Broadly speaking, fasting is a cultural practice describing the abstinence from food for medical or religious purposes. In a mere religious sense, fasting is the abstinence from fast-invalidating actions which can include drinking , eating and having sexual intercourse during a period of time . In Christianity, fasting is a ritual for reducing food and drinks for a period of 40 days preceding Easter. In the religion of Islam, fasting is an obligatory pillar and a devotional action to exercise the control of whims and desires by giving up all fast-invalidating actions form dawn till sunset during the month of Ramadan . The main purpose of fasting is therefore to strengthen righteousness and piety: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” (quran 2:183) . Piety and righteousness are among the dearest commands of God the exalted to all those who have faith. As a test, fasting is between the servant and God as there is no one to verify it except the servant himself. It is narrated in a sacred hadith that God the exalted said that every deed of a human being is for himself except fasting, which is for God . This is why God has promised forgiveness of sins for those who will fast during the month of Ramadan. But is it really arguable that after fasting the believers are free of sins?
There is a hadith reporting that the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that fasting leads to forgiveness of sins. However this should be understood with wisdom as there are several steps of expiation of misdeeds and there are several types of sins.
Basically the whole process of achieving considerable stages towards God begins with giving up sins. Therefore fasting can be a good start to achieve this goal. Fasting can stir repentance which is the condition and first step to walk towards the straight path of religion because from nature on we are all sinners. It is the key to guidance and the greatest weapon for purification. God has sent his prophets to teach his commandments so that those who understand and follow them will be granted a great reward. For many students of religion, repentance begins by giving up fornication and doing divine service. For those already on the path repentance leads to giving up the world and concentrating on the essence of religion. Fasting in Islam is a great opportunity for every Muslim to achieve this goal and strengthen his faith. Greed is in the nature of man but the basics precepts of religion can help overcome some shortcomings.
Firstly a humble believer who has remorses and seek forgiveness after a bad deed can be forgiven. Expiation can be sought by repenting wordily and by praying, doing divine service and giving charity. It is commonly agreed by Islamic scholars that prayer can expiate minor sins. In a hadith it is reported that a man came to the prophet and said that he has committed every sort of sin with a woman except fornication. He asked the prophet(pbuh) to give judgment according to the laws of God. The prophet asked Him: “Have you said this morning prayer with us?” and the man answered in the affirmative. Then Prophet(pbuh) said: “Certainly good deeds remove evil ones” . It appears that except fornication, any other act with a strange woman is a minor sin.
It also appears that when the prophet is talking about expiation of sins by fasting during the month of Ramadan it cannot be about minor sins. There are various classes of sins and most of them have been divided into major and minor sins. As far as minor sins are concerned, the prophet Muhammad(pbuh) is reported to have said that the five daily prayers expiate the minor sins…
The prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that if the major sins are given up then adhering to some basics pillars of religion expiates the minor sins. This include praying the five daily prayers, giving alms and doing divine service among other acts of worship. The categorization of sins is not without difference of opinion among the scholars. However all of them recognized that there are minor sins and major sins . Whatever is done against the commandments of God is a major sin. The greatest sin is Islam is to set up partners with God. Other major sins include killing, fornicating, stealing, disobeying parents, a man cohabiting with a man, etc…Many Christians know the sins from the commandment of God revealed to Moses and from the teaching of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary. Some sins can arise from the godly nature of man such as greed for fame and honor, desire for Lordship over other people etc… However, there are condition in which a minor sin can become a major sin:
– If a minor sin is done repeatedly it becomes a major sin. If we refrain from committing a major sin it is expected to be forgiven. However if we keep on committing a minor sin it turns into a major sin. This is linked to the fact that when we minimize a sin and loose our humility we are likely going to go to the next step or even take pleasure in the little sin.
-A sin done by a scholar or a learned man also become a major sin as his followers are more likely to copy his example.
-Another condition of a minor sin becoming a major sin is when the sin is disclosed. This is because disclosing a sin or committing it in front of others will encourage more people to do the same.
Minors sins are forgiven by performing the five obligatory daily prayers but some sins require a tougher repentance. Major sins that arise from the breach of duty towards the creator such as giving up prayers can be forgiven directly when repentance is done. But the major sins arising from the breach of duty towards men can only be pardoned if the owners of right forgives or if a due compensation or an arrangement is made. Iman Gazali said that the breach of duty towards men is connected with life, property, religion and fame. Each man has a choice to distance himself from this but to misappropriate others(the weak and orphans) or to destroy the honor of others can only be forgiven if the others accept the repentance. Fortunately, most of our sins are forgiven by fastingg during the sacred month of Ramadan.
Moreover, the month of Ramadan is the month in which the quran was revealed. The mosques are full in many areas where the is an Islamic community and the taraweeh prayer is attended by a multitude of people. It is a tradition to increase all acts of worship during the sacred month of Ramadan. Many will perform more supererogatory prayers and give more alms and will be more engaged in reading and reciting the quran during this sacred month. Every single good action is encouraged and the reward is multiplied.
Definitely, fasting is one of the greatest blessings and can help initiate or regain faith in God the exalted and Merciful. Moreover fasting will purify the believers and bring them a great reward. For those who can give up major sins, fasting is an expiation for the sins they have committed during the preceding year. Abu Said al-Kudri said that he heard the messenger of God saying that “Whoever fast Ramadan and knows its limits and avoids whatever he should avoid in it, it will be an expiation of what is before it.”
But the expiation of major sins requires a process of repentance and the promise not to keep repeating the sin. Scholars agree that the mercy of God prevails over his wrath and that apart from the sin of joining partners with God, all other sins are forgiven by sincere repentance before death. The greatest challenge here is to completely give up all the sins that have been forgiven during fasting and stay on the path that is straight to make the best for us in this world and in the hereafter..
