Spotlight: Fasting in the heart and mind

From: NST online

BY: ANIZA DAMIS

Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, is two weeks in, and two weeks away from its end. Around the world, nearly a billion healthy Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn till dusk, for one month. But where is the virtue in going without food and drink? And what is the great lesson that Muslims are supposed to learn from all this? ANIZA DAMIS finds out
A MOTHER is slaving over the kitchen stove, trying to prepare a delicious meal for her family. A businessman is bent over his desk, studying hard for an examination on marketing strategies to improve his business. An engineer is going over the details of a construction thoroughly, making sure that the building will be strong and safe. A doctor is going over a patient's symptoms once again, trying to identify the illness to cure the patient. What do these people have in common? They are all abstaining from food and drink during Ramadan, and trying to be good Muslims.All are fulfilling a religious virtue: Of being very human, yet trying to be the best that a human can be.This is what the end product of the fasting month should be.
Contrary to popular misunderstanding, the purpose of fasting is not just to appreciate what life must be like for poor people who cannot afford food. Rather, it is about man ruling over his base desires, instead of being ruled by them, says Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) deputy director-general Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan."There are two faculties that exist within the nature of man which do not change: the angelic faculty and the bestial faculty. The bestial part is lust -- for food, drink, material possessions, sex."Fasting is spiritual training to strengthen the angelic part of man."But being "angelic" doesn't mean that a person shouldn't enjoy life, Nik Mustapha says, as Islam is very much about living in this world. So, for instance, after the breaking of fast at the end of the day, a person is allowed to eat, drink, and engage in sexual congress with his or her spouse."The belief that the fasting month is about suppressing the desires is wrong. Fasting teaches you to discipline -- not suppress -- your desires."Desire is a very human thing. And it never goes away. But it is not supposed to direct how you live your life." Fasting, Nik Mustapha stresses, goes beyond not taking food and drink."You have to minimise the eyes, mouth, ears, etc, from all evil things."As recounted by Bukhari, Prophet Muhammad said, 'God has no need for man to go without food and drink, who cannot shun evil and falsehood even during a fast'."For Muslims, all activities, even the mundane ones, should be guided by the ethics and morality of Islam.But to achieve this moral and ethical part, a person cannot do it unless he or she has a close relationship with God, Nik Mustapha says."You can talk about integrity, legal procedure, anti-corruption, etc; but if you do not have a close relationship with God, it's an impossible task."Even when working, in whatever capacity, one does it to satisfy God. And to satisfy God means to achieve excellence."Another saying of the prophet, as narrated by Al-Baihaqi, illustrates this point: "Indeed, Allah loves that when you do a job, you do it perfectly."Thus, in doing business, for instance, a businessman should aim to make a profit by embarking on efficiency and productivity, including pursuing education that contributes to making the person understand business opportunities.But the businessman must also subscribe to ethical practices. He should not manipulate or exploit others."So, it's very wrong to be fasting and at the same time be very corrupt. But if people fast with the understanding that they are supposed to improve their discipline, then hopefully they will minimise their doing of bad deeds."And, although this doesn't mean that a person will be successful in avoiding all bad things, learning to minimise irreligious activities is a very important practice. It is because of this that the fasting month is repeated every year because man, by nature, is forgetful, says Nik Mustapha.But beyond the individual, fasting, if observed correctly, is also good for the economy.Although some man hours is affected by Ramadan, Nik Mustapha says this is made up for by the discipline employees acquire during this month. "You don't measure productivity over a month; you measure it over a year."So, when you measure it in a year, the discipline that employees acquired during Ramadan -- honesty, industry, mutual help and assistance -- should also extend to the other months."Productivity is not measured by how many hours you put in, but by how much you produce."It is in the fasting month that people should take the opportunity to improve their understanding of work and discipline, and try to achieve excellence."Whether it is to your family, neighbours or colleagues -- be they Muslims or non-Muslims -- as well as the animals and the environment, you must give serious thought to your contributions."You should ask yourself: "Am I serious in whatever profession I'm in?' "And since the Quran is the guide for Muslims, they should not only recite the Quran but should strive to read it, contemplate on it, and understand it."If a person chooses to concentrate on only one chapter from the Quran for this month and tries to thoroughly understand what it means and how it applies to his or her life, that's good enough."The Quran should be the guidance: How should I embark on this business (called life)?"

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