THE WISDOM BEHIND FASTING

There are reasons and wisdom behind every single act in Islaam, no matter how small. It is possible to know the wisdom behind some acts, and for others we may never know. Salaat, for instance, is a daily training for purifying the believer and reminding him or her that he/she is a member in a community of believers. Fasting, on the other hand, is an annual institution containing all conceivable attributes for human excellence. It is a training for the body and soul, a renewal of life, encouraging the spirit of sharing and giving.

Self-Restraint (Taqwaa)

Allaah Kareem states: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self-restraint.” (Al-Qur’aan, 2:183)

This verse indicates the first lesson or wisdom to be gained in fasting is Taqwa (self-restraint  or the conscious  of Allaah  Almight. That is to say, fasting instills in the heart the essence of consciousness of the Creator, moral courage both in secret and manifest, guiding the heart, the seat of emotion from spoilage and moral indecency.

Fasting instills taqwaa or conscious of Allaah Kareem, and does so by controlling two aspects of the human body, which are the root causes of human downfall, namely the stomach and the private parts. The human body is constructed with the need to please the two of them and, in the process, man transgresses the rights of others, fellow human beings, and the commandments of Allaah Kareem are violated. By Fasting one raises the level of taqwa, thereby the person avoids the sins, which are detrimental to life itself.