Imam Al-Ghazali mentioned that fasting does not have only one rank, but it has several ranks; if a person has abstained from material things that invalidate fasting, this does not mean that he has actually fulfilled the objective and meaning of fasting. In fact, the reality of fasting surpasses this meaning. Imam Al-Ghazali said in “Al-Ihyaa”: “It should be known that fasting has three ranks: ordinary fasting, extraordinary fasting, and perfect fasting. Ordinary fasting means abstention from food and sexual intercourse, extraordinary fasting means protection of one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands, feet, and all other organs from sins. Perfect fasting means abstention of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, and preventing it from considering anything but Allah, the Almighty. This kind of fasting is broken by thinking of anything other than Allah and the Day of Resurrection and by thinking of worldly matters, except those related to religious ends, since these constitute a means for the Hereafter, not the worldly life. Those versed in the spiritual life of the heart have even said that a sin is recorded against the one who concerns himself all day with arrangements for breaking his fasting. Such anxiety stems from lack of trust in the bounty of Allah, the Almighty, and the lack of faith in His promised sustenance.

Prophets, followers of the prophets, and those who draw close to Allah belong to the third rank. It will not be tackled in detailed examination in words, but its true nature is better revealed in action. It involves the utmost dedication to Allah, the Almighty, and negligence of anything other than Allah. It is bound up with Allah’s saying: “Say, ‘Allah [revealed it].’ Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves.” (Quran 6: 91)

Extraordinary fasting (fasting performed by righteous people) is offered by fulfilling six requirements:

First: Lowering the gaze and refraining from gazing at that which is blameworthy and reprehensible, or anything that distracts and diverts the heart from the remembrance of Allah. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts.” (Quran 24: 30)

The Prophet () said: “Do not give a second look, (because) while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second.” (Reported by Ahmad and classified as good, according to other supporting texts)

Second: Guarding one’s tongue against idle talk, lying, backbiting, obscenity, rudeness, arguing, and controversy, making it observe silence, and occupying it with the remembrance of Allah. This is the fasting of the tongue. Sufian said: “Backbiting annuls fasting.” It was reported from Mujahid that he said: “Two attributes annul fasting: backbiting and telling lies.” The Prophet () said: “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting.’" (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Third: Abstaining from listening to all reprehensible talk, as everything unlawful to utter is unlawful to listen to. Therefore, Allah, the Almighty, equated the person who listens to falsehood with the devourers of what is unlawful, saying: “[They are] avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of [what is] unlawful.” (Quran 5: 42) Allah, the Almighty, says: “Why do the rabbis and religious scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful?” (Quran 5: 63) It is forbidden to keep silent about backbiting and not to condemn it. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Indeed, you would then be like them.” (Quran 4: 140)

Therefore, the Prophet () said: “The backbiter and the listener are partners in sin.” (Al-Hafiz Al-Iraqi said: Unfamiliar Hadith)

Fourth: Protecting all other limbs and organs from sin: the hands and feet from reprehensible deeds, and the stomach from questionable food at the time of breaking the fast. It is meaningless to fast and abstain from lawful food and to break the fast on unlawful food. A person who fasts in this manner may be compared to the one who builds a castle but demolishes a city. Lawful food harms in relation to quantity, not quality; fasting was prescribed to reduce the amount of lawful food. If a person abstains from taking too much medicine fearing its harm and takes poison instead, he will be considered a fool. Unlawful food is like a poison to religion, and lawful food is like medicine that can be beneficial if taken in small doses and harmful if taken in large doses. The objective of fasting is to reduce the amount of lawful food. The Prophet () said: “Many a one who fasts gets nothing from his fasting but hunger and thirst.” (Reported by Ahmad) It was said the Hadith refers to the person who breaks his fast on unlawful food. It was also said that the Hadith means the person who abstains from lawful food but breaks his fast with backbiting. Some scholars also said that the Hadith means the person who does not protect his organs from sins.

Fifth: Abstaining from overindulging in lawful food at the time of breaking the fast to the extent of stuffing one’s stomach. An-Nasa’i reported that the Messenger of Allah () said: “No man fills a utensil worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for a man. If eating is necessary, he should fill one-third with food, one-third with drink, and leave one-third for easy breathing.”

