Q. What is the wisdom behind the obligation of fasting?
A. If we read the Words of Allah, the Most High; “ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun.” [ Surah Al-Baqarah ]
Al-Muttaqun comes from the word Taqwa, and Taqwa means to abandon unlawful deeds, and without exception, it includes doing whatever Allah has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said; “ Whoever does not give up lying speech, (false statements) and acting upon them (i.e telling lies), and evil deeds, and behaving in an ignorant evil way, and speaking bad words to others, then Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink.” [ Al-Bukhari]
Based upon this, the obligation upon the fasting person to undertake the obligatory deeds and abstain from the unlawful is confirmed, both in word and deed. So, he should not backbite people, nor should he lie, nor should he spread gossip among them, nor should he sell unlawful things, and he should avoid all unlawful deeds. If a person does this, for a whole month, his soul will be upright for the rest of the year.
But unfortunately, many fasting people do not distinguish between the days they fast, and the days they are not fasting. They behave according to their usual custom, leaving what is obligatory upon them and committing what is unlawful for them, and one does not sense the solemnity of a fasting in him. While these deeds do not invalidate his fasting, they reduce reward, and possibly, on the Day when deeds are weighed, these sins will outweigh the reward of his fasting, and he will lose the benefit of it.