Why do Muslims fast?
Q: I live in England, and I often
get asked by many non-muslims, why do muslims fast? I know that I
should know this answer, but I do not know what to say exactly.
What should I give as an answer?.
A:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We Muslims fast the month of Ramadaan because Allaah has commanded
us to do so. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may
become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)" [al-Baqarah 2:183], {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ
عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}, Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā
Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Kutiba `Alaykumu Aş-Şiyāmu Kamā Kutiba
`Alá Al-Ladhīna Min Qablikum La`allakum Tattaqūna
So we worship Allaah by doing this act of worship which is beloved
to Allaah and which He has enjoined upon us.
The believers hasten to obey the commands of Allaah and His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in obedience
to His words (interpretation of the meaning):
"The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to
Allaah (His Words, the Qur'aan) and His Messenger, to judge between
them, is that they say: 'We hear and we obey.' And such are the
successful (who will live forever in Paradise)" [al-Noor 24:51],
{إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ
وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا
وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ}, Transliteration:
'Innamā Kāna Qawla Al-Mu'uminīna 'Idhā Du`ū 'Ilá Allāhi
Wa Rasūlihi Liyaĥkuma Baynahum 'An Yaqūlū Sami`nā Wa 'Aţa`nā Wa
'Ūlā'ika Humu Al-Mufliĥūna.
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His
Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in
their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he
has indeed strayed into a plain error" [al-Ahzaab 33:36], {وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ
إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ
الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا}, Transliteration: Wa Mā
Kāna Limu'uminin Wa Lā Mu'uminatin 'Idhā Qađá Allāhu Wa
Rasūluhu 'Amrāan 'An Yakūna Lahumu Al-Khiyaratu Min 'Amrihim Wa Man
Ya`şi Allāha Wa Rasūlahu Faqad Đalla Đalālāan Mubīnāan.
Secondly:
It is by His wisdom that Allaah has prescribed a variety of acts of
worship, so as to test people with regard to how they will obey all
these commands. Will they only choose to do that which suits them,
or will they do that which pleases Allaah? If we think about the
five acts of worship: testimony of faith, prayer, zakaah, fasting
and pilgrimage, we will see that some of them are purely physical,
some are purely financial, some are both, so that the miser will
become distinct from the generous. For some people it may be easy
for them to pray one thousand rak'ahs but not to give a single
dirham; for others it may be easy to give a thousand dirhams but
not to pray a single rak'ahs. So Islam came to prescribe a variety
of acts of worship so as to determine who will follow in obedience
to the command of Allaah and who will follow only that which suits
him.
Prayer, for example, is a purely physical action, but its
prerequisites require some expenditure, such as the water for
wudoo', and clothes to cover the 'awrah. These are not part of the
prayer but they are its prerequisites.
Zakaah is purely financial, but physical actions are required to
fulfil this duty such as calculating one's wealth and transferring
the zakaah to the poor and needy. These are not part of zakaah but
they are its prerequisites.
Hajj involves spending wealth and physical action, except for the
people of Makkah who may not need money, but the yare very few
compared with those who live in Makkah.
Jihad for the sake of Allaah may require both money and physical
effort. A person may spend money for the sake of Allaah and not
fight, or he may go and fight but not spend money.
Commands are of two types: commands to refrain from things that man
is inclined towards, and commands to spend that are precious.
Refraining from things that are loved includes fasting, and
expenditure of things that are loved includes zakaah. Wealth is
something that is loved and no one spends the wealth that he loves
except for something that is loved even more.
The same applies to refraining from things that are loved, for a
person may like to spend a thousand dirhams, but not fast a single
day, or vice versa.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, al-Sharh
al-Mumti', 6/190.
Thirdly:
There is another great reason why fasting is prescribed, which has
been discussed in part in the answer to question no. 26862.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen was asked about the reason why fasting was
enjoined?
He replied:
If we read the words of Allaah (interpretation of the
meaning):
" O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may
become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)" [al-Baqarah 2:183], {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ
عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}, Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā
Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Kutiba `Alaykumu Aş-Şiyāmu Kamā Kutiba
`Alá Al-Ladhīna Min Qablikum La`allakum Tattaqūna
we will know the reason why fasting was prescribed, which is taqwa
(piety) and submission to Allaah. Taqwa means giving up haraam
things, and in general terms includes both doing what is commanded
and abstaining from what is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «Whoever does not give up false speech and
acting upon it and offensive speech and behaviour, Allaah has no
need of his giving up his food and drink» [Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6057]. See also questions no. 37658 and 37989.
Based on this, it is important for the one who is fasting to carry
out religious duties and avoid haraam things in word and deed. So
he should not backbite about people, tell lies, or spread malicious
gossip among them, or engage in haraam transactions, and he should
avoid all haraam things. If a person does that for a whole month,
the rest of the year will go well, but unfortunately in the case of
many of those who fast, there is no difference between a day when
they fast and a day when they do not; they behave as they usually
do, neglecting obligatory duties and doing forbidden things. You do
not see the dignity that is to be expected of the fasting person.
These actions do not invalidate their fast but they do detract from
its reward and may cancel out the reward altogether.
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p.
451.
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