by Admonition of Ramadan: Don’t Waste your Fasting!
All praises be to Allah, peace and prayer of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Dear Brother! Don’t you remember the burning heat you felt when you stepped over a cigarette stump? You burned your foot, didn’t you? Or, you might remember any heat of the worldly fire that burned some parts of your body? How did you feel that time? Didn’t you feel hurt, hot, and sad?
Don’t you know that the heat you’ve felt is too little and too light to be compared with the Hellfire?
نَارُكُمْ هَذِهِ الَّتِى يُوقِدُ ابْنُ آدَمَ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ حَرِّ جَهَنَّمَ. قَالُوا: وَاللَّهِ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَافِيَةً يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ: فَإِنَّهَا فُضِّلَتْ عَلَيْهَا بِتِسْعَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا كُلُّهَا مِثْلُ حَرِّهَا . متفق عليه
” This fire of yours that men used to burn (thing, -ed) is just one seventieth of the heat of the Hellfire.’ The companions spontaneously said, “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, this fire is enough to hurt the wicked ones (why it must be multiplied)?”. He replied, “(No), indeed, the heat of the Hellfire is sixty nine times hotter than the fire of this world.” (Muttafaqun ‘alaih)
Remember how hot was the fire that burned your skin. Then try to think, the heat that you’ve felt to be multiplied into seventy times, how would it feel?
What do you think your skin and your body would be, if it stung by so hot a fire? What it would feel to be stung by a seventy times hotter fire?
Imagine, if your body was engulfed by such intensely hot fire, is it possible for you to live after your whole body was burnt?
Are you curious about what would happen to your skin and yourself if you happened to feel it?
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا. النساء 56
“Surely We shall cast those who reject Our Signs into the Fire; and as often as their skins are burnt out, We shall give them other skins in exchange that they may fully taste the chastisement. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Qs. An Nisa’/The Women: 56)
You can’t take it? And you don’t want such fire to afflict you? And now you are willing not to taste such terrible flame?
Now is time for you to realize that dream ! Free yourself from that mighty flame!
Now, are you curious about the way to free yourself from the Hellfire? It’s easy, dear Brother!
Maintain your fast from anything that might break or reduce it’s rewards. By doing it, you’ll be one of those mentioned in this hadith below:
مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بَعَّدَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ عَنِ النَّارِ سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفًا. متفق عليه
“”Whoever fast for one day in Allah’s cause, indeed, Allah will prevent himself from the Hellfire about seventy years of journey.” (Muttafaqun ‘alaih)
Brothers! Can you imagine, how terrible your remorse would be, if during your lifetime you kept fasting, bore the hunger, thirst, and fatigue while doing it, but your fasts were rejected by Allah. As the result, you couldn’t help falling into the Hellfire.
What might cause it? Find the answer in this saying of the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- :
مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِى أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ. رواه البخاري
“Whosoever does not abandon false speech and deeds, Allah will not accept his deeds (which were only considered as) leaving food and drink alone. “ (Narrated by Bukhari)
The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,
الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ ، فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلاَ يَجْهَلْ ، وَإِنِ امْرُؤٌ قَاتَلَهُ أَوْ شَاتَمَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّى صَائِمٌ ، مَرَّتَيْنِ. رواه البخاري
“Fasting is a shield, then the people who are fasting should not speak vile and behave like morons (such as yelling-ed). And if somebody crossed or chided him, should he defend himself, saying: “‘Indeed, I’m fasting’, twice” (Narrated by Bukhari)
وَقَالَ اِبْن الْعَرَبِيّ : إِنَّمَا كَانَ الصَّوْم جُنَّة مِنْ النَّار لِأَنَّهُ إِمْسَاك عَنْ الشَّهَوَات ، وَالنَّار مَحْفُوفَة بِالشَّهَوَاتِ . فَالْحَاصِل أَنَّهُ إِذَا كَفّ نَفْسه عَنْ الشَّهَوَات فِي الدُّنْيَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ سَاتِرًا لَهُ مِنْ النَّار فِي الْآخِرَة
Ibn al Araby al Maliki said: “Indeed the fasting acts as a shield from the punishment of hell fire, because the essence of fasting is to refrain from lust appeal. Whereas the Hellfire is covered by lusts. Thus if you managed to resist the temptation you lust during the world, then you practice it will become protective veil for yourself from the sting of the fire of hell torment in the Hereafter. “ (See: “Fath al Bari” by Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani 4/104)
These are what might damage your fast. Therefore, by this article, I’d like to say, strive to protect your fast from any of your damaging lust. My prayer is with you, may Allah the Exalted eases your strive. Peace and prayer of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad, hisa family, and his companions.
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Author: Ustadz Muhammad Arifin Badri, M.A.
Article of www.syaria.com
