The fast or the period of cleanliness and piety and
abstinence from food, begins at the outset of the day when we open our
fast. We realize that there is a
certain order to the day of fasting and it starts with the morning
worship. We can discern how much to
consume in the morning when we open our fast since our bodies tell us when to
stop eating and to avoid eating too much to overcome the fast. Thus, when we open our fast, it is important
to realize that the fast is commensurate to our physical and bodily requirements. We should resist the urge to overeat since
the body speaks to us to let us know that we are exceeding our prescribed
amount.
Throughout the day, it is absolutely important to avoid
cursing, fighting, arguing, bickering and if necessary avoiding people who may
irritate you or annoy you for your fast to be holy and pure. Worship and prayer is an important part of
the day and excessive TV, Internet or entertainment should be avoided for the
simple reason that these are uncensored and may desecrate our fast unwittingly.
Try to find your center and the fast can be very
enlightening. You will feel very close
to God and immediately, feel a renewed sense of commitment to priorities in
your life – the people you care about, dispel vanities and vices and bring us
back to the basic principles of life and humble ourselves before God.
Besides that, one also learns greater responsibility – that the fast requires us to pay attention to our daily needs, that include eating and breaking our fast on time, spending our day in a constructive way, being clean and practicing good hygiene and reflecting on God to make our time on earth more meaningful. We should also pay attention to how we conduct ourselves on a social, economic and political level that the fast permeates with its clarity and righteousness.
When we break our fast, we should observe humbleness and
piety and consume either a date or drink water that helps know the value of
fasting and the expiation of hunger. It’s
akin to a three-course meal – we can open the fast with an appetizer and after
completing prayer, we can proceed to a second course and finally a sensible
main course that our bodies can adjust to the lengthy period of fasting and abstinence. Thus, we exorcise the ravenous wolf that
speaks to our souls.
These are some observations that I think can help people who
are fasting and that extends to the rest of their lives beyond the period of
Ramadan. I hope your fast is blessed and brings you
closer to God.
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