ABOUT ISLAM

The gates of paradise are thrown open to you

Mystics of various religions have believed fasting to be an effective way of controlling the lower

The gates of paradise are thrown open to you (Getty Images)

instincts.

Sufi Masters say that hunger brings about illumination of the soul, for Allah provides spiritual sustenance to those who keep hungry for His sake. Rumi writes, "Hunger is God's food for which he quickens the bodies of the upright." Shaqiq Balkhi taught that 40 days of constant hunger could transform the darkness of the heart into light.

Sahl Tustari fasted perpetually and earned the title of Shaykh ul Arifin, Master of the Knowers. He said, "Hunger is God's secret on earth." Abu Madyan the African mystic wrote, "One who is hungry becomes humble, one who becomes humble begs and the one who begs attains God. So hold fast to your hunger, my brother, and practise it constantly for it means that you will attain what you desire and will arrive at what you hope."

Muslims believe that God through Gabriel revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad in Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of the faith, fasting is defined as abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity in the prescribed hours, dawn to sunset. God's Messenger said that the breath of a fasting person is more pleasing to God than the fragrance of musk and that there were two joys associated with fasting. One is the joy of breaking the fast and other is when one meets the Lord. Scholars say that breaking the fast is akin to meeting the Lord.

Ramzan is a wonderful enclosure in time, just as a place of worship is in physical space, commanding the same respect. Islam describes the month as a portal of mercy, a time when the gates of Paradise are open and the gates of Hell are closed. It is a time for reflection, self-purification and retreating from the commotion of a worldly life into a state of deeper contemplation. Through the power of patience, fasting raises taqvah, one's consciousness of God.

After a few days of fasting, the physical system slows down and the 'i' separates from the body. Hunger is felt not as 'i am hungry' but as 'My body is hungry', just as you would observe another's hunger. This process helps one recognise that the intellect, body and heart are different components, readying one for a spiritual journey.

Fasting without abstaining from wrongful actions such as engaging in foul conversation or gossip, is fruitless. Harbouring suspicion, rancour or negative opinions about others is especially noxious in Ramzan, as also cheating, vanity and irrational anger. Prophet Muhammad taught that a person who fasts and does not guard the tongue simply remains hungry, achieving little or no spiritual benefit. Likewise, the love of praise and the oppression of others are struck down for they are an anathema to the spirit of Ramzan.

Ramzan is also known as the month of spending in the way of God, divesting oneself from material assets and investing in the Hereafter. Prophet Muhammad was the most generous of people and in Ramzan he was known to be even more generous. He said that the best charity in Ramzan is setting things right between people who are in conflict and those who harbour hatred for each other.

Ramzan presents a great opportunity to be mindful, to build resolves to purify the heart and come closer to the Almighty.

The writer is author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam.