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Fasting (Sawm)
Fasting is the basic pillar of Islam and it has been mandatory on the previous ummahs too.
Allah says in Quran:
ياتها الذين امنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (البقرة: 183)
Translation: O' you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
Literal meaning:
In Arabic, fasting is called 'Sawm' which means to stop, to tolerate, to give up or to leave.
Explanatory meaning:
Abstaining from eating and drinking and staying away from copulation from dawn to dusk is known as fasting.
Obligation of Fasting:
Fasting is mandatory on every Muslim who is adult, healthy and a resident. Fasting was made obligatory in 2 Hijri.
Broad meanings of Taqwa:
Taqwa means righteousness. Taqwa is that condition of heart which stops human from bad deeds and urges towards good deeds.
i. Aim of Fasting:
Besides making fasting obligatory, the aim of fasting has also been described in Quran which is to achieve righteouness (Taqwa).
ii. The significance of fasting in light of Quran:
In Islam, fasting has great importance and virtue. Fasting is done in Ramadan and Quran was revealed during this month...
Allah said in Quran:
رُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِى أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَنْتِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ
شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُبُهُ ( البقره 185)
Translation: The month of Ramdan (is that) in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion, so whoever sights (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it.
Translation: But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.
iii. Reward of fasting according to Ahadith:
Fasting which is observed with belief, and accountability according to saying of Prophet Muhammad its reward could be understood by the given hadith.
" كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ أَدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِ مِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى !
إِلَّا الصَّومُ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْرِي بِهِ ( مسلم )
Translation: The reward of every act of a person increases from ten times to seven hundred times (But the matter of fasting is different). Allah says that fasting is specifically for My sake. Therefore, I will give its reward as much as I want.
فَطْرَفِيهِ صَائِمَا كَانَ مَغْفِرَةٌ لِذُنُوبِهِ وَعِتْقُ رَقَبَتِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَكَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ اجرِه مِن غير ان ينتقِصَ مِنْ أَجْرِه شَيْئًا (سنن ابن ماجه وترندی) .
Translation: A person who lets any fast observer do his iftar (to make him break his fasting) there is forgiveness for his sins and he will rescue himself from hell fire. And he will get reward equal to virtue of fast observer and there will be no decrease in the reward of the person who has fasting:
iv. Ineffective Fasts:
When a person controls eating, drinking and sensual desires during whole month of Ramadan and by avoiding immoral acts spends his most of the time in worshipping, then the spirit of piety is produced in his nature. He starts hating bad deeds. Fasting besides training or controlling desires is an affective treatment for a person's egoism. When a person while in the intensity of hunger and thirst and having food stuff with him doesn't eat, then he realizes his humility in front of Allah and when this feeling turns into a permanent condition, then it produces capability in him to avoid any antireligious act. As Prophet said. "All previous sins are forgiven due to the fasts observed with belief and accountability And Prophet Muhammad said this also that there are many people who observe fasts but they don't get anything from their fasts besides having the fatigue of being hungry and thirsty. In the same context, the Prophet said that.
"مَن لَّمْ يَدَعُ قَولَ النُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ ( بخاری )
Translation: If anyone does not avoid telling lies and doing bad deeds while observing fast, then Allah is not interested in stopping him from eating and drinking.
