“Every one of you would have the experience of fasting. Tell us, how many people have experienced breaking the fast? ” This question of devout was absolutely unexpected for the people. This was his last meeting with friends before Ramadan in which people wanted to know something about the virtue and importance of Ramadan. But the question that was asked from them did not seem to have anything to do with the virtue of Ramadan.
There was silence for a while then a man raised his hand and said: “Yes, I had to break my fast once in Ramadan.” Devout said: “Explain in some detail the circumstances under which you had to break your fast.
Now the man began to describe in detail: “Actually, I was not feeling good that day. But somehow I managed to fast. I handled throughout the day but half an hour before completion of fast, my condition began to deteriorate. I broke my fast when I felt like I was going to faint.”
“Under normal circumstances, can you think of breaking the fast?” Devout asked him and he immediately replied: “This is out of question, till last breath, a muslim cannot imagine of breaking the fast”.
When he became silent, devout addressed the audience and said: if you do not understand the fast by fasting, then understand the fast by listening to the state of breaking it. Fasting is based on invincible determination. Strong things like hunger, thirst, pain, hot weather, desire, length of time, etc., retreat before human determination in the state of fasting. Man stands firm in front of these things till iftar (sunset) or his soul leaves for eternal abode.
Devout paused for a moment and then said:
“This is fasting. Introduction to human determination. An invincible determination that puts every strong emotion at man’s feet. If this is not the case, then man becomes a slave of emotions and a man of Satan. When the hunger of lust, the thirst for greed, the love of the forbidden, the pleasure of sin, the taste of disobedience want to break one’s fast of obedience, or the lifelong exercise of man falling prey to stray eyes, faltering steps, unbridled desires and attitudes, it is human determination that stops these rising storms. Satan entangles him in the snare of desire, but the believing servant frees himself from every grip with full force. The ambition traps him in the web of emotions, but the determination of the believer cuts every net with the sword of patience. Human determination is the basis of fasting, which every one of us demonstrates by fasting.”
Was it the voice of a knowledgeable person or the spiritual rain of blessing from the sky? It was difficult for the audience to decide. People kept listening and he kept talking.
“Whoever creates this determination in himself through his fast for the rest of his life, his fast will indeed take him to the heaven. He who does not do this should wait for the next Ramadan. Because he has not yet found the thing for which he was fasting.”
The devout’s speech was over. But the real lesson of Ramadan reached the audience. They had to fast in this Ramadan. They had to get to heaven in this Ramadan.