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9. FASTING IN RAMADAN (2) Allah says in the Qur’ān: ِب َعلَى ِّ ِب َعلَ ْي ُك ُم ال َ ص َيا ُم َك َما ُكت َ ِين آ َم ُنوا ُكت َ َيا أَ ُّي َها الَّذ )381( ون َ ُِين مِنْ َق ْبلِ ُك ْم لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم َت َّتق َ الَّذ O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may achieve taqwa (Q. 2:183) The term ون َ ُ لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم َت َّتقmeans “that ye may ward off (evil)” (M.M. Pickthall), “that you may (learn) self-restraint” (A.Y. Ali), “so that you may remain conscious of God.” (M. Asad). The term la‘alla ) (لَ َع َّلmeans “perhaps, may be.” It is “ َط ْمعambitious desire, object of desire” and “ ِا ْش َفاقcare, concern, anxiety.” According some Qur’ān commentators, the term la‘alla if it is from Allah it means kay ) ْ ( َكيmeaning “so that, in order that, in order to”, as Allah is not subject to “ambitious desire” and “concern” which are among the natures of human beings. What He desires to happen He makes it happen. Therefore, the term ون َ ُ لَ َعلَّ ُك ْم َت َّتقin the above verse means “in order that you achieve taqwā.” When the term la‘alla is applied to human, then it means “perhaps” or “may be” where there is wish and expectation, such as the following verse: )04:ين (الشعراء َ لَ َعلَّ َنا َن َّت ِب ُع الس ََّح َر َة إِنْ َكا ُنوا ُه ُم ْال َغال ِِب “That we may follow the sorcerers [who were in Pharaoh’s religion or disbelief] if they are the winners”(Q. 26:40) It was the wish of people to follow the sorcerers if they win against Prophet Moses in their contest. Another example is as follows: َ َُفق )00:ول لَ ُه َق ْو ًل َل ِّي ًنا لَ َعلَّ ُه َي َت َذ َّك ُر أَ ْو َي ْخ َشى (طه [Allah said to Prophet Moses and Prophet Aaron] “And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition of fear (Allah).” (Q. 20:44)
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Here Allah talked to them to talk nicely to Pharaoh both of you hoping that he might accept admonition or fear Allah. The term fala‘allaka )ك َ َّ ) َفلَ َعلin the following verses means “people might think” )31:ك (هود َ ُوحى إِلَ ْي َ ض َما ي َ ْارك َبع َ ََّفلَ َعل ِ ك َت So perchance you (O Muhammad) may give up a part of what I s revealed to you… (Q. 33:31) )6: (الكهف... ار ِه ْم َ ك َباخِع َن ْف َس َ ََّف َل َعل ِ ك َع َلى آ َث Perhaps you would kill yourself (O Muhammad) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), … (Q. 18:6) The term ( َت َقوىtaqwā) which is sometimes translated as “piety”, “consciousness (of Allah),” and “fear (of Allah)” is derived from the verb waqā, yaqī, wiqāyah )(و َقى َيقِي ِو َقا َية َ meaning “to protect, to shield,” so that wiqāyah means “shield, protection.” There is a wise saying in Arabic indicating the importance of self-protection, namely, prevention against sickness, as follows: ْال ِو َقا َي ُة َخيْر م َِن ْالعِالج Prevention is better than treatment. So, it is self-protection against what? It is against falling into committing sin. It happened that the caliph ‘Umar ibn alKhaṭṭāb r.a. asked Ubayy ibn Ka‘b r.a. the meaning of taqwā. Ubayy asked him: “Have you taken a path where there were many thorns on it?” “Yes,” answered ‘Umar. “Then what did you do?” asked Ubayy again. “I protected myself and be careful [not to step on them], said ‘Umar. “That is taqwā,” said Ubayy. For this meaning of taqwā which is elf-protection” the the ‘Abbasi poet who was well-known from his embellishment,
