“Bismillahir Rahmannir Raheem”Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen was Salaatu was- Salaamu ‘Alaa Sayidinaa Muhammadin wa Aalihi wa Asabihi Ajma ‘een (tauheed- risalat- ahkirat and islam-iman-ihsan)

SPIRITUAL FASTING

CONCERNING FASTING (al-sawm)

Mankind enter Paradise through God’s mercy, and that their rank therein depends on their religious devotion, and that their abiding therein for ever is the recompense of their fasting.

“Fasting is mine, and I have the best right to give recompense(compensation)for it”. “Fasting is half of the Way.”

The fast of dawood(as), which the Apostle called the best of fasts, i.e.fasted one day and broke their fast the next day.

1.Normal fasting—-The least degree in fasting is hunger, which is God’s food on earth,To abstain only from food and drink is child’s play. One must abstain from idle pleasures and unlawful acts, not from eating lawful food.

one who fasted without intermission: were seeking recompense(compensation) .

one who fasted only during the month of Ramadan: were renouncing self will and ostentation(outward display).

Acts are full of piety during fasting.

2.Spiritual Fasting —is really abstinence(refraining), and this includes the whole method of Sufi’ism (tariqat).

To imprison the senses is complete self-mortification(Strong feelings of embarrassment),  

keeping a fast to imprison all the senses(eye, ear, nose ,skin ,tongue) in order that they may return from disobedience to obedience.

all kinds of knowledge are acquired through the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. in each sense there is a purity and an impurity;Four of the senses have a particular locus, but the Fifth, namely touch, is spread over the whole body.

Acts are full of piety during fasting.

Everything that becomes known to human beings passes through these Five doors, except

1.intuitive(Derived from or prompted by a natural tendency) knowledge  2.Divine inspiration(special unusual activity or creativity)

When a man is divinely protected from sin all his circumstances are a fast. (which itself becomes his nourishment)

To fast continuously, without infringing the Divine command, is a miracle (karamat).

The forty days’ fasts (chillah) of the saints are derived from the fast of Musa (as) (7/138). When the saints desire to hear the word of God spiritually, they remain fasting for forty days.

Subdue reason and passion by fasting.God speaks to their hearts.

ALLAH (SWT) WILL SPEAK TO YOUR HEART IF,

Intention is to please allah and his messenger (saws)

Intention must be to devote entirely to allah

Intention must be to detach from worldly ties

1. To fast 40days continuously, without breaking the Divine command(shariat)

2.keep your love pure.

3.conceal your efforts from others

4.desire from allah only allah & nothing else

for beginners

1. shall sleep only when he is overpowered by slumber(sleep)

2. speak only when he must

3. eat only when starving to be alive.”

4. fast for three days and nights, or a week, or forty days

HUNGER-1. sharpens the intelligence 2. improves the mind and health 3. it illumines the heart and purifies the soul 4. leads the spirit into the presence of God.

 

Hunger helps in 1.contemplation of God (meditation/mushahadah)—-contemplation is the battlefield of men 2.mortification (Strong feelings of embarrassment /mujahadah)- mortification is the playground of children

When I want to talk to allah I say prayers and when I want that he talk to me I recite quran- Hazrath Ali(ra)

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