Spiritual Part of Fasting Is More Important Than The Physical One!

Dear Ukrainian Muslims, dear brothers and sisters!

I congratulate you upon the arrival of the Holy and Blessed month of Ramadan, which is a great Mercy from Allah Almighty. For this is a very special period when sins are forgiven and good deeds are multiplied, while Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness are so great that any believer why is sincere in their prayers and repentance, and ask Allah Almighty to forgive them — get just that.

According to the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) Allah Almighty said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward for it.”

Besides, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,  said: “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)”

In that hadith the Prophet draws our attention to the fact that being hungry and thirsty isn’t the purpose of fasting; the main purpose of fasting is doing righteous deeds and staying away from evil. It’s trying to be honest, just and truthful; it’s hard spiritual work upon oneself. The main thing is that the person changes for the better; that the person got closer to the Creator through repentance, sadaqah, zakat, prayer, fasting, reading the Holy Qur’an and doing many other good deeds$ that the person purifies themselves through repentance and made every reason to hope for Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness in the end of the Holy month.

So I’m calling upon you, dear brothers and sisters, not to waste your time during this Holy months and pray for forgiveness for all your previous faults, carefully observe your fast, especially the spiritual part of fasting.

Let us not be those whose only “reward” is hunger and thirst, for their inability to stay away from sin, as the Messenger of Allah warned us.

It’s out inner state of faith, submillion, repentance and goodness that makes the core of our fasting. So I wish, for both myself and you all, that we were granted the God’s Forgiveness and His great reward in this Holy month of Ramadan; that we successfully completed our fast and filled it with good deeds and prayers.

Mufti of RAMU “Umma” Said Ismagilov