Ma'asyiral muslimin rakhimakumullah.

Based on the gratitude that we express by frequently saying "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil'alamin" and
sending blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, we remind ourselves and invite all Muslims to
increase our commitment to being mindful of Allah. In the verse we just recited, Allah has given us
guidance to always be mindful, to be wary of things that endanger us in this world and the hereafter,
thus we are obligated to fast.

The Prophet Muhammad explained in a hadith that fasting serves as a shield, a protection for oneself.

It symbolizes piety, vigilance, and protection as contained in the verse . Today, we are in
the month of Ramadan, a month for us to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam, which is fasting. Without
fasting in Ramadan, our practice of Islam is incomplete.

In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad likened Islam to a building, with the pillars of Islam being the
main supports of the structure. These pillars are like the legs of our bodily structure. If one of these
main pillars is missing, the building becomes susceptible to collapse, at the very least becoming
unstable. Indeed, the structure of Islamic faith can collapse if the pillar of fasting is denied, rejected,
or not believed to be part of Islamic law.

Ma'asyiral muslimin rakhimakumullah.

Among the meanings of the verse and hadith is that fasting protects and guards
us from the temptations of Satan, which always lead us away from Allah. Fasting acts as a shield that
protects us from the entry of Satan into our souls.

Fasting, as one of the pillars of Islam, holds profound wisdom and purposes that we must
understand. As mentioned in the noble hadith, fasting has noble objectives. One of the purposes of
fasting is to shield ourselves from the temptations of Satan.

Narrated by Ibunda Shafiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) said, "Verily, Satan flows through the body of Adam's descendants as blood flows." Or it
can also be translated as "Verily, Satan enters into the soul of humans through the bloodstream."
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
The wisdom contained in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is to remind us
that Satan enters the human body through the bloodstream. The bloodstream depends on its fuel,
which is the food and drink we consume. Therefore, the main entrance for Satan into the human body
is through the mouth.

Satan uses two main avenues to enter the human body, namely through consumption of prohibited,
impure, non-halal, and non-thayyib (good and wholesome) food and drink. Second, through the
words that come out of our mouths after consuming such food.

Ma'asyiral muslimin rakhimakumullah.

Repeatedly, the Quran emphasizes that Satan is a real enemy for us, it is incumbent upon us to
believe in him. The Prophet Muhammad also explained how Satan works against us, very subtly, very
delicately.

For this reason, Imam Al-Ghazali stated that one of the pillars of reviving the religious sciences
bestowed upon us by Allah is to recognize our inner enemies, understand their strategies, and master
the ways to defeat them. This is what he referred to as "Ubbu al-Quran" (the essence of the Quran) or
"Jauharul Quran" (the gem of the Quran). All of this can be found in his work, "Jawahirul Quran."

Fasting teaches us to control our desires and regulate our consumption of food and drink. By limiting
eating and drinking during fasting, we can narrow the entry points for Satan into our bodies. This is
one of the many wisdoms of fasting that we should internalize.

This is what Imam Izzuddin bin Abdissalam emphasized in his book, "Maqashidus Shaum" (The
Objectives of Fasting):

It means, "Fasting is a conquest over Satan. Because the pathway for Satan to mislead and tempt us
is through desires, and desires are strengthened by eating and drinking. Fasting narrows the
bloodstream, thus reducing the entry points for Satan into our bodies. Therefore, Satan can be
defeated."

From this, we can understand that fasting shields us from the attacks of Satan that sneak into our
souls through food. With fasting, we also fortify our Islam, as the pillars or supports of our Islamic
structure become complete and strong.

Through fasting, our desires and appetites are controlled so that we do not serve desires that never
provide satisfaction and tranquility; instead, we can be more maximal and dedicated solely to serving
Allah.

As Muslims, we must understand that fasting is not just about restraining hunger and thirst but also
a spiritual exercise to fortify ourselves against the temptations of Satan and draw closer to Allah.
That's why the Prophet Muhammad was very strict about managing our food and drink. He wanted to
ensure that the food and drink entering our bodies are free from Satan.

Therefore, he often rebuked those who ate and drank with their left hand because that is the way of
the devil. That was his guidance. He also strongly admonished children to adults who were found
eating hastily without mentioning the name of Allah in their food. He even laughed heartily when he
saw Satan regurgitate food that had the name of Allah mentioned in its last bite.

This is the system of protection and safeguarding that Allah gives to those who fast. It seems simple,
through food management, not just about eating patterns, nutritional content, but also about the
permissibility, wholesomeness, and spirituality of food and drink.

Ma'asyiral muslimin rakhimakumullah.

In addition to fasting consumption, the Sharia of fasting also teaches us to control our tongues in
communication. By refraining from speaking words that are not beneficial or hurtful to others, we can
protect ourselves from the temptation of Satan entering through communication.

Satan enters through bad communication such as insults, cursing, foul language, envy, sowing
discord, gossip, spreading unverified rumors. All of these originate from the tongue, through
communication.

With fasting, our safety is preserved. We remember that fasting teaches us to manage our
communication to always be positive.

Because fasting doesn't just teach us to refrain from eating and drinking, but also to restrain
ourselves from useless talk. However, useless talk has the potential to disturb oneself and others.
As the Prophet Muhammad emphasized that:

It means, "A true Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands other Muslims are safe." (Narrated
by Muslim).

The ulama also always remind us:

It means, "The safety of a person depends on their ability to guard their tongue."

We can see an example of communication fasting like this in the Quran demonstrated by Sayyidah
Maryam bint Imran, the mother of Prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him:
It means, "So eat and drink and be contented. But if you see anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the
Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'" (Quran, Maryam: 26).

This is a special form of fasting, known as "shaum" (abstention). It involves refraining from useless
communication. It is not just called "shiyam," which in practice is abstaining from food and drink. In
fact, in this verse, it is mentioned that Sayyidah Maryam was commanded to eat and drink. However,
she was instructed by Allah to fast from words that have no positive impact.

Similarly, this is the system that Allah has set for us in order to protect our own safety. This is one of
the meanings of protection and guarding in the verse, and in the defensive shield in the hadith.

Let us utilize the month of Ramadan as an opportunity to enhance the quality of worship and
strengthen our defenses against the temptations of Satan. May Allah grant us the strength and
patience to observe fasting with sincerity and full devotion. Amen.

hadza