Fasting of the Ecstatics

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Abu Muhammad Ruzbihan al-Baqli (q.s.) was a poet, mystic, and Sufi from Fasa in Fars.  He was a noted ecstatic and of the ahl al-hal.  Shaykh al-Baqli (q.s.) wrote a commentary of the Qur’an on the subject of fasting.  It is a difficult read but well worth it for those of gnosis in fasting.  The translation is by Dr. Alan A. Godlas. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ (١٨٣) 

O you who believe!  Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self-restraint. ― (Surah al-Baqarah:183) 

According to Shaykh al-Baqli (q.s.), this is a call to the companions of the hearts, ashab al-qulub and an address to the seekers of the crescent, hilal, of witnessing in the regions of the heavens, of the unmanifest realms.   For the people of certainty, it is an obligatory duty for imsak, to abstain, from the kawn, existent being, aswlan, primarily, because of involvement in the seeking of witnessing.  It is necessary to fast from the familiar things of ma᾽lufat ath-thabi῾ah, physical existence, in the station of servanthood, just as it was decreed for the messengers, prophets, gnostics, and lovers before; so that we might be freed from the dirt of humanness and arrive at the stations of amn, security, and nearness. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

أَيَّامً۬ا مَّعۡدُودَٲتٍ۬‌ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ۬ فَعِدَّةٌ۬ مِّنۡ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ‌ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ ۥ فِدۡيَةٌ۬ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِينٍ۬‌ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرً۬ا فَهُوَ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّڪُمۡ‌ۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ (١٨٤) 

(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later.  For those who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent.  But he that will give more of his own free-will ― it is better for him, and it is better for you that you fast, if you only knew. (Surah al-Baqarah:184) 

They are the days of the time of the world.  By means of this Address, He Incites His awliya’, friends, to abandon, for a limited time, indulging in pleasantries, getting married, sexual intercourse, socialising, being frivolous, the delights of life in all kinds of lusts, drinking cold drinks, and wearing fine clothes.  The awliya’ are to be patient, with the lusts of the world, since indeed they are days that will come to an end soon, so that the fast may be broken by means of His pre-temporal meeting and life in His Generous Proximity. 

Whoever among those who are cut off, is ill on account of His furqati. Separation, or is on the journey of wahshah, estrangement, from His wuswlati, Union, he must make up the days of al-fatrah,  weakness, after his reaching the station of qurbah, nearness, and mushahadah, witnessing. 

Those who are capable of abstaining from al-kawn, existent being - characterised by zuhd, ascetic withdrawal, from the world throughout the days of his life, while not performing the action of the folk of capability due to the paucity of his Receiving tawfiq, Grace, and Guidance - there is a sacrifice.  It is the service of awliya’ by means of their expending their selves and wealth, mal, for those who have abandoned the world to its folk.  And that is the allusion of His Words with regards the feeding of the indigent.  The indigent are those who accidentally encounter the station of variegating, talwin, without reaching the station of tamkin, stability. 

Whoever, sacrifices, compensating for his ajz, inability, to fulfill the truth of mu’amalah, pious action, - in excess of the obligatory duty that is necessary for him - sacrificing something from that which is mawjud, available, to him after muqasat, enduring, what was al-mafqud, lacking, it is better for him than seeking dispensations.  The awliya’ must abstain from what the folk of the world are preoccupied with by thubat, establishing, their state and the quwwah, strength, of iradhah, will.  The gain is gnosis of the farah, joy, of those who fast, both a joy in the world by means of mukashafah, unveiling, and a joy in the hereafter bi sirr al-mushahadah, by pure witnessing. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

شَہۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدً۬ى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِ‌ۚ فَمَن شَہِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّہۡرَ فَلۡيَصُمۡهُ‌ۖ وَمَن ڪَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ۬ فَعِدَّةٌ۬ مِّنۡ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ‌ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِڪُمُ ٱلۡيُسۡرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِڪُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ وَلِتُڪۡمِلُواْ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُڪَبِّرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَٮٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ (١٨٥) 

Ramadhan is the (month) in which was Sent down the Qur’an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong).  So everyone of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spent it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later.  Allah Intends every facility for you.  He does not want to put you to difficulties.  (He Wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has Guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful. (Surah al-Baqarah:185) 

Ramadhan is a month in which there is the burning of akbad, the hearts, of the folk of ahl al-‘ayan, the direct encounter, due to shawq, ardour, for witnessing the Infinitely Compassionate, ar-Rahman.  Hence, the Qur’an was Revealed in it on account of the riqqah, tenderness, of the hearts of those addressed, a tenderness deriving from the fires of mujahadah, striving, and from the unveiling of the lights of witnessing.  It was said the Qur’an was Revealed in the month of Ramadhan for the following reasons: on account of its excellence, God’s Choosing it out of all the months, fasting in it being made obligatory, and the rising during its nights with the Qur’an being made a sunnah. 

Whoever comes during it to the station of thalab, seeking, let him wean himself of suckling from ath-thabi῾ah, the physical world, for the sake of reaching the station of tharab, rejoicing.   Whoever witnesses the month, fasts from drink and food; and whoever witnesses Allah (s.w.t.), fasts from mukhalafat, violations, and atham, sins. 

Shaykh Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Musa al-Wasithi (r.a.), in a hal said, whoever witnesses the month, let him fast during it and whoever shahidani, witnesses Allah (s.w.t.), and shahadah, witnesses directly, His Command, let him fast during all of his awqat, moments, from violations.  And whoever witnesses the month while having the ru’yah, vision, of the affirmation of at-Ta’zhim, Divine Majesty, let him abstain in it from laghw, foolish talk, and lahw, vilification.  And whoever witnesses the month while having the vision of his fi’l, acting, and fasting, Allah (s.w.t.) has no need for him to abandon his food and drink.  And he is just as the Prophet (s.a.w.) informed, “There are many who fast whose share of fasting is simply hunger and thirst.”



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