Shaikh Ahmad An-Najmee & Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan on The Wisdoms Behind The Legislation of Fasting

 

With regard to some of the wisdoms in fasting, Shaikh Ahmad bin Yahyaa An-Najmee (rahimahullaah) said:

 

Firstly: It is a spiritual exercise of the soul due to the withholding itself from its desires and that which is beloved to it.

Secondly: That the abandonment of food and drink as well as carnal desires during this time, being done out of worship of Allaah; The Mighty and Majestic accedes to a person an increase in his Eemaan along with strength in his being wary of the forbidden affairs and abstaining from non permissible desires.

Thirdly: That the shortage of food and drink due to prohibition of consuming it during that limited time accustoms the person upon keeping an observation of the issue of his Lord and in being fearful of Him and in having exaltation of Him.

Fourthly: It is from wisdom that he accustoms himself upon the abandonment of desires despite their presence and ones dependency upon them – out of longing for that which is with Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic in store for him; this is a sign of the strength of Eemaan. It is to this effect that He said in His saying:

{لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}

((that you may attain taqwa [fearfulness and dutifulness]))[1] (Al-Baqarah: 183)

 

Fifthly: If he experiences hunger and thirst; he thinks of those people who do not find anything to eat or drink. So this would induce him upon having compassion over them and to have beneficence for them.

So in general; fasting encompasses many aspects of wisdom, some of them are known by the people and there are others which are not known to them.

 

Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah) said regarding the wisdom in the legislation of fasting:

 

The wisdom in legislating fasting is clear, this being due to His saying The Most High:

{لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}

((that you may attain taqwa [fearfulness and dutifulness])) (Al-Baqarah: 183)

 

Since it prevents the soul from desires as well as from food and drink and sexual relations, as these affairs induce the soul into transgressions and upon negligence. If a person devotes oneself to eating and drinking and undertaking desires; then that would prompt insolence and disregard and going beyond bounds and being neglectful of the remembrance of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic.

If however he were to fast; then it would break the intensity/strength of his desire as well as the aspiration for food and drink. It would likewise restrict the flow/channel of Shaitaan – because Shaitaan runs within the son of Aadam along with the flow of blood. Therefore fasting restricts the flow/channel of Shaitaan from the person and weakens his desire and breaks his intensity/strength (in regards to his desires). So his heart softens, and due to that He said:

{لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}

((that you may attain taqwa [fearfulness and dutifulness]))

 

Therefore fasting acquires Taqwa (fearfulness of Allaah and being dutiful to Him) and contrition before Allaah, The One free of all imperfections and Most High.

It also reminds the person of his own weakness and of his need of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic. It reminds him also of the favours of Allaah which He has bestowed upon him by way of food and drink as well as obtaining that which Allaah has made permissible for him.

It also reminds him of the circumstances of the needy; when he undergoes the feel of hunger and the feel of thirst and the feel of neediness he remembers the condition of those who are in need – and so feels compassion for them.

(Taken from: Ta-sees Al-Ahkaam ‘Alaa maa Sahha ‘an Khairul Anaam be-Sharh Ahaadeeth ‘Umdatil Ahkaam vol 3 p.208-209 & Tas-heel Al-Ilmaam be-Fiqh Al-Ahaadeeth min Bulooghil Maraam vol 3 p.195-196)