The Wisdom Behind Fasting And Its Benefits

[ummtaalib]

By Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri

 

 

There are innumerable reasons and benefits of fasting. One of the most promenent is habituating oneself with controlling the carnal self. One thereby restrains one's innate desires, as a result of which those good deeds that are normally difficult to carry out become easier. One therefore is able to forsake sin and develops the qualities of piety and abstinence.

 

Allah says, "O you who have Imaan! Fasting has been made obligatory for you just as it was made obligatory for those before you (the Jews and Christians), so that you may develop Taqwa (fasting saves a person from sin because it develops self-restraint and drives away the passions that lead to sin.) - Surah Baqara 2:183

 

Fasting serves as a nutrition for the soul so that the soul gains strength by it. There is nothing as effective as fasting to curb carnal desires and purify the soul. Fasting opens the door to spirituality and lends vitality to one's acts of worship.

 

Reliable books of Ahadith mention that Rasulullah ﷺ once asked, "O Allah! What brings a person closest to You?" Allah replied, "When a person is hungry and in Sajdah."

 

Another wisdom behind fasting is that people inculcate the qualities of Allah. Just as Allah does not need food, drink or carnal passions, the fasting person also does away with these during the fast. Similarly, he also then adopts the qualities of the angels who are sustained on Dhikr and not on food. The fasting person also gets the golden opportunity to be grateful to Allah during the days of fasting, when he also sympathises with the poor.

Furthermore, fasting purges the body of toxins and diseases and is especially effective in purging phlegm. Fasting harnesses the love of Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ and raises a person's stages in the Aakhirah (Hereafter).

Allah says, "Fasting is for Me and I shall personally reward a person for it." - Hujjatullah al-Baaligha Vol.1 pg 154

 

Another of the thousands of reasons for fasting is that by fasting, a person is fulfilling the command of Allah, thereby gaining proximity to Him.

 

And Allah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah Vol.3 pg 118-119

Source

[ummtaalib]

From ATTARBIYAH..ITA Dewsbury

 

In nature cure, one of the very important tools for health and disease cure is fasting. Many people are learning the trick of curing their colds, headaches, nervous spells and other acute troubles by missing a few meals or taking a short fast. It is the simplest and the most efficient way of relieving the overloaded and "foodpoisoned" system. You would be surprised to know how little food is actually required to keep the individual healthy.

 

One of the commonest complaints of the sick is that they have "lost their appetite". In fact, the greatest blessing to them would be to lose their appetite long enough to find their hunger. Loss of appetite is an indication that the system is overcharged with toxins and nature is trying to correct this by giving a chance to the waste accumulation in the organs to escape from the system.

 

Fasting as a remedy is fully in harmony with the "naturecure" philosophy of the cause of disease. If the disease is created by an abnormal accumulation of toxins in the system, it stands to reason that fasting will help in their elimination from the system. The membranous linings ofthe stomach and intestine which act as a "sponge" to absorb food materials are now "squeezed" to throw out the waste matter from the system