Reading Text for practicing the Skimming & Scanning Technique (12th meeting)

Group 1:
1. (member’s name)
2. (member’s name)
FASTING IN ISLAM
Fasting during Ramadhan is one the five pillars of Islam. This is because the
prophet (peace be upon Him) said Islam is upheld by five pillars: first, to bear witness
that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is to
pray regularly. Third, to pay zakat (i.e divine tax) to the poor. Fourth, to fast during the
mouth of Ramadhan. Fifth, to visit the house of God in Mecca once in a lifetime, for
those who are able to make the journey.
Fasting can be defined as abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and having
sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Fasting for the month of Ramadhan was
prescribed during the second year of the Hijra. Fasting was an ancient form of worship
prescribed by God from the beginning of time. The aim of ordering people to fast is
that they should learn how to be patient, to have good morals, to purify their hearths,
to ennoble their character and to be gentle in dealing with people. One should feel the
sufferings of hunger and thirst in order to be quick to help those who are suffering
when seeing them. One must always learn to feel the fear of God and his mercy.
Fasting in Islam has been prescribed by the Qur’an and the sayings of the prophet. The
Qur’an says: “O, you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you, that you may learn self-restraint” (Qur’an, Cow: 183)
The reward of the accepted fasting is Paradise. God the Almighty gives great
reward for fasting as much or more than we can realize. This is because fasting secret
between man and his God; therefore, it is the only aspect of worship that has been
attributed to God. It has come down to us in the traditions of the prophet when he
said: “Any kind of good action done by the children of Adam will be rewarded ten
times to seven hundred times and may be more, according to the Will of God.” God
said:” Except fasting for it is an attribute of me and I will reward it, because one who
fasts is giving up his desires and his food for my sake.” Fasting is a protection. When
one is fasting he should not utter bad words, he should not raise his voice. If someone
insults him, or fight him, he should remind himself that he is fasting by saying: “I am
fasting, I swear by God, who has Muhammad’s soul in His hand that the smell of mouth
of the one who fasts is better than perfume in the sight of God.”

1. Glosarium:
2. Translation:
3. Main idea:
P.1 =mmmmm
P.2 =mmm
P.3 =mmmm
Accepted (diterima)
Almighty (Mahakuasa)
Realize (menyadari)
Between (di antara)
Therefore (karena itu)
Aspect (aspek)
Worship (memuja)
Except (kecuali)
Desires(keinginan)
Raise(menaikkan)
Insults(penghinaan)
Remind(mengingatkan)
Swear(bersumpah)
Sight(penglihatan)