This article is an excerpt from IGI’s new translation of Imam al-Ghazali’s Kimiya-e-Sa’adat (The Alchemy of Happiness), which will be published in the near future.
O beloved! Know that fasting (sawm) is a pillar from the pillars of Islam.
The Prophet ﷺ stated,
‘Allah ﷻ says: I grant from ten to seven hundred rewards in return for a good deed. But fasting is Mine, and I grant its recompense.’
And Allah ﷻ said:
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ
'"...Only those who endure patiently will be given their reward without limit."'
(al-Zumar, 39:10)
Indeed, the reward of one who exercises patience over appetence shall surpass all limits.
The Prophet ﷺ related,
‘Patience comprises one-half of faith, and fasting encompasses one-half of patience.’
Moreover, He ﷺ said:
‘The smell of a fasting person’s mouth is dearer to Allah ﷻ than the aroma of musk.’
The Lord ﷻ says,
‘My slave has refused food, drink, and appetence purely for My sake, and I shall reward them for it.’
The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘
The sleep of a fasting person counts as worship.’
People wait to break the fast in Sultan Ahmet Park, Istanbut.
Also, He ﷺ said:
‘When the month of fasting (Ramadan) arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed. The devils in fettered, and an announcer proclaims: “O seeker of good, rise! For your time has arrived. O pursuer of evil, desist! For this is not your place.”’
Moreover, one of the enormities of the blessings of fasting is that Allah ﷻ related the worship to Himself, declaring:
‘Fasting is Mine, and I shall grant its reward’.
This grandeur stands even though all forms of worship relate to Him. For example, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, even though the entire span of the globe comprises His ﷻ dominion.
Indeed, fasting is emphasised vis-à-vis other forms of worship on account of two distinctive qualities.
Firstly, its reality consists of restraint, this is the inward reality of fasting hidden from the eyes, and ostentation has no mode of ingress to such reality.
Lastly, the nemesis of the Truth ﷻ is Iblis, and appetence comprises the army of Iblis. Through fasting, one breaks through the ranks of and defeats Iblīs’ army of appetence since the inward reality of fasting includes restraint from appetence.
Hence, the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘The devils roam the human body as blood flows through the veins: one must restrict their passage through hunger.’
Moreover, it has been reported:
‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها said: ‘Do not cease to knock at the gates of Paradise.’
The people asked, ‘Through what?’
‘A’ishah replied: ‘Through fasting.’
Further, ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
‘Fasting is a shield [against appetence]’,
This is because appetence impedes worship, and the source of appetence is satiety, and one eradicates satiety by fasting.
On the Obligations of Fasting
O beloved! Know that six obligations attach to fasting.
1.determine the start of Ramadan
First, one must determine the start of Ramadan so that one knows whether the duration will be twenty-nine or thirty days. In determining the course of Ramadan, it is permissible to rely on the affirmation of one reputable and just witness, although two just witnesses are required to affirm the date of Eid al-Fitr.
Suppose the crescent moon is sighted for Ramadan from a reliably honest person. In that case, fasting becomes compulsory upon them, even though a jurist does not affirm the testimony. Besides, if the crescent moon has been sighted in a city located more than sixteen leagues away from the nearest village, then residents of the latter are not obliged to begin the month of Ramadan. Otherwise, it becomes obligatory to follow the ruling.
Suppose the crescent moon is sighted for Ramadan from a reliably honest person. In that case, fasting becomes compulsory upon them, even though a jurist does not affirm the testimony.
2. make an intention to begin fasting
Second, one must make an intention to begin fasting, which means that one must intend to fast every night of the month, bearing in mind that one is fasting in Ramadan, that it is an obligation decreed by religion. And if believer reminds themselves of such points, their hearts are unlikely to be empty of intention.
Notably, a doubt-infused intention on the final night of the month of Shaʿbān, for example, ‘I intend to fast tomorrow if it turns out to be the first day of the fasting month’, stands invalid until a trustworthy authority affirms that Ramadan has dawned and removes the doubt. Consistently, were the intention made in Ramadan, it would remain valid because Ramadan would not have ended.
Furthermore, if one is in a dark area such that they cannot determine the times, it is proper to rely on their reasoning to estimate the time and make an intention to fast.
3. Do not intentionally insert anything into the interior parts of the body
Third, one must not intentionally insert anything into the interior parts of the body.
This obligation does not forbid one from cupping, adorning the eyes with kohl, or placing cotton on orifice of either the teat or penis. Instead, the interior comprises organs such as the brain, belly, stomach, and bladder. Something entering the interior parts of the body unwillingly, such as a fly, street dust, smoke, or gargling water, does not break the fast unless one fails to gargle water with diligence and ends up swallowing it, in which case, the fast is made null and void.
Additionally, eating food in absent-mindedness does not invalidate the fast.
Yet, if one consumes food right after dawn or before dusk, only to realise their mistake, then their fast is rendered null and void.
4. Do not engage in sexual activities
Fourth, one must not engage in sexual activities, for if proximity is such that it necessitates a ritual bath, then fasting is annulled.
However, if one performs such an act without awareness of the fast, the fast remains valid.
Further, it is permissible for one to engage in sexual intercourse in the evening and perform the ritual bath the next morning.
5. Do not discharge semen
Fifth, one must not discharge semen by any means.
Suppose one draws near their spouse without the intention to engage in penetrative sexual activities, and they are young and risk seminal effusion. In that case, as soon ejaculation occurs, the fast become invalid.
6. Do not willingly vomit
Sixth, one must not willingly vomit, and the fast does not become invalid if one vomits involuntarily.
The fast is not nullified if sickness causes the throat to emit the water settled within the body because one cannot easily avoid such an upshot. However, the fast stands invalid if one accidentally carries it down the throat.
The Prophetic Tradition of Fasting
O beloved! The Prophetic Tradition of fasting encompasses several practices.
First, one should delay the pre-fast meal (suhur).
Second, one should make haste to break their fast (iftar) with either dates or water before heading to perform the sunset ritual prayer.
Third, one should brush their tooth with a toothstick during the peak of the sun at noon.
Fourth, one should feed the poor and needy.
Fifth, one should continuously recite the Holy Qur’an.
Sixth, one should seclude to the mosque (i’tikaf) in the final ten days of Ramadan, wherein the Night of Power is located. In this period, the Prophet ﷺ would renounce sleep to augment the time spent in worship, and neither He ﷺ, nor His Companions رضي الله عنهم would rest satisfied.
Furthermore, the Night of Power can fall on the twenty-first, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh, or twenty-ninth of Ramadan. However, the twenty-seventh day stands more corroborated, and therefore, likelier.
The main priority is to undertake seclusion in the mosque during the final ten days of Ramadan. The worshipper must neither take leave of the mosque except to answer the call of nature nor visit the household for a duration more than that required to complete ritual purification. Besides, to exit the mosque for purposes of following a funeral (tashyi’), visitation of the sick, bearing witness in court, or undertaking of ritual bath dissolves seclusion. And one must not fear to wash hands, eat food, or sleep in the mosque. Similarly, one must renew their intention to undertake seclusion upon answering the call of nature.
One should seclude to the mosque (i’tikaf) in the final ten days of Ramadan, wherein the Night of Power is located.
On the Reality and Mystique of Fasting
O beloved! Know that there are three degrees of fasting:
The commons
The special
The elite.
In previous sections, we offered an exposition of the fast of the commons. The summit of such fasting is the preservation of the belly and private area from indulgence. In terms of its relative station, the fast of the commons occupies the lowest degree.
The fast of the elite occupies the highest station in terms of significance. It involves the preservation of the heart from all considerations other than the Truth ﷻ. It is to submit oneself entirely to Allah ﷻ, and to stave off from anything, either internal or external, other than Him ﷻ. If one becomes engrossed in a worldly motive, the fast becomes invalid even if it be lawful, unless the motive serves to assist one on the path of religion because such a motive is not, in actuality, from the temporal world.
It is reported that:
‘To spend the day fretting about what to eat for is recorded as an error on the book of deeds, for it indicates a shaky belief in the promise of Allah ﷻ to deliver one their directed provision.’
This station comprises the rank of the prophets and the righteous believers, and few can reach it.
The fast of the special implies preserving limbs from improper actions and not indulging the stomach and privities. This form of fasting has six characteristics.
1.to protect the gaze
Imam al-Ghazali’s Ayyuhal Walad is a letter to one of al-Ghazali’s advanced students, containing advice on how best to focus one’s time and efforts in ways that that will be beneficial in the Next World.
First, to protect the gaze from perceiving whatsoever diverts one’s attention from Allah ﷻ, in particular, that which can arouse appetence.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
‘The gaze counts among the arrows of Iblīs drenched in poison: The one who shuns this arrow out of fear of the Truth ﷻ shall obtain a robe of honour from faith whose pleasures shall persist in the heart.’
And Anas ؓ reported that the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘There are five things that break the fast: deceit, detraction, gossiping, perjure, and immodest gazing [at the opposite sex].’
2. to protect the tongue
Second, to protect the tongue from vain speech, and whatever else one can do without, or to assume silence. Instead, engross in divine remembrance and recitation of the Holy Qurʾān. In this regard, to debate and quarrel count among the destructive forms of vanity. Moreover, backbiting, lying, and hurling insults at scholars from opposite jurisprudence schools serve to nullify the fast.
