Fast - purposes of
From Bahai9
Purposes of the Fast
(for its general benefit, see section on Fast - bounties of)
- For meditation and prayer (A)
- Spiritual recuperation and refreshment (A, F)
- The cause of awakening and mindfulness (E)
- Conducive to protection and preservation from tests (E)
- Self-improvement (A, D)
- Reminder (and symbol) of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires (and from beholding whatever is forbidden) (A, B, D (cf. to OPF II:26), J, OPF I:12, OPF I:17, OPF II:26
- To remember and identify to some degree with the difficulties of the Manifestation of God in needing to minimize their food while revealing verses (I)
- For those of means to remember the woes and sufferings of the destittute (B)
- To benefit the souls of His servants (G; see also the section on Fast - bounties of)
A. "It {the fasting period} is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, January 10, 1936 ; quoted in Lights of Guidance, no. 775 and in Directives of the Guardian, pp. 27-29)
B. "All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute."
- (Bahá'u'lláh, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 1, no. 2)
C. "These are the days of the Fast. Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the Fast increaseth his love, and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds. Verily, He guideth whomsoever He willeth to the straight path."
- (Bahá'u'lláh, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 1, no. 15)
D. "Ye had written of the fasting month. Fortunate are ye to have obeyed the commandment of God, and kept this fast during the holy season. For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God."
- (Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, section 35, pp. 69-70)
Compare with:
"Well is it with you, as you have followed the Law of God and arisen to observe the Fast during these blessed days, for this physical fast is a symbol of the spiritual fast. This Fast leadeth to the cleansing of the soul from all selfish desires, the acquisition of spiritual attributes, attraction to the breezes of the All-Merciful, and enkindlement with the fire of divine love."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 2, no. 26)
E. "Moreover, obligatory prayer and fasting produce awareness and awakening in man, and are conducive to his protection and preservation from tests."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 2, no. 7)
Compare with:
"Beside all this, prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests."
- (Tablets of `Adbu'l-Bahá, p. 684)
F. "They {fasting and obligatory prayers} act as stimulants to the soul, strengthen, revive and purify it, and thus insure its steady development."
- ((On behalf of?) Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, p. 27)
G. "We, verily, have commanded all to observe the Fast in these days as a bounty on Our part, but the people remain unaware, except for those who have attained unto the purpose of God as revealed in His laws and have comprehended His wisdom that pervadeth all things visible and invisible. Say: By God! His Law is a fortress unto you, could ye but understand. Verily, He hath no purpose therein save to benefit the souls of His servants, but, alas, the generality of mankind remain heedless thereof. Cling ye to the cord of God's laws, and follow not those who have turned away from the Book, for verily they have opposed God, the Mighty, the Beloved."
- (Bahá'u'lláh, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 1, no. 14)
H. "In the realm of worship, fasting and obligatory prayer constitute the two mightiest pillars of God's holy Law. Neglecting them is in no wise permitted, and falling short in their performance is of a certainty not acceptable. In the Tablet of Visitation He saith: "I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendours of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden." 2 He declareth that observance of the commands of God deriveth from love for the beauty of the Best-Beloved. The seeker, when immersed in the ocean of the love of God, will be moved by intense longing and will arise to carry out the laws of God. Thus, it is impossible that a heart which containeth the fragrance of God's love should yet fail to worship Him, except under conditions when such an action would agitate the enemies and stir up dissension and mischief. Otherwise, a lover of the Abhá Beauty will assuredly and continually demonstrate perseverance in the worship of the Lord."
2. "I beseech God ... were bidden," translated by Shoghi Effendi; see Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh, CLXXX
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 2, no. 2)
I. "The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is this: As during those days (i.e., the period of fasting which the followers afterward observe) the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through Divine inspiration, is engaged in the descent (revealing) of Verses, the instituting of Divine Law and the arrangement of teachings, through excessive occupation and intensive attraction there remains no condition or time for eating and drinking. For example, when His Holiness Moses went to Mount Tur (Sinai) and there engaged in instituting the Law of God, He fasted forty days. For the purpose of awakening and admonishing the people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.
"Likewise, His Holiness Christ, in the beginning of instituting the Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the teachings and the arrangement of counsels, for forty days abstained from eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting into lenten observances.
"Likewise the Koran having descended in the month of Ramazan, fasting during that month became a duty.
"In like manner His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab), in the beginning of the Manifestation through the excessive effect of descending verses, passed days in which His nourishment was reduced to tea only.
"Likewise, the Blessed Beauty (Baha'o'llah), when busy with instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses (The Word of God) descended continuously, through the great effect of the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least amount.
"The purpose is this: In order to follow the Divine Manifestations and for the purpose of admonition and the commemoration of their state, it became incumbent upon the people to fast during those days. For every sincere soul who has a beloved longs to experience that state in which his beloved is. If his beloved is in a state of sorrow, he desires sorrow; if in a state of joy, he desires joy; if in a state of rest, he desires rest; if in a state of trouble, he desires trouble.
"Now, since in this Millennial Day, His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab) fasted many days, and the Blessed Beauty (Baha'o'llah) took but little food or drink, it becomes necessary that the friends should follow that example...."
- (From Table Talks by Abdu'l-Baha, by Mrs. Corinne True: Star of the West, Vol. IV, No. 18, p. 305, in Lights of Guidance, no. 779)
J. "Fasting is a symbol. Fasting signifies abstinence from lust. Physical fasting is a symbol of that abstinence, and is a reminder; that is, just as a person abstains from physical appetites, he is to abstain from self-appetites and self-desires. But mere abstention from food has no effect on the spirit. It is only a symbol, a reminder. Otherwise it is of no importance. Fasting for this purpose does not mean entire abstinence from food. The golden rule as to food is, do not take too much or too little. Moderation is necessary. There is a sect in India who practice extreme abstinence, and gradually reduce their food until they exist on almost nothing. But their intelligence suffers. A man is not fit to do service for God with brain or body if he is weakened by lack of food. He cannot see clearly. (quoted by Miss E. S. Stevens in Fortnightly Review, June 1911)."
- (Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 184)
