Ramadhan 1427 (8): How does the eye fast?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful

So as we all know, fasting isn't just about the thirst and hunger, but also involves fasting with all the parts of the body. Those include the heart, the tongue (hence avoiding Al-Ghiba), the eyes, ears, hands and feet.

So now we've looked at the fasting of the tongue, and avoiding the major sin of Al-Ghiba, lets look at the fasting of the eye inshaAllah.

Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss."

(Quran:Surah 24: verse 30 and 31)

The eye is an opening to the heart and a door to the spirit.

Ali ibn Abi Talib once asked the Prophet (saw) about the gaze. He (saw) replied: 'Lower your gaze' Hence whoever does not lower his gaze will be afflicted by 4 calamities.

1. The disposing of the heart in every direction, and its tearing apart in every field. As a consequence, it has no stability and enjoys no inner peace. Neither is it able to mobilize all its power. It is wounded and weakened and quite rightly complains of the misdeeds of the eyes, its gazes and glances.

2. Punishments of the soul and training it with the loss what is saw and did not get. the soul, because of the act of the eye, is in constant distress, anxiety and turmoil.

3. With the release of forbidden glances, the sweetnesses of worship and obedience is lost. Thus, say goodbye to the light of faith if the eye is not disciplined and made to fast from the unlawful sights. The souls will neither taste faith not find conviction except through the control of the eye.

4. Because of the great sin incurred by its violation of honour and privacy, the eyes would be rewarded with great sin. No one ever fell into filth and perversion except after his eyes had gone astray. Surely there is no movement and no power except with Allah the most High, the most Magnificent.

5 Benefits of Lowering the gaze:

1. Obedience to Allah (swt) command to lower the gaze and hence a blessing and honour in this world and the akhirra inshaAllah.

2. Peace of the heart, its nourishment as well as its realization of its full potential, comfort, happiness and ease.

3. Avoidance of calamaties and safety from trials and misdeeds.

4. Allah opens for His servants the doors of Ilm, understanding, success and uprightness; a fitting reward for piety.

5. Allah will instil a sense of discernment in the heart of the learned and His perfect light in the souls of the truthful; again a reward for those who lowered their gaze.

Summary

So the eyes are expected to fast in obedience to the Ever living, the Selfsubsisting.

There are people whose stomach fasts from food and dirnk but their eyes graze shrubbery of forbidden sights. Such people do not know the real essence of fasting.

So, let our eyes fast from the unlawful things in the same way that we abstein from food and drink inshaAllah.

Let our hearts be healthy and our spirits relax.

The Quran says:

"May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon the one whose eye fasts for the pleasure of His Lord."

(Surah 76: verses 11 and 12)

May Allah (swt) make us worthy of his peace, blessings and mercy.

Ameen!