Rectifying Our Morals

Fasting narrows the passages in the blood, which are Satan's path through the son of Adam. Satan runs in the veins of man like blood, so fasting extinguishes his whispers and weakens his authority over the fasting person. Thus, you see the fasting person refrain from lying and obscenity in speech and actions and shows patience, truthfulness, and mercy.

Additionally, the desire for goodness develops in him. In Ramadan, the fasting person learns these good values and avoids many blameworthy actions. The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, urged the fasting person in particular to do so. He said: "Fasting is a shield. On the day of fasting, one should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say: 'I am fasting.'" [Reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said: "Whoever does not give up false statements and false behaviour, Allah has no need of him to give up his food and drink." [Reported by Al-Bukhaari]

One of the righteous predecessors said, "The lesser form of fasting is to abstain from food and drink." Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "If you fast, then let your hearing, sight and tongue abstain from lying and the prohibitions. Do not harm your neighbor, and let tranquility and solemnity befall you on the day of fasting. Do not make your day of fasting resemble the day on which you break your fast.” [Lataa’if Al-Ma‘aarif, p.292]

Imaam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "The fasting person should guard his fasting against his tongue. Let him not argue. He has to safeguard his fasting. If people observed fasting, they would sit in the Masjids and say: 'We preserve our fasting and avoid backbiting." [Ar-Rawdh Al-Murbi‘]

I advise you in this month and others to safeguard your tongue – the muscle that man does not get tired of moving relentlessly. Many people have died because of the tongue. A single word might be enough to doom a man. The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "A man speaks a good word without knowing its worth, Allah records for him His good pleasure till the Day of judgment." [Reported by Maalik]

Nothing is more deserving of long imprisonment than the tongue. Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "Long silence is the key to worship." Al-Fudhayl, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "No Hajj, fasting, standing to guard the Muslim frontiers, or Jihaad is more severe on man than imprisonment of his tongue!"

Try it yourself. If you can speak only good words, it will be a credit for you. How many times have you spoken today regarding a person or your colleague at work?

The people whose morals or temperaments remain unchanged by Ramadan, and they even get worse and get angry for trivial reasons, do not know the essence of fasting. Worse still, some may justify their bad temper and manners by saying that they are fasting! Is this the fruit of fasting?

This man never observed the required fasting; he abstained from eating and drinking out of habit because people do so and it would be shameful not to follow the custom of people!