Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 641 [Read full issue]
Bearer of Musk
The Prophet, peace be upon him, speaks of what will rescue a servant from the Foe: "And [God] enjoins upon you the fast. Verily, the similitude of that is a man carrying a sack-full of musk in a crowd of people, all of them marvelling at its fragrance - for the breath of some fasting is more fragrant to God, Most High, than the scent of musk." [Tirmidhi]
The fasting person's limbs fast from sins; his tongue fasts from lies, base language and false witness; his stomach fasts from food and drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If he speaks, he says nothing to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does nothing to spoil his fast. All his speech is salutary and wholesome, as are his deeds - like the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the bearer of musk. Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his presence and is safe from false witness, lies, base language and wrongdoing. This is the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply abstinence from eating and drinking.
Hence, a sound hadith states: "When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the action that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to refrain from food and drink." [Bukhari]
True fasting is when the limbs fast from sin and the stomach fasts from food and drink. As food and drink can break the fast or spoil it, so sins can cut off its reward and spoil its fruits, as if one had not fasted at all.
Compiled From:
"The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, pp. 33, 34