the virtues found in sawm

 WHAT IS SAWM?

The Literal meaning 

                                                To restrain oneself from something                                         

Allah tells us in the Quran that Maryam said,

“…Verily! I have vowed a fast unto ar – Rahmaan [the Most Beneficent (Allaah)]….”

The fast here means to be silent, that is, to abstain from speaking.

Islamically, Sawm means to abstain from food, drink and sexual relations between        dawn and sunset   

The Goal

To develop taqwaa (consciousness of God) in people. 

 

Allaah said in Soorah al – Baqarah of the Quraan, Verse 183,

“…[so] it may produce Taqwa in you.”

Taqwaa is amongst the highest moral qualities that a Muslim can attain. It is achieved by placing a shield between ones self and Allaahs wrath, as the root meaning of the word implies (i.e. taqwaa comes from the verb waqaa, which means “to safeguard”). This is achieved by being conscious of Allaah and all His commandments at all times, which means avoid the Haraam (prohibited) as well as the Makrooh (undesirable) and even some of the Halaal (permissible), wherever doubt arises.