FASTING AS A SPIRITUAL CULTURE
Simple Living—High Thinking
ACCORDING to Islamic teachings, Ramazan—the ninth month of the Hijri (Islamic) calendar—is the month of fasting. In this month believers refrain from food and drink for a limited period each day, that is, from dawn till sunset. They eat and drink during the night. This practice continues for one month.
What is fasting? Fasting does not simply amount to observing hunger for a temporary period of time. In fact, it symbolizes a lifelong culture, that is, a culture of dedication.
According to Islamic ideology, a believer is a man of mission. A man of mission is a different person. He has little time for anything other than his mission. He eschews all such activities as are irrelevant to his mission and fasting symbolizes this spirit
The Arabic equivalent of fasting is sawm, which means abstinence. Abstinence is the gist of fasting. When one involves himself in a mission, he abstains from all diversions. He has no time, except for fulfilling his bare necessities. This is the mission culture.
Abstaining from food and water for a limited period is symbolic training. This practice prepares one to lead a life of dedication to one’s mission.
Fasting during the month of Ramazan reminds a faithful person that if the acts of abstinence were to reach the extent of refraining from food and water for a temporary period, then he would be ready to do so for a higher purpose. Although this training is for a temporary period, it enables one to lead one’s whole life in accordance with this spirit.
A person, who controls his material life and devotes himself for a higher cause,
also inculcates spirituality in himself
For a faithful person, living for the divine cause is his mission. All other things become secondary for him. This kind of focused life is also a great source of spirituality. A person, who controls his material life and devotes himself for a higher cause, also inculcates in himself what is called spirituality. In terms of external form, he refrains himself from material things, but in terms of inner content, he inculcates spirituality in his personality. Fasting makes one a spiritual person.
Fasting symbolizes a lifelong culture of dedication.
Fasting is not a set of rituals. It is rather the adoption of the well-known principle—simple living, high thinking. Fasting helps one adopt this principle. Simple living refrains one from distraction, and high thinking is only another name for a distraction-free life. And, when one saves oneself from distraction, the result undoubtedly is high thinking.
Precious Time
It is unwise to waste and idle away your time.
It is a waste of your life to spend your time on
useless things. You should use your time on things
that will benefit you in the true sense.
Fasting
The greater significance of fasting lies in its symbolism of
an inner spiritual eagerness to make all kinds of sacrifices.