Benefits of Fasting

2 April by Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil Ar-Rabbani

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

This beautiful month has started insha’Allah. May the month of Ramadan be good and abundant.

The pillars of Islam are belief in the Oneness of Allah ﷻ, then prayer, Zakat [alms giving], fasting and then performing Hajj for those who can do it. Fasting is one of the important worships. The reason for its importance is because Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla wanted goodness for us. Whoever performs this worship gains first of all spiritually and then physically.

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ says, “صُومُوا تَصِحُّوا”. Fast and attain health. All of the orders that Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla gave us are for our benefit, for the benefit of people. The worship of fasting is difficult for many people. However, it has great benefits. As we said, first of all, it has spiritual benefits. It suppresses the ego of a person, it breaks down the ego. There is nothing stronger for breaking the ego of a person than fasting. There is not a stronger worship for taking the ego under control than the worship of fasting.

Because when Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla created the ego, He ﷻ asked, “Who are you? And who am I?” The ego said, “You are you (Hāshā/far from it). And I am me”. Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla came against it and captured it in darkness for very long time. The ego persisted, “You are you. And I am me”. Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla imprisoned it again. At last, He ﷻ made it fast and left it in hunger. Of course, there was no body then, only the ego. He ﷻ showed the manifestation of fasting and hunger to it. When it broke the fast, it said, “You are my Lord”. Only with hunger it straightened up.

Therefore, fasting is a powerful worship. People are now doing research and discovering so many benefits for people’s health. Of course! Every worship has both spiritual and physical benefits. Fasting, praying and giving Zakat have benefits for our bodies as well. There is no worship without benefit.

Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla ordered them in order for people to have both spiritual and physical benefits. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla doesn’t need anyone. If you do them, you earn so much Thawab. And alongside Thawab, you attain strong health. Worship is beneficial for you, your body flow, for your mind and for every atom of your body. People who don’t perform worship are people without souls and without Nur/light. They are miserable people who are defeated and captured by their egos.

Sometimes we see people cannot fast in Muslim countries. We said they cannot, whereas there are many people who are controlled by their egos. May Allah ﷻ give them guidance so that they control their egos. May they not be donkeys of their egos. May they ride on their egos and not their egos ride on them. May this holy month be blessed from now, and be a means for goodness.

We have entered a month of Nur/light, a beautiful month.

May it be blessed for us all. Al-Fatiha.

Sohbah by Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil Ar-Rabbani (q)

2nd April 2022| 1st Ramadhan 1443

Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul