It is said that the great Greek Philosopers, Sokrates, Plato, Phytogoras used to fast before important mental practices and special exams. For, they knew that fasting increased the power of the brain.

Also, the old Egyptian priests performed fasting for long periods of time. When the great mathematician, philosoper Phytogoras, went to Egypt to make detailed extensive research on psychology and study this subject in details; he was obliged to fast for 40 days, by those who were going to lead him in his studies.

It is a well known point that Prophet Moses had been fasting on mount Sina for 40 days and 40 nights before he received the 10 Commandments. The same was applied by Prophet Jesus. On this subject the Bible says;

"When you are fasting don't have a sorrowful face, be clean and cheerful" (1)

Likewise, Buddha used to fast frequently in order to bring his mental activities and level of consciousness to a maximum.

AbdülKadir Geylani (Abd al-Qadir Gilani), the foremost among the walis (saints) of all times, used to fast every year for 40 days without getting food obtained from animals, apart from the obligatory fast.

Ahmed Hulusi, the researcher / author, who in the light of the contemporary sciences is investigating Islam, considers fasting as an important factor which improves the relation between the Brain and the spirit. According to him, a Brain which has set itself free from the material plane, can get concentrated on the spiritual dimension only with the help of fasting and rigorous practices, mental disciplines. (2)

In the Nakshbandi and Qadiri, and other tariqats, different methods of fasting are applied as part of the mental practices.

After telling the anecdotes about fasting, let us try to give you some information in the Islamic sense and in the light of the Koranic verses and hadiths.

Examples are given in the Koran and the hadiths which tell us about the positive gains in return for the good deeds that have been made. Imam-I Ahmed tells what he has heard directly from the Prophet (RasulAllah) :

"If, someone spends from his excess goods for the road to Allah, then this good deed increases (multiplies) seven hundred times. If it is spent for himself and his family or if he visits a patient or abolishes a torcher, then this good deed increases ten times. The fast is like a shield unless it is broken. If, Allah tests someone with a trouble in his physical body, then this is an act of decreasing his sins".

Again, Ibn-I Ahmed is saying "Mohammed İbn-I Cafer has told me what he has heard from İbn-I Mesut that a man donated a camel for the road to Allah. Upon hearing this, the Rasul of Allah (Our Prophet) declared "It is certain that on doomsday sevenhundred camels will be brought to you having their halters and reins on".

Ibn-i Abu Hatim is telling what has been told by his father, who heard from Imran Ibn-i Husayn a declaration of Our Prophet "If someone gives (sends) a daily allowance for the road to Allah and sits at home, then on doomsday, for every dram* of the allowance he sent, sevenhundred drams will be given back".

"Also, if someone fights for the road to Allah and gives support for this purpose without waiting for something in return, then for every dram of it there will be sevenhundred thousand drams."

According to a saying of Ibn-i Omer, when the following verse (ayet-I karim) descended, it indicated "The positions of those who give away their possesions for the road to Allah without expecting something in return…."(Bakara 241) Then, our Prophet RasulAllah aleyhesselaam prayed and requested "My Rabb (Lord), please make an increase for my community." Then Allah said "May the one lend Allah something good and Allah pay That back in abundance." Then the verse (Bakara 245) had been descended. Along with these data there is a hadith about the advantages of Fasting.

Our Prophet has declared "Allah has increased the kind and nice acts of the Son of Adam from ten times more to sevenhundred times more with the exception of Fasting. Fasting is for me, I will be giving the reward in return for the fast. At the level of Allah, the fasting person's mouth smell is more beautiful then the smell of musk."

The rewards for the good deeds made through normal ways are set to a certain extent, however the rewards that the person gains through fasting are limitless.

Why Fasting? Fasting has two aspects. One aspect is for those who accept that religion consists of certain parts, and the other aspect is for those who want to know his truth, his origin, and for those who have attained his own truth.

The advantages of fasting for all who perform it can be explained as follows:

During the fasting time, the brain brings its energy expenditure to a minimum, regarding the consumption of the raw material intake, its digestion, and its usage in various (parts) organs of the body. The human body takes in two kinds of energy. The first kind of energy comes from what we eat and drink, and the potential of this energy obtained from our food intake is mainly negative.

In other words the energy inherent in what we eat and drink has a negative load. Whereas, the energy load, coming through the oxygen contained in the air which we breathe, is positive. Actually, the composition of oxygen is also negative. However, when this negative oxygen enters the body, which naturally, has also a negative (-) structure, it changes into positive (+) and will have a positive contribution to the brain.

The newspaper "Sabah" dated November 6.1997, was telling about the renewal of brain cells which had to die due to lack of oxygen and how the defects caused because of the loss of these cells would be overcome.

This is a news which strengthens the importance of oxygen for the brain.

The positive and negative loads entering the body are loaded to the spirit(soul) after being evaluated in the brain. It is certain that a purified (refined) brain will be making positive transfers to the spirit.

As a result of these loading processes, our body for the after-life realm starts to have its form and gains power. This shaped body continues its life after the stages following the grave, in the realm known as "Barzakh" and goes on living until eternity.

It has been made compulsory to fast for a period of minimum 30 days each year, to increase the the positive energy loaded to the spirit by the brain. In Islam, the aim of fasting is to decrease the brain's consumption and loss of energy to a minimum, from sunrise until sunset, during which the effects (influences) of the sun over the brain are very strong. This is the reason why fasting is performed during day time.

There is an important difference in the practices of servitude made by a person who is fasting. While fasting, with a powerful and energetic brain the loading of the spirit can be made with a capacity of 100% .

However, in the practices done by a person who is not fasting the brain has to design the energy to distribute the food intake to certain parts of the body, therefore it looses some of its power, therefore can load the spirit with a capacity of 50% only.

Fasting has countless benefits (gains) for the person. The most difficult phase of fasting is the first two days at the beginning. Due to a decrease in the level of blood sugar, there may be headaches. Those who have migraine start having the pain Later on, the body immediately gets adapted to fasting. The irregularities in the level of blood sugar effects the acts of fasting in a negative way.

Another important point is, while fasting one should stop gossipping, backbiting, and idle chattering. This is the perception of fasting for Allah.

It was said to a person who had been backbiting while he was fasting "You are fasting, yet you are eating meat, what kind of a practice is this?." Because, in the Koran backbiting has been defined as "eating the raw flesh of one's brother ". This kind of fasting can be performed especially by (with the terminologyof Sufism) the Hass-ul-Havass- (the cultured and enlightened people who have a perfect way of living in accordance with the Sunnat - The SYSTEM)

One other aspect of fasting is to abstain from seeing any action which is taking place in the Universe separate from the existence of Allah. This is the kind of fasting performed by those who know their origin, their truth.

1 Matthew 6/16-17

2 Man and His Mysteries (Ahmed Hulusi)

*dram: a measurement of weight used in the olden times, equivalent to 3 grams in the   metric system.

Ahmet F. Yuksel