Allah Almighty is Al-Quddus, meaning He is entirely pure. In the Hereafter, He will bestow His grace upon those who are pure. These are the people who will be deserving of His pure and clean paradise. Purity is the ultimate goal for which Allah sent His prophets and revealed His guidance in the form of religion. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi has elucidated this reality while describing Allah’s attribute Al-Quddus. He writes:
“Al-Quddus” is entirely free from any flaw, defect, evil, or imperfection. Because of this, He sent down books and sent messengers to purify His servants so that they may become deserving of His proximity by becoming pure. In Surah Al-Jumu’ah, by referring to both the attributes ‘Malik’ (The Sovereign) and ‘Quddus’ (The Holy), Reference to his attributes is given in these words: ‘Al-Malik (the sovereign), Al-Quddus (the holy), Al-Aziz (the powerful), Al-Hakeem (the wise).’ Then, the appropriate clarification of these attributes is provided as follows: ‘He it is Who has raised among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites to them His Verses, purifies them.
“A little deliberation would clarify that the reason why the Messenger and the Book were sent was also because He is the Sovereign. Being a Sovereign necessitates that He sends His ambassadors to His subjects and His commands as well, and purifies His servants. Therefore, He wanted to be known as Pure and Holy. He cannot tolerate that His servants remain tainted with sins.” (Tadabbur-e-Quran 8/312-3)
The closer human beings get to the Sovereign, the Holy King, the purer they become. Worship enhances this closeness, resulting in the purification of the human self. If we use the analogy of cultivation and farming on land, then the instructions for purifying the body, purifying food and drink, and purifying morals are like clearing the weeds and removing impurities from the field of the human self so that it becomes capable of producing the crop of righteous deeds. Worship cultivates this crop and takes care of its growth. According to the Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, through worship, the purification of the self achieves perfection. He writes:
“The purpose of religion is purification. The means to reach the pinnacle of perfection is to establish a proper relationship between Allah and His servants. The stronger this relationship becomes, the more progress one makes in the purification of knowledge and action. Love, fear, sincerity, loyalty, and the emotions of appreciation and recognition for the boundless blessings and endless favors of Allah are the inner manifestations of this relationship. Generally, the manifestation of this relationship in a person’s daily life occurs in three forms: worship, obedience, and support. The acts of worship in the religion of the prophets (peace be upon them) serve as reminders of this relationship. Prayer and charity are forms of worship. The essence of sacrifice and pilgrimage also embodies the same. Fasting and seclusion represent obedience, while Hajj signifies support and devotion for the sake of Allah.” (Meezan, 267)
Among these acts of worship, the first and most important is prayer. It purifies a person from the impurities of sins and serves as a means to achieve the goal of self-purification in religion. Where the Quran has set purity as a condition for success, it has presented remembrance of Allah and prayer as the means to achieve it.
The Almighty says:
“It is this purification which is the objective of religion and whose reward will be given to a human being in the Hereafter in the form of Paradise. The Almighty has very concisely mentioned here the way to achieve this objective: one should adhere to God’s remembrance with a true comprehension of His attributes and should submit to Him with all his being. The prayer is the greatest manifestation of this remembrance and this submission.” (al-Bayan 5/439)
Therefore, for a person who desires purity and seeks success in the Hereafter as a result, the best way is to establish prayer. After the command to establish prayer in Surah Fatir, the verse: And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his own self. And to Allah is the [final] destination clearly illustrates the benefits of prayer. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi elaborates on this:
“It indicates towards the benefits of prayer that a person who wants to alleviate the burden of sins and desires purification should focus on establishing prayer instead of relying on false supports. This practice will cleanse him of sins, and whoever achieves purity will benefit himself. Since Allah does not need anyone’s worship or obedience, rather it is humans who are in need of it, and everyone’s return is ultimately towards Him.” (Tadabbur-e-Quran 6/370)
However, successful shall be he who spiritually purified [himself] and for this he remembered his Lord’s name, then prayed. (Q 87:14-5)
Explaining how prayer cleanses the self of an individual, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi states that in every prayer, a person makes a covenant with his Lord that He will protect him from sins. After some intervals, when the next prayer comes, he renews his covenant. He begins his day with prayer and completes it with prayer. Therefore, prayer encompasses his day and night, and ultimately his entire life. If a person performs it with full consciousness, then the impurities affecting his inner and outer being are continuously cleansed. He writes:
“Prayer removes sins. When a person stands for prayer with true consciousness, he renews his covenant with God that he will abstain from disobedience. As a result, he feels remorse for the faults between one prayer and the next, and returns to the busyness of life with a new determination and intention to avoid them. Reflect on it, and you will find that this is also the reality of repentance. Regarding repentance, it is known that it purifies a person from sins.”
