The purpose of fasting is to develop the quality of righteousness (taqwa), inwardly and outwardly, by abstaining from sinful deeds and training ourselves to control our thoughts and desires. Fasting is a deeply spiritual practice that is meant to benefit us in body, mind,and heart.The word taqwa comes from the root meaning “to guard” and it is variously translated as mindfulness,
righteousness, and Godfearing piety. Fasting is meant to instill this virtuous quality within us and its associated virtues of good character, generosity, patience, purity of heart, and so on.
In this way, fasting acts as a shield which protects us from sin and ultimately from the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter.There are three levels of fasting that correspond to its outward and inward components:
abstaining from food and drink, abstaining from sins, and abstaining from bad thoughts.Know that there are three degrees of fasting: the fasting of common people, the fasting of the elite,
and the fasting of the elite of the elite. As for the fasting of the common people, it is retraining the stomach from fulfilling its desires as has been mentioned.
As for the fasting of the elite, it is restraining one’s hearing, sight, tongue, hands, feet, and all limbs from sin.As for the fasting of the elite of the elite, it is the fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts and to restrain it entirely from everything besides Allah the Exalted.
