The inner dimensions of fasting – Part 2

This post is part of a series "The inner dimensions of fasting"

• The inner dimensions of Fasting Part 1
• The Inner dimensions of Fasting Part 3

1. See Not What Displeases God

A chaste regard, restrained from viewing anything that is blameworthy or reprehensible, or that distracts the heart and diverts it from the remembrance of God, Great and Glorious is He. Said the Prophet, on him be peace:

'The furtive glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan, on him be God's curse. Whoever forsakes it for fear of God will receive from Him, Great and Glorious is He, a faith the sweetness of which he will find within his heart.'

Jabir relates from Anas that God's Messenger, on him be peace, said:

'Five things break a man's Fast: lying, backbiting, gossiping, perjury and a lustful gaze.'

2. Speak Not...

Guarding one's tongue from idle chatter, lying, gossiping, obscenity, rudeness, arguing and controversy; making it observe silence and occupying it with remembrance of God, Great and Glorious is He, and with recitation of Quran. This is the fasting of the tongue.

Said Sufyan:

'Backbiting annuls the Fast.'

Layth quotes Mujahid as saying:

'Two habits annul Fasting: backbiting and telling lies.'

The Prophet, on him be peace, said:

'Fasting is a shield; so when one of you is Fasting he should not use foul or foolish talk. If someone attacks him or insults him, let him say: "I am Fasting, I am Fasting!"'

According to Tradition:

'Two women were Fasting during the time of God's Messenger, on him be peace. They were so fatigued towards the end of the day, from hunger and thirst, that they were on the verge of collapsing. They therefore sent a message to God's Messenger, on him be peace, requesting permission to break their Fast. In response, the Prophet, on him be peace, sent them a bowl and said:

"Tell them to vomit into it what they have eaten."

One of them vomited and half filled the bowl with fresh blood and tender meat, while the other brought up the same so that they filled it between them. The onlookers were astonished.

Then the Prophet, on him be peace, said:

"These two women have been Fasting from what God made lawful to them, and have broken their Fast on what God, Exalted is He, made unlawful to them. They sat together and indulged in backbiting, and here is the flesh of the people they maligned!"'

3. Hear Not...

Closing one's ears to everything reprehensible; for everything unlawful to utter is likewise unlawful to listen to. That is why God, Great and Glorious is He, equated the eavesdropper with the profiteer, in His words, Exalted is He:

'Listeners to falsehood, consumers of illicit gain.' [al- Ma'idah, 5:42]

God, Great and Glorious is He, also said:

'Why do their rabbis and priests not forbid them to utter sin and consume unlawful profit?' [al-Ma'idah, 5:63]

Silence in the face of backbiting is therefore unlawful. God, Exalted is He, said:

'You are then just like them.' [al-Nisa, 4:140]

That is why the Prophet, on him be peace, said:

'The backbiter and his listener are copartners in sin.'

This post is part of a series "The inner dimensions of fasting"