Ramazan Mubarak!!!!
Just a simple explanation why Muslim fast.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We Muslims fast the month of Ramadaan because Allaah has commanded us to do so. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
So we worship Allaah by doing this act of worship which is beloved to Allaah and which He has enjoined upon us.
The believers hasten to obey the commands of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in obedience to His words (interpretation of the meaning):
"The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allaah (His Words, the Qur'aan) and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: We hear and we obey.' And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise)
[al-Noor 24:51]
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error
[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
Secondly:
It is by His wisdom that Allaah has prescribed a variety of acts of worship, so as to test people with regard to how they will obey all these commands. Will they only choose to do that which suits them, or will they do that which pleases Allaah? If we think about the five acts of worship: testimony of faith, prayer, zakaah, fasting and pilgrimage, we will see that some of them are purely physical, some are purely financial, some are both, so that the miser will become distinct from the generous. For some people it may be easy for them to pray one thousand rak'ahs but not to give a single dirham; for others it may be easy to give a thousand dirhams but not to pray a single rak'ahs. So Islam came to prescribe a variety of acts of worship so as to determine who will follow in obedience to the command of Allaah and who will follow only that which suits him.
Thirdly:
There is another great reason why fasting is prescribed, which has been discussed in part in the answer to question no. 26862.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen was asked about the reason why fasting was enjoined?
He replied:
If we read the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
" O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (pious)
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
we will know the reason why fasting was prescribed, which is taqwa (piety) and submission to Allaah. Taqwa means giving up haraam things, and in general terms includes both doing what is commanded and abstaining from what is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it and offensive speech and behaviour, Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057. See also questions no. 37658and 37989.
Based on this, it is important for the one who is fasting to carry out religious duties and avoid haraam things in word and deed. So he should not backbite about people, tell lies, or spread malicious gossip among them, or engage in haraam transactions, and he should avoid all haraam things. If a person does that for a whole month, the rest of the year will go well, but unfortunately in the case of many of those who fast, there is no difference between a day when they fast and a day when they do not; they behave as they usually do, neglecting obligatory duties and doing forbidden things. You do not see the dignity that is to be expected of the fasting person. These actions do not invalidate their fast but they do detract from its reward and may cancel out the reward altogether.
The First Ashra of Ramadan is of Mercy and a Muslim is supposed to seek mercy of Allah Almighty in this month. With every prayer, Quran recitation and Nafal prayer, the objective of a Muslim should be to invoke Allah Almighty for His mercy. In one of Hadith Qudsi, it is narrated that Allah says:
"O son of Adam! However much you call upon Me and place your hopes in Me, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam! If you have sins piling up to the clouds and then ask My forgiveness, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam! If you come to me with enough mistakes to fill the Earth, and meet Me without associating anything as a partner with Me, I will come to you with enough forgiveness to fill the Earth. (Tirmidhi)
From this hadith it is clear that forgiveness from Allah Almighty is perhaps His biggest and greatest mercy. Therefore, when in the first Ashra of Ramadan, it is actually the seeking of forgiveness that presents itself in the form of mercy.
From the hadith it also becomes clear that Allah's mercy in the form of forgiveness knows no bounds, rather it is always present and available for everyone and a Muslim must try seeking it and ask for it in any case and any situation possible, especially during Ramadan.
The lines below discuss the way a Muslim must ask for the mercy of Allah Almighty during the first ten days of Ramadan.
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