THE INNER REALITY OF FASTING

The path followed perforce by the universe has to be adopted by man of his own free will. That is why it is desirable that he should lead a life of self-imposed curbs. The unflinching self-restraint, which prevents him from eating or drinking while on a fast, is the virtue which will guarantee moral behaviour throughout his life. Moral Piety In the Hadith, Ramazan is called 'the month of patience' (Mishkat AlMasabih, 1: 613). This month is meant to serve as a training course which will enable the individual to lead a successful life in this world by keeping his negative feelings under control. Negative feelings, it must be remembered, present the greatest obstacle to human progress. Fasting is the pious way to solve this biggest of human problems. Fasting creates an ability in man to lead a life of piety. As the Hadith says: There is a Zakat for all things, and the Zakat of the body is fasting. Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1: 639 Here, the expression Zakat is used in the sense of purification. There is, indeed, a way of purifying everything. Just as bathing purifies the body, so fasting purifies the soul. According to another Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad observed: Whenever one of you is invited to a meal while he is on a fast, he should inform his host that he is fasting. Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1: 651 Yet another tradition of the Prophet gives this very sound advice: Whenever one of you is on a fast, he should be soft in his demeanour. In the event of being abused or provoked, he should simply say that he is on a fast. Mishkat Al-Masabih, 1: 611 Leading a life of restraint for a whole month produces a transformation in one’s thinking. It enables one to offer a positive response even to