Abdul Muqit Chowdhury :
Those who observe fasting, but don’t abstain from evils, fail to achieve the merit and virtue of fasting. Rasulullah (Sm) said, “What good does fasting do to one if one does not check one’s tongue, hearing, sight and sense ?” He said,
“Allah has no need of his refraining from food, drink and that kind of fasting, who could not refrain from lies and other misdeeds.”
Refraining from evils is the pre-condition of acceptance of fasting by Allah. Falsehood and immoral activities destroy the very purpose and spirit of fasting to create a society where humanistic ideals prevail.
The Holy Quran reveals : “This is the Book, in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God; who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.” (Sura Baqara 2:2-5 The Holy Quran : Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali)
These Ayats say of the people of ‘(true) guidance’. The people of ‘(true) guidance’ are those : (a) who fear Allah, (b) believe in the Unseen, (c) steadfast in prayer, (d) spend out of what have been provided for them, (e) believe in the Revelation sent (present and past) and (f) have the assurance of the Hereafter. Allah also assures of their being prosperous in the words ‘will prosper’.
A. Yusuf Ali comments on ‘Who fear God’: “Taqwa, and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify : (1) The fear of God, which, according to the writer of Proverbs (i7) in the Old Testament, is the beginning of wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one’s tongue, hand and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety, good conduct. All these ideas are implied : in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated, according to the context. …”
‘Who fear Allah’ and ‘Who believe in the Unseen’ – these two categories are very significant in the context of Ramzan. The Muslims observe fasting because they ‘believe in the Unseen’ and they ‘fear Allah.’
Observance of fasting is fully dependant on ‘Iman bil ghaib’ or ‘belief in the Unseen’. Fasting is fully based on the fear of Allah and there is no scope of ‘ria’- ‘demonstration of virtuous activities’. There is the scope of secretly breaking fast. It is only fear of Allah which makes one refrain from taking food, drink or other physical comforts. The devotee believes that Allah observes all secret deed and acts according to His promise. So, the ritual of fasting is unique and fear of Allah leads one to fasting. The Rozadar in the true sense of the term will be rewarded by Allah Rabbul Aalameen.
Those who observe fasting, but don’t abstain from evils, fail to achieve the merit and virtue of fasting. Rasulullah (Sm) said, “What good does fasting do to one if one does not check one’s tongue, hearing, sight and sense ?” He said,
“Allah has no need of his refraining from food, drink and that kind of fasting, who could not refrain from lies and other misdeeds.”
Refraining from evils is the pre-condition of acceptance of fasting by Allah. Falsehood and immoral activities destroy the very purpose and spirit of fasting to create a society where humanistic ideals prevail.
The Holy Quran reveals : “This is the Book, in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God; who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.” (Sura Baqara 2:2-5 The Holy Quran : Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali)
These Ayats say of the people of ‘(true) guidance’. The people of ‘(true) guidance’ are those : (a) who fear Allah, (b) believe in the Unseen, (c) steadfast in prayer, (d) spend out of what have been provided for them, (e) believe in the Revelation sent (present and past) and (f) have the assurance of the Hereafter. Allah also assures of their being prosperous in the words ‘will prosper’.
A. Yusuf Ali comments on ‘Who fear God’: “Taqwa, and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify : (1) The fear of God, which, according to the writer of Proverbs (i7) in the Old Testament, is the beginning of wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one’s tongue, hand and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety, good conduct. All these ideas are implied : in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated, according to the context. …”
‘Who fear Allah’ and ‘Who believe in the Unseen’ – these two categories are very significant in the context of Ramzan. The Muslims observe fasting because they ‘believe in the Unseen’ and they ‘fear Allah.’
Observance of fasting is fully dependant on ‘Iman bil ghaib’ or ‘belief in the Unseen’. Fasting is fully based on the fear of Allah and there is no scope of ‘ria’- ‘demonstration of virtuous activities’. There is the scope of secretly breaking fast. It is only fear of Allah which makes one refrain from taking food, drink or other physical comforts. The devotee believes that Allah observes all secret deed and acts according to His promise. So, the ritual of fasting is unique and fear of Allah leads one to fasting. The Rozadar in the true sense of the term will be rewarded by Allah Rabbul Aalameen.
