Fasting in the Bible, excerpted from Thomas McElwain's Islam in the Bible, argues that fasting was a complete daylight abstention during the ninth lunar month, joined with prayer, charity, and justice, as practiced by Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. The issue also carries Sam Levenson's beauty tips for his grandchild and points Young Enlightened Submitters to reading materials online.
The religious practices of Islam (Salat, Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj) were
given to Abraham and practiced by all messengers that followed him, including
Jesus.
Fasting is almost always mentioned in the
Bible along with special prayers of petition. Examples of such fasting
are in the time of Esther (Esther 4:3 and 9:31), in the experience of
Daniel (Daniel 6:18 and 9:3), and in the advice of Jesus (Matthew 17:21
and Mark 9:29). The words of David especially connect fasting with prayer
of petition: “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept:
for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the
child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring
him back again?” 2 Samuel 12:22-23.
In this text we see that fasting appears in the Bible along with weeping.
Dressing in sackcloth, sitting in ashes, and not wearing perfume are also
mentioned (Nehemiah 9:1; 1Kings 21:27). Proclaiming a fast
is often associated with a solemn assembly
as well (Joel 1:14; 2:15 et al.). It appears that special months of fasting
were instituted during the Babylonian captivity of Judah, probably in
view of the crisis (Zechariah 8:19). “Thus saith the Lord of hosts;
The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast
of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah
joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.”
This verse clearly suggests that these months of fasting would no longer
be observed when the reason for their existence, the Babylonian captivity,
disappeared.
But there is no specific legislation dealing with fasting. It is assumed
in the Bible text that everyone already knows that fasting is a valid
practice and how it should be done.
This may indicate that some portions of the
Torah have been lost, since legislation is assumed. In fact, the only
fasting mentioned in the Torah or books of Moses is the forty-day fast
of Moses (Exodus 34:28) “And he was there with the Lord forty days
and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.” From
this we can see that the fast of the Bible is not a partial one as in
Christianity, but complete: absolutely nothing can be eaten or drunk.
From the fast of Moses, of Elijah (1Kings 19:8), and of Jesus (Matthew
4:2), we can see that on certain occasions a fast of forty days was required.
The great length of this fast indicates that, since it is stated to be
complete, it must have permitted some
Page 2
Fasting in the Bible
Although many of the fasts mentioned in the Bible are certainly
personal vows and not general practice, some general fasting practices
are found. A specific fast day in mentioned in Jeremiah 36:6. “Therefore
go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth,
the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord’s
house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the
ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.” Here we
find a definite practice of fasting.
The following verses will show that this is not just a day of fasting,
but precisely a month. More detail on this day of fasting is given
in verse nine: “And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed
a fast before the Lord to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all
the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.”
This is not a special fast proclaimed by a religious ruler, because
this particular king was wicked. Nevertheless, he did follow the
formality of what was practiced: the month of fasting. The time
given for this fasting is stated to be the ninth month.
The season of the fast in this particular year, thought by many
scholars to be 604 B.C., is stated
to be in the winter. Jeremiah 36:22,
“Now the king sat in the winter house in the ninth month:
and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.” Now
the present Jewish calendar adds a thirteenth month from time to
time to match the solar year, so that the ninth month of the civil
year (used in the dates of kings’ reigns) falls in May or
June, summer in Palestine. If we project the lunar calendar presently
used in the Middle East back in history, we find that the ninth
month falls in November of the year 604 B.C. It appears that during
Bible times a purely lunar calendar was used, and the ninth month
was a month of fasting.
Bible fasting includes more than just not eating and drinking,
however. Isaiah 58 is the great fasting chapter of the Bible. “Behold,
in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors.
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist
of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your
voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen?
a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head
as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt
thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not
this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and
that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread
to the hungry, and that thou bring the
poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked,
that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own
flesh?” Isaiah 58:3-7. From this we see that fasting includes
avoiding certain pleasures on one hand, and doing acts of charity
and justice on the other. That is, there are some other pleasures
besides food and drink that must be avoided. Also, the central meaning
of the fast has to do with feeling for the hunger of the hungry
and doing something to alleviate it. In addition, especially the
practice of using sackcloth and ashes seems to be condemned. We
find the same condemnation, because of its connection with hypocrisy,
mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 6.
So we find fasting a basic, though unlegislated, practice throughout
the Bible, from Moses to Peter and Paul (Acts 10:30; 14:23; 27:33;
and 1Corinthians 7:5). In sum-mary, we can say that Biblical fast-ing
is the complete abstention from eating and drinking and some other
pleasures during the daylight hours of the days of the ninth month
of the lunar calendar. It includes acts of charity, alms and justice,
and the especial avoidance of anger and quarreling.
Excerpts from Chapter Seven of the book Islam in
the Bible by Thomas McElwain
Page 3
Beauty Tips
Sam Levenson wrote it for his grandchild:
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once
a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you'll never walk alone...
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, reclaimed
and redeemed and redeemed...
Never throw out anybody.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the
end of your arm.
As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One
for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
[Quoted from "Audrey Hepburn" by Barry Paris,
1996 Putnam]
Reported by Asiah Abdul Latif
Y.E.S.
Young Enlightened Submitters
There are reading materials available for our Young Enlightened
Submitters on the internet.
If you have access to internet, you can get to these materials
at submission.org/yes
About this work
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International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson