SECRET Of FASTING

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SECRET Of FASTING

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SECRET Of FASTING
by Prof.Dr.Munir Derman (k.s)

Fasting is the divine (ilahi) bath of the human spirit (ruh) and matter.
At first, we percieve fasting as remaining hungry.
If the body (jasad) feels pleasure from being hungry, the meaning (ma’na) of the fast appears...

Feeling discomfort from hunger is outside the notion (mefhum) of real fasting.
Fasting is to bring about the tawheed (unity, oneness) of body and spirit (ruh).

In the chapter Baqara of the Holy (mukaddes) Qur’an, in the 183rd verse(‘ayat),
The words of ALLAH say: “O ye who believe (o, the ones who show faith , iman)!.......”
Saying “The ones who show faith(iman)” here means the ones who believe in the unseen(ghayb) by realising their insignificance in the universe.
Believing in the unseen (ghayb) is a very hard and difficult achievement for the son of man...
Believing in the things which do not address logic and sense is very hard work.
“So that ye may guard against sins by this fasting”
“fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you...”

When the servant (abd: slave of God) does not give thanks to ALLAH and carries on in doing that, this becomes a mannerless (without Adab) work and they call this “sin”.
Janab-i Haq left the recompense of the sin to the servants himself. If the Sin enters through the borders of denial and rejection, it is ‘Kufr [1]’.


[1] Kufr : Kufr is translated as disbelief in to english language but it comes from the term ‘kafara’ which means to cover. Kufr is to cover the Truth within the essence of a person by his bashariyyat or disbelief. The Qur'an uses the word kufr to denote a person who covers up or hides realities, one who refuses to accept the dominion and authority of Allāh.


The recompense of the ‘Kufr’ is given by ALLAH...
As all divine names (ilahi names: asmau’l husna) manifest within the human being (insan), the delay of giving thanks (doing shukr) damages the names (asmas)...
In this way the human will have damaged himself.
With the command we had mentioned above, fasting has been ‘fardh’ upon those who believe in ALLAH.
A great discretion and wisdom (hiqmat) was expressed by the term “Prescribed: Kutiba” in the command...

The meaning of “your liveliness, your spirit and matter were created by a will (murad),
and all necessary things were appointed earlier by Ayatullah and Sunnatullah” is hidden in the term “Prescribed”.
Âyatullah : Manifestation of the divine names (tajalli-i asma) and their appearance.
We are alive by “HAYY”,
We see by “BASÎR”
We hear by “SAMI”, ilaâhir...

There are some laws for the continuity of these. We get oxygen from the air, we drink water, get nutrition and there are effects of heat and cold.
Counting them one by one will take a long time...

All of these are Sunnatullah.
In other words every kind of flowing (running), physical, chemical and meteorological event appears as an unchanging law...
To not be harmed by the Sunnatullah is hidden within the command.
That means this (statement) “being prescribed”, which is necessary for the spirit (ruh) and matter, was commanded to you so that you will apply it (practice and carry it out).

No matter how much resting after work and sleeping are necessary for the human being and other live beings, fasting is also amongst the events which are necessary to the disposition of human being.

Fasting is to stop suddenly, by will power, carrying out the duties which the members of the body (organs) feel spiritually and physically obliged to do every day, and to change to the diet mode.

Fasting enables the organism to be forced to rest by compulsion.
But the command (amr) being given is so that there will be no delay in this compulsion.
In illnesses, putting a patient on diet is a compulsion for his own good. Alteration of fasting dates and their changing to a different month and season over the years is also remarkable.
Mankind is still analysing the character, body and desires(cravings) of those who were born in different seasons and months, in newspapers and books.

At the beginning of our writing, we said “If the body (jasad) feels pleasure from being hungry”.
Yes, it needs to feel this.
The words of the ones advocating eating a lot by speaking about food tales in ifthar and sahoor saying ‘food is halal, it is necessary not to torment the body’, are regarded as the statements of those who do not have the power of restraining the traits of gluttony, intolerance and patience.

It is already not fardh [2] on those who show intolerance to it, and on those who are sick. Until these states of theirs pass.


[2]Fardh: Fardh is the compliment of Allah to the creature who Allah loves and wishes to protect. It is a necessity for coming to the state willed by Haqq (The Truth) and for approaching to the Haqq (The Truth).


By fasting, it is willed to measure the magnitude of tolerance, controlling your self, calming your nerves, and contentment.
A Doctor gives some health advice to a sick person so that they will get back to normal. Doing this is beneficial for himself.
Not for someone else.
In fasting, the manifestation of a divine advice for health in the form of a command is hidden for normal organism (uzviyyat).
How nice for those who can accomplish...

There are also some good manners/ethics (Âdâb-ı Muaşeret [3] )ornamenting the fasting.
There are principals which are an absolute necessity for the fasting to be genuine (sahih) e.g its time (Wakt), conditions and sunnahs.


[3] Âdâb-ı Muaşeret: A Turkish phrase meaning good manners. It means the manners of living nice islamically and getting well with the others. Acting in accordance with the tradition (Sunnah-saniyya) of the Prophet (sas). Having manners towards the people, and manners of living humanely and islamically. Conforming to the tradition (sunnah-i saniyya) of the Prophet (sas).


The situations invalidating fasting, are the cases that clean people who made intention to fasting, need to know about and conform to. One cannot already enter into fasting without knowing these.

What is hidden in fasting for human beings is the climbing of heights by freeing himself spiritually and physically from his halal food, his desires and his wants. Pleasure in this ascension, changes in accordance with the degree (level) of man’s understanding and comprehension. A resting and purification for the organism will occur in accordance with this degree.

Initially you can reject these truths.
But the issue is not as it seems to be.
Show a little patience and don’t be full of objection to everything...
Showing reverence to those who are fasting, is the biggest manifestation of virtue (fadhilat [4] ) befitting to human being.

[4] Fadhilat (Fazilet in Turkish): Virtue. Goodness. Merit. A high degree in respect of goodness, knowledge, faith, ‘ahlaq’ and wisdom.

One should look at those who are not fasting, with the measure given by depravation of this pleasure(zawk).
For a human being who is fasting, his state of being is like a statute of patience and stillness(sükûn), always being calm and quite merciful (rahim) and compassionate to his environment, is measured by the worth and degree of the fasting.

The one who is wobbling by exhibiting states like acting with greediness as if one is longing for food or acting with anger to pick a quarrel with the people around himself, will not have observed the true fasting.
He will have remained hungry from morning to evening to no avail, and this doesn’t even get close to the meaning of fasting.

An organism must entirely be calm and relaxed so that it will reach the benefits born from the reactions given by the hunger.
Anger, disrupts this balance immediately. It is well known that stomach aches and poor appetite are seen within nervous people.

In fasting, there is getting to the presence of ‘Hayyu layamut’ [5] which is the source of liveliness (Hay) by Divine Name AL-HAYY [6], by leaving aside the Divine Name AR-RAZZAQ [7] with ‘kamâl-i adab [8]’ and reverence.


A sense of ‘zawk’ (pleasure, taste) starts within the one fasting, towards the evening. This sense:

1 – is the sense of lightness in body, because it learns by means of spirit (ruh) that the longing for food felt by an organism will be appeased.
This ‘zawk’ (pleasure, taste) is not acceptable (maqbul).

2 – is the Lightness and fuddleness felt by spirit, and this is a pleasant work born from accomplishing the command, seen within the people unused to the discipline of the traits and spiritual ascension, which asceticism (riyadhat [9] ) will give to organism and spirit.
There is again a struggle of appeasing the hidden cry of hunger by ‘adab’ behind this.

However, the wisdom of eating less and fasting , is the lock of the treasures of the spiritual world.
The inner(Bâtın) fountains of the heart will spring by the ‘baraqat(abundance, blessing)’ of hunger and fasting.
You can see much more on a piece of brick than
what others can see in the mirror.


[5] Hayyu Lâyamut: Everliving one who never dies, who is indestructible and
whose life will never find end.

[6] AL- HAYYU (J.J) [Qur’an Ref: 2/255] (dhatī)( اَلْحَىّ) : the Everliving One
[7] AR- RAZZAQU (J.J) [Qur’an Ref: 51/58] (kavniy)( اَلرَّزَّاقُ) : the Sustainer


[8] Kamâl-i adab: maturity of manners. If a muslim acts with Kamal-i adab,
this means the person has reached to the maturity in spiritual courtesy of
manners and morals of Rasulullah SAWS who is painted by the ahlaqullah.

[9] Riyadhat: Living with tawakkul by giving up dunya. Mujaahadah. Riyadhat is Islamic
asceticism . Islamic asceticism and the asceticism in other religions are different. A
muslim becomes occupied with divine knowledge and worship by giving up wordly desires
(his nafsanic desires-desires of self). He carries out some Islamic practices e.g. fasting,
praying extra prayers, and tries not to put any materialistism in his heart. He tries to
purify his nafs and breaks the worldly desires within himself. But this does not mean that
he will go and live in a cave in a mountain and do excessive fasting and praying without
seeing anybody or abstaining from the society completely. He will eat and drink less,
speak less, associate with less people and sleep less without going in to extreme , within
the limits of Islam and in a balance(Itidal). Because Allah says
“O ye who believe! Forbid not the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, and
transgress not. Lo! Allah loveth not transgressors.” [Qur’an 5/87]
In a hadith , Rasulullah SAW says “Verily, your nafs has a right(haqq) over you…”


In a human being (insan) who is observing the real fast:
Sweet – the pale colour of the Divine Name, "Ar-RAHÎM (The All/Most Beneficient)" in the face,
a sweetness in the eyes looking beyond the beyond,
full of virtue, justice, compassion, word and voice like pearls strained through the strainer of righteousness in the tongue, can be observed.

If human, who is the manifestation(tajalli) of the Divine Name, ‘HAYY: The Everliving One’, nourishes the ‘HAYY’ by HAY(liveliness) instead of the Divine Name Ar-RAZZAQ(The Sustainer), he always becomes ‘HaY(live/alive)’.

‘Ajal [10]’, comes to a human being, at the minute the Divine Name Ar-Razzak pulls its hand off ‘HaY(liveliness)’.

Human nourishing ‘HAYY: The Everliving One’ by ‘HaY: liveliness’ always becomes ’Hay (Alive)’.


[10] Ajall(A): This is an Arabic term used in Qur’an in many verses. It is usually translated to
English as ‘appointed term’, ‘determined term’,’natural term’, ‘a fixed term’. It is used in
the context of life term in public language in Turkish but ‘Ajall’ is the last point of the life
term, which can not be delayed forward or pulled backward, known by the Creator. It is
the ending point of the life term.

It is a becoming time for something. Its root ‘Jalla’ …is seen in the term ‘tajalli’
meaning, “manifestation,becoming, showing its self to be known, to appear etc.”.


Mawlana (Rumi k.s) has not put anything in his mouth for 17 days, day and night, then he cried out on the 18th day:

“I have made such a move that I flew, flew and reached to ‘Hayyu lâyamut’. [11]


[11] Hayyu Lâyamut: Everliving one who never dies, who is indestructible and
whose life will never find end.


The Creator (KHALIQ) has given this, way of reunion/meeting, to the believers(mumeen) as a gift.
How happy to those who understand...
Herald of the Prophet, “Dying before death!”, means
“Maintain the ‘HAYY’ by ‘Hay:alive/living’ not by 'Ar-RAZZAQ (The Sustainer)'. Then you will become ‘Hay:alive/living’ forever”.
This is a secret (SıRR).
Understanding it is difficult.
The term ’difficult’ is used as it is covered by veils.
It is because it is the will of God (Murad-i ilahi).
There is great wisdom, greatest of the greatest wisdom hidden in this will (murad).

The word of the Rasul-i Akram ”Approached as much as a bow distance”, who said “I have some moments with the Creator( KHALIQ) that even an Angel of proximity (Malak-i Mukarrab) can not come between us” constitutes the essential core of the religion(Dīn).
All of those, who are on this path, are seeking this spiritual state(hâl) and seeking to understand it.
That is why, it was said: ”Fasting is between me and my slave (abd), and I MYSELF (bizzat) will give its reward”.

Everything exists by ‘HAYY’.
All Divine Names (Asma) are the attributes of ‘HAYY’.
There is also one that it is the name of all of these, it is called “Great Name (Ism-i Azam)”.
Don’t exert yourself by saying “Is it this? Is it that?”.
A human sees something, holds it, understands (knows) and believes.
But when there is doubt and suspicion in this understanding, he keeps murmuring, saying“ Is it this? Is it that?”. He becomes indecisive about the true name. That is why, as he is not able to do the real (haqiqi) call, he cannot reach the great benefit and 'visal (Meeting/Reunion with the Beloved. Overcoming the seperation)'...

Those who died in the way of ALLAH have not died.
Who are those who died in the way of ALLAH, have you ever thought?
They are those carrying the wish of cutting their alloted share(nasib) off by force from 'Ar-RAZZAQ(The Sustainer)', which is given by ALLAH to every creature without exception.
They are those uniting their liveliness (‘HAY’ness) by 'HAYY (The Everliving One)', and striving to remove the Divine Name Ar-RAZZAQ by one thousand and one means and in concealed ways.

In many illnesses, the diet is the wisest (alim) in the recovery of patients.
This means, ‘HAYY’ is filling (recharging ) the discharging energy accumulator by seeking(wishing for) the help of ‘Hay’. Those making an effort to feed ‘HAYY’ by ‘Hay’ are Walees(friends of Allah). Products of the ‘Rizq’(sustenence) ruins the cleanliness in order to get to the Presence (Huzur).
Cleanliness needs to be refreshed.
The great doors of truth and peace appear for those understanding these (explanations), that is all...
The key to the story is fasting.

It is a necessity to know the worth of fasting and make an effort to be consistent in it.
But: If you will say “I am not able to do it!”, don’t bother to wander about in these arenas[12]...These arenas are very nice, very sweet but their danger is great and also sudden...ALLAH does not force anyone.


[12] Dr.Munir Derman is using a Turkish Phrase here which is difficult to express in English. He
is in a way saying if you are not giving anything from your self, if you will not be able to
make any effort to achieve it, don’t bother following our way or entering in to the arenas
of the brave people who don’t get afraid to undergo the difficulties of this path. Because
you will not be able to make progress unless you practice what is expected from you.


In homage to the piece of ‘Hay:liveliness’ which He gave, (God) has ordered the fasting by the term “to be prescibed”.
This is His statement to us by the blessed(mubaraq) word ”it was prescribed”, rather permissive and in the frame of courtesy, in order to increase the acceptability of the ‘HAYY(Divine Name:The Everliving One)’ given to us in the sight of God, and to state the necessity of fasting for the body, being the Headquarters of ‘Hay:liveliness’.
There is no forcing or frightening in this word.
So you can imagine what a great secret, what a deep wisdom, peace and salvation are in the fasting decreed by that much courtesy...
May your Ramadan be mubarak!...

Prof.Dr.Munir Derman (k.s)

This chapter is excerpted from Prof.Dr.Munir Derman(k.s)'s book, A friend of ALLAH says that Volume 1, Secret of Fasting.

Translated to English and released by garibAN on 14.09.2011


GLOSSARY AND REFERENCES:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Kutiba `Alaykumu Aş-Şiyāmu Kamā Kutiba `Alá Al-Ladhīna Min Qablikum La...`allakum Tattaqūna :
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil); [Qur’an, Al-Baqara, (2/183)]
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