3.4. Special Fasting—the Affairs of Allah's Favorite Saints
It has been narrated that fasting carries still further higher ranks,
and that is the fasting of those who observe fasting and worship only
because they consider, Allah (the glorious, the exalted), as worthy of
worshiping. They do not have any intention and objective in their fasting
and worshiping even the aim and intention of becoming nearer to Him,
and attaining His pleasure and countenance. They consider even
worshiping and fasting with the intention of Allah's countenance and
nearness as uncomplete, and I myself have seen someone like this who
considered such worships and deeds as worshiping of self or egotism.
( 28 )
It seems that their thinking i s not acceptable, and I don't believe
that there is any prophet, imam, or favorite angel whose deeds and
worships would be based solely upon his belief that Allah (the glorious, the
exalted), deserves worshiping and in none of his deeds wouldn't have
desired even attaining Allah's nearness and countenance . And if, some of
the mystics considered worshiping with the intention of Allah's nearness
and attaining His countenance as self-worshiping or egotism — they have acted
extravagantly with exaggeration. Of course, it must be understood
that occasionally a situation arises for mystics and saints, whereby their
worships, actions, and even intentions are not for the sake of attaining
Allah's nearness or countenance rather they do it because, they consider
Allah (the glorious, the exalted), as worthy of worshiping. But, I don't
believe that continuation of this situation permanently would be possible
for any of the prophets what to say about others.
And I don't prefer even worship with this intention, over the worship
performed for the sake of attaining Allah's nearness and countenance.
How could I prefer such a worship because, I do not know
any worship superior than the worship's of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and
Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S.), which in accordance with
various traditions, in most of the cases, were performed with the sole
intention of attaining Allah's countenace and pleasure.
Even, I can go further deeper and say that it is not far away from
reality that may be, some of the times the worships of these nobles
might have been performed with the intention of fear from divine punishment.
And why shouldn't it be so? Is it possible that someone's intensity of fear
from divine punishment be so severe that whenever he would think about
Hell would result in his being fainted
l then how come such severe fear
wouldn't be effective in his actions and worships? I believe that if such a
thing is not impossible, it is far away from being accepted.
____________
1— Some of the Islamic traditions about some of the Sinless Imams (A.S.) have mentioned
that while remembering Hell's horrible punishments they become fainted, [Author].
( 29 )
I may even say that the situations of divive prophets and saints including
their Lord and Master — the Prophet of Islam — differ significantly, and the reason
of this difference is due to the respective manifestations of the glory of Allah's
sacred names upon them. At times, when the sacred names of Allah's beauty were
manifested upon them — they become infatuated with His love, sought comfort in His love
and affection, behaved like a lover uttering amorous words, did not desire
any thing other than Him, and even sometimes behaved in affected
manners. And when the sacred divine names of Allah's glory and wrath
were manifested upon them — they were engulfed with fear and anxiety,
trembled and sheded tears, recited phrase of repentance upon their
tongue, mentioned their humility and neediness, besought him for His
forgiveness and pardon, and requested immunity against divine
punishments and Hell's fire.
The reason of such manifestations was divine orders and expediency so that these
Allah's noble creatures could be trained in this manner, may be promoted to higher
exalted spiritual stations, and could attain His nearness. Yes! The spiritual
training and spiritual positions of those noble personalities were in Allah's
hand, and He himself with such manifestations has carried them upward towards
meaningful perfections and exalted spiritual positions. Didn't we recite
in the comprehensive prayer
(Ziyarat-e-Jameh)1.
Oh my Masters! Allah's with alternative manifestations of fear and hope
(i.e. by revealing His wrath, glory, and beauty), has taken over the control
of your heart's training and asceticism in His own hands.
____________
1— For Ziyarat-e-Jameh refer to the book: Prayers and Supplications selected from
Mafateh al-Jinan, Zad ul-M'ad, and Almanac p-654 [Tr].
( 30 )
Yes! The difference in the live styles of divine messengers and saints is
a matter, which is confirmed by narrations, and any one who has undertaken some
research about the traditions regarding their biographies would be able to
appreciate this matter easily. For example: regarding the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
it has been reported in traditions that he sometimes said:
"Oh Humera
(Ayesheh)!"
And called Ayesheh for companionship or talking, while on the other
hand he kept awaiting for prayer time and said to
Oh Bilal! Please make me at ease or relaxed.
Sometimes, when the revealations were descended upon him, the
color of his face used to change, even he used to be scared during wind
storms fearing divine retributions. Does not this explicitly indicate the
variations in the behavior of that noble personality? And if it so,
how can it be accepted that in all his worships and obediences he does not have any
aim except considering Allah (the glorious, the exalted), as worthy of worship?