What is the use of fasting as a means of conquering Allah’s enemy and abating appetite, if at the time of breaking it a person not only makes up for all that he has missed during the daytime, but also indulges in a variety of extra foods? It has even become the custom to stock up for Ramadan all kinds of foodstuffs so that more is consumed during that time than over the other months. It is well-known that the objective of fasting is to experience hunger and to control desire, in order to enable the soul to attain piety. If the stomach is starved from early morning till the evening so that its appetite is aroused and its craving is intensified, and it is then offered delicacies and allowed to eat its fill, its taste for pleasure will increase, it will become more powerful, and passions, which are tranquil under normal conditions, will be stirred. The spiritual and hidden intent of fasting is to weaken the forces which are Satan’s means of leading us back to evil. Therefore, it is essential to reduce one’s food to what one would consume at a normal night, when not fasting. No benefit is derived from fasting if one consumes as much as he would usually take during the day and night combined. 

Among the etiquette of fasting is to abstain from sleeping much during the daytime, so that one feels the pangs of hunger and thirst and becomes conscious of the weakening of his powers, with the consequent purification of the heart. One should let a certain degree of weakness carry over into the night, making it easier to perform the Tahajjud (optional night prayer) and to recite Wird (verses of the Holy Quran recited every night or in some occasions). It is hoped that Satan will not hover around one’s heart, and that he will be able to lift his eyes up to the kingdom of heaven.

Sixth: After breaking the fast, the heart should swing between fear and hope. This is because one does not know whether his fast will be accepted so that Allah will be pleased with him, or it will be rejected so that he will be among those He dislikes.

It was reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri once passed by a group of people who were laughing merrily. He said: “Allah, the Almighty, has made the month of Ramadan a racecourse, on which His creatures compete in performing acts of worship. Some have come in first and won while others have lagged behind and lost. It is absolutely amazing to find anybody laughing and playing about on the day when victors gain success while the wasters are doomed to failure. By Allah, if the veil were lifted off, the doer of good would surely be preoccupied with his good deeds and the evildoer with his evil deeds.”

Al-Ghazali posed a question in this regard: How can jurisprudents approve the fasting of a person who confines himself to restraining the appetite of his stomach and the urge of his sexual instinct, but neglects these inward aspects of the fast? How can they say that his fast is valid?

He answered this question, saying: “You should know that traditional textual jurisprudents support the formal requirements with proofs far weaker than those with which we established in the inward conditions, especially with respect to backbiting and the like. Therefore, traditional textual jurisprudents are not expected to concern themselves with any obligations other than those which are within reach of the Mukallafs (persons who are obligated to observe the precepts of religion) who are preoccupied with the worldly life. However, jurisprudents seeking the rewards of the Afterworld are concerned with the righteousness of the deeds to be accepted and to fulfil the intended purpose. They understand that the objective of fasting is to be attributed with morals enjoined by Allah and to follow the example of angels with regard to abstaining from different desires as much as possible, as angels are free from such desires. The human being’s rank is higher than that of beasts because he can control his desires using his mind and lower than that of the angels because he is inclined to desires and is afflicted with restraining them. The more he indulges in his desires, the meaner he becomes, so he attains the rank of beasts; the more he controls his desires, the higher the rank he attains, so he attains the rank of angels.

Angels are close to Allah, the Almighty, and the one who follows their example and is attributed with their morals becomes close to Allah like them. The one who resembles a close person is also considered close. Closeness here does not refer to adjacency of place but to have similar attributes. As this is the secret and objective of fasting as viewed by reasonable people with pure hearts, what is the benefit of postponing a meal to night while doubling its amount and indulging in other desires throughout the daytime? If this type of fasting is beneficial, the Prophet () would not have said: “Many a one who fasts gets nothing from his fasting but hunger and thirst.” The one who understands the wisdom and meaning of fasting will realize that the one who abstains from food, drink, and sexual intercourse during fasting and annuls his fast by committing sins resembles the person who wiped one of his organ thrice during ablution, adhering to the prescribed number, but did not rinse it, which is the most important matter. Therefore, his prayer will not be accepted. The Prophet () said: “Fasting is a trust so each one of you must preserve what is entrusted upon him.” (Reported by Al-Khara’iti and classified as good) When the Prophet () recited Allah’s saying: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due” (Quran 4: 58) he placed his hands over his ear and his eye. (Reported by Abu Dawood) Unless the ear, eye, and other organs are considered a trust that should be preserved during fasting, the Prophet would not have said: “He (the fasting person) should say: ‘I am fasting.’” This means that my tongue, eye, and other organs are considered a trust which I should preserve, so how can I use them in acts that do not please Allah, the Almighty?

In this way, you should know that fasting does not have only one rank; rather, it has different ranks, the highest of which is the abstention of the heart and organs from acts and sayings that do not please Allah, the Almighty, and the lowest is the abstention from food, drink, and sexual intercourse. There is a great difference between these ranks, which has been explained to you. May Allah grant everyone success.