Does fasting make one a better person?

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Does fasting make one a better person?

(17 posts)

bsobaid
Member

I read this question somewhere by a westernised youth of Pakistan.
The comment was if I dont fast does it make me a worse person than you. In other words dont judge me on the basis of my personal actions that only effect me.

This mentality and mode of thinking is very common in western youth and you will see references of them in contemporary western youth literature and media. For example, dont judge me on what I wear (or do not wear) etc

Coming back to the original question, how would you respond to that?

Any references to quran o hadees will obviously wont matter. Similarly, an objective analysis of our national and individual behavior reveals praying and fasting and performing other rituals unfortunately do not seem to make us a better person. The blood bath continues in ramzan and so does the artificial inflation. Not to say there is anything lacking or missing in our religion itself, it is definitely our own kalay kartoot.

So how can you respond to this question raised by a naive westernised youth of elite Pakistan?

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 20:36 #
bsobaid
Member

I personally think it does 100%.

A related thread is worth reading here.

http://pkpolitics.com/discuss/topic/mystery-solved-our-inaction-rise-of-religion-and-moral-degradation

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 20:48 #
kulla
Member

bsobaid..when you say western youth, do you mean confused wannabe western youth of pakistan? or youth living in the west?..

Judgement is only with Allah(sbt) but if you are asking a general question, then yes fasting has been prescribed to muslims to make them better, every act of worship makes us a better person. ... fasting teaches us dicipline, control, obedience, respect, morals, compassion, and so many things because fasting in islam is different from other religions... fasting also means obedience to all the rules that come with it which means not getting angry, not doing any evil deeds(backbiting, slandering, etc etc because every bad deed done is 70 times bad :P and good deed is similarly 70 times rewarded) , encourages charity, helping the poor...

so if you look at it holistically, fasting does make one better because it teaches us manything, and practices it while fasting...

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 21:19 #
bsobaid
Member

confused wannabe western youth of pakistan.

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 21:21 #
kulla
Member

well, as i said judgement is with our Creator, while it can a sign of piety and taqwah....

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 21:22 #
NNL
member

Kulla Sahib those things that you have mentioned are already to be done when you are not fasting

That is not something akin to fasting only you cant convince a person that fasting will make a better person if he is not a better person to begin with.

One fasts and only fast for Allaah Azza wa Jal and if one has no idea as to who or what is Allaah Azza wa Jal you can spend years explaining the benefits of fasting to a person he will not get it. If he does fast and his fasting is not done for seeking the Pleasure of Allaah Azza wa Jal then fasting for whatever reason is nullified in the first place.

AS for people who say Allaah Azza wa Jal is the only One who can judge I agree and Allaah Azza wa Jal has also announced His Judgement in the Quran and Rasool Allaah Sallaho Alayhi wa Alaa Alayhi wa Sallam has given judgements based on the Words of Allaah Azza wa Jal. So if someone highlights or simply narrates those judgements then he/she is not actually passing judgement but simply passing along the judgement.

You cant blame the messenger. now can you ?

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 21:36 #
kulla
Member

thats right, all acts of worships are for Allah (sbt).. i am merely narrating the worldy benefits...you to keep in mind that not everyone would have the same perspective so you have to show them through their own lens.

I think here we are talking about 1 person judging another person. Thats wrong because forgiver is Allah (sbt) and we do not know what is in the heart of the other person.... long debate. i wont get into it.

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 21:50 #
Side B
Member

"you to keep in mind that not everyone would have the same perspective so you have to show them through their own lens."

Nice approach.

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 22:13 #
Side B
Member

"you to keep in mind that not everyone would have the same perspective so you have to show them through their own lens."

Nice approach.

Posted 9 months ago on 23 Aug 2011 22:13 #
NNL
member

thats my question
Quran and Hadith are filled with examples of people who did good deeds based on worldly benefit would be thrown into Jahanum or are losers or zalimun so how can you convince a person of a worldly benefit of anything in Sharia when that entire thought process is leading them to be nothing but losers in this life and the next ?

Secondly its not my lens my friend read the quran and then correlate with the Hadith thats the lens i am using and thats the lens the Messenger Sallaho Alayhi wa ALaa ALayhi wa Sallam used, so how is that it has to be different now ?