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style and theory in poetry, Ibn al-Mu‘tazz (247-294/861-908) explained it in his poem ) مستفعلن: (بحر الرجزas follows: ُّ َخ ِّل ك ال ُّت َقى َ ص ِغي َْر َها * َو َك ِبي َْر َها َذا َ وب َ الذ ُن ض ال َّش ْو ِق َيحْ َذ ُر َما َي َرى ِ * ْاش َف ْو َق أَر ٍ َواصْ َنعْ َك َم صى َ ص ِغي َْر ًة * إِنَّ ْال ِج َبا َل م َِن ْال َح َ َّلَ َتحْ ق َِرن Abstain from sins, either small or big, that is piety And do like a person walking on a horny piece of land, Being careful of what he is seeing. Do not look down on a minor sin, Mountains are made of pebbles. Therefore, the accepted fasting will become self-protection from committing sin. The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: : َقا َل، ّللا صلى ّللا عليه وسلم ِ َّ أَن َرسُو َل، َعن أَ ِبي ه َُري َْر َة ْ ُصا ِئمًا َفال َيرْ ف َول َيجْ َه ْل،ث ِّ ال َ ان أَ َح ُد ُك ْم َ َفإِ َذا َك، ص َيا ُم ُج َّنة َ ْ ْن َ إِ ِّني: أ ْو َشا َت َم ُه َفل َيقُ ْل، َفإِ ِن ا ْمرُؤ َقا َتلَ ُه ِ َمرَّ َتي، صائِم ّللا ِ َّ َ لَ ُخلُوفُ َف ِم الصَّائ ِِم أَ ْط َيبُ عِ ْند، َوالَّذِى َن ْفسِ ى ِب َي ِد ِه ك َط َعا َم ُه َو َش َرا َب ُه َو َشه َْو َت ُه ُ َي ْت ُر، ِيح ْالمِسْ ك ِ مِنْ ِر ،ِص َيا ُم لِى َوأَ َنا أَجْ ِزى ِبه ِّ ال، مِنْ أَجْ لِى )َو ْال َح َس َن ُة ِب َع ْش ِرأَمْ َثالِ َها (رواه البخاري Narrated Abū Hurayrah r.a.: Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. said, “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter from the Hell-fire). So, the person observing fast should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him, he should say to him twice, ‘I am observing fast.’” [The Prophet ()ﷺ added] “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a person observing fast is better with Allah the Almighty than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), ‘He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times. (Reported by al-Bukhārī)
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Suppose our fast failed to protect us from committing sin, then what really had happened to us? The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: َّ صلَّى َّ َعنْ أَ ِبي ه َُري َْر َة َرضِ َي ِ َّ ّللا ُ َع ْن ُه َقا َل َقا َل َرسُو ُل َ ّللا ُّللا ُّ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم َمنْ لَ ْم َيدَ عْ َق ْو َل اجة ِ َّ ِ ْس َ لِل َح َ ور َو ْال َع َم َل ِب ِه َفلَي ِ الز )َع َط َعا َم ُه َو َش َرا َب ُه (رواه البخاري َ فِي أَنْ َيد Narrated Abū Hurayrah r.a.: The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid, “Whoever does not give up lying speech (false statements) and acting on those lies and evil actions etc., Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink [.e., Allah will not accept his fasting] (Reported by al-Bukhārī) In other words, if our fasting fails to protect us from committing sin, then our fasting becomes useless, unacceptable. It means that fasting has to improve our character, our behavior, to make us a better person. Besides being protection from Hell-fire, fasting also will make the previous sins of the fasting person will be forgiven. The Prophet said: " َمن صا َم: قال رسول ّللا صلى ّللا عليه وسلم:عنْ ِأبي ه َُري َْر َة قال ) ُغف َِر لَ ُه َما َت َق َّد َم مِنْ َذ ْن ِب ِه" (متفق عليه،رمضان إِي َما ًنا َواحْ ِت َسابًا َ On the authority of Abū Hurayrah, the Prophet ()ﷺ said: “Whoever observed fasting in Ramadan with perfect faith and seeking reward, he will have his previous sins forgiven” (Agreed upon) The sins intended in this ḥadīth are minor sins, as major sins, such as drinking alcohol, practicing black magic, adultery, etc., are only forgiven through repentance or legal punishment. With regard to our mistakes to our fellow human beings we ask forgiveness from them, and this is the importance of forgiving each other, and we usually do it at the end of Ramadan, when we celebrate the ‘Id al-Fiṭri. The reward of fasting in Ramadan is multiplied, even more than seven hundred times. The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: ٍ ْضا َعفُ ْال َح َس َن ُة َع ْش ُر أَ ْم َثا ِل َها إِ َلى َس ْب ِعمِا َئ ِة ضِ ع ف َ ْن آ َد َم ُي ِ ُك ُّل َع َم ِل اب
