Life Supreme — Page 51
54. LIFE SUPREME 'But none is granted save those who are steadfast; and none is granted save those who possess a large share of good. ' (41:36) . . . And exhort one another to be steadfast. ' (103:4) . . . Verily the steadfast will have their reward without measure. 2 (39:11) 'Allah is with the steadfast. ' (2:245). Fasting reminds one of the importance of this indispensable part of faith steadfastness. Whatever physical inconvenience one feels when fasting, one must complete the fast to the finish, unless one is suddenly stricken by illness. Steadfastness nourishes righteousness. . Fasting entails hardships and discomfort to a lesser or greater extent depending on the climate, length of the day and other factors. . On account of their constitution some people feel the effects of fasting more than others. The ability to bear hardships cheerfully is a mark of spiritual maturity. One must always be prepared to face hardships for they are inevitable. God says in the Holy Quran: 'We have created man to face hardships. ' (90:5). Successful fasting causes one to become detached to some extent from material influences depending very much upon the attention and devotion one assigns to it. The body feels light and the soul bright. One does not feel fettered to this planet but seems to float over it in the realm of the angels. . When fasting, one is reminded that the body should not rule the mind but rather the mind should rule the body; for as a man thinketh so he is. Righteousness may be speedily acquired by constantly feeding the mind with pure and holy thoughts through meditation, reading and conversation on spiritual matters. . Bad habits are enemies of spiritual progress. One should never become their slave. One must break them once and for all if one wants to soar into the higher realms of holiness; otherwise they will hold one earthbound like a balloon at the end of a chain. Fasting helps to break bad habits such as smoking, tobacco chewing, reading trashy literature, visiting the cinema, watching television stories, sloth and laziness, flippant conversation, extravagance, over-eating and so many other worthless and harmful pursuits.