Sawm

Fasting for the Face of Allah, Most High

What is Fasting?

Allah, Most High, regulates our relationship with Him by asking us to observe certain spiritual practices, and fasting is one of them.

The practice of sawm, or fasting, is an important foundational practice for the seeker who is looking to deepen their connection with Allah.

We fast by refraining from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from the beginning of fajr prayer (dawn) until the beginning of maghrib prayer (disk).

The Sufi has a large heart and is always striving to subdue the nafs and walk closer to Allah, Most High. The himma (longing for God) the Sufi feels enables them to not just fast outwardly, but to also fast inwardly.

To fast inwardly is to refrain from everything that displeases Allah, Most High. This includes but isn’t limited to: abstaining from worshipping anything other than Allah, Most High, betraying the trust of others, speaking harmfully about others or oneself, speaking disrespectfully to your parents, harming the property or bodies of others, etc.

Physical Benefits

Physically, it is extremely beneficial to give the digestive system a time of rest every day. Intermittent fasting has become a health trend over the past several years, but we Sufis have been doing it for centuries!

Spiritual Benefits

Feelings of satiety we experience from eating and drinking dull our stronger emotions, such as anger, pain, sadness, grief, frustration, longing, etc. When we fast for multiple days in a row, those stronger feelings build in intensity and appear front and center in our awareness, requiring our loving attention.

When fasting becomes emotionally or mentally intense, it is the perfect time to increase other forms of worship.

Worship, such as salah, dhikr, and al-wird, release excess emotions and mental energy while helping you to become more present with our heart’s true needs.

Once we can identify the true needs, we can bring them to Allah in our salah, personal du’a, or other practices and receive deep healing, insha’allah.

How to Fast

1. Set your intention. The night before you begin fasting, establish firmly in your mind that you are fasting tomorrow for the Face of Allah ﷻ.
2. Plan your morning. Look up when fajr begins in your area and decide how much time you will need to eat, drink water, do wudu or ghusl, and prepare for fajr.
3. When the time comes, wake up, do wudu or ghusl, and eat a meal. While it is not required to eat a morning meal before fasting, it is sunnah and highly recommended.
  Eat and drink moderately. Reaffirm your intention to fast for the day.
4. Pray Fajr and all of the prayers in the beginning of their time. While you’re fasting is an excellent time to do extra salah and practices to support your walking and your healing.
5. Break your fast when the adhan signals the beginning of Maghrib prayer. It is sunnah to recite a prayer asking Allah to accept your fast. During this du’a take a moment and ask Allah for whatever is in your heart. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ told us that Allah always answers the du’a of a fasting person.
  Then break your fast with a sip of water and 1 or 3 dates.
6. Pray Maghrib.
7. Eat dinner.
8. If it’s Ramadan, pray ‘Isha when it comes in and then pray Tarawih prayers, insha’allah.
  If it’s not Ramadan, do ‘Isha and then Witr prayer.

Special Times Allah Made for Fasting and Worship

As Sidi said, there are special times, special places, and special people. Some of the special times are days that are best for fasting. These days are special because Allah has made them special for us-they are days Allah forgives our sins in abundance, alhamdulillah. They include: