Holy Ramadan- One of the positive results of fasting is the building of such characteristics as piety and self-restraint

One of the positive results of fasting is the building of such characteristics as piety and self-restraint. According to the holy Qur’an, God grants these characteristics to those who strive selflessly in this path. The most important factor is that salvation is achieved through piety and abstaining from sins and other undesirable acts. A fasting person is like a farmer who works hard, sows the soil, reaps the harvest and stores in the silo so that he, his family and other people benefit from the grains throughout the year. Piety thus strengthens our faith and conviction and makes us do good to the rest of the society. After prescribing fasting, the holy Qur’an says in ayah 183 of Surah Baqarah that the important objective is to achieve piety:

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil)”

Persons with the power of self-restraint could be likened to trees that grow among rocks and in the heart of mountains, with branches that are shady and resistant against storms, as well as the heat and cold of the changing weather. Fasting thus makes the human spirit resistant. Tasting hunger and thirst and refraining from pleasures for a certain period grant a person the power of resistance. The youth, who fasts and is self-restraint actually strengthens his faith and will. In this case, the hidden energy within him or her guides him towards good and positive acts. The holy Qur’an considers factors like prayer, fasting, and patience effective in creating stronger bonds between mankind and the Almighty Creator. This enables us to overcome psychological problems and to cope excellently with the issue of life without feeling disappointed or frustrated. From the viewpoint of Martyr Morteza Mottaharri piety strengthens spirit and negates if not reduce the rebellious emotions. He considers self-restraint and piety the requirement for a wise and healthy life and writes: piety is the requirement of every person who wants to be a human being in the real sense of the term.

According to Imam Ali (AS), the first Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), a life without piety is like a rider letting loose the reins of his horse, which eventually gallops out of control and makes the rider fall on the ground. The Imam adds that on the other hand self-restraint and self-control are like riding a trained horse which is fully under control of a skillful rider. Thus, as is clear, the most important impact of piety is control over carnal desires and ambitions. The holy Qur’an says that piety opens up the gates of heaven’s blessings since a pious person does not indulge in vain desires or commit sins and crimes. In short, piety leads to the building of sound ethics and a healthy mindset.

In a recent poll in Iran to determine the impact of Ramadhan, 67 university students were chosen and it was found after the end o the month that those who had fasted, their degree of piety and ethics were far higher than those who did not, for whatever reason. Among the characteristics of a pious man, are respect for the rights of others and preservation of his reputation. The holy Qur’an says that mankind should refrain from any judgment about others without knowledge. In ayah 36 of Surah al-Isra, God says:

“And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that.”

Thus it is clear that the reputation of a person and respect for it is vital in Islam. Therefore, insulting a brother in faith is a big sin. Unfortunately improper acts like backbiting and leveling charges against others are the cause of character assassination. Backbiting breaks friendship, creates pessimism, and sometimes causes bloody clashes and even death. For this reason, God says in the holy Qur’an that sedition is worse than manslaughter.