The Eighth Point

One of the many wisdoms behind fasting during the blessed month of RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and in which the Qur’an was first revealed. with respect to the personal life of the human being is the following:

Fasting is both a physical and spiritual discipline and one of the most effective remedies for preserving health and well-being. So long as the human being, through his nafsThe aspect of the soul associated with lower desires and negative traits., gives free rein to himself in eating and drinking, he harms his physical life. And when he consumes whatever he encounters without regard for whether it is halal or haram, he also poisons his spiritual life. In time, it becomes difficult for such a nafsThe aspect of the soul associated with lower desires and negative traits. to obey the heart and the soul. Instead, it seizes the reins for itself, and the human being can no longer ride it; rather, it rides him.

During the blessed month of RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and in which the Qur’an was first revealed., however, the human being undergoes a form of discipline through fasting. He submits himself to order, trains his nafsThe aspect of the soul associated with lower desires and negative traits., and learns obedience. By refraining from overloading his weak stomach before the previous meal has been fully digested, he protects himself from illness. Moreover, by abstaining, at Allah’s command, even from what is ordinarily halal, he acquires the ability to obey the commands of the Sharia and of sound reason and thus to refrain more readily from what is haram. In this way, he strives to preserve and strengthen his spiritual life.

Furthermore, the great majority of humanity is frequently confronted with hunger. In order to cultivate patience and endurance, the human being stands in need of hunger and discipline. During the blessed month of RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and in which the Qur’an was first revealed., fasting for fifteen hours—or even twenty-four hours if the pre-dawn meal is omitted—provides precisely such training. Thus, fasting also serves as a remedy for impatience and lack of endurance, both of which intensify human suffering.

Moreover, the factory of the stomach has countless workers, and many of the human faculties are connected to it. If the nafsThe aspect of the soul associated with lower desires and negative traits. is never given respite from its activity during the daytime for an entire month, it causes the workers of that factory and the faculties associated with it to forget their particular duties and forms of worship, keeping them occupied with itself and under its domination. It also distracts the other human faculties with the clatter and steam of that factory, constantly drawing their attention to itself and causing them temporarily to neglect their lofty responsibilities. It is for this reason that the awliyā(sing. walī) Those who seek the pleasure of Allah and attain elevated spiritual ranks through worship, obedience, and sincerity. have, for centuries, accustomed themselves to eating and drinking little as a means of spiritual discipline and perfection.

However, through fasting in the blessed month of RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and in which the Qur’an was first revealed., all the workers of that factory come to understand that they were not created solely for its service. The other faculties, instead of taking pleasure in the lowly amusements of the stomach’s factory, delight in spiritual and angelic enjoyments and turn their attention toward them. For this reason, believers experience varying degrees of spiritual illumination, fruitfulness, and inner joy during RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and in which the Qur’an was first revealed. according to their spiritual rank. The subtle faculties—such as the heart, the soul, the intellect, and spiritual perception—advance and flourish through fasting in this blessed month. Thus, while the stomach weeps from hunger, they laugh with innocent joy.