Writer: Lamia Gamil
Photo Credits: We Heart It
The idea of fasting always bedazzled me
How can deprivation ever offer benefits, when neediness and deficiency customarily result in undesired implications?
Think of it. Sleep deprivation, food deprivation, or even emotional deprivation only increase the risk of one’s misery.
So what’s the reason behind it ?
Do we have to suffer to feel the agony of others?
And if this is the equation, why the outcome may vary?
Why do religions practice fasting?
How can the state of distress and absence can result in the emergence of reassurance and tranquility?
I fell into an endless contemplation,
Taking my time and giving my heart and soul to it.
I came to apprehend religious fasting as an excursion to self-realization.
It’s a starting point to endless destinations.
If it is profoundly contemplated, it is a way to emancipation
For God only has the knowledge of the soul, and the creator only knows how to free our souls from subjugation
Fasting is not just a religious ritual that the worshipper performs, it is a healer, it’s a connector, it’s a stabilizer, and it’s redemption.
Yes, nothing comes out of nothing, they say. But that speaks nothing but of the human limitation.
But God’s miracle is creating something from nothing,
As the Eastern philosopher Lao Tzu mentioned, “it is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full.”
In this essence, fasting is God’s gift to humanity. It is a journey of enlightenment, wisdom, and faith.
No wonder it is called for in every religion.
It’s a path pursued only when the reason behind it has been fetched and acknowledged.
Fasting, in whatever form performed, is the feeding of soul.
It’s only when we get control of our desires, doubt, and lust, our soul rise to see what is beyond
Fulfillment of the self is only attained with the containment of unleashed desires.
For desires deplete the inner natural beauty that humans are created with.
Even though desire is the essence of our life, destroying them is almost impossible. However, through fasting, God is teaching us how to tame and master them.
And in many ways fasting teaches us desire and fear control. Once this is mastered, the person finds inner peace, stability, and tranquility.
Only in this state, when altruism, mercifulness, and forgiveness kicks in.
When this happens, the miracle of the journey of fasting pays off,
And the person finds pleasure, power, and will to give and become the best versions of him or herself
It’s only when the person understands the essence of fasting, the circle of comprehension of human potential starts to widen.
Only a lit lamp can light another lamp.
The power of religious fasting is far beyond a ritual, it’s an excursion to self fulfillment.
Fasting is a bless and it’s inevitably a source of power.
Happy Ramadan
