EDITORIAL

Retaining the Benefits of Fasting

September 12, 2009

Fasting is observed by followers of both Holy scriptures in Nigeria, and as the Holy Quran tells us fasting was actually prescribed for all followers of Godly Prophets from the first Noah to the last Muhammad (saw).  So the following observation, though specific about Ramadan for Muslims, could apply to all those who fast and take it as an important part of faith.

 The month of fasting (Ramadan) to Nigerians should be a good lesson for people to learn quite a few things.  One of the most important is self-restraint.  We have gotten so much used to religious lectures about fasting teaching us self-restraint, but have we ever analyzed it deep enough, to see how we can practically apply that self-restraint lesson to our lives throughout the year?

Self-restraint is one of the most endeared actions of a believer to God.  It is so much loved by God because it provides a means of freeing the human specie from the lowly level of animals, to a well disciplined human being endowed with higher faculties.  It complements the purpose of life for the human, to rise above all other worldly animals using the higher gift of intellect.  It then becomes a means of actualizing God’s plan for man, to live in a garden made especially for man in nearness to Him, having spiritually cleansed himself body and soul in recognition of higher ideals.  It is for that same purpose that fasting is said to have been prescribed to earlier generations of all who received God’s guidance.  And we see evidence of that all around us, for not only people who follow other scriptures of God also fast (Jews and Christians), others without an acknowledged book in the Quran, such as the Buddhist, all have recognized some form of strict regimen of restriction of food and sexual appetites.

Fasting opens a path to higher moral standards, a standard meant to be maintained throughout the year until Ramadan shows its face again.  With each succeeding year, therefore, we grow higher in spiritual and physical balance to our lives.  God loves it because it is man at his best.  One is basically following Allah’s instruction the whole day.  You can eat and drink, and these are actions allowed at other times of the year, but because God says do not, even while alone with no one watching, you obeyed and did not eat.  You restricted a halal action because of God’s commandment.  Likewise you are allowed your spouse in marriage at other times, but for a month within a year, even that aspect is regulated to certain hours only, and for many hours of everyday for that month, you are commanded against it.  You obeyed because Allah said so. 

So during Ramadan, such actions bring back to a person what is called “God consciousness” (Taqwa), where we are always alert and aware of our actions lest they violate our fasting. In response to our state, even when we pass by a restaurant while hungry, we do not stop as we usually do during other times throughout the year.  When we smell food, we still pass by it though we have gone hours without eating.  Likewise, when someone pushes pure water through our window at traffic light, we consciously know not to buy and drink it.  When our soul demands it as it does at other times, we immediately say no to it, we say you cannot have it because we are fasting today. We are always conscious of the state of our Godly observance.  We even cap it with extra actions like intensive Quranic study such as reading it on our own, and then daily attendance of commentary of the Quran (Tafsir) at our localities.  Then there is the nightly communal prayer, taraweeh, and the night vigil prayer for the last ten nights of the month (Qiyam –ul-layl). That is Taqwa, being in constant service, awareness, and obedience to God’s law.

Should we then drop these acquired moral aptitude, and higher plane level of existence immediately after the month of fasting and go back to those same individualistic approach to life.  Remember that, apart from all of the enumerated above, we also feel the pangs of hunger, and consequently commiserate with the poverty stricken within our society who live that same life every single day of the year.  Actually in response to their need, having learnt how they feel, we are obligated to share our provisions with them within that month (Zakat-ul-Fitr).  That actualizes the adage from both our major religions in Nigeria that we love our neighbors (fellow humans) as ourselves.  We just do not love them as ourselves in Ramadan; we are taught and made to act on it.  For every member of our family regardless of age, we give provision to the needy. How humane!

As soon as Ramadan passes however, some of us do an about turn to all these virtues acquired.  Regardless of how passionately during that month we pray to God to forgive our past errors, reform us to Godly conduct, and open doors of acceptance to our works.  And then by extension ask also for worldly needs required and that of those close to us, we forget to confer the same rights to others.  In fact we tend to become a hindrance to others fulfilling those same desires we have, i.e. live in peace, free from diseases, hunger and poverty.  We not only refuse to help them as taught by the virtues of Ramadan, we actually instead continue to eat away illegally from the resources meant to provide the poor the seriously needed health care, agriculture, education and other basic needs.  So consequently, instead of reforming a great majority to good moral aptitude, it becomes a religious service to most, devoid of meaning.

After Ramadan, people tend to go back as low as the atheist level, i.e. those devoid of any Godly belief, let alone His surveillance and final accounting. We forget immediately thereafter to become aware that every single action and every single decision of every single day of our lives against our fellow humans and countrymen will be accounted for in front of God on judgment day. A reformed atheist (Strobel, 2004) says it best when he recounts in his book “The Case for a Creator” how and why he held his earlier atheistic belief thus; “For me living without God meant living 100% for myself,  freed from someday being held accountable for my actions.  I felt unleashed to pursue personal happiness and pleasure at all costs…and I was liberated to indulge as much as I wanted without having to look over my shoulder at God’s disapproving gaze.”

Please let this Ramadan be the last time you will relapse back to acting the likes of those described by the reformed atheist above. Fajr (Dawn), Chapter 89 of the Quran, coincidently the mark at which fasting begins every single day of Ramadan, lists the oppressive leader (representative of the people or appointee) as the one that God in the past: “…poured on them the disaster of His punishment. (13). and what exactly did they do to earn His wrath? In the same Chapter (Surah) it goes on to say “Nay, but ye (for your part) honor not the orphan (17) And urge not on the feeding of the poor. (18) And ye devour heritages with devouring greed. (19) And love wealth with abounding love. (20)  In short, such leaders entrusted with lives, properties and wealth of the people refused to rule justly, and were overtaken by greed.  They abused the people especially the weak, handicapped and orphans. Let us vow to incorporate the lessons of the existing Ramadan and continue to grow in purity of conduct and love for our fellow men and women.  These are lessons that everyone need to embody, from the highest ruler to the lowest peasant.

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