Different Levels of Fasting

TF-RA | April 25, 2020

O you who believe, fasting has been decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you, perhaps you may be righteous. (Qur'ān, 2:183)

In this article we are going to relate the precious statements of a scholar of Islām who beautifully highlights the characteristics of a fasting that the pious and righteous servants of Allāh observe. InShāAllāh.

Imam al-Ghazāli rahimahullāh has mentioned that fasting is observed at several levels, and not just one level. Hence, not all those who refrain from material nullifiers (of fasting) have actually complied with the true spirit of the fasting, for the reality of the fasting is much more than that; and it is, in fact, refraining from spiritual nullifiers. Due to this (novel) definition, imam al-Ghazāli rahimahullāh, an 11th century scholar, has defined three levels of fasting. He says in his book “Eihyā ‘ulum ud-deen” (1):

Beware that fasting is observed at three levels, sawm ul-'umum (the fasting of the ordinary people), sawm ul-khusus (the fasting of the special people) and sawm ul-khususi al-khusus (the fasting of the most special people).

The fasting of the ordinary people is not but restraining the stomach and the sexual organ from fulfilling the desires and the lusts.

The fasting of the special people is, moreover, restraining the hearing, the sight, the tongue, the hands, the feet and other organs from committing sins.

The fasting of the most special people, is, furthermore, preventing the heart from developing base qualities and engaging in worldly thoughts and withholding it completely from others besides Allāh and the fast, in this case, is nullified by pondering upon anything and anyone other than Allāh and the final Day, and it is also nullified by pondering upon worldly things except for that which is intended for the deen (i.e. Islām), for that which is intended for the deen is from the provisions of the Hereafter, and not from the worldly things.

It has even been mentioned by the owners of the enlightened hearts that he is sinful whose sole ambition is to manage the daytime in order to get something wherewith to break his fast at sunset; for this is a clear indicative of weak trust in Allāh’s bounty and weak confidence in the promised sustenance.

And, this is the status attained by the Prophets, the truthful, and those close to Allāh.

The verbal consideration of the specifics of this fasting may not last long, however, the practical consideration of how to actualize it will last too long; so it is turning to Allāh with the whole intention and turning away from others besides Him and acting upon the meaning of Allāh’s saying:

Say: “Allāh.” Then leave them to play in their vain discussions. (Qur’ān, 6:91)

Imam al-Ghazāli rahimahullāh continues saying:

The fasting of the special people, which is the fasting of the righteous, is withholding the organs from falling into sins and it can be achieved by doing six things:

First: To drop one’s gaze and avoid casting a constant gaze on every despicable and detestable thing and that which occupies the heart and turns the person away from the remembrance of Allāh. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

An unlawful gaze is a poisonous arrow from the arrows of Satan. He who abandons it for fear of Allāh, He, the Almighty, the Glorious, will grant him a faith that he finds its pleasure in his heart. (2)

It was reported from Anas that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

Five things nullify the fasting; lying, backbiting, tale-carrying, taking a false oath and lustful gaze. (3)

Second: To protect the tongue from irrational talk, lying, backbiting, tale-carrying, insult, harshness, hostility, dispute, and keeping it silent or occupied by the remembrance of Allāh and recitation of Qur’ān. This is the fasting of the tongue.

It has been reported that As-Sufyān said: “Backbiting spoils the fasting.”

It has also been reported Al-Mujāheed said: “Two things spoil the fasting; backbiting and lying.”

And Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been reported as saying:

When any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’ (4)

It has been reported that two women fasted at the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. By the end of the day, they were overcome by thirst and hunger to the extent that they both were about to fall dead so they sent someone to ask the Prophet ﷺ to allow them break their fast. The Prophet ﷺ sent them a cauldron and said, 'Tell them to throw up what they have eaten into this pot.' So one of them threw up fresh blood and meat, half-filling the pot. The other one vomited the same and the pot was fully filled. People were shocked to see that. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'These two abstained from consuming what Allāh has made lawful for them, however, they turned towards that which Allāh has made unlawful for them, they came together and began backbiting the people so this is what they have eaten from their flesh.' (5)

Third: To withhold the hearing from inclining towards every disliked voice, for whatever is forbidden to be spoken, it is also forbidden to be heard. And it is for this reason that Allāh mentions the listener to falsehood together with the consumer of that which is unlawful. We read:

(They like to) listen to falsehood, to devour anything forbidden. (Qur’ān, 5:42)

And Allāh said:

Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things? (Qur’ān, 5:63)

Therefore, it is forbidden to stay silent when someone says spiteful words about someone else behind their back in one’s presence. Allāh said:

(But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. (Qur’ān, 4:140)

For this reason Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

The backbiter and the one who listens to him/her both share the burden of the sin. (6)

Fourth: To withhold the rest of organs like hands and feet from committing sins and indulging in detestable things and to withhold the stomach from doubtful things at sunset. What is going to be the value of a fast during which one avoids consuming lawful food and then breaks it using unlawful things? The example of such an individual is like the one who builds a palace and at the same time destroys a city! It is the excessive amounts of lawful food that harms the person, and not its type, and fasting is prescribed to reduce the amount of food one consumes. The one who avoids consuming large amounts of medicine for fear of its harm and then turns to consuming poison is not but an ignorant person. And, the unlawful things are poisons which destroy one’s faith and the lawful things are the medicine that are beneficial when they are consumed moderately and consuming large amounts of them will result in harm. And, fasting is prescribed in order to reduce the consumption of the lawful things. And, verily, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

How many persons fast and get nothing out of their fasting except hunger. (7)

It has been said that it is a person who breaks his fast using unlawful things. It has also been said that it is a person who avoids consuming lawful food, however, breaks his fast eating the flesh of people through backbiting. And it has also been said that it is he who does not protect his organs from committing sins.

Fifth: To avoid eating much lawful food at sunset when the person breaks his fast, thereby filling the stomach, for Prophet Muhammad was reported as saying:

A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air. (8)

How is fasting going to help the person to overcome the enemy of Allāh and reduce the desires while the fasting person puts on his table, at sunset, all the things he couldn’t eat during the day and he may add to its diversity even more? Insofar as foods are habitually stored in great quantities for Ramadān, so, there are consumed in Ramadān foods which are not regularly consumed in other months of the year. And it is well-known that fasting is observed to feel the hunger and reduce the desires in order to fortify the soul for piety and righteousness. And when the stomach is deprived (of foods and drinks) from the early morning till early part of the night and, consequently, its appetite is whetted and its interest is sharpened, then, feeding it with various tasty things and satisfying it will give rise to its inclinations and potency and will trigger from the desires that which would have probably remained stagnant, had it been left with its usual routine. The spirit of the fasting and its secret is to weaken the forces which are utilized by Satan in returning the person to that which is evil and this is not going to happen except through a reduction in the amount of foods one consumes. And it can take place by simply consuming the same amount of food he used to consume at other normal nights of the year when he didn’t use to fast but if he consume all that he used to consume during the day together with what he used to consume at night, he won’t benefit from his fast.

And amongst the etiquette of the fasting is to avoid sleeping much during the day so that he can feel the hunger and thirst and perceive greater weakness, in order for his heart to be rectified and to maintain some degrees of weakness so that his prayers at the middle of the night and his recitations won’t be much difficult for him. Thus, perhaps, Satan won’t be able to shade his heart so that he can reflect upon the dominion of the heaven.

Sixth: His heart must be wavering between fear and hope after he breaks his fast, for he doesn’t know whether his fast is going to be accepted from him, and he will be of those close to Allāh, or rejected, and he will be of those whom Allāh is displeased with. And this must be his situation after performing every act of worship. It has been narrated that imam Hasan al-Basri rahimahullāh passed by a group of people while they were laughing, so, he said: ‘Verily Allāh made the month of Ramadān a racetrack for his servants, in which they race one another in His obedience, a group of people surpassed (their rivals) and became successful and another group of people lagged behind and became losers, how amazing is (the situation of) an amusing laughing person in a day during which those who surpassed (their rivals) became prosperous and those who lagged behind became wretched. By Allāh, if the covering were to be lifted, the good-doer would be kept busy by his good deeds and the evil-doer would be kept busy by his evil deeds.’ Meaning that the joy of the one whose actions have been accepted would keep him away from the amusement and the regret of the one whose actions have been rejected would prevent him from laughing.

It was said to Ahnaf bin Qais rahimahullāh that you are an old man and the fasting weakens you, he replied, 'I am preparing it for a long journey and it is more easier to be patient while obeying Allāh than be patient while burning in His Fire.'

These are the secret meanings of the fasting.


___ End of quote.

Footnotes:

(1) Al-Ghazāli, ‘Eihyā ‘ulum ud-deen’, vol.1, page 234-236.
(2) Al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer 10362, al-Mustadrak 7875. Imām al-Hākim classified it as saheeh al-isnād (having sound isnād), however, Imām az-zahabī and shaikh al-Albānī classified it as dha’eef (weak or unauthentic).
(3) Classified as dha’eef (weak or unauthentic) by al-‘Arāqī.
(4) Sahih Muslim 1151.
(5) Musnad imām Ahmad, 23653. Its insnād is graded as dha'if (weak) by al-Arnaout (ra).
(6) Hāfiz al-‘Arāqī classified it as Ghareeb (strange).
(7) Sunan Ibn Mājah, Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1690, al-Albānī classified it as hasan un saheeh.
(8) Sunan Ibn Mājah, Vol. 4, Book 29, Hadith 3349, al-Albānī classified it as saheeh.