Tom Facchine – Fasting Develops Sincerity – Ramadan 2022

			One of the virtues of Ramadan is that it develops our sincerity. And that is taken from the Hadith
of the Prophet alayhi salatu salam to Hadith klutzy where Allah says that every good deed that a
person does is for his own self, except for fasting. It's for me, it's a law saying that, what does
it mean that fasting is for me and everything else is for yourself. Scholars have multiple
explanations. They're not necessarily mutually exclusive. But one of the ones that scholars keep
coming back to is that fasting is more sincere.
		

			Fasting is more hidden. Because the difference between fasting and other sorts of acts of worship
that we usually think about is that fasting is about what you don't do. Right? Praying, giving
charity, making pilgrimage things. These are things that you go out and do. And so because they,
it's something that you're doing, it can be seen, and if it's seen that your intentions can get
muddled because you care about other people seeing you when you do it. Okay, well, what if the act
of worship is not doing right? You're not eating, you're not drinking, not doing these things? Can
somebody see you not doing them? Maybe for a little, right, but they're not going to be with you
		

			every single second of the fasting day. At a certain point, it's going to be just you and Allah.
		

			You're going to be alone. No one's going to see you. No one's going to know if you take a sip of
water. No one's going to know if you take a bite of food.
		

			And so this is something that develops Well, however, it develops your own accountability to
yourself, your own integrity, your own sense of doing the right thing when no one else is watching.
		

			And that is one of the most fundamental, important skills that a believer can have. Fasting develops
this sincerity in us.