vasten 3-

“Wow!” she replied.

Then Khadija continued, “My mother told us that fasting is especially honored by God. Among all the different kinds of worship, fasting is particularly special. Imam al-Ghazali explained, that it’s like God’s honoring the Ka‘ba, His Sacred House standing majestically in the sanctuary in Mecca, even though all the earth is sacred and belongs to Him.”

“Oh, now I see!” said Bilal. “Fasting is extra special among the five pillars, just like Friday is a special day in the week, or just as the Ka‘ba and the Haram are special places on earth. That makes it much clearer,” he added.

“Yes,” went on Ustaz Ali, “and this specialness of fasting has to do with its relationship with God Himself. Our beloved Prophet has taught us that God said, ‘Every good deed will be rewarded from ten times to seven hundred times except for fasting. Fasting is done only for Me, so I will give a special reward for it.’

“So, children, as Imam Al-Ghazali taught us...

this special relationship has two parts.


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The first is that fasting has to do with our giving up things that are normally allowed – food and drink – for God’s sake. No one can see whether or not a person is fasting. We can’t tell if someone has eaten or had something to drink since dawn. Fasting is invisible. A person’s thoughts and intentions to give something up for God are also invisible.”

Maha said, “Other acts of worship like doing wudu, praying, giving charity and making pilgrimage can be seen by others, but only Allah can see fasting!”

Khalid added, “Fasting is an inner struggle, and learning to be patient makes it easier. It’s true that only God can see this. If we hid and sneaked a cookie or had a sip of water while fasting, no one would know but Him! So, fasting is just between Him u and us.”


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Ustaz Ali added, “And there’s a second part of this special relationship with God. When someone’s not eating or drinking, their lower self is weaker. That makes it harder for inner whisperings to creep in from Satan, tempting a person to do the wrong thing. That means that fasting is part of our inner struggle against our false lower selves. When we struggle against bad ideas, God will help us. In the Qur’an, He says, If you help God, He will help you and plant your feet firmly [47:07].

“Think about it, children. Through fasting we learn to resist temptation. We develop the patience and self-control to give up food and drink for part of a day. After Ramadan, that selfcontrol makes us stronger and more able to resist things that are low or forbidden. It makes it easier to stay away from things that God u doesn’t like.”

Amina added, “That reminds me of the verse in the Qur’an that I learned, which says, And those who strive for our sake, We shall guide to Our ways [29:69].


~bron~