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Question: I have kidney trouble to a degree, I discussed it with Bawa, and I want to know if it would be detrimental for me to fast. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen: Fasting is something that you can do when you are well and when you are able to do it comfortably, but not when you are ailing. A man in a peaceful state can fast. When a man is not in a state of peace, he cannot fast. You are not showing love. That is not the love of God. That is the state of no anbu or no love. If a person has come to that state where he realizes everybody’s hunger as his own and where he realizes all other’s unhappinesses and distresses as his own, and when he goes on helping people like that, that is the Beauty of God. God is in a state where He takes over the hunger of everybody within Himself and keeps it and feeds everybody. If you can come to that State, then you will be ever fasting. Islam does speak of fasting. That is true. The Messenger of God, Muhammad Mustafa Rasool (Sal.) had only one handful of wheat in his house. He never had more. He never had more than one handful of wheat in his house. He kept the handful of wheat until evening as he always was waiting to share the one handful of wheat with anyone who was needy. It was only after there was no one else who was hungry, it was only after everyone else had eaten, that he would eat it. He would then make a little bread and eat. During all his time, God gave him a handful of wheat every day. During his whole life, only God was in his house. He had only that one Treasure. Everyone else had money, property and wealth, but Muhammad had only God. Omar, too, only had God. God was his treasure. Muhammad placed the stone of Saboor (patience) around his stomach. Islam tells people to fast. Muhammad tied the stone of saboor around his stomach. He tied it to his stomach when he was hungry. He was like that. He tied the stone of saboor to his stomach and gave whatever he had to the people. If there were any true Islam at all in the world, there would be no poor. If there were any Islam at all in the world, there would be no beggars at all. If there were any Islam at all, there would be no wars at all. If there were any Islam at all, no living being would be murdered. If they were any Islam at all, there would be complete equality. Everyone would be equal. If there were any Islam at all, the king and the beggar would be equal. If there were any Islam at all, a king would be in the same state as a beggar. There would be no titles. That is Islam. That is what is called Islam. If anyone at all is hungry, there is no Islam. If anyone else is hungry and you live comfortably while knowing that, you are not Islam. If someone is suffering and you are living happily, that is not Islam, because one would have and another would not. When one really understands what Islam is, he practices what the commandment of God says, “Share what you have with others. Give to others of what you earn. Give as much as you can. Give to others what belongs to others. The giving is HADIYA-chariy. The first farul (duty) is to believe in God, the second is to pray to God, the third is to give. Sadaqah-give, give!! It is a duty. When you realize that you are hungry, then you must realize that others feel just like you do—and then give to others. When you know your hunger, your tiredness, your exhaustion, then you will realize others will feel just the same and you will give to them. The third is SADAQAH or charity, the fourth is nombu, or fasting, and the fifth duty is HAJJ. In the state of Hajj, the state of death will have come, and you have to give to your wife what you have to give to your wife, you have to give to your children what inheritance belongs to your children. You have to give everything as if you were going to die. In a state of death…You first have to pay your debts and then go on Hajj wearing a shroud-like garment. You go in a state of death even though you are in a state of life. You have no possessions. You have nothing; you have no wife, you have no children, no attachments at all. You wear a shroud-like garment, a white cloth. That is Hajj-Pilgrimage. God has said that the three duties of giving, fasting and pilgrimage are to be done after prayer is correctly done. Pilgrimage is to be done while you are living but dead. You must die while you are alive. This is the meaning. There are many, many meanings like this. Allah alone is enough for us. Muhammad had only God. If you, too, are like this, that is fasting. That is fasting. Make what is good to be good. Make what is khair and that will be khairat-the state of absolute righteousness. That is what you have to do. The world exists in many ways. Man exists in many more kinds of ways than the world. The qualities of man exist in many more kinds of ways than the world. The nafs of man exist in many more kinds of ways than the qualities of man. The monkey mind exists in many more ways than the nafs or evil desires of man. Arrogance exists in many more ways than the monkey mind. Birth has so many kinds of magic, so many tricks. Each wears a mask. There are many, many ways. Understand the truth. Realize the path of God. Know the most exalted meaning. To know these things is good. God alone is enough. May God protect every one of us. May He forgive our sins. May He end the suffering of others as He has ended our suffering. May God cure the illnesses and distresses of others, just as He has cured our illnesses and distresses. We must ask God for this. May God forgive the sins of others the way He forgives our sins. May we ask God to end the sorrows of others as we ask Him to end our sorrows. May we ask for the hunger of others as we ask for our own hunger. In the same way that we search for medicines for our illnesses, may we ask of God to supply the medicine for the illnesses of others. Like that, just as we ask forgiveness for our faults, may we ask for the forgiveness of the faults of others. May we appeal to God at every moment. Just as we ask and appeal for ourselves, may we appeal and ask for others too, that they have lives of peacefulness and contentment. We must try to ask for beautiful qualities, and this beautiful searching, these beautiful prayers and these beautiful blessings. Precious gems of my eyes, my own rightful children, each one of you must make your own hearts pure. If your hearts are filled with light, then you can light up the hearts of others. If you can be aware of your faults then you can give explanations so that others can be aware of their own faults. If we can change our own faults, then God will help others to change their thoughts. Precious gems of my eyes, may we intend with each breath to pray to God at every moment. God’s Love must flow into your hearts. The Kingdom of God’s Grace must come to be within you, you must surrender the state of Love to Him, and intend to reach His Grace. Children, precious gems of my eyes, life is subtle. A Path. Our lives exist on the sharpness of a sword edge. Because we have to walk on the sharpness, we have to conduct our lives with wisdom, surrender, concentration, perfect balance, and gnanam. The edge of that sword is justice. That sword is knows as justice. That justice is intermingled with conscience. That is the justice given as a trust to the trustee. We must walk on that path, with justice, but without sin, karma, selfishness, or jealousy. That justice is our Life. That is prayer. Justice is the method of that prayer. Selfless justice, the state of not having one thing for others and another for ourselves, the perfect justice of God is the first step of prayer. You must conduct your lives on the sharp edge of that sword of justice and conscience. If all of us walk in that way, conduct your lives on the sharp edge of that sword of justice and conscience. If all of us walk in that way, that will be the direct path to God. Precious jewels within my eyes, you must do this with each breath. Each of you must think of his own faults and then ask for forgiveness. If each one of you would do that, then there would be no famine, disease, injustice or theft in the world. Everyone would be good. The place where good people dwell is a good place. In a good place, there is no destruction. God is the protection for that place. Each one of you must think of this and become good. May God protect us and sustain us. May our precious Father protect, sustain and give us His Grace. May He protect us in this world and the next world. May He give us peace and tranquility in this birth. May He make us good in the world of the soul, in this world, and in the next world. Amin. Amin. Ya Rabbil Alameen. Precious children, I offer you my Love. My prayers. I offer you the Love of my overflowing heart.” “M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen- a Sufi mystic, can best be remembered for his efforts to bring unity through understanding to the faithful of all religions.” Copyright: God’s Light, Vol. 1, No. 8 Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Family Newsletter January – February 1997
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