Abdullah Oduro – 5 Pillars Made Plain – Why do Muslims Fast

			Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. I'm
observa oduro and welcome. Why do we fast? Generally we fast in order to deprive ourselves of
something to reach a greater goal, we give up something to receive something greater. So, when you
invest you give something to receive something like in Zakat you give your funds or you give your
your what you own in order to receive purification, and increase or baetica blessings from Allah
subhanho wa Taala. And Ramadan yes, we do this to receive blessings. But we deprive ourselves of
something that is permissible and allowed for us for a greater purpose. That is why we primarily we
		

			fast, and what do we want to receive, or what is that greater purpose or greater goal is to be
conscious of God's presence upon us to be mindful of his greatness and that greatness will increase
us in our worship of him. The more knowledge that we have of him, the more opportunity we have to
get closer to him in the way that he wants us to. And fasting is one of the ways that he wants us
to, and he has prescribed for us, as we've mentioned, chapter number two, verse number 178, where
Allah says, Oh, you have believed, fasting has been prescribed upon you, as it was prescribed upon
the people before you, perhaps you may come become of the righteous. Now fasting is a prescription
		

			that Allah has obliged upon us. Let's stop there for a minute consider this, Allah obliging
something on you making something obligatory for you, when we look at his name of our man, the
Merciful being that he withholds anything that is harmful for you, from you, anything that causes
harm to you, he relinquishes that and keeps that away from you. And a law being
		

			applied in the knowledge of you of what you conceal and what you reveal what you hide and what you
make apparent to people. He knows your feelings. He knows what you're hiding, and hiking, the he
appropriates that knowledge at the perfect time, perfect place, perfect situation. When we look at
that, and remember that we remember that if he obliges something upon us, let's not forget that that
obligation, the fact that it is obligatory and not recommended. If we were to do it, it's best for
us. That's where your Eman and belief and trust and love and submission in him comes into play. That
is where the closeness and relationship is established and strengthened, further allowing and
		

			forming that conviction in him. So when he prescribes something, the approach of the believer, the
strong believer says whatever he obliges me to do, I hear and I obey, as Allah mentions in another
portion of the Quran. They're the ones that say, we hear and we obey the believers. So the
obligation of Ramadan upon us should be something that we should haste to do. Yes, it's going to be
difficult, no eating, no drinking, no intimacy, from sunup to sundown, is going to be difficult, but
understanding the purpose and go behind it, which should serve as a driving mechanism behind
continuing and staying strong. So he says, For those that believe it has been obliged upon you, as
		

			the people before you, this was a means for the people before us, from the Christians and the Jews
and the likes of them, that fasting was a means of obtaining righteousness. That's why he concludes
the verse with law, let them to whom perhaps you will be of the righteous, because some of us may
fast, and we're thinking about food. Some of us may fast, and we're thinking about our spouse, you
as a convert, it may be difficult, it will be difficult in the beginning that first week, but
realize and stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize. Look at the end of the tunnel. No. And
remember, if Allah made it obligatory upon me if he said I have to do it, I trusted him and know
		

			that there is something better on the other end of this when I break my fast on the last week, the
middle week, there's something better for me better for my soul. And that is the goal is to start
with the heart to control the soul. May Allah subhana wa tada make us of those that are disciplined
individuals, for our inner selves and to know that that's where it starts to be concerned with that
perhaps we may be of the mind for once a sin Amane come to light or better cats. Thank you