Miscellaneous - Religion   

Merit of fasting

CHENNAI: Says the Holy Quran: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed before ye, that you may ward off evil." (2:183) Fasting is pre-Islamic. All teachers, seekers of truth, in every age and clime and from the dawn of history, practised fasting. It was given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to systematise it giving its pristine plan in the scheme of things.

He sanctified human life that man is not debarred for pursuing his daily occupations while fasting. He adorns the days fasting with chaste thoughts of deeds being generous to the needy, and the nights with devotion to the benevolent Creator, offering prayers — a month rich in blessings. It is enjoined even upon persons incapable of fasting due to illness or afflicted with some malady to avoid eating before others in observance of the sanctity of Ramzan.

He chose the blessed month of Ramadan, the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar, when the first revelation of the Holy Quran, the word of God, was made to him for the guidance for mankind, with the Muslims, the world over, observing the fast at the sight of the new moon of Ramadan from dawn to dusk, made obligatory by Almighty Allah with certain exceptions. It is not broken at random. It serves as armour against all evil thoughts and deeds, and embellishes the soul to greater heights of spirituality.

For observing fasting, the lunar calendar was chosen by Almighty Allah for the reason that the lunar month keeps on rotating. Fasting helps to achieve mastery over desires and to attain spiritual kinship with the benevolent Creator.

Allah says, "Whosoever fast during the month of Ramadan, having faith in me and seeking My pleasure, (2:26) `I reward him directly and bestow on him My pleasure and enrich his life and make him a Muthaqi'; (3:75) and assuring the good end for him." (7:120)

The culmination of fasting as they see the new moon of Shawal, the following month, Eid-Ul-Fitr, the day of thanksgiving, prayers are held by the faithful standing shoulder to shoulder, transcending all tags of identity, before noon in vast open spaces, extolling the glory and the sovereignty of Almighty Allah for bestowing on man, the all goodness in life and in the hereafter.

K.S. Ahmed Pasha,

Ambur

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cartoonscape
The Hindu Crossword 8439
Solution to Puzzle 8438
Merit of fasting
dated November 4, 1955: Ben Gurion's offer
dated November 4, 1955: AIR station for Bangalore
dated November 4, 1955: Sadhus and society
Weather

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu