The Wisdom of Fasting

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The Shaykh : However, we must know that the purpose, or the wisdom, of fasting is not merely for a person to refrain from his desires. Rather, there is something higher and greater, which is for a person to refrain from the prohibitions of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as He the Exalted said:

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -

يا أيها الذين آمنوا كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

[Al-Baqarah 2:183]

This is the wisdom. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions and does not abandon foolishness, Allah is not in need of his leaving food and drink

من لم يدع قول الزور والعمل به والجهل فليس لله حاجة في أن يدع طعامه وشرابه

Bulugh al-Maram 5:14

This means that it is not Allah’s intention or will for a person to leave his food and drink while he is persisting in the disobedience of Allah. What is the benefit? Therefore, it was said that the month of Ramadan is an educational school that trains a person to perform the obligatory acts and leave the forbidden ones. Whoever’s benefit from his fasting is only hunger and thirst, then he is a loser.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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