Heavenly Jewels

three days but they were not Fardh. Fasting, the foutth pillar of lslam, became Fardh in 2. A.H. When the Quraan ordered the fast of the entire month of Ramadaan to be kept. However this concession was also made that those who have the ability to keep fas t but do not must feed a destitute for each day as compensation. After a while, another Hukm was revealed and this concession became abolished for general people. It remained for those who can keep the fast but they wiIl be unable to bear the hardships of hunger and thirst, e.g. very old people, pregnant and breast fceding women. The object of Islamic fasting explained in the Quraan is for piety to be instilled in the individual. A few examples of Taqwa (piet}) are given below, 1 . It is a hot summers day and a person fasting is experiencing an unbearable thirst. There is no onc around and there is ajug of clean cold water but she does not drink it. 2. Extreme hunger is felt and the body is weak through it as wel l . No onc can see and there is scrumptious food present. However she does 110t eat it. 3 .A man comes home to his beloved wi fe. He meets her in complete privacy and feel ings of love run between them. Due to them fasting though, they do not act upon their feelings. All ofthe above is because the reverence ofAllah 's order has overcome even the pennissible yearnings ofthe individual and when permissible aspirations are not completed then definitely the person who fasts in Imaan will desert all that is Haraam or disal lowed. This is the very excellent behavior the Shariah wishes to instill in the person fasting. That is why the Ahadeeth have stated that Gheebat (Backbiting), vile language in fast, all types ofsin, should be abstained from while fasting . The Holy Prophet has stated, "It does not bother Al lah if the Rauza Daar (person fasting) who does not stop speaking 1 49