17/07/2012
Ramadan- finding the Interfaith pillar of Fasting.
Habeeb Alli
In reflecting upon Ramadan over the years and speaking about
the philosophy of pain, I tend to give the example that God wants us to realise
the ease of fasting by reflecting on the fasting practises of others. The more
I see bulimia patients fasting for days, athletes starving, spiritual yogis on
hunger fasts and political activists in prisons refusing to eat and drink, I
realise there is a bigger picture behind the long hours of summer fasts. The
other faith traditions have something unique; they are providing the interfaith
network, so the faithful Muslims can continue the tradition of Ramadan happily.
However, that dimension is not always acknowledged. I have
asked some faith community leaders to comment on the verse of the Qur’an that
reminds us that the people who lived before us fasted. It’s like saying your
older brother did it and your folks back in the day did it, so why can’t you?!
Quran 2:183 O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed
to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn)
self-restraint,-
Moulana Daryabadi, of Modern India,
commented aptly:
"By the great number
of religions in the lower, middle and higher cultures alike, fasting is largely
prescribed. It would be difficult to name any religious system of any
description in which it is wholly unrecognized. We have no evidence of any
practice of fasting in pre Islamic pagan Arabia, but the institution of
fasting was, well of course, well established among both Christians
and Jews." (Hitti o.cit. P133)
“Practice of fasting is
found among many religious communities, such as Hindus, Aboriginal
communities in various parts of the world, Buddhists and host of others like
Sikhs and Bahais, which evolved after Islam, but the abstentions may vary.
Some can drink water only, while others can eat certain
foods. At the time of Jesus’ birth, abstinence was from talking to
anyone”, says Dr Imam Abdul Hai
Patel, President of the Ontario Multi Faith Council. He added, “Thus it is
evident, that Fasting is self denial, i.e. abstinence from some thing or the
other in different ages.”
"The Bahá'í fast lasts for an entire Bahá'í
month, consisting of 19 days, and takes place from 2 March until 20 March.
Bahá’u’lláh said: The material fasting is abstaining from food and drink, that
is, from the appetites of the body. But spiritual fasting is this, that man
abstains from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal traits.
Therefore, material fasting is a token of the spiritual fasting.” Shana
Sobhani, Public Information Officer, Bahá'í Community of Canada.
“Fasting has been an important discipline since the
beginning of Christianity. For example, in Matthew's Gospel Ch. 4: and
following we read Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after
which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, etc. Three
temptations follow to which Jesus makes his response. Throughout the
annual season of Lent, forty days prior to Easter, Christians are invited to
pray, fast and give alms. Such discipline prepares the soul and awakens the
spirit to the coming celebration of the Easter Resurrection, the most important
feast on the Christian calendar.”
Fr. Damian
Macpherson, Interfaith Leader, Catholic Archdiocese, Toronto.
“As for psychological reasons, a great exegete Allamah
Tabatabai mentions that to ask the new Muslims to fast in hot climate required
some mental incentive. By reminding them that they are not the first followers
of scripture who are asked to fast, but people of the past creed also fasted,
fasting became easy,” says Shaikh Hasanayn Ali, Professor of Islam Academy,
Ahl Bayt, Richmond Hill.
“Fasting
in Hinduism is referred to as Upvaas which means to stay near to God or
to achieve mental proximity with God while observing a fast. Secondly
fasting is referred to as Vrat (making a vow),” says Pundit Dev Doobay, Toronto.
"Most
Jewish Fasts are single days (24 hours, not just sunrise to sunset.) The major
one is Yom Kippur where the fasting is seen as part of atonement for
sin and purification of the spirit by temporary withdrawal from
material needs. Other fast days are mourning for past historical misfortunes.
The premier on of these Fast of Mourning is Tisha B'Av (which this year
is July 29th) that commemorates the destruction of the Temple
in Jerusalem -
first by the Babylonians (586 BC) and later by the Romans (70
AD). There are several other more minor fasts as well." Sydney Nestel, Toronto
Altogether,
we may not be fasting on the same days nor avoiding the same things during the
same months, but fasting we are. The essence of the religious traditions is to
establish a sense of Taqwa/ consciousness. The change of seasons, the long
duration like an entire month, the thorough abstinence from bodily foods and
fluids, the fasting from carnal pleasures and dirty speech, the fixed timings
of the beginnings and endings, all contribute to making the spiritual menu healthy
and potent. It’s as good as having a holistic prescription capable of providing
recovery and healing from the many inner diseases. Like a chef who cooks the
same dishes repeatedly but with a different flavor and a new taste each time,
so too each Ramadan provides renewed feelings to cherish virtues and cleanse
evil, with a fresh flavor to savor!
In the
words of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, the two joys of a Believer are breaking
the fast and meeting God. Cuisine and Prayers - Ramadan best friends! So thank
you our interfaith network of historical fasters and thank you to the friends
who respect our fasting during these long summer hours! God admires, too! He
says: “Fasting is for me and I will personally reward you,’ as reported by the
Prophet Muhammad in a sound Hadith Qudsi.
“As I walked out the door
toward my freedom I knew that if I did not leave all the anger, hatred and
bitterness behind that I would still be in prison,” Nelson
Mandela.
*Habeeb
Alli is a freelance writer for the Ambition, is on www.allexperts.com and
author of fourteen books on Islam and poetry.
