During the first 13 years of his ministry, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him.) emphasized the oneness of God, and emanating therefrom, the equality of mankind. He taught them ways to worship God and perform deeds that endear one to him. Thus, taking care of the poor and the downtrodden, the orphans and the slaves -- that had the characteristics of the Prophet himself -- became part and parcel of the nascent Muslim culture. Islam struck at the core motive force of the then-Arabian society in which power, prestige and the right to exploit the weak belonged to those who could snatch it. Muslims were, therefore, subjected to extreme violence and persecution. The prophet taught them perseverance in the face of such tyranny. That was their recipe for self-purification and spiritual enlightenment.
When Muslims emigrated to Medina under duress, they found a welcoming community there. The multiethnic tribes living there were so impressed by the character of Prophet Muhammad that they unanimously chose him to head their city-state. He gave them their first written constitution that provided everyone equal rights and required commensurate responsibilities.
In this backdrop of relative peace, the commandment of fasting was revealed to the prophet:
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous. The prescribed fasting is for a fixed number of days, but who so among you is sick or is on a journey shall fast the same number of other days; and for those who are able to fast only with great difficulty is an expiation -- the feeding of a poor man. And who so performs a good work with willing obedience, it is better for him. And fasting is good for you, if you only knew.
-- Holy Quran, chapter 2, verses 184-185
The verse emphasizes that the main purpose of fasting is to make the believers righteous or godly. It says fasting is not a new institution required of the Muslims alone, but that other people before Islam were also instructed to fast for the same reason. Thus, Muslims are taught a deeper lesson in respecting other religions as divinely inspired and pursuing the same goal of bringing humanity to God. The philosophy of fasting highlighted in these verses is to create a deeper sense of empathy for the poor and the deprived. This, when done with God-consciousness and full thoughtfulness, becomes true meditation and therefore leads one to communion with God. Finally, God says fasting is good for you, if you only knew.
Prophet Muhammad himself fasted and meditated for months on end in the Cave of Hira before he was commissioned as the Prophet of God. The gospels also mention that Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days and nights before he commenced preaching the message of God. Similarly Moses also fasted for 40 days before he received the Ten Commandments. Thus, the efficacy of communion with God through fasting is well established. A quick perusal of the teachings of other religions prove the truth of the claim of the Holy Quran made 14 centuries ago, that every religion had been given instructions regarding fasting. We note that Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, as well as the old religions of the Americas, have fasting as a means of purification of the body and the spirit. Muslim Sufi saints and divines are reported to have gone into 40 days of seclusion for fasting and dedicated prayers to achieve communion with God.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, controlling their desires of the flesh, including hunger and thirst, anger, greed, envy, lustful thought, etc., and busy themselves with prayers (required as well as supererogatory), dhikr (remembrance of God,) recitation of the Holy Quran and acts of charity. During the last 10 days of Ramadan, the activities reach their climax, with many Muslims taking to solitude and staying up all night humbling themselves in prayers before God to hopefully experience the moment of communion with the supreme on the Night of Determination (Lailatul Qadr), which is better than a whole lifetime according to the Holy Quran (Ch. 97, V. 2-4).
Let us all join together in fast to cleanse our hearts of all kinds of malice and hatred and pray that God, who is Peace, descends on our hearts, and we become the beacon of peace for the world.
NAN Religion on 05/19/2018