For this reason, Allah Almighty says:
“Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he bathed five times a day, would any filth remain on him?’ The people said: ‘No filth would remain on him.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘That is like the five daily prayers. Allah wipes away sins by them.'” (Meezan 272-273)
Zakah linguistically means increase, growth, purity, and cleanliness. These meanings are also included in its terminological concept. Therefore, it is that portion of wealth which, along with increasing one’s wealth, also purifies the giver. It is evident from this that the purpose of this act of worship is also self-purification. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi writes:
And Listen! [O Prophet! To remain steadfast in this path,] be diligent in the prayer in both parts of the day and in the early part of the night also. In reality, virtues take away vices. This is a reminder for those who are willing to be reminded. (Q 11:114)
…The purpose of Zakah is the same as that of the entire religion. It purifies the soul from the impurities that can arise from love of wealth, brings blessings in wealth, and increases the purity of the human self. Spending in the way of Allah is a minimum requirement because it is obligatory for a Muslim to fulfill it in all circumstances. However, one does not necessarily obtain everything from it that is obtained by fulfilling the general demands of expenditure. Nevertheless, it causes a person’s heart to become attached to their Lord, and it distances them from heedlessness of Allah to a great extent, which often occurs due to attachment to the world and its material possessions. As mentioned by Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him): ‘The heart of man lies where his wealth is.’ This statement does not require evidence. Whenever a person wishes, he can experiment by spending wealth for the cause of Allah.”
The Quran itself has very clearly elucidated the purpose of Zakah. Allah Almighty says:
In Surah Al-Layl, the characteristic of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is mentioned that he spends his wealth for the purpose of attaining purity, and it is clarified that this spending serves as a safeguard against the Fire (of Hell). The Surah reads:
Fasting is a special form of worship that disciplines the self. It is a manifestation of divine obedience. In it, a person refrains from permissible things as per the command of Allah. The purpose of fasting is for people to attain piety. The Almighty says:
Accept the charity of their wealth so that you may cleanse them and purify them. (Q 9:103)
And the charity you give to please God through it, it is they that give it who increase their wealth with God. (Q 30:39)
And [Our Prophet] – the extremely God-fearing shall certainly be kept away from it, who spends his wealth to purify his soul. (Q 92:17-8)
[These are the limits set by God and only they cannot cross them who fear Him; therefore,] Believers! The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was made obligatory upon those before you so that you become fearful of God. (Q 2:183)
To explain the purpose of fasting, here the words “لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ” (so that you may become righteous) are used. It means that righteousness is instilled within you. The meaning of righteousness is that a person restrains themselves and lives within the limits and boundaries prescribed by Allah. They are constantly fearful of breaking these boundaries, fearing that they might become deserving of Allah’s punishment and deprived of the paradise reserved for those familiar with these limits. Allah has stated that the inheritors of His paradise are only those who are righteous. The Almighty says:
This is the Paradise that We shall give in inheritance to those among Our servants who fear God. (Q 19;63)
From some other Quranic verses, it is clear that the reward of paradise is also for those who strive for purification. The Almighty says:
This means that the goal and destination of both piety (taqwa) and purification (tazkiyah) are the same, and that destination is paradise. By adopting piety, purification is achieved, the reward of which is paradise. And to attain purification, one must adopt piety, the ultimate outcome of which is the sovereignty of paradise.
The purpose here is to explain that fasting also leads to the same destination of purification, where other acts of worship also lead.
To understand how piety is attained through fasting, three points should be considered according to Javed Ahmad Ghamidi:
“Firstly, fasting awakens in the mind of a person with full force the realization that they are the servant of Allah. It begins with the suppression of certain lawful demands of the soul, and gradually this feeling of servitude begins to grow until it completely surrounds the individual’s being till the time of breaking the fast. From dawn to sunset, not a morsel of food or a drop of water passes through the throat of the fasting person, and they deny every demand of the soul by fulfilling the command of their Lord. When this practice of fasting is repeated, the reality of being a servant of Allah settles deep within the hidden chambers of the soul. It becomes ingrained in one’s mind that one is a servant of a Lord. For a servant, the adornment of life is to submit and acknowledge Master’s command in both thought and action, relinquishing personal freedom and autonomy. From this, it is evident that a person’s faith in God becomes alive in every aspect, after which they believe in not just a God, but in a hearing, seeing, knowledgeable, wise, and just entity, who is aware of all their apparent and hidden actions, and whose obedience they cannot deviate from in any circumstance. This is the foremost step in fostering piety.
Secondly, fasting also brings forth the feeling in the depths of the heart and soul that one day they will have to present themselves before their Lord for accountability. Though every Muslim believes this, during fasting, when thirst tightens, hunger gnaws, and the urgencies of passion demand satisfaction with full force, every person knows that the only satisfaction is in answering this call, which prevents them from fulfilling the demands of the body and the genitals. Throughout the month of Ramadan, every moment, the fasting persons keep reminding themselves that they have to present themselves to their Lord one day. In such intense heat that causes thirst to parch the throat, when drinks are available, they could easily drink, but they do not; when hunger pangs are unbearable, food is available, yet they abstain from it; when a young married couple could easily satisfy their desires in seclusion, they choose not to. This is not an ordinary devotion. It is a devotion which ensures that the sense of accountability before Allah becomes deeply rooted in the heart and mind. The sense of being answerable to Allah becomes so strong that fasting person is unable to deviate in any circumstance. In order to foster piety, if we contemplate, the second most effective thing is fasting.
Orchards of eternal residence beneath which streams flow. They shall live in them forever. And this is the reward of those who adopt purity. (Q 20:76)
Thirdly, it is necessary to have patience for piety, and fasting teaches a person patience. Indeed, perhaps there is no better or more effective way for nurturing patience than fasting. In the worldly test we face, what is the reality other than the fact that on one side, we have the strong desires of our animalistic existence, and on the other side, Allah Almighty demands that we live our lives within His boundaries? This situation demands patience on every step. Truthfulness, righteousness, tolerance, forbearance, commitment to promises, justice, forgiveness, avoidance of denials, abstaining from obscenities, and steadfastness on the truth are qualities that are meaningless without piety, and without patience, it is apparent that these qualities cannot manifest in a person.” (Meezan 363-364)
Worships of Hajj and Umrah are symbolic expressions of engaging in a fierce battle against Satan and overcoming the enemy. It is a test for humans in their worldly life that Satan and his progeny are actively engaged in leading them astray from the straight path, along with their entire army. Their plan is to deprive humans of the eternal kingship of paradise. Scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi writes:
“Allah Almighty has revealed that from the creation of Adam, His scheme has been established in this world. Satan declared war against him from the very first day: ‘He (Satan) said, “Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful.”‘ (Quran, 7:16-17). It is stated in the Quran that this challenge of Satan has been accepted, and Allah’s servants are engaged in a relentless battle with their eternal enemy and his progeny until the Day of Judgment. This worldly life is a test in which our eternal destiny depends on success or failure.” (Meezan 373)
The greatest weapon Satan uses to lead humans astray is to tempt them towards indecency and evil. When humans become involved in these temptations, their existence and soul become tainted by these impurities. Conversely, if they reject Satan’s temptations and protect themselves from evil, their souls become purified. Satan tempts towards indecency and evil, which is why Allah has forbidden following in his footsteps. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
Sacrifice, prayer, and giving Zakah are expressions of worship to Allah. Their purpose is to show gratitude to Allah. As a result, they cultivate piety within a person, which brings about Allah’s pleasure. Regarding the meat of sacrifice, Allah has declared:
Explaining this divine decree, Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
Believers! Do not follow the footsteps of Satan and [remember that] he who follows the footsteps of Satan will only ruin himself because he entices [people to] lewdness and evil. (Q 24:21)
Neither does their flesh reach God nor their blood; in fact, only your piety reaches Him. (Q 22;37)
“It means that Allah is not pleased with the meat or blood of sacrifices, as the polytheists assume, but rather He is pleased with the piety and obedience to Islam that arises within those who offer these sacrifices. So, while offering these sacrifices, cultivate the spirit of piety within yourself. If this does not happen, it is merely shedding the blood of an animal, and there is no benefit in that.” (Tadabbur-e-Quran 5/251).
The reality of it is to present oneself before Allah. Sacrificing the animal for Allah signifies that we have dedicated our life to Him, and He may take it whenever He wills, and He may command us to sacrifice our lives in His way whenever He pleases. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi has elaborated on this reality of sacrifice in the following words:
‘The reality of it is just like that of Zakah, but it’s not about wealth, rather it’s about offering one’s life. It’s about dedicating oneself in place of the animal, which we free by sacrificing that animal as a replacement. Apparently, it’s offering oneself up for death, but upon reflection, this death is actually the gateway to true life. The almighty Allah says: “And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision” (Q 3:169). The Quran has made it clear at one point that just as prayer is our life with Allah, sacrifice is our death for His cause.'”
When the instruction was given to Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to sacrifice his son, and in place of his son, a sacrifice of an animal was made and this event was made a memorable one for future generations, then Allah Almighty said: “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice” (Q 37:107). It meant that Ibrahim’s vow was accepted and generation after generation of people would commemorate the event through their sacrifices.
From this point of view, it becomes clear that the sacrifice is the pinnacle of perfection of worship. Turning our face and the faces of animals towards the Kaaba, we say “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar (in the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest)” and dedicate our animals to our Lord in the state of standing or prostration, signifying that in reality, we are dedicating ourselves to Him.
This vow is the reality of Islam because the essence of Islam is to submit oneself entirely and offer one’s most cherished possessions, even one’s life, to Allah Almighty. Sacrifice, upon reflection, appears as the representation of this reality.” (Meezan 303-4)
Say: My prayer and my sacrifice, my life and my death, all are for God, Lord of the Universe. (Q 6:162)