An Islamic scholar stressed the importance and benefits of fasting during the month of Ramadan for San Quentin’s Muslim community.
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed before you; that you may learn self restraint,” said Shaykh Atik Pathan, a short, Indian-born scholar and Hafiz – a person who memorized the nearly 7,000 verses of the Holy Qur’an 2:185.
“The human soul has two faculties,” he said during his Jummah – Friday Kutbah (speach). “The first faculty is Daring, Initiating. The second faculty is Restraint. All depend upon the first faculty, and all prohibitions depends upon the second faculty. The first human and prophet – Adam, (upon be peace), was tested with the second faculty of restraint,” he stated referring to the story of Adam and Eve, (peace be upon them), approaching the forbidden tree. “So fasting strengthens our faculty of self restraint,” he said.
Ramadan, which literately means intensive heat, is the month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, over 1,400 years ago.
The ocean of fasting hungry faces in the crowded Interfaith Chapel included many nonMuslim participants. This year Ramadan fasting without food or water covered 16.5 hours each day for 30 days.
“260 are still fasting” as of July 19, said San Quentin Muslim Chaplain Imam Kawsar Hossain.
One non-Muslim from H-Unit said he joined the fasting “to learn discipline.” A North Block inmate said “to stop watching so much TV.” Yet another said “to loose some weight.”
A newly Shahaditain Muslim from West Block, Abdul Waqib, quoted the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who said: “Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger, performs the prayer and observes fasting during the month of Ramadan, then it will be a promise binding upon Allah to admit him (or her) to Paradise.” (Hadith -Shahih al burkari 4/2790)
Ramadan notes the time when Allah through the angel Gabriel revealed the Qur’an as detailed in Chapter 96, verses one through fi ve. Three times the angel commanded “Iqra,” which means read. “But I cannot read,” replied the Prophet (pbuh) twice. The third time the angel instructed: “Read in the name of your Lord, who created all that exists. Who has created man from a clot of blood. Read and your Lord is Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man which he knew not.”
