The Purpose of Fasting
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The true purpose of fasting is the mindfulness of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as indicated by the Book and the Sunnah.Allah the Exalted said: [al-Baqarah:183] It did not say: "Perhaps you will be compensated," or "Perhaps you will train yourselves to endure hunger and thirst and restrain your souls from desires,"He said: but "Perhaps you will be mindful of Allah."
And mindfulness of Allah: This means obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions.And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink) This is the true purpose of fasting. However, in the understanding of many Muslims today, it is merely abstaining from things that break the fast. Therefore, you find that some of them do not care about anything during the day in Ramadan except spending their time in sleep at times, and in amusement at other times. You do not find the signs of fasting on them, and their fasting day is not different from their non-fasting day; rather, they are the same for many people.
This is what has deprived the Muslim community of the spirit of its worship and rituals, until Muslims now, in many cases and among many of their peoples and individuals, perform these acts of worship as if they were a national slogan, not as a religious act of worship, as if it were a custom they followed, and their fathers and grandfathers were upon it. Consequently, the great meanings that follow from these noble acts of worship have been lost.
For example, prayer restrains from indecency and evil daily. Most people leave their prayer without being affected at all; they are not affected by the hatred of indecency and evil. Yet, if their prayer were correct and as it should be, they would find in themselves that when they leave it, they hate indecency and evil; because it restrains them from indecency and evil. Likewise, fasting: people are now fasting for a whole month. If they were as Allah wanted them to be, mindful of Allah and giving up false speech, acting upon it, and ignorance,It would be a whole month, meaning: half of a sixth of the year could not pass without them being fully raised in obedience to Allah and mindfulness of Allah. But who among us, when Ramadan ends, finds in himself more rectitude and good deeds than he had in Sha'ban? Most people, when Ramadan ends, rejoice with the joy of desire for the end of fasting, as if they rejoiced at its departure and did not rejoice at their departure from their sins.
Therefore, it is obligatory for us to know the great wisdom of fasting, and to fast as Allah wanted us to, and as our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained to us. We fast from the sins of Allah, toward the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).Fasting, as we mentioned to you, is: Worshipping Allah by abstaining from the things that break the fast from the appearance of the dawn until the setting of the sun; this is fasting. You must be aware that you are in a state of worship.
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَAnd mindfulness of Allah: This means obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions.And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink) This is the true purpose of fasting. However, in the understanding of many Muslims today, it is merely abstaining from things that break the fast. Therefore, you find that some of them do not care about anything during the day in Ramadan except spending their time in sleep at times, and in amusement at other times. You do not find the signs of fasting on them, and their fasting day is not different from their non-fasting day; rather, they are the same for many people.
This is what has deprived the Muslim community of the spirit of its worship and rituals, until Muslims now, in many cases and among many of their peoples and individuals, perform these acts of worship as if they were a national slogan, not as a religious act of worship, as if it were a custom they followed, and their fathers and grandfathers were upon it. Consequently, the great meanings that follow from these noble acts of worship have been lost.
For example, prayer restrains from indecency and evil daily. Most people leave their prayer without being affected at all; they are not affected by the hatred of indecency and evil. Yet, if their prayer were correct and as it should be, they would find in themselves that when they leave it, they hate indecency and evil; because it restrains them from indecency and evil. Likewise, fasting: people are now fasting for a whole month. If they were as Allah wanted them to be, mindful of Allah and giving up false speech, acting upon it, and ignorance,It would be a whole month, meaning: half of a sixth of the year could not pass without them being fully raised in obedience to Allah and mindfulness of Allah. But who among us, when Ramadan ends, finds in himself more rectitude and good deeds than he had in Sha'ban? Most people, when Ramadan ends, rejoice with the joy of desire for the end of fasting, as if they rejoiced at its departure and did not rejoice at their departure from their sins.
Therefore, it is obligatory for us to know the great wisdom of fasting, and to fast as Allah wanted us to, and as our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained to us. We fast from the sins of Allah, toward the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).Fasting, as we mentioned to you, is: Worshipping Allah by abstaining from the things that break the fast from the appearance of the dawn until the setting of the sun; this is fasting. You must be aware that you are in a state of worship.