The Fast Observed by the Entire Body
In Islamic ethics, true piety (taqwa) is not limited to protecting the stomach from forbidden foods. It is a genuine act of servitude to safeguard all organs, especially the eyes, ears, and hands, from actions that Allah does not approve of. Imam Ghazali says that just as you protect your belly during iftar, it is essential to restrain your eyes from looking at what is unlawful and your ears from listening to gossip. Otherwise, the sins committed by the eyes or ears poison and darken the heart like a forbidden morsel taken into the body.
The Spiritual Poison of Looking at What is Forbidden
The eye is the largest gateway to the heart. Whatever the eye sees and focuses on, the heart becomes preoccupied with it. Abdulqadir al-Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) strongly advises against opening the eyes to what is forbidden and not leading the body into evil. “Do not open your eyes to what is forbidden… If you do, strength will be given to you to remember goodness.” Looking at what is unlawful is considered by Sufi masters as a poisonous arrow from Satan. When this poisonous arrow strikes the heart, it shatters divine love and sincerity within it, replacing them with carnal desires.
Managing Organs Through Constant Vigilance
The complete protection of organs from forbidden acts is possible only when the heart becomes aware that it is under Allah’s constant observation (murakaba). If a person attains the realization in mind and heart, “My Lord is seeing me right now,” then their hand will not reach for theft, and their feet will not lead them to places of wrongdoing. Keeping the body in a perpetual state of fasting against evil keeps the intellect and heart alive. When the inner world becomes connected to Truth, the external organs naturally begin to act in accordance with Islamic etiquette and the Sunnah.