…Let us return to the
commentary on the hadith of Harith, where he Prophet speaks of
what will rescue a servant from the Foe: “And [God] enjoins upon you
the fast. Verily, the similitude of that is a man carrying a sack-full
of musk in a crowd of people, all of them marvelling at its
fragrance—for the breath of someone lasting is more fragrant to God,
Most High, than the scent of musk.” [Tirmidhi, Amthal, 2790; Ibn
Hanbal, Musnad, 16542.]
The Prophet uses the
image of someone carrying a sack-full of musk concealed from view,
hidden under his garments, after the habit of those who carry musk.
Fasting is, likewise, hidden from the eyes of men and unperceived by
their senses.
The fasting person's limbs fast from
sins; his tongue fasts from lies, base language and false witness; his
stomach fasts from food and drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If
he speaks, he says nothing to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does
nothing to spoil his fast. All his speech is salutary and wholesome, as
are his deeds—like the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the
bearer of musk. Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his
presence and is safe from false witness, lies, base language and
wrongdoing. This is the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply
abstinence from eating and drinking.
Hence, a sound hadith
states: “When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the
action that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to
refrain from food and drink.” [Bukhari, Adab, 5597; Ibn Maja, Siyam,
1679; also in Bukhari, Sawm, 1770, without the word ‘ignorance’] And in
[another] hadith: “Some who fast obtain nothing from it but
hunger and thirst.” [Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 8501, with the ending ‘And some
may tand for prayer at night and receive nothing from it but
sleeplessness.’ Also in Bahyaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 3542, with ‘standing at
night’ mentioned first.]
True fasting is when the limbs fast from
sin and the stomach fasts from food and drink. As food and drink can
break the fast or spoil it, so sins can cut off its reward and spoil its
fruits, as if one had not fasted at all.
