Inner Dimensions Of Ramadan And Fasting (From Bodily Hunger To Spiritual Hunger)

This body is the mysterious vessel, a holy grail if you like for our spirit and soul, this body is the only place where the precious soul finds its abode in this very plane of existence. Soul is the eternal mystery about which Allah says in Quran,And they ask you O Muhammad concerning the soul. Say: "The soul is one of the things, of which the knowledge is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little." (Al-Israa' 17:85)

The body is the vessel that participates intimately in the ecstatic mystery of the soul. The hunger felt by the body in the practice of fasting is a stepping stone to the next goal, which is the spiritual hunger, the burning desire and longing for God Ideal.

Sufi Master Abu Said ibn Abil Khayr said, "Spiritual hunger is a living, radiant fire put by God into the hearts of His servants so that their ego can be burned; when it has been burned, this fire then becomes the fire of longing, which never dies, either in this world or the next. There is no quick way to God than spiritual hunger; if it travels through solid rock, water gushes forth. Spiritual hunger is essential for the seekers of truth; it is the showering of God's mercy on them."

Muslims who understand the true meaning of fasting, strive to reach through the bodily hunger and thirst to another kind of hunger, another reality of thirst, about which Rumi said:

The Other Fasting

In the Islamic wisdom tradition, though fasting's exterior is abstinence from food, drink, love-making for a prescribed time, but its interior is fasting from everything that is a hindrance to be mindful of God and that is against the natural disposition of human ideal, virtue (fitrah). There is fasting of the tongue not to speak abusive language, unnecessary speech and similar for ears and all part of the body. These inner components of fasting are as important as the fasting from food and drink.

We find in the hadith: The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and negative actions, God is not in need of his leaving his food and drink"

"A keeper of fasts, who does not abandon lying and slandering, God cares not about his leaving off eating and drinking."

Conclusion

I finish with a poem by Rumi:

If your mind and stomach burn with the fire of hunger,
it will be like a heavenly song for your heart.

In each moment that fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils
and carry you a thousand steps towards your goal.

May God grant us blessings of this month and accept our fasts. Amen.