International Sufi Order

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FASTING : Types of Fasts

Sura al-Baqara 2: Verse 183

'O Believers! Fasting is prescribed for you- as it was prescribed to those before you- so that you may attain God consciousness and learn self-restraint.'

We have been blessed with Faith due to the assistance, favour and kindness of Allah. He has conferred the unique honour upon us of making us His servants in the community of His beloved. He has addressed us and given us a place in the Holy Qur'aan.

Another blessing is the Month of Ramadaan, about which the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "the beginning is mercy; the middle, forgiveness; the end, deliverance from the fire." When Ramadaan comes, appreciate it! It passes very quickly. Life also passes very quickly, as does the time for prayer. Make the best use of this Ramadaan; it could be your last. Do not say, "I missed that prayer but another will come", it could be your last prayer."

Attach yourself to Allah now, realise His majesty. Ponder and realise that you are temporary whilst He is everlasting; Ponder on your own weakness and realise that He is strong. Then turn to Him and lament for your sins. Spend sleepless nights with heart aflame. Keep vigil for Him.

Experience Allah. What a beautiful thing, to meet with the Lord. This cannot be explained. It is like explaining to the blind about colour; to the deaf about sound. To one who has no scent of smell, how can we describe the scent of the rose? How can the deaf be told about the chirping of the birds, the gurgling of running waters, or the beautiful call to prayer?

When Ramadaan comes, His voice calls nightly: "Does no one want Us, does no one love us? We would love him too!" This call is given each and every night in our lives. There is a Divine bounty particular to the month of Ramadaan i.e. as Moses, the converser with Allah, used to go to Mount Sinai, You have your own Sinai at the time of breaking fast, when you can hold a thousand and one conversations with Allah. When Moses said: "O, my Lord, you speak with me, you address me. Will you not show me the beauty of your countenance? Let me see Your beauty!" he received the reply, Lan tarani " you cannot see Me. "Sura al-A’raf 7: Verse143

Moses came to the appointed place and Allah spoke to him. He said, 'O Allah I want to see you'. Allah said, 'You cannot see Me directly'….

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) spoke to Moosa (alaihis salaam),

"Moses how can you see My beauty when there are seventy thousand curtains between us? You are incapable of seeing Me. But I shall give a month as a gift to the Community of My beloved Muhammad. That month shall be called Ramadaan. To the community of Muhammad that fasts during that month, I shall so manifest Myself at the time of breaking fast that, whereas between you and Me there are now seventy thousand veils, there will be no veil at all between Me and the fasting community of Muhammad at the time of breaking fast."

Allah has stated that,

The fast is for Me and I am its reward.

The reward of the fast is the vision of Divine Beauty. The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

"If my community knew what success and salvation reside in Ramadaan, they would beg Allah to let them spend their whole life in that month."

There are 3 types of fast. Which type of fast do you keep?

The 1^st Type is the fast of the common man who abstains from food and drink between true dawn and sunset.
The 2^nd Type is observed by those who do not only abstain from food and drink but also avoid - by night and day - looking at unlawful things, listening to anything bad, uttering hurtful words, abuse, curse or lies, going where Allah does not allow, and feeling malice or envy in the heart. This type of fast is also broken if one transgresses in the matters enumerated. Such fasting is broken even by one unlawful glance or one false remark. These people who observe this fast may eat and drink and spend time with their wives outside the month of Ramadaan, the rest of their organs are actually in the state of fasting all year round. They are known as the intimates of Allah, the elite of the community. They are men of their word. In prayers they humble and reverent, they guard against evil.

There is a 3rd type of fast, which is also observed by all parts of the body. This fast is broken if anything other than Allah should enter the hearts of those who keep it. Those who observe this fast are called the elite of the elite. Only Allah knows the worth of these exalted beings.These beings seek Allah, and want Allah and care not for Paradise. They are indifferent to rewards but seek him who promises the rewards.

It is stated that those who fast will be secretly admitted to Allah's Paradise. When they will be asked how they got to Paradise since they were not at the Resurrection or the Reckoning, they will answer: "In the world below we use to worship Allah in secret; now in the hereafter Allah has secretly brought us to His Paradise"

In a Hadith the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said,

"My community has been given 5 great divine favours, which has not been given to any community i.e.

1. On the eve of the 1st day of Ramadaan Allah looks with compassion upon those who fasted. Never again will He expose to His torment those upon whom His merciful glance has fallen.

2. Secondly He commands the Angels to pray for forgiveness for the community of His beloved.

3. Thirdly, the mouth odour of a fasting believer is dearer to Allah than the scent of musk.

Fourthly, paradise has been ordered to beautify itself for the community of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) And
Fifthly, He pardons and forgives all the community of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that keeps the fast.

Abridged from Irshad: wisdom of a Sufi master by Sheikh Muzaffar Ozak al - Jerrahi

By Irshad Soofi

A beggar at the door of the Sufi masters

4th Ramadaan 1419 / 24th December 1998