The Wisdom Behind the Obligation of Fasting and Practical Guidance
Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
What is the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
When we hear the words of Allah Almighty:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَما كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ﴾
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 183)
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa (piety).”
From this verse, we understand the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting, which is to attain taqwa and become devoted worshippers of Allah ﷻ.
Taqwa refers to:
✔ Refraining from all that Allah has declared unlawful.
✔ Fulfilling all the commands that Allah has ordained.
✔ Abandoning everything that one has been forbidden from.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلّٰهِ حَاجَةٌ أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, Bāb: One Who Does Not Leave False Speech and Acting Upon It, Ḥadīth: 1903)
“Whoever does not leave false speech and acting upon it, then Allah has no need for him to leave his food and drink.”
A fasting individual should:
❖ Fulfill all obligatory duties completely.
❖ Refrain from all prohibited acts.
❖ Avoid backbiting.
❖ Do not lie.
❖ Avoid tale-carrying (namīmah).
❖ Stay away from dealing in haram (unlawful transactions).
❖ In short, remain distant from every prohibited matter.
▶ If a person spends an entire month in this manner, it is hoped that his soul will remain upright for the rest of the year as well.
Unfortunately, many fasting individuals do not care whether they are fasting or not. Their usual habits continue even while fasting, such as:
✖ Abandoning obligatory duties.
✖ Engaging in haram speech and actions.
Such individuals display no reverence for the sanctity of fasting.
Though these acts do not nullify the fast, they certainly diminish its reward.
At times, the weight of sins committed during fasting may exceed the reward, leading to a complete loss of the fast’s benefits.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
❀ Question:
What is the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting?
❀ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
When we hear the words of Allah Almighty:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَما كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ﴾
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 183)
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa (piety).”
From this verse, we understand the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting, which is to attain taqwa and become devoted worshippers of Allah ﷻ.
❖ Meaning of Taqwa:
Taqwa refers to:
✔ Refraining from all that Allah has declared unlawful.
✔ Fulfilling all the commands that Allah has ordained.
✔ Abandoning everything that one has been forbidden from.
❖ Instruction of the Prophet ﷺ:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلّٰهِ حَاجَةٌ أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, Bāb: One Who Does Not Leave False Speech and Acting Upon It, Ḥadīth: 1903)
“Whoever does not leave false speech and acting upon it, then Allah has no need for him to leave his food and drink.”
❖ Practical Guidance for the Fasting Person:
A fasting individual should:
❖ Fulfill all obligatory duties completely.
❖ Refrain from all prohibited acts.
❖ Avoid backbiting.
❖ Do not lie.
❖ Avoid tale-carrying (namīmah).
❖ Stay away from dealing in haram (unlawful transactions).
❖ In short, remain distant from every prohibited matter.
▶ If a person spends an entire month in this manner, it is hoped that his soul will remain upright for the rest of the year as well.
❖ Negligence of the General Public:
Unfortunately, many fasting individuals do not care whether they are fasting or not. Their usual habits continue even while fasting, such as:
✖ Abandoning obligatory duties.
✖ Engaging in haram speech and actions.
Such individuals display no reverence for the sanctity of fasting.
Though these acts do not nullify the fast, they certainly diminish its reward.
At times, the weight of sins committed during fasting may exceed the reward, leading to a complete loss of the fast’s benefits.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