The above discussion proves this point
that those who said that — the worship should be performed with the
only intention that He, (Allah) is worthy of worship — is an statement which
can not be accepted, even if it was uttered by the great scholars and
mystics with the exception that, those noble ones, with these words would
have pursued a matter —which is in agreement with their intention of
achieving Allah's nearness. Because, the
aim of attaining nearness of the Supreme Reality or
Beloved's countenance could be possible
without heart's infatuation towards the Paradise or fear from Hell's
tortures, rather with the intention
( 31 )
of considering Him worthy of worship and, thus, striving towards His
nearness. And therefore, performance of worship and deeds with this
intention, in itself is an evidence and the meanings of that worship and
deed, which has been performed with the sole intention of knowing
Allah (the glorious, the exalted), as worthy of adornment, as the Commander
of the Faithful Imam 'Ali (A.S.) has said:
Oh Allah! If I adore you and lower my head in servitude, it is neither because of
heart's infatuation towards Paradise nor because, of fear from Hell's fire,
rather I do worship because I consider you as worthy of worshiping.
The abave narration emphasizes the same point because, the noble Imam has
placed the worship due to worthiness only infront of worships for the sake of
greed or fear and not against all other kind of worships even if performed
with the intention of attaining Allah's nearness and achieving his pleasure.
Yes! I beseech Allah (the glorious, the exalted), to bestow upon me the
grace, favor, and strength to worship Him with the intention of
attaining His-nearness. Further I ask Him
to guide us to understand the correct and proper meanings of
His-nearness and accordingly should strive towards its attainment, so that we are
not included among those who consider His-nearness as meaningless and
impossible. Didn't some of the exalted scholars and jurisprudents consider,
although uncorrectly, Allah's nearness as meaningless? And said that
intention of Allah's nearness could not
mean anything except servitude to His commands, otherwise it would be
in contradiction with Allah's attributes.
Also, it should not be forgotten that considering worshiping due to
greed or fear as futile, even if these words are uttered by some of the
learned scholars and gnostics are undesirable and improper, of course,
such negligences and blunders from these noble ones are not in
disharmony with their exalted academic and mystical ranks because, Allah
( 32 )
(the glorious, the exalted), in accordance with His wisdom and
expediency makes them entangled into such negligences and stumbles.
Also ,it must be understood that one of the most famous and learned
scholar Sayyid Taoos, in his book Iqbal, has regarded those who worship
Allah (the glorious, the exalted), only due to fear from Hell as low.
According to his own explanation, these are the people who did not
consider Allah as worthy of worship and if there was no fear of Hell, they
would not have worshiped Him at all. Of course, such views as Mr. Taoos
has explained, are not correct and those who possess this thinking are
indeed low and such Islam and belief are indeed, sick and contaminated.
Also, this must be clarified that a sincere devotee does not look
towards anything except his beloved, in addition to that from the point of
view of tolerance of hardships, performs the hardest worships, as has been
narrated from the Commander of the Faithful Imam 'AFC (A.S.) that if
there were two deeds carrying the same reward, he would have selected
the harder one. These are the real sincere ones, and may Allah bless them.
3.5 Classification of Fast-observers On the Basis of Their Food Consumption
From the point of view of eating and drinking the fast-observers differ as follows:
1. The fast-observers whose eating and drinking is provided through
forbidden means are like the ones, who carry the burden of things
belonging to others upon their shoulders. The things ultimately reach to
their owner and the exhaustion and fatigue remain with these people.
The reward of fast of such fast-observers is given to the real owners of
those eatables or drinks which were illegally consumed by these fast-observers,
and for them nothing remains except tyranny, wrath, and usurpation of
people's wealth. Or they are like those who under take Mecca pilgrimage
riding upon an usurped animal, in which case the reward of the Hajj pilgrimage
reaches to the owner of that animal and exhaustion and fatigue
( 33 )
remain for the usurper.
2. The fast-observers whose eating and drinking consist of doubtful material,
(i.e. there being lawful (halal)
l or unlawful
(haram)2
is not confirmed), could be further classified into two groups:
The first group consists of those fast-observers whereby the consumption
of such eating and drinking items apparently is lawful
(halal) for them.
The second group consists of those whose consumption of such eating and
drinking items apparently is not lawful
(haram). These
people with slight variation are similar to those fast-observers whose
eating and drinking is provided by unlawful
(haram) means.
3. The fast-observers whose eating and drinking consist of lawful
(halal)means, but are excessive in their consumption in quality as well as
in quantity. That is they fill their table cloth with colorful delicious dishes
at dawn
(sahari) and at the time of fast-breaking
(iftar), and in their
consumption of these foods indulge in over-eating. Their story resembles
like a low-ambitious miserly person who in the presence of his beloved
amuses himself with some thing else, while his beloved desires that his
lover should pay attention only towards him, and should enjoy his
companionship. Such low-ambitious miserly ones do not possess the
decency and worthiness to be invited for the union with their beloved, they
deserve only to be amused in their petty amusements. Because, these are the
slaves of their stomachs and not the bondsman of Allah (the glorious,
the exalted). It would be more appropriate to consider them as worshipers
of belly instead of calling them as Allah's worshipers.
4. The fast-observers, who in their qualitative and
quantitative consumption of eatables go further deeper as compared to the
previous group, reaching to the level of extravagance. Their situation is
similar to those fast-observers whose eating and drinking consist of unlawful
____________
1—halal: things which are allowable by religious law.
2—haram: categorically forbidden by religious law [Tr].
