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The dualism between the
body and soul is very clearly evident in the physical world. The body is
subservient and the soul is in charge; however both are indispensable. It
is just that the soul is the master while the body is the obedient servant.
People have a habit of
letting themselves become fully absorbed in fulfilling their physical needs
to the utter disregard of their spiritual ones, which are rarely so much as
contemplated.
We need only look at the
vast number of institutions that exist to deal with the material aspects of
our lives compared to the paucity of those that focus n the needs of the
soul – the mosque being one of those.
The body has its rights and
its demands upon us. However what worth does the body have without the
soul? It is a mere corpse, no matter how powerfully or beautifully it is
constructed. If the soul departs from it, it becomes a wasted husk. Its
beauty can only be realized in partnership with the soul.
If we look to apply this
concept within an Islamic context, we immediately notice that our four
primary acts of worship – prayer , fasting, Zakâh, and Hajj – and indeed
all forms of worship, require the participation of both the body and soul.
However, the regrettable
thing that beset the People of the Scripture – the followers of Moses and
Jesus (peace be upon them both) – as well as many of the followers of
Muhammad (peace be upon him) – is that of being overly concerned with
outward appearances at the expense of substance. There is more concern
about bodily actions than there is with the soul. Concern for the outward
aspects of worship is something good (though at times it can get out of
hand), but such concern should not result in the inner meaning of our
worship being forgotten.
The physical aspects of our
prayers are our standing, bowing, sitting, and prostrating. These are
bodily motions. These are the aspects of prayer that most Muslims learn and
commit to memory, and may Allah be praised. These are the matters that they
generally ask about, sometimes in great detail.
The spiritual aspects of
prayer are our devotion, humility, and submission to Allah in full
sincerity and devotion. It entails our recognition of Allah’s greatness and
divinity that inspires us with a sense of reverence and awe.
Is there any relationship
between our concern for the physical aspects of prayer and our concern for
the spiritual? Indeed, there is. When we carry out the outward aspects of
prayer, we are, without doubt, obeying our Lord and fulfilling His command
by upholding one of the pillars of our faith.
At the same time, should
not we know why our Lord, in His infinite wisdom, commands us to offer
prayers at fixed times in a prescribed manner? Should we not wonder about
the effects that these prayers should have on our persons and our lives?
The same can be said for
fasting. Why do we fast? Surely Allah does not need our fasts.
Allah says: “O humanity!
You are in need of Allah and He is free of all wants, worthy of praise.”
[Sûrah Fâtir: 15]
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “Whoever does not leave off false speech and evil deeds, then
Allah has no need of his leaving off his food and drink.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî
(1903)]
We know that Allah has no
need for us to leave off eating and drinking in any case, even when we
abstain from false words and false deeds.
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said, conveying to us the words of his Lord: “O my servants! If the
first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you came
together as the heart of the most pious man among you, it would not
increase my dominion in the least. O my servants! If the first of you and
the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you came together as the
heart of the most sinful man among you. It would not diminish my dominion
in the least.” [Sahîh Muslim (2577)]
Surely fasting was not
prescribed to punish us and make us suffer from hunger and thirst.
Indeed not, for Allah says:
“What can Allah gain by your punishment if you are thankful and you
believe, and Allah is grateful and all-knowing.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 147]
The Prophet (peace be upon
him), during the pilgrimage, saw an old man being supported on both sides
by his two sons. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “What is the matter
with him?”
They said: “He had taken an
oath to walk.”
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “Allah is in no need of this man’s punishing of himself.” Then
he ordered the man to ride. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1865) and Sahîh Muslim
(1646)]
Was fasting, then,
prescribed for us to attain blessings and rewards?
Without doubt, Allah
bestows immense rewards upon his servants for their fasts. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts in faith seeking reward, all of
his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (38) and Sahîh
Muslim (716)]
However, the rewards and
blessings that we receive for of fasts, our prayers, and our charity are
Allah’s reward to us to encourage us to do these good deeds.
The question remains: Why
do we fast? Why do we get such a great reward for doing so? Why do we pray
and embark upon the pilgrimage?
As I see it, we do so for
two purposes:
The first is to develop our
faith and build our moral character on a basis of piety and certainty.
Allah says about fasting: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you
as it was prescribed for those before you, that perhaps you may guard
against evil.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 183]
About prayer, Allah says:
“Indeed prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds.” [Sûrah al-`Ankabût:
45]
About the Hajj, He says:
“And let there be no obscenity, wickedness, or wrangling in the Hajj.”
[Sûrah al-Baqarah: 197]
Allah says about paying
Zakâh: “Take alms of their wealth, wherewith you may cleanse them and
purify them.” [Sûrah al-Tawbah: 103]
This meaning can be seen in
all acts of worship. They all seek to build a person’s character and
perfect his moral conduct, his beliefs, and his faith. Our worship aims to
cleanse and renew our hearts, making them free from base qualities like
deception, avarice, rancor, and unbridled lust.
The second purpose of our
worship is to reform the relationship between the person and others. By
developing a person’s character and cultivating within him certain values,
a person’s worship results in his safeguarding the rights of others on
every possible level of interaction.
This includes the
relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, and likewise
between neighbors and between the governed and the one who governs them.
Even the rights of animals and the environment are safeguarded in this way.
Islam brings with it values governing a Muslim’s conduct towards everything
that surrounds him.
All the acts of worship
that were prescribed to humanity n the previous manifestations of the religion
and in Islam are part of a single program designed to fulfill these two
purposes: to build the individual and to develop his relationship with
others.
What meaning does fasting
have for a person who merely eschews food and drink and other pleasures
that are lawful under normal circumstances, only to engage in forbidden
acts like speaking falsehood and mistreating others? How much worse is it
to engage in unlawful things in the month of Ramadan, and possibly even
during the day while fasting? How is it for such a person who lives a dual
life, his worship completely divorced from his everyday life, having no
effect on his dealings with others?
We have a right to ask
ourselves in earnest: When will our worship change from being merely an
outward act into a reality that is rich in meaning and that carries with it
a deep and noble purpose? When will our worship start to affect our
personalities, building us into people of integrity who fulfill their
duties, recognize their own shortcomings, and work to improve themselves
before rushing to judge others?
Only then will our worship
take on its full meaning.
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