Advice on fasting
One day, a man came to a scholar and asked him for advice on fasting. He said he wanted to fast for spiritual reasons, but he was afraid of feeling hungry and thirsty. The scholar smiled and told him a tale.
He said that once there was a king who loved hunting. He would go out every morning with his horse and his hounds and chase after wild animals. One day, he saw a beautiful deer and followed it into the forest. He was so absorbed in the chase that he did not notice how far he had gone from his companions. He also did not notice that he had not eaten or drunk anything since dawn.
He finally caught the deer and killed it with his arrow. He was about to cut a piece of meat from it when he heard a voice. It was the deer's soul, speaking to him from beyond the grave. It said: "O king, you have taken my life, but you have not taken my secret. I will tell you my secret if you promise to do as I say."
The king was curious and agreed. The deer's soul said: "My secret is that I have a treasure hidden in a cave nearby. It is more precious than anything you have ever seen. If you want to find it, you must fast for three days and three nights. You must not eat or drink anything, not even water. Then you must come to this spot and dig under the tree where I died. There you will find the entrance to the cave and the treasure."
The king was amazed and excited. He thought that if he could get such a treasure, he would be the richest and most powerful king in the world. He decided to follow the deer's advice and fast for three days and three nights. He left the deer's carcass behind and rode back to his palace.
He told his servants that he was not feeling well and wanted to rest in his chamber. He locked himself in his room and did not eat or drink anything for three days and three nights. He endured the hunger and thirst with great difficulty, thinking of the treasure that awaited him.
On the fourth day, he got up early and mounted his horse. He rode back to the forest, to the spot where he had killed the deer. He found the tree and started digging under it. He dug deeper and deeper, but he found nothing. He was puzzled and disappointed.
He looked around and saw a hole in the ground nearby. He thought that maybe that was the entrance to the cave. He went inside the hole and followed a dark tunnel that led him deeper into the earth. He hoped that he would soon see the light of the treasure.
But instead of light, he saw fire. He realized that he had entered hell. He saw demons and tormented souls, screaming and burning in agony. He was terrified and tried to turn back, but it was too late. The demons grabbed him and dragged him into the fire.
He cried out for help, but no one heard him. He cursed himself for being so foolish and greedy. He wished he had never listened to the deer's soul, which was actually a trick of Satan. He wished he had never fasted for three days and three nights, which had weakened his body and mind.
He realized too late that fasting is not a way to get worldly treasures, but a way to purify one's soul from worldly attachments. Fasting is not a hardship, but a blessing. Fasting is not done for worldly or material reasons, such as getting a treasure or losing weight, but for spiritual reasons, such as purifying one’s soul and expressing love and worship for God. He regretted his mistake, but it was too late.
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَیۡكُمُ ٱلصِّیَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” Al Quran 2:183
This verse shows that fasting is prescribed for Muslims as a way of attaining righteousness and piety, not as a way of getting worldly benefits or rewards. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps Muslims to be mindful of Allah and to control their desires and impulses.