WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF FASTING?

Every human being has a body and a soul. Both the body and the soul have certain desires and they strive for domination over one another in order to fulfill their desires. Lustful and carnal desires pertain to the body created from dry clay; in connection with this the Holy Qur’an declares:
(which means: “Verily We created man from potter’s clay, from mud molded into shape” [al-Hijr 15:26].)
(which means: “Just ask their opinion: Are they the more difficult to create, or those (angels, the Heavens, and the Earth) whom We have created. Surely We have created you from sticky clay” [as- Saffat 37:11].)
(which means: “He created humankind from dry clay like earthen vessels” [ar-Rahman 55:14].)
The other aspect of human beings is the soul, which is a reminder of the wisdom in the creation of humanity and which guides them toward good and Godly deeds, helping them to contemplate and admire the spiritual worlds. The soul rejoices and relishes in great pleasures even when the body is crying out for a sip of water or a morsel of food. Fasting helps human beings to understand the dark and heinous nature of certain deeds and avoid them.
When the dominance of the soul over the body weakens or when the body becomes dominant, then human beings become slaves to their carnal desires. They pay no heed to the intellect or to religious admonitions and spend all their energy trying to quench thirst and hunger for worldly delights. Their only concern is to find new ways of satisfying their carnal desires. They have to invent substances that increase the appetite, that aid digestion, or even act as stimulants. “Such people are like a donkey or an ox even if they are at the peak of science, culture, and civilization. They will commute between the dining room and the toilet all their life and will have no time for any principles or for the eternal life. All their faculties will die, except for those pertaining to lust, food, drink, and foolish entertainment.”5 No depiction can be more precise or more elegant than that of the Qur’an:
(which means: “…as for those who disbelieve, they shall enjoy this world and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire shall be their abode” [Muhammad 47:12].)

a. Fasting helps the believer to remember Allah

Every hour, even every second of the daily life of a person who fasts leads to the remembrance of Allah, reunion with the Almighty, and the blessings He has bestowed upon human beings. Fasting brings about this remembrance in two ways: It makes the believers long for eternal blessings by showing them that the worldly favors are transient. The pleasure that the believers who fast enjoy when they break their fast and thus end a form of suffering also makes them remember Allah and the eternal blessings He has created for them in the Hereafter. Although those who suffer from hunger and thirst from dawn until sunset apparently feel pain, the favors that await them in the other world soothe their sufferings. Moreover, they find pleasure in contemplating reunion with the Almighty Allah; it is for Him that believers abstain from food, drink, and other corporeal desires. The Noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, says: “There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking their fast, and the other at the time when they will meet their Lord.”6

b. Fasting helps the believer ascend to the level of the angels

Human beings have characteristics and faculties that are both carnal and spiritual. When they avoid their carnal feelings, these feelings weaken and the spiritual faculties prosper. Allah the Almighty has provided humanity with the will power to descend from a most exalted rank to the lowest of the low, or vice versa. Therefore, sometimes humans can be more revered than the angels and become closer to their Lord, while at other times some people are worse than any devil.
(which means: “Surely We have created human of the best stature as the perfect pattern of creation; then We have reduced him to the lowest of the low. Except those who believe and do good, righteous deeds, so there is for them a reward constant and beyond measure” [at-Tin 95:4–6].)
The difference between human beings and angels is that humans have a carnal soul. Angels cannot eat, drink, have sexual relations, or be rebellious to their Lord. Because of their intrinsic characteristics they are occupied with the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and worship continuously:
(which means: “They speak not before He speaks, and they act in all things by His Command. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves and for fear of Him they tremble” [al-Anbiya’ 21:27–8].)
As for humans, they need food and drink to maintain their physical existence. They can rebel and they can commit sins. However, a true believer who observes fasting, controlling their desires and abstaining from food, drink, sexual intercourse, backbiting, and brutality is able to achieve an angelic stance. Such people may even surpass the angels. Allah is pleased with them and He holds them up to the angels as an example.7

c. Fasting teaches the worth of blessings

Allah the Almighty has ornamented the Earth with numerous blessings and has given them all to humanity, the caliphs, or vicegerents, of Allah on Earth. Each day they receive lavishly prepared dining tables, one after another. Their sustenance is sent to them from the Heavens via the trees, each of which gives a different fruit in a different season of the year and the Earth nourishes them with every kind of delicious provisions.
(which means: “He has granted you all that you would ask of Him. Should you attempt to count Allah’s blessings, you cannot calculate them. But humankind is innately inclined to extreme misjudgment and ingratitude” [Ibrahim 14:34].)
Both the Earth and the skies were created to serve humanity. Allah, the most Gracious, gave us countless favors but unfortunately, for the most part we are unaware of these bounties. We are like a fish that is in the sea but is unaware of the water. Fasting helps us to become aware of the blessings of Allah and to appreciate them.

