage, if the intention is not solely for the sake of God, but to make others realize that he/she has the means to undertake the journey to Mecca, on an aircraft and stay at a hotel, complete with all benefits of food and other services.

In contrast, to these acts of worship, fasting is the only act of worship of which none other than God could really be aware. As a matter of fact, fasting is an inner worship and hence it can be the most sincere act of worship. But its negligence has dire consequences, compared to other missed acts of worship. To be more precise, fasting is the only act of worship that needs expiation if missed deliberately. For instance, if any Muslim misses his daily ritual Prayers even deliberately, although he has committed a mortal sin, he only has to make up the lapsed prayers, without incurring any expiation. The same applies to the Hajj pilgrimage, If one misses it, there is always the possibility of performing the Hajj the next year, without any penalty.

Thus, fasting is the only act of worship, which if deliberately missed, in addition to making it up there is a hefty penalty for it. Abdullah Ibn Sanan in an authentic Hadith narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), the 6^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), regarding the expiation for the one who has deliberately and without any religious justification, broken the day’s fast, says: “He must free a slave (from bondage) or fast two months, or feed sixty poor people, but if he was unable to do so, he must give charity as much as he can.”

This penalty becomes even heftier if the person has broken his fast with something Haraam such as drinking alcohol or masturbation. Then he has to compensate it for every day with sixty days of fasting in addition to the day he did not fast as well as feeding sixty poor people.

We seek refuge in God Almighty from such abominable acts, and may He forgive the penitents who turn to Him for mercy with the intention never to repeat. Indeed, to be deprived of the promised rewards of fasting is the most severe punishment, since fasting is an obligation in Islam, the denial of which equals blasphemy. Imam Sadeq (AS) says: “A Muslim who does not fast during the month of Ramadhan (without any valid reason), has lost his spirit of Faith.”

AS/SS