Fasting as a means to Improve Conduct

In this Discourse, Shaykh Fadhlallah reflects upon the phenomena of abstention and fasting prevalent in world cultures and spiritual teaching as fundamental principles in the refinement of conduct and drive towards higher consciousness. The talk begins with an overview of the origin of spiritual systems religious pursuits globally. The evidence of history, archeological discoveries, sociological insights are used as indications in presenting that seeking truth, reality or the origin has been at the heart of the human story for thousands of years. The desire and drive to live optimally, that ultimately reflects the desire to move beyond limitations and enter Sacred Consciousness or higher consciousness. The discourse then moves into presenting the basis and purpose of restriction and expansion as a means of purification of the heart, with reference to the Muhammadi traditions and Qur’anic transmissions. The speaker continues with a deeper exposition on various essential meanings of the Islamic path with reference to multiple Qur’anic root words, verses and meaning’s and their interplay with key issues: The fundamental patterns of life, worship and the drive for transcendence, dynamics of experience and accountability, trust, Self-Soul interplay, and the basis of personal responsibility in the purification of heart and the refinement of conduct and living the fullness of the path. Important note’s and Key excerpts: “In order to achieve personal transformative worship, restrict all these things, restriction of all five senses; restriction of the tongue and restriction of the mind. Then enter into ‘sajda’ -prostration and experience the ‘mi’ raj’ - Take off, to another zone of consciousness by acknowledging your limited, restricted consciousness. Every now and then, you will have access, by experience, to limitless consciousness. And that is the dīn! The dīn as it was in the early days” - SFH “That is the purpose of our restriction of the outer: to have expansion, and to have a horizon, in the inner. Otherwise it remains sets of rituals without transformation. That transformation is only up to you, if you improve your intention. If you come with the right courtesy to the Presence of the sacred Light.” - SFH