d. Fasting teaches a person how to economize

Fasting teaches people how to economize, a form of behavior that is recommended in Islam. During Ramadan, fasting takes on the role of a teacher who instructs us on how to economize. People who are accustomed to buying whatever they want without thinking too much will learn to be thrifty and careful. No matter how thirsty or hungry they are, they have to wait until sunset before eating or drinking something. The pleasure the believer obtains at the time of breaking the fast becomes greater than the pleasure the glutton obtains from overeating, as this is accompanied by a weariness and lack of ap petite resulting from such excesses. Through fasting believers are taught to economize, and their frugality leads to contentment.

e. Fasting exalts the soul

The body, as well as the soul, has some needs and desires. The physical body of a human is comparatively small, but the soul is infinite. The countless tendencies, desires, feelings, dreams, thoughts, and ideas of humanity are like an index of the universe.
Therefore, nothing but worship, the greatest and the most sublime way of reaching Allah, can advance and improve the soul and faculties of such a being, fulfill their tendencies and desires, broaden and arrange their ideas, control their powers pertaining to lust and anger, allow them to reach their preordained perfection and bind them to Allah the Almigthy. Fasting, which is an act of worship, comprises all these characteristics. The Messenger of Allah says: “There are alms for everything. Observing the fast is the alms for the body and observing the fast is half of patience.”8 Daily Prayer is the main pillar of religion, fasting is the main pillar of the soul, while the prescribed alms is the main pillar of the community. That is, a religion without Daily Prayers, a soul that does not fast, and a community that does not contribute to charity cannot stand upright. In the same way that food nourishes the body, fasting nourishes the soul. It is as difficult to lead a religious life without fasting as it is to live without eating.
Therefore, although it changes in form and duration, fasting has been accepted as an important fundamental of all religions; the main aim of religious fasting is to purify the soul. Moreover, Prophets, who are guides for the purification and perfection of the soul, observed fasting during the preparation phase of their difficult missions. While fasting and worshipping during the month of Ramadan in the Hira cave on top of a mountain in solitude, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was called to Prophethood at the age of forty. The Bible mentions that Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert before starting his ministry. Similarly, Moses received the Ten Commandments after fasting for forty days. This is another proof of the fact that fasting is an influential factor in the maturation and purification of human beings.
To conclude, the soul is purified and refined through fasting. Those who want to improve their spiritual faculties should observe the fast. In other words, those who do not fast become captives of their body and cannot renew and excel their soul.

