What is the philosophy behind Fasting?
Fasting is one of the obligations of the religion of Islam, of course, it is not obligatory for all Muslims in any situation, for example someone who is ill and fasting is harmful for him/her, he/she is exempted from fasting, or someone that fasting is intolerable for him/her, he/she must not fast.
The holy Quran mentions that fasting was written for those who were in the past.
In chapter Bagharah verse 183 Allah said:
یا أَیُّهَا الَّذینَ آمَنُوا کُتِبَ عَلَیْکُمُ الصِّیامُ کَما کُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذینَ مِنْ قَبْلِکُمْ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“Believers, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will be cautious.”
It is interesting that at the end of this verse the philosophy of fasting is mentioned by this meaningful concept: “Taghwa”
Taghwa means: to be cautious from Allah, or to be observant of the presence of Allah and to not commit His disobedience.
You may know that in Islam about fasting, we have been advised not to just prevent from eating or drinking and something like that, but also we have been advised to make our body limbs fast as well, and the fasting of our limbs means to make them prevent from committing sins, for example we must not backbite others, or tell lie, or have sinful look at what Islam has prohibited, etc.
Yes, a lot of sins do not invalidate the fasting, but it can prevent fasting from being accepted by Allah. In fact the main benefits of fasting cannot be obtained without fasting in all its aspects.
So let’s imagine that someone does not commit sins in the month of Ramadan for thirty days, it is a kind of exercise for him/her to be in the same spiritual state in the other months.
You may know that a lot of crimes are not committed so much in this holy month i.e. in the month of Ramadan. So imagine that if the members of a society who has practiced being God-fearing in this month, continue this Taghwa and God-fearing in the other months, how many crimes will be reduced in the society.
Another philosophy of fasting is to remind us from the thirst and hunger of the poor people, you know someone who has tasted the hunger, is more eager to help the hungry, and another philosophy of fasting is to remember the thirst and the hunger of the Day of Judgment.
The holy Prophet of Islam said in the month of Shabaan( the month before the month of Ramadan) when he was describing the greatness of the month of Ramadan, he said:
اذْکُرُوا بِجُوعِکُمْ وَ عَطَشِکُمْ فِیهِ جُوعَ یَوْمِ الْقِیَامَةِ وَ عَطَشَهُ
“Remember the huger and the thirst of the Day of Judgment through your hunger and thirst in the month of Ramadan”.
Fasting causes the health of the body and one of its reasons is that the parts of the body especially the stomach rest while fasting.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
صُومُوا تَصِحُوّا
” fast, it causes you to be healthy”
And another philosophy of fasting is that it can be a way of strengthening our will.
One of the ways of empowering the power of self is fasting, and it is one of the reasons that the experts in morality advise those who ask them a way to be strong against evil wishes and temptations, especially the young persons who are exposed to fall in the traps of the devils especially before getting marriage.
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Source:
Hablolmatin.dmsonnat.ir
