Healing by Saum ~ Fasting

Healing Through Prophetic Medicine in Islam

Tibb-e-Nabawi

Healing by Deeds

Saum ~ Fasting

صَوْمٌ‏:‏ الصوم جُنَّةٌ من أدواء الروح والقلب والبدن، منافِعُه تفوت الإحصاء، وله تأثيرٌ عجيب في حفظ الصحة، وإذابةِ الفضلاتِ، وحبْسِ النفسِ عن تناول مؤذياتها، ولا سِيَّما إذا كان باعتدالٍ وقصدٍ في أفضلِ أوقاته شرعاً، وحاجَةُ البدنِ إليه طبعاً‏.‏ ثم إنَّ فيه من إراحة القُوَى والأعضاء ما يحفظُ عليها قُواها، وفيه خاصيةٌ تقتضى إيثارَه، وهى تفريحُه للقلب عاجلاً وآجلاً، وهو أنفعُ شىءٍ لأصحاب الأمزجة البارِدةِ والرطبة، وله تأثيرٌ عظيم في حفظ صحتهم‏.‏

وهو يدخلُ في الأدوية الروحانية والطبيعية، وإذا راعى الصائمُ فيه ما ينبغى مراعاتُه طبعاً وشرعاً، عظُمَ انتفاعُ قلبه وبدنه به، وحبس عنه الموادَّ الغريبةَ الفاسدةَ التي هو مستعدٌ لها، وأزال الموادَّ الرديئة الحاصلة بحسب كماله ونقصانه، ويحفظ الصائمَ مما ينبغى أن يُتحفَّظَ منه، ويُعينه على قيامه بمقصود الصوم وسرّه وعلته الغائية، فإن القصدَ منه أمر آخر وراءَ تركِ الطعام والشراب، وباعتبار ذلك الأمر اختُصَّ من بين الأعمال بأنه لله سبحانه، ولـمَّا كان وقايةً وجُنَّةً بين العبد وبين ما يؤذى قلبه وبدنه عاجلاً وآجلاً، قال الله تعالى‏:‏ آمَ‏{‏يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ نُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ‏}‏ ‏[‏البقرة ‏:‏ 188‏]‏‏.‏ فأحدُ مقصودَى الصيام الجُنَّةُ والوِقاية، وهى حِمية عظيمةُ النفع، والمقصودُ الآخر‏:‏ اجتماعُ القلب والهم على الله تعالى، وتوفيرُ قُوَى النفس على محابِّه وطاعته، وقد تقدَّم الكلامُ في بعض أسرار الصوم عند ذكر هَدْيه صلى الله عليه وسلم فيه‏.‏

Fasting is a shield from many illnesses of the soul, the heart and the body and has tremendous benefits. Fasting also preserves the health and rids the body of harmful substances while preventing it from consuming what might harm it, especially when one fasts in the best times that the religion Islam states or when the body needs it. Fasting relieves the muscles and the rest of the body and ensures regenerating its strength. Fasting also has a characteristic that should make one eagerly prefer it, that is, bringing joy and relief to the heart sooner or later (i.e. on the Last Day ~ Qiyamah). Fasting is the best resort for those suffering from excess bodily moistures and substances and also protects and preserves their health.

Fasting is a type of spiritual and physical remedy. When the fasting person observes various rulings and guidelines regarding the Fast, his heart and body will benefit from the Fast the most. Also, the body will get rid of the harmful foreign substances that his body is susceptible to receive, along with getting rid of the harmful substances that have already penetrated the body. The Fast also helps the fasting person to stay away from what he is supposed to avoid and to implement and seek the goals behind the Fast and what it is supposed to achieve for him. Fasting does not only entail abstaining from food and drink; there is another goal that fasting seeks to achieve which made it an act that Allah will specify its reward [only on the Day of Judgment]. The Fast is also a shield between the slave and what might harm his body and soul sooner or later, and this is why Allah Said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُون

"O you who believe! observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).’ 

(2:183)

Fasting is a shield and a protection, making it a type of tremendously beneficial diet. Another goal that the Fast seeks to achieve is the heart being busy with Allah, thus enlisting and recruiting the various powers of the body to implement what Allah Loves and the requirements of worshiping Him.

Source

to be continued .....