The Benefits of Fasting

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

‘O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.’ (2:184)

The Promised Messiahas says:

‘The third pillar of Islam is fasting. People are also unaware of the reality of fasting. The truth is one cannot talk about a place that one does not go to and is not aware about. Fasting is not merely staying hungry and thirsty; rather its reality and its impact can only be gained through experience. It is human nature that the less he eats the more his self/spirit is purified and his capacity for [spiritual] visions increases. The will of God is to decrease one kind of sustenance and to increase the other. A person who is fasting should always be mindful that he is not just required to stay hungry. On the contrary he should remain engaged in remembrance of God so that he can cut asunder ties of worldly desires and amusements and is wholly devoted to God. Hence, the significance of fasting is this alone that man gives up one kind of sustenance which only nourishes the body and attains the other kind of sustenance which is a source of comfort and gratification of the soul. Those who fast only for the sake of God and not as something which is customary, should remain engaged in Hamd (glorification of God), Tasbih (saying: SubhanAllah) and Tahleel (saying: La illaha illAllah) of Allah the Exalted, through which they will get the other sustenance.’ (Translated from Malfuzat, Vol. 9, pp. 122 – 123)

The Following Videos are based on the writings of Imam Ghazalirh

Reap the Blessings of Fasting during Ramadan
by Rumi

 این دهان بستی دهانی باز شد

تا خورندهء لقمه‌های راز شد

لب فروبند از طعام و از شراب

سوی خوان آسمانی کن شتاب

گر تو این انبان ز نان خالی کنی

پر ز گوهرهای اجلالی کنی

طفل جان از شیر شیطان باز کن

 بعد از آنش با ملک انباز کن

چند خوردی چرب و شیرین از طعام؟

 امتحان کن چند روزی در صیام

چند شبها خواب را گشتی اسیر؟

 یک شبی بیدار شو دولت بگیر

When you close your mouth to food while fasting,
your spiritual mouth opens to take generous bites 
of secret divine meals sent down from above.

Close your mouth to food and drink, 
rush towards the spread out divine meal 
being set up on the heavenly dining table.

Once you completely empty your inner warehouse 
from all the material things accumulated,
it will be filled up all the way to the top 
with the precious divine pearls and jewels.

Get your soul’s baby off the breast milk of Satan,
and let it comfortably rest in the arms of
its motherly Angel.

How long will you keep on gluttoning 
on all these fattening foods?

How long will you keep on staying captive
by your own spiritual sleepiness?

Test your fasting resolve for a few days
during this fasting month of Ramadan.

Awaken out of your spiritual sleepiness for just one night,
so you can reap the wealth and blessings of fasting.