( 34 )
(har?m)means because, lavishment and extravagance is forbidden and
is tantamount to a sin. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to consider
them as disobedient and sinners, instead of knowing them as obedient
bondsman of Allah (the glorious, the exalted).
5. The fast-observers whose eating and drinking as well as their level of
consumption consist of lawful
(halal) and is permissible; are not
indulged in any sort of waste and
extravagance; neither they fill their table-cloth with colorful
delicious dishes nor they practice over-eating and belly-filling; limit
themselves to consume only a single food and abstain
themselves from eating with the
intention of enjoyment; Allah (the glorious, the exalted), will
reward them with best of His bounties; with His
infinite generosity will bless them, and
no one knows or could imagine what sort of special rewards have been
accumulated for them by Him.
3.6. Classification of Fast-observers On the Basis of Eating at Dawn
(Saheri) and Fast-breaking (Iftar)
Fast-observers from the point of view of their intention
(niyat)
for eating at dawn
(saheri) and fast-breaking
(iftar)
may be classified as follows:
1. Those who do not make any special intention for eating
sahert and iftar
and simply eat to enjoy the food taste as well as to make up for the
hunger during the fasting.
2. Those who eat
saheri and
iftar with the intention of
enjoying the food taste and makeup for the hunger, but at the same time with the
intention that eating
saheri and
iftar are recommonded
(mastahab)
and help a person in his worshiping.
3. Those who eat
saheri and iftar because, it is recommonded, Allah likes it,
and it helps a person in worshiping, but in addition to that also pay due regard to
special etiquettes and instructions about
saheri and
( 35 )
iftar — etiquettes such as recital of Holy Qur'an, engaging in special
supplications before, after, and during
saheri and
iftar,
and praising and thanking Allah (the glorious, the exalted).
3.7. Etiquette of Eating at Dawn (Saheri) and Fast-breaking (Mar)
One of the most important etiquette and instruction is the recital of
Surah-Power
(Qadr) before taking
saheri and
iftar as well as recital of illustrious and illuminated supplication:
Allah is the possessor of great illumination
Which has been given in the book of Iqbal
written by the most esteemed and famous scholar Sayyid ibne Taoos.
About this supplication it has been
narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has
recommonded recital of this prayer to the Commander of the
Faithful Imam 'Ali (AS.) and said that
Arch Angel Gabriel came to me and said:
Whoever in the Holy Month of Ramadhan
before iftar recites this prayer, Allah answers his prayer, accepts his
prayer and fasting, grants his ten
requirements, forgives his sins, removes his grief makes
his heart at ease, grants his wishes,
makes his deeds to ascend upward with the deeds of prophets and
righteous saints, and on the Day-of-Judgment brings him to His presence with
a face illuminated like bright moon.
( 36 )
Comment
It becomes conspicuous from the narrations that fasting does not
mean only abstinence from eating and drinking rather it also means
renunciation of sins. Because, some of the sins like backbiting, lying,
lustful sight, cursing, and oppression — be it less or more — would break
the fast like the eating and drinking. Therefore, it is up to the
fast-observers to abstain from all the above, and during fast must endeaver
so that eye, ear, tongue, hands, feet, and other bodily parts all together
must observe fasting and should abstain themselves from performance of
those acts which should not be performed, even they should avoid
over-talking and should practice silence lest their fasting days do not have
any difference with other days except eating and drinking, and they should
not forget the words of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), who has said:
Renunciation of eating and drinking is the easiest thing–which
has been made compulsory upon the fast-observers.
And if, the scholars and jurisprudents consider the fasting of some one who has
committed a portion of these sins — as correct, it is from this
consideration that what they meant with this correctness of this fast is
from the point of view of make up fasting (i.e. for some one, like this, it
is not obligatory that after the Holy Month of Ramadhan he must repeat these
fasts as make-up fasting). But what is meant with the correctness of fasting
in traditions is — their acceptance by Allah (the glorious, the exalted).
And in many cases a fast-observer may undertake a fast in such a manner
that in accordance with the religious decrees of a jurisprudent it would not
be obligatory upon him to offer make-up
(qadha) fast, but it may be
that such fast would not have been acceptable by Allah (the glorious, the
exalted).
The correct and perfect fast which Allah (the glorious, the exalted),
has made obligatory for the self-perfection and spiritual ascent of
( 37 )
fast-observers, inevitably must be accompanied with abstinence from
all bodily sins. Apart from that it would be much better if the fast-observer
in addition to renunciation of bodily sins should also practice abstinence
from heartly sins.i.e. should prevent heart's from any other remembrance
except Allah's, and should renounce, everything except Allah — which is
the most superior and esteemed fast.
Some one who has truly discovered the reality, virtues, and wisdom of fasting
inevitably should abstain from all sort of sins and transgression for the sake
of fast's acceptance, otherwise on the Judgment-Day he would be questioned why
his eyes, airs, tongues, and other bodily parts did not observe fasting? And
simply quitting eating and drinking which would relieve him from undertaking
make up fasting
(qadha) in this world, would not make him immune from
scrutiny and Allah's punishment on the Judgment-Day.