And it is reported:
‘Two women were fasting, and their severe hunger caused fears of death to grow in their hearts. They asked the Prophet ﷺ for permission to break the fast. Instead, the Prophet ﷺ sent a basin and instructed them to vomit therein. The women obliged, and observers were shocked to see each exude some form of blood-soaked substance.
‘Then, the Prophet ﷺ informed:
‘“The two women initiated their fast with lawful sustenance. However, they broke the fast with that which is unlawful, for they engaged in others’ detraction. The substance that has sprung from their throats is dead meat of the people they detracted.”’
3. to protect the ears
Third, to protect the ears; not every utterance is meant to be perceived, and both the listener and the speaker are held equally accountable for sins, such as deception and detraction.
4. to safeguard the hands and feet
Fourth, to safeguard the hands and feet and other limbs of the body against misdeeds. The example of one who fasts yet commits unlawful actions is that of a sick person who shuns fruits in favour of poison. In this regard, misdeeds comprise a poison, whereas excessive eating is not destructive, at least in principle.
Hence, the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘There are many whose portion from fasting is no more than hunger and thirst.’
The spirit of fasting consists of imitating the angelic disposition, which entirely free of appetence.
5. to not break one's fast with unlawful or doubtful sustenance
Fifth, to not break one's fast with unlawful or doubtful sustenance and not consume excessive amounts of lawful food. Otherwise, what good can arise from eating at night the portion one had forsaken in the morning?
Ultimately, the purpose of fasting is to weaken the hold of appetence on oneself. However, overeating in order to compensate for the portion of food relinquished during the day serves to augment appetence significantly when one consumes a range of distinctive dishes. Yet, unless one empties the stomach, one cannot purify the heart.
In this regard, the Prophetic Tradition is to eschew sleep to endure the sense of infirmity and hunger and follow one's moderate consumption at night with voluntary night ritual prayers (ṣalāt al-tahajjud).
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ declared:
‘There is no vessel filled more hostile than the stomach before Allah ﷻ.’
6. the heart must hang between fear and hope
Sixth, the heart must hang between fear and hope regarding whether one’s efforts have been accepted or rejected.
Hasan al-Basri’ رَحْمَةُ الله عليه saw a group of people laughing and playing on the day of Eid. He ؒ said:
IGI's Ramadan Revival Journal was partly inspired by Imam al-Ghazali's discussions of fasting
‘Allah ﷻ rendered Ramadan into a field so that the believers compete in performing virtuous deeds. Although one group made haste to achieve the first position, another group fell back. Woe unto those who laugh yet remain oblivious to the reality of their state! By Allah ﷻ, were the veil to be removed, the accepted ones shall come to rejoice, and the rejected ones shall lament in agony. And no one will engage in playing and laughter.’
It is then clear that to equate fasting with waiving of food and drink renders one’s fast a frame without spirit. And the spirit of fasting consists of imitating the angelic disposition, which entirely free of appetence. In contrast, the quadrupeds are overwhelmed by appetence; therefore, such creatures are shunned. The human being subdued by appetence occupies a rank not dissimilar to the quadruped. However, by overcoming appetence, a human being begins to parallel angels in disposition. Since the angels are close to the Truth ﷻ; likewise, a human being that obtains an angelic disposition gains proximity to Him ﷻ. Upon completing the sunset evening prayer, if one consumes what is available with reckless abandon, the grip of appetence will grow more intense rather than weaken. Consequently, the reality of fasting will escape further away from oneself.
The Prerequisites of Fasting
O beloved! Know that to rulings regarding the making up of omitted fasts (qada’), penitence (kaffarah), ransom (fidyah) and abstinence (imsak) apply to the breaking of fast in Ramadan, although under specific conditions.
If a believer breaks their fast, regardless of whether they have a valid excuse, they are obligated to make up for the omission. This applies to those with menstrual discharge, the traveller, the sick, and even the apostate. Children and the insane are exempted from making up for their non-observance.
However, penitence strictly applies to instances where one breaks the fast by engaging in sexual intercourse or deliberately discharges semen during the fasting hours. To this end, one must either set free a slave, fast for two consecutive months, or, if the latter is not possible on account of illness or infirmity, then one can feed sixty dervishes an amount of food equivalent to a mudd.[1]
Besides, abstinence pertains to those who break their fast without a valid excuse. However, this does not apply to three groups of people: women with menstrual discharge, even if it ceases in the middle of the day; travellers, even if they become settled; and the sick, even if they recover in health.
If news of the sighting of the crescent moon on the final day of the month of Shaʿbān arrives, those that have already eaten must abstain from food for the rest of the day.
Those who embark on a journey in mid-day are advised to maintain fast during travels. This direction stands for travellers who may reach their destination at daytime, since it is preferred for a traveller to keep the fast. That is unless they are weak and infirm.
One should make haste to break their fast (iftar) with either dates or water before heading to perform the sunset ritual prayer.
