The Quranic Commandments on Fasting: A Comprehensive Guide
The Quran provides explicit and detailed instructions on fasting, a fundamental practice in Islam. We present the relevant verses here for clarity and understanding.
Verses on Fasting from Surah Al-Baqarah
"Believers, fasting has been prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil." This verse establishes fasting as a universal commandment aimed at spiritual protection.
The scripture continues: "Fast for a specified number of days, but if any one among you is ill or on a journey, let him fast the same number of days later. For those who can fast only with extreme difficulty, there is a way to compensate—the feeding of a needy person. But he who does good of his own accord shall be well rewarded; to fast is better for you, if you only knew." This highlights flexibility and compassion in Islamic law, allowing exemptions and alternatives for those facing hardship.
The Significance of Ramadan
"The month of Ramadan is the month when the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and the criterion by which to distinguish right from wrong." Therefore, whoever is present during this month must fast, with similar provisions for the ill or travelers to make up days later. God desires ease, not hardship, encouraging the full month of fasting to foster gratitude and glorification.
The Quran adds: "When My servants ask about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me: let them, then, respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided." This emphasizes divine proximity and responsiveness during fasting.
Practical Guidelines and Limits
The scripture outlines practical aspects: "It has been made lawful for you to go to your wives on the night of the fast: they are like a garment for you, and you are like a garment for them." God acknowledges human nature and grants mercy, permitting marital relations during nights but restricting them during devotional retreats in mosques.
Further instructions state: "Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then resume the fast until nightfall." These are divinely set limits to help mankind guard against evil, as detailed in Quran 2:183-187.
Elaboration in Hadith and Fiqh
This basic commandment is further elaborated in Hadith and Fiqh, with numerous traditions collected under the chapter of sawm (fasting).
Spiritual Essence of Fasting
According to Abu Huraira, the Prophet Muhammad said: "When any one of you is fasting, he should refrain from all indecencies. He should not raise his voice. If anyone fights with him or abuses him, he should not retaliate, but simply say that he is fasting." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1894). This tradition reveals the true spirit of fasting—abstaining from all forbidden acts, with food and drink restraint serving as a practical lesson in self-discipline.
Developing Restraint and Refuge
Another tradition records: "The Prophet said that when a person who was on a fast was abused, he should say, 'Peace be upon you, I am not the one to return abuse for abuse.' For such a person God says, 'My servant took refuge in fasting for someone's evil; so I also gave him refuge from hellfire.'" (Tartib al-Amaali al-Khamisiyah by Al-Shajari, Hadith No. 1348). This underscores fasting as a means to cultivate restraint and divine protection.
The Ultimate Goal of Fasting
The primary objective of fasting is to develop the ability to live a life bound by restrictions, rather than leading an unfettered existence. It instills discipline, gratitude, and spiritual awareness, aligning believers with divine commandments.
Authored by: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, this analysis draws from Islamic scripture to provide a thorough understanding of fasting's principles and practices.
