Continuation of the discussion regarding the Shaykh's experience with medical fasting.
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The Shaykh : The point is that she continued drinking only water, and Allah the Mighty and Majestic healed her. This increased our companion's enthusiasm; whenever a patient came to him, he would tell him to fast, specifically medical fasting. And indeed, this is a tested method. I am one of the individuals who completed the full course, meaning forty days. I broke my fast, and nothing entered my body except water.
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh. Did you not feel fatigue and lethargy?
The Shaykh : I was young at that time, O Shaykh, not like I am today. And I will add to your knowledge that in those days, I used to ride a "dabbab," which we call a motorcycle. Nothing changed in my condition. On top of that, I had a habit of traveling from Damascus to Homs, to Hama, and to Aleppo for the sake of da'wah (calling others to Islam). I did not have a car at that time; I was still handling my errands on the "dabbab." So I took the bus to travel to Aleppo. It is the custom of the bus to pick up passengers in Homs and Hama, meaning it drops off passengers and picks up others. It stopped and entered the bus station in Homs or Hama—I do not remember which now—and the driver told the passengers, "You have half an hour, and after that, we must continue our journey." In this situation, the passengers get off, and each person relieves himself and returns at the appointed time. I got off with the group. This bus station was surrounded by vendors selling fried foods, falafel, liver, spleen, and other fried items. As soon as I entered, the smell of the fried food hit my nose, and I nearly exploded.
The questioner : Of course, you were fasting.
The Shaykh : Yes, and that day was approximately the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh day of my fast. I did not feel any distress except for that moment, but I was determined not to break my fast because the doctor's prescription insisted on it. So I deceived myself or cheated myself and entertained false hopes. I started walking in front of the fried food stalls, filling them with the smell but not tasting any food. I did this until the half hour was over and it was time to depart. I got on the bus...
Abu Layla : Did you drink water at that time?
The Shaykh : I had no desire to drink water. And the truth is, and I think this is an observation shared by everyone... the opposite is the case: if you reduce your food intake, you reduce your water intake. So what can you say when no food has entered my body for so many days? Therefore, I very rarely asked for water. I continued my journey to Aleppo and spent the prescribed days there. Then I went to Idlib, which is a town between Aleppo and Latakia. We stayed there, and the gathering took place as usual after the 'Isha' prayer. They noticed my emaciation and loss of health. They said, "May you be well, so-and-so?" I said, "I am well, as you see, if Allah wills. By Allah, my story is such and such, and I will continue the course to forty days." Among them were some students from the Faculty of Medicine in Damascus, our brothers who attend our lessons there in Idlib. They said, "No, Professor. We have learned from our medical professors that more than thirty days puts one in danger, and you are saying forty?" I said, "Yes, I am fully convinced that an ordinary, natural person can fast for forty days on water." And I was mentioning in this incident some of the extreme Sufis... In the name of Allah, this is our brotherThe Shaykh : Dawud did not fast like my story to train himself; he had an excess in food...
Dawud: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the important thing is that I told them, "I will fast, if Allah wills, for forty days, and I will come to you for the second leg of the journey." And I kept my promise. Indeed, that was the case. On the day I broke my fast, before I had completed the count, I rode my "dabbab" after forty days. The "dabbab" is the motorcycle. I rode the motorcycle and set off to the family doctor, who is in Douma. Between Damascus and Douma is fifteen kilometers on the "dabbab."
Al-Halabi : O our Shaykh, Shaykh Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, in one of his comments on biographies, mentioned the story of your fast, but without naming you, as is his custom. He said, "We know of some people who fasted for forty days, eating no food except drinking water."
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh. Did you not feel fatigue and lethargy?
The Shaykh : I was young at that time, O Shaykh, not like I am today. And I will add to your knowledge that in those days, I used to ride a "dabbab," which we call a motorcycle. Nothing changed in my condition. On top of that, I had a habit of traveling from Damascus to Homs, to Hama, and to Aleppo for the sake of da'wah (calling others to Islam). I did not have a car at that time; I was still handling my errands on the "dabbab." So I took the bus to travel to Aleppo. It is the custom of the bus to pick up passengers in Homs and Hama, meaning it drops off passengers and picks up others. It stopped and entered the bus station in Homs or Hama—I do not remember which now—and the driver told the passengers, "You have half an hour, and after that, we must continue our journey." In this situation, the passengers get off, and each person relieves himself and returns at the appointed time. I got off with the group. This bus station was surrounded by vendors selling fried foods, falafel, liver, spleen, and other fried items. As soon as I entered, the smell of the fried food hit my nose, and I nearly exploded.
The questioner : Of course, you were fasting.
The Shaykh : Yes, and that day was approximately the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh day of my fast. I did not feel any distress except for that moment, but I was determined not to break my fast because the doctor's prescription insisted on it. So I deceived myself or cheated myself and entertained false hopes. I started walking in front of the fried food stalls, filling them with the smell but not tasting any food. I did this until the half hour was over and it was time to depart. I got on the bus...
Abu Layla : Did you drink water at that time?
The Shaykh : I had no desire to drink water. And the truth is, and I think this is an observation shared by everyone... the opposite is the case: if you reduce your food intake, you reduce your water intake. So what can you say when no food has entered my body for so many days? Therefore, I very rarely asked for water. I continued my journey to Aleppo and spent the prescribed days there. Then I went to Idlib, which is a town between Aleppo and Latakia. We stayed there, and the gathering took place as usual after the 'Isha' prayer. They noticed my emaciation and loss of health. They said, "May you be well, so-and-so?" I said, "I am well, as you see, if Allah wills. By Allah, my story is such and such, and I will continue the course to forty days." Among them were some students from the Faculty of Medicine in Damascus, our brothers who attend our lessons there in Idlib. They said, "No, Professor. We have learned from our medical professors that more than thirty days puts one in danger, and you are saying forty?" I said, "Yes, I am fully convinced that an ordinary, natural person can fast for forty days on water." And I was mentioning in this incident some of the extreme Sufis... In the name of Allah, this is our brotherThe Shaykh : Dawud did not fast like my story to train himself; he had an excess in food...
Dawud: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the important thing is that I told them, "I will fast, if Allah wills, for forty days, and I will come to you for the second leg of the journey." And I kept my promise. Indeed, that was the case. On the day I broke my fast, before I had completed the count, I rode my "dabbab" after forty days. The "dabbab" is the motorcycle. I rode the motorcycle and set off to the family doctor, who is in Douma. Between Damascus and Douma is fifteen kilometers on the "dabbab."
Al-Halabi : O our Shaykh, Shaykh Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, in one of his comments on biographies, mentioned the story of your fast, but without naming you, as is his custom. He said, "We know of some people who fasted for forty days, eating no food except drinking water."
Source
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