f. Fasting controls worldly desires

People need to restrain the endless desires of their carnal soul, for the desires and habits of the carnal soul are like lethal poison or forces that push them to degrade themselves. The carnal soul continuously commands human beings to commit sins. According to a Qur’anic decree Prophet Joseph describes the carnal soul in the most eloquent way:
(which means: “Nor do I absolve my own self of blame: the human soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord does bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Yusuf 12:53].)
It is very difficult to satisfy the carnal soul; the more you give the more it demands. the Noble Messenger used to supplicate: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, decrepitude and from the torment of the grave. O Allah, grant to my soul a sense of righteousness and purify it, for You are the Best Purifier. You are the soul’s Protecting Friend and Guardian. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not have the fear of Allah, from the soul that does not feel contented and the supplication that is not responded.”9 In another tradition he seeks refuge in Allah from evils, troubles, and atrocities of the soul.10
Fasting is also like armor against fornication, a sin that endangers family life. The Noble Messenger advises those who do not have the economic means to marry to observe the fast in order to avoid sins. Actually, fasting is an effective means of taking the carnal soul under control. Therefore, fasting, which is obligatory in many religions and accepted as a practical means demonstrating one’s fear of and respect for Allah (taqwa), was established as one of the pillars of Islam. Allah says in the Qur’an: (which means: “O you who believe! Prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may deserve Allah’s protection against the temptations of your carnal soul and attain piety” [al-Baqarah 2:183].)
Fasting is the reins and bit that restrain the carnal self. It hinders human beings from becoming pharaohs. It is reported that the Prophet said: “Allah inflicted certain sort of punishments upon the carnal self. First He put the carnal self in the fire and asked: ‘Who are you, who am I?’ The carnal self said: ‘You are you, I am me.’ Then Allah restrained the self with hunger and asked again: ‘Who are you, who am I?’ The final answer of the self was: ‘You are the Owner of the worlds and I am one of Your humble servants.’”
Finally, human beings can prevent their souls from being rebellious to the Almighty Allah and train them to become an obedient servant by fasting. People who observe the fast become aware that during the fast their soul is as pure as that of the angels. When fasting they are able to understand that they cannot do anything unless they are so permitted, that they cannot have even a sip of water without the permission of Allah and thus they perceive that they are not the owner but rather the owned and they are not the master but the servant. In the end, they become aware of their endless weakness, destitution, and deficiencies, and thus prepare to knock at the door of the All-Merciful and the All- Compassionate in a grateful manner.

g. Fasting protects a person against sins

Committing sins is a kind of inner depression, perversion, and contradiction of the natural disposition. The sinners are wretched and miserable and they submit all their faculties and talents to Satan and thus expose themselves to the pangs of conscience. If they go on committing sins, then they will lose control over their body and soul and will be able neither to resist Satan nor to renew themselves.
There are thousands of different kinds of sins in everyday life. They are like snakes that wait for a chance to strike. It is very difficult to avoid sin in a world full of evil. Only will power, if it is as strong as steel, can help to resist Satan and protect one’s purity. Otherwise, it is easy to predict that a person will stray off the right path and end up in a pit of fire.
In fact, fasting is a precaution and a guarantee against such a threat. For some people it is a shelter against deviation. It is warning against Satan and all kinds of evil. It protects the person fasting like armor and becomes a gateway to Paradise on the Day of Judgment and a blessed friend who offers bowls of water from Kawthar—the sacred fountain in Paradise. The Noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, recommended that young people who cannot afford to get married fast in order to diminish their sexual desire and thus refrain from engaging in illegal sexual relations.
Fasting is a training that enables the believer to resist the carnal desires. A person who is trained through fasting can suppress their fleshly desires not only when fasting, but also when they are not observing the fast. Fasting is far more than being hungry; it is also a form of training for the various elements of body, such as the emotions, senses, eyes, ears, and heart. These aspects of the human body observe fasting as well, and thus they are trained to avoid blasphemy. Allah’s pleasure and consent becomes the pivot of the whole life of the believer; a person who fasts does so with all the parts of their body and with all their senses. Surely, a person who is fasting in this manner will be given a most rewarding life in Paradise. Here is evidence from the Proph et’s tradition: “Whoever can guarantee the chastity of what is between their two jaw-bones and what is between their two legs (i.e. the tongue and the private parts), I guarantee Paradise for them.”11
The most effective way of protecting the chastity of the tongue is to observe fasting. All the organs of the body work energetically when the stomach is full. Therefore, the strength of fleshly desires is at its peak and at such a time it is difficult to refrain the tongue from blasphemous talk and backbiting, which are threats for the eternal life. The only way of taking the tongue under control is to reduce the strength of the desires of the carnal self and the only way of doing this is to observe fasting. Abstinence is emphasized in a tradition as: “If one of you is fasting, they should avoid sexual relations with their spouse and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with them, they should say, ‘I am fasting,’”12 “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of their leaving their food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept their fast).”13
To conclude, the best fast is that which is observed by various parts of body in addition to the stomach, such as the eyes, ears, heart, mind, and intellect. That is, fasting is observed best when sins and profanities are avoided and when the stomach, the biggest factory inside the human body, is taken under control and thus decreases the strength of the other faculties; this is the best way to reach this goal.14

h. Fasting teaches how to be trustworthy

Fasting teaches believers to be trustworthy and to protect everything that is entrusted to them. Those who fast know well that Allah knows what is in their minds, and that He is the Knower of the Unseen (Ghayb), all that lies beyond sense and perception and are thus hidden to our perception. Nobody but Allah knows whether they are observing the fast or not. A person abstains from food, drink and all kinds of sins only for Allah. They refrain from eating when they can and even if there is no one to see them. They go on fasting when it is possible to do otherwise. They do not break the fast because they do not want to breach Allah’s trust in them. This conduct is reflected in every action of Muslims who observe fasting and therefore they are cautious and careful in protecting all goods that are consigned to them, in awareness that the All-Knowing Allah sees and knows whatever they do.