Allaah is The Forgiver and The Merciful true but the same Allaah created Hell ? The Same Allaah Azza wa Jal threw Adam Alayhis Sallam from Jannat Al Aden based on one mistake of forgetfulness and this Adam built and created by the Hands of Allaah Azza wa Jal. This Allaah Azza wa Jal Revealed Qul Ya Ayyuhal Kaffiroun. Described the Attributes of the Munafiqeen in great detail in the Quran, Went into details of actions which will throw one into Jahanum. Defined who are losers in this world and the next.

So if i see you doing something haram or shirk and i quote you the Ayah in the Quran which exactly depicts what you are doing then how am i judging you ? I merely telling you the Judgment of Allaah Azza wa Jal on that action.

And besides this whole no judging thing is a farce. The moment you enter the hood in any ghetto of the world you start judging. A cop stops you and he turns out to be a pathan and you a sindi and he is hard on you for no reason You are judging him to be a racist.

Similar if you look gay act gay and dress gay then me calling u gay is not judging you its called stating the obvious.

isnt it ?

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 0:17 #
thedude
Member

NO

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 0:39 #
gv
Member

Yes

excluding any spiritual and religious reasons - it teaches one self restraint and self discipline which are admirable qualities in a human being.

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 12:10 #
scandinavian
Member

"The comment was if I dont fast does it make me a worse person than you."

We CANNOT know. That is for Allah to judge and decide, but his comment should be answered in a different way than he has set for. I would tell him that it is an individual case. If YOU fast and obey the remaining rules of fasting (worship, discipline and restraint), then you will become a better person than YOU were before you started to fast i.e. Ramadan is a month where each Muslim "tighten the screws an extra bit" to enhance his/her spiritual outcome. Hence it is not about becoming a better individual than another Muslim...just my opinion. Anyways that is for Allah to judge who is a better Muslim!

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 12:27 #
LifeH2O
Member

+1 for asking this question in a very unobjectionable way.

Just like other religious activities in routine, It is there to make a person better.

Apparently eating is the only difference in ramazan, one should already be avoiding any sins irrespective of a month.

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 15:39 #
NNL
member

Bravo Life

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 16:24 #
Side B
Member

A logical approach:
Any practice that compels you to restrain (like fasting), ultimately teaches you discipline.
So fasting IS going to make you a better person to some extent even if you disregard the spiritual upliftment it brings,

ofcourse the person to absorb the most (benefit) out of fasting is probably the one who does so with intimate devotion to Allah and the core reason behind fasting i.e. spiritual upliftment
BUT this does not mean that a person fasting just for the sake of fasting is going empty handed. As i said earlier fasting teaches discipline regardless of one's spiritual state.

So
when you ask
"I dont fast does it make me a worse person than you?"
I say it wouldn't make you a worse person but it will make me a better one.

Posted 9 months ago on 24 Aug 2011 20:23 #
2011pakistan
Member

it depends from individual to individual.

some individuals have clear concept of fasting in Islam whereas, some do not.

Fasting in Islam is very clear and beneficial concept for Muslims who impelement the teachings of Islam by heart.

Whereas, some Muslims pose to be pure followers but their hearts are still not convinced.

Fasting itself is holy practice but majority of Muslims get hyper after 1 at noon. Thir attitude is just like angrymen, violating all traffic rules, racing towards homes in hurry and behaving like extremists & humaliating others.

These kind of people though keep fasting but actually on dieting programme.

All types of Crimes , inflation and social evils are increased many folds in Ramadan particulary in Pakistan which reflect how much pure Muslims we are ?

It does not mean holy concept of fasting has fault but we the Muslims have fault in ourselves.

Our mullah and religious leaders are not sincere and their teachings mostly belong to collecting zakat, fitrana, khairat, hides & skins etc., but lack the true teachings of Islam even to their students in madaris.

Madaris in Pakistan have millions of students, doing teaching work apparently according to Islam & Sunnah since last 60 years but failed to produce true Muslims.

Our society comprising thousands of madaris students but social values are still pulluted not changed.

Posted 9 months ago on 25 Aug 2011 6:30 #