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َّ َقا َل ّللا ُ َع َّز َو َج َّل إِلَّ الص َّْو َم َفإِ َّن ُه لِى َوأَ َنا أَجْ ِزى ِب ِه َيدَ ُع َشه َْو َت ُه ان َفرْ َحة عِ ْن َد ف ِْط ِر ِه َو َفرْ َحة عِ ْن َد لِ َقا ِء ِ َو َط َعا َم ُه مِنْ أَجْ لِى لِلصَّائ ِِم َفرْ َح َت )يح ْالمِسْ كِ (متفق عليه ِ َّ َو َل ُخلُوفُ فِي ِه أَ ْط َيبُ عِ ْن َد.َر ِّب ِه ِ ّللا مِنْ ِر Every good deed of the son of Adam is multiplied in reward 10 to 700 times except for fasting, for it is for it is for Me and I will grant the reward for it, he leaves his passion and his food for My sake. The fasting person has two moments of happiness: One moment when he ends his fasting for the day (Iftar) and the other when he meets his Lord. And the smell which issues from the mouth of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the smell of musk (fragrance). (Agreed upon) In Islam doing good deed will have ten times of reward, whereas doing bad deed will have only one recompense of it. Allah said: َمنْ َجا َء ِب ْال َح َس َن ِة َفلَ ُه َع ْش ُر أَ ْم َثا ِل َها َو َمنْ َجا َء ِبال َّس ِّي َئ ِة َف َال )364:ُون (األنعام َ يُجْ َزى إِ َّل م ِْثلَ َها َو ُه ْم َل ي ُْظلَم Whoever brings a good deed Islamic Monotheism and deeds of obedience to Allah and His Messenger) shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed (polytheism, disbelieve, hypocrisy, and deeds of disobedience to Allah and His Messenger) shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not be wronged. (Q. 6:160) The intention of doing good deed even without doing it, will get one reward for the intention. But the intention of doing bad deed will only be counted as one bad deed if it is committed. The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: ْ َمنْ َه َّم ِب َح َس َن ٍة َفلَ ْم َيعْ َم ْل َها ُك ِت َب ت لَ ُه َح َس َن ًة َو َمنْ َه َّم ِب َح َس َن ٍة َف َع ِملَ َها ْ ُك ِت َب ٍ ْت لَ ُه َع ْشرً ا إِلَى َس ْب ِعمِا َئ ِة ضِ ع ف َو َمنْ َه َّم ِب َس ِّي َئ ٍة َفلَ ْم َيعْ َم ْل َها ْ لَ ْم ُت ْك َتبْ َوإِنْ َع ِملَ َها ُك ِت َب )ت (رواه مسلم
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Whoever intended to do good deed but he did not do it, a good deed would be recorded for him, and whoever intended to do good deed and he did it, ten folds to seven hundred good deeds. And whoever intended to do bad deed, and he did not do it, no bad deed would be recorded for him; but if he did it, then it will be recorded one bad deed. (Reported by Muslim) Spending in the way of Allah would be rewarded seven hundred folds, as in the following verse: ّللا َك َم َث ِل ِ َّ يل َ ُِين ُي ْن ِفق َ َم َث ُل الَّذ ِ ون أَم َْوالَ ُه ْم فِي َس ِب ْ َح َّب ٍة أَ ْن َب َت ت َسب َْع َس َن ِاب َل فِي ُك ِّل ُس ْن ُبلَ ٍة مِا َئ ُة َح َّب ٍة َّ ضاعِ فُ لِ َمنْ َي َشا ُء َو َّ َو َ ّللا ُ ُي ُ ّللا )163:َواسِ ع َعلِيم (البقرة The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower. (Q. 2:261) The reward of fasting depending on the quality of it could be over 700 folds. As we know, there are three levels of fasting: of the ‘awām (common people), of the khawāṣṣ (the elite) and of the khawāṣṣu ‘l- khawāṣṣ (the elite of the elite). (CIVIC, 16 May, 2017) :المراجع المكتبة الشاملة (211/134 .تفسير الطبري (ت ( م3171 - 3130 / هـ673 - 633( تفسير القرطبى (3171 /770 .تفسير ابن كثير (ت . مفردات ألفاض القران.)3342/241 .الراغب اإلصفهاني (ت http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~muslims/fasting.htm