Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Fasting

Fasting-الصيام

1. Fasting is one of the two means to good health.

1ـ اَلصِّيامُ أحَدُ الصِّحَّتَيْنِ.

2. Fasting on the ‘luminous days’ (i.e. on the 13th, 14th and 15th) of every [lunar] month raises the stations and magnifies the rewards.

2ـ صِيامُ الأيامِ البيضِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْر تَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجاتِ

3. Fasting of the heart from thinking about sins is better than fasting of the stomach from food.

3ـ صِيامُ القَلْبِ عَنِ الفِكْرِ فِي الآثامِ أفْضَلُ مِنْ صِيامِ

4. Fasting of the soul from the pleasures of this world is the most beneficial fasting.

4ـ صَوْمُ النَّفْسِ عَنْ لَذّاتِ الدُّنيا أنْفَعُ الصِّيامِ.

5. Fasting of the body means restraining oneself from food willfully and by choice, out of fear of punishment and out of desire for reward and recompense.

5ـ صَوْمُ الجَسَدِ الإمْساكُ عَنِ الأغْذِيَةِ بِإرادَة وَاخْتِيار

6. Fasting of the soul means restraining the five senses from all the sins and emptying the heart of all the motives of evil.

6ـ صَوْمُ النَّفْسِ إمْساكُ الحَواسِّ الخَمْسِ عَنْ سائِرِ المَ آثِمِ،

7. Fasting of the heart is better than fasting of the tongue, and fasting of the tongue is better than fasting of the stomach.

7ـ صَوْمُ القَلْبِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِيامِ اللِّسانِ، وصيامُ اللِّسانِ

8. And fasting [has been prescribed] as a test of the sincerity of the people.

8ـ والصّيامَ اِبْتِلاءً لإخْلاصِ الخَلْقِ.

9. How many of those who are fasting gain nothing from their fast but thirst!

9ـ كَمْ مِنْ صائِم لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صِيامِهِ إلاّ الظِّماءُ.