Moreover, the obligation of ransom refers to the mudd of food one must provide to the indigent. And pregnant women, alongside their wet nurses, are obligated to offer the ransom and make up for their omission of the fast since both omitted the fast due to a concern for the child’s health, unlike a sick person who forsakes fasting for their own sake.
Regarding the elderly at the peak of their infirmity, ransom becomes an obligation.
Moreover, persons who fail to make up for their omission of fasting before the upcoming Ramadan are duty-bound to make up the missed days of fasting as well as offer ransom to the indigent.
On the Practice of Fasting on Holy Days
O beloved! Know that to fast on days of the year considered holy and blessed is a recommended practice.
The sanctified days encompass the day of ʿArafat, the day of ʿĀshura, the first nine days of the month of Dhū al-ḥijjah, from the first to ten days of the month of Muḥarram, alongside those of Rajab and Shaʿbān. However, reports suggest that the most blessed occasion of fasting, after Ramadan, are those of the month of Muḥarram. Compatibly, the first ten days of Muḥarram are confirmed to be most excellent.
It is reported:
‘The reward of fasting merely one day of the sacred months is greater than fasting thirty days on other months.’
Besides, the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘Those who fast on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, of the sacred months, are granted a recompense equal to seventy years of worship.’
Further, the sacred months are four in number:
Dhu al-Qa’dah
Dhu al-Hijjah
Muharram
Rajab
Additionally, the holiest month is Dhu al-Hijjah since it is the month of pilgrimage.
Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ declared,
‘There is no sanctified period of worship greater than the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. In this month, the reward of fasting one day is equal to fasting the whole year, while the recompense of performing the voluntary night ritual prayer (qiyām al-layl) carries the same reward as a voluntary ritual prayer on the Night of Power.’
In response, the Companions asked:
‘O Prophet of Allah ﷺ! Does armed struggle (jihad) ensue as much reward?’
He ﷺ replied,
‘It does not unless the blood of the horse and the mounted warrior is spilt on the path of struggle.’
The fast of the elite involves the preservation of the heart from all considerations other than the Truth ﷻ, and the submission of oneself entirely to Allah ﷻ, staving off anything, either internal or external, other than Him ﷻ.
Moreover, some of the Companions ؓ disapproved of fasting the whole month of Rajab to maintain the difference between Rajab and Ramadan. To this end, they omitted fasting for one or more days that month.
Furthermore, it is reported:
‘The recompense of fasting from the middle of the month of Sha’ban onward is equivalent to that of Ramadan itself.’
To end voluntary fasting on the final days of Sha’ban is counselled in order to keep the separation between it and the subsequent month of Ramadan. Similarly, fasting on the last day of Sha’ban is abhorred, unless the fasting one merely intends it as a welcome the dawning of the month of Ramadan.
However, the blessed days of the month are the white days[2] (ayām al-bayḍ) constitute the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the fifteenth. In addition, the sanctified days of the week comprise Monday, Thursday, and Friday.
Though the practice of fasting the entirety of the holy days of the year is permitted, there are five days in which fasting must be omitted:
The two days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
The three days designated to drying of the meat of sacrificed animals in the sun (tashrīq) subsequent to Eid al-Adha
Moreover, abstinence from food and drink during the designated time of the breaking of fast is deemed abominable.
The intermittent approach to fasting, whereby one alternates between fasting and non-fasting days, is from the practices of Prophet Dawud عليه السلام, and its recompense is immense. It is reported that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘As رضي الله عنه asked the Prophet ﷺ about the supreme mode of fasting, the Prophet ﷺ counselled the intermittent approach of Prophet Dawud عليه السلام. Ibn ‘As رضي الله عنه expressed wishes for a manner still superior to the one offered. The Prophet ﷺ retorted that there does not exist a superior mode of fasting.
Moreover, the lesser mode of fasting requires one to fast on Thursdays and Mondays until the month of Ramadan draws near.
Those who cognise the reality of fasting, which consist of breaking the hold of the heart's appetence and purification, must protect their spirits. In doing so, the period of fasting and the breaking of the fast will both improve. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ at times fasted for such a long period that people would wonder whether He ﷺ will ever come around to breaking the fast. In other periods, however, the Prophet ﷺ would eat during the breaking of fast to the point that observers pondered if He ﷺ would ever come around to fasting again. This is because the Prophet ﷺ did not maintain a regular pattern of fasting.
Moreover, the scholars of religion decree that one must not go without fasting for more than four days, owing to a fear that negligence of fasting would let the heart grow dark, be overcome with wanton ignorance, and reduce in awareness.
[1] This refers to a certain dry-measure of about two riṭl, or one riṭl and a third.
[2] This is a reference to those dates of a month wherein the moon is at its most full and brightest.
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