i. Fasting teaches how to keep oaths and promises

Fasting, in which trustworthiness is best characterized, is the best act of worship, as it is a kind of agreement between Allah and His servants. The believing servants will desist from certain things for a definite period of time and thus show that they are loyal to their oaths. Moreover, by doing this, they will improve their sense of loyalty and trustworthiness through fasting and this characteristic will become a part of their lives. They will become the epitome of trustworthiness in social life and this attribute will make them happier in both worlds.

j. Fasting teaches contentment

Fasting becomes a barrier between people who are fasting and the evil delusions that Satan continuously whisper into their ears. It gives the believers the strength to deny the carnal self and Satan control over the body, for the believer’s faculties are closed to physical nourishment, sensual relations, and worldly affairs. Thus, they free themselves of the pressures of their carnal self and body and begin to lead a life of honor and dignity. This is the characteristic con signed to believers by the Almighty Allah. In the Noble Qur’an Allah says:
(which means “…to Allah belong all honor and might, and thus to His Messenger and the believers…” [al-Munafiqun 63:8].)

k. Fasting teaches patience

One of the major benefits of fasting is that it trains believers to be patient. While observing the fast, believers undergo a period of training, because they do not eat when they feel hunger, do not drink when they feel thirst, and patiently say, “I am fasting,” when somebody upsets them. When they thus bind their hands, feet, tongue, lips, and ears, patience becomes Buraq,15 a heavenly steed, taking them on their journey toward the Almighty Allah and His pleasure.
The nervous system plays a very important role in the body. If the nerves belonging to the tongue are paralyzed then a person cannot speak. If the nerves belonging to the legs are paralyzed a person cannot walk. Our life is endangered if the nerves do not work properly. Nervousness is a state of mind related to the nerves and the nervous system. A person who is nervous is uneasy and finds it hard to be patient. Many fights and quarrels occur when people are feeling nervous and suffer from the resulting impatience. In a tradition, the Prophet says: “Fasting is one half of patience, patience, too, is one half of faith.”16 Thus, it is evident that fasting is related to faith. People whose faith is strong do not commit crimes or sins; they can control their nerves and they are patient. It is easier for those who observe fasting to be patient, for fasting dissuades the unlawful desires that mislead the soul.

l. Fasting teaches perseverance and endurance

People may lose everything they have: their wealth, their friends and even their children. They may become poor and miserable any time, any place. They may become afflicted by incessant sorrows all at one time. Therefore, they need to prepare their body and soul for such unexpected misfortunes.
Observers of the fast are equipped and prepared for such calamities because they are able to show patience against the most basic sources of distress, such as hunger and thirst and to adjust their bodies and souls to more sorrowful events and situations that they may have to face in the future. In the case of such an affliction, they will not easily lose heart or give up struggling for better conditions. They will persevere and fight against problems, difficulties, and torments.
What is more, fasting re-molds and re-shapes the souls of the observers of the fast and grants them a strong, resolute, and unyielding character. Those who fast do not give way to worldly pains and do not yield to injustice. Thus, fasting trains believers so that they never give up their principles for any worldly gain. This is the perfect and ideal character defined and praised in Islam.

m. Fasting brings about a sense of order and harmony

Fasting provides the believer with a sense of order and harmony. Such time periods of fasting as sahur (predawn meal) and iftar (breaking the fast in the evening) help the believer toward a more orderly and harmonious life. Believers are more eager to observe the Daily Prayers at the predetermined time for each Prayer. Also, they observe the congregational Tarawih Prayer, which only occurs in Ramadan, the month of fasting. All these time periods bring discipline and harmony to the life of believers.

Budak,Ali. Fasting in Islam And the Month of Ramadan.Tughra Books Press,Inc. 2006