When Does Fasting Deepen One’s Connection with Allah?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
When does fasting have a profound impact on a person and strengthen their connection with Allah?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Achieving Taqwa Through Fasting
Fasting profoundly impacts a person and strengthens their connection with Allah when the individual achieves the purposes for which fasting was prescribed. The most significant objective of fasting is to cultivate taqwa (piety), as Allah (Most High) says:
“O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful (of Allah).” [Quran, 2:183]
Fasting instills taqwa in the heart and heightens a believer’s awareness of their Lord in both private and public acts, resulting in improved character and behavior.
Discipline and Behavioral Transformation
When fasting disciplines the soul, its effects manifest in the person’s behavior. As Allah (Most High) conveys in the sacred hadith:
“Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice in anger. If someone abuses him or fights with him, he should simply say: ‘I am fasting.’” [Bukhari]
Compassion and Self-Control
The tenderness of a Muslim’s heart, leading them to support the needy, especially their fellow believers, also reflects the transformative power of fasting.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) highlighted another important effect of fasting, particularly in controlling desires and restraining the self. He addressed the youth, saying:
“O young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains the eyes and preserves chastity. But those who cannot should fast, for it will be a shield for him.” [Ibid.]
Conclusion
Fasting is not meant to burden or exhaust individuals but rather to bring them happiness and well-being, both individually and collectively.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
