Fasting Strengthens Willpower, Improves Self-Control
Fasting provides an opportunity to practice patience and resilience against temptations and desires.
When a person refrains from eating and drinking for a specific period, they achieve greater self-control and bolster their willpower.
Willpower is one of the important human traits that plays a fundamental role in personal success and progress. Strong willpower helps individuals resist challenges and hardships, enabling them to achieve their goals.
The concept of willpower is also emphasized significantly in the Holy Quran. One of its Quranic equivalents is “Azm”.
The Quran says in Verse 159 of Surah Al Imran, “When you are resolved, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who trust.” This verse shows that willpower and reliance on God can help a person achieve their goals.
We read in Verse 54 of Surah Yusuf, “Yet I do not consider my soul was innocent, surely the soul incites to evil except to whom my Lord has mercy; indeed, my Lord is Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”
This verse highlights the role of willpower and self-control in resisting temptation and sin.
One of the benefits of fasting is the strengthening of willpower and self-control. Fasting provides an opportunity to practice patience and resilience against temptations and desires.
When a person abstains from eating and drinking for a set period of time, they achieve self-control and bolster their willpower. This resistance against the natural cravings of the body, in obedience to God’s command, creates a foundation for enhancing self-control. In Hadiths, there are reference to how fasting helps to strengthen willpower.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that God, the Almighty, has said that if someone does not refrain their limbs and body from what He has prohibited, He has no need to see them abstain from eating and drinking for His sake.
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This Hadith indicates that fasting serves not only as an act of worship but also as a tool for strengthening willpower and resisting temptations. Additionally, fasting teaches individuals how to withstand immediate and fleeting desires and remain committed to their long-term goals. This skill is also highly beneficial in daily life, helping individuals resist social pressures and material temptations.
Overall, fasting, as a spiritual and psychological practice, aids individuals in gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationship with God. This deeper insight enables a person to better withstand life’s challenges and move toward their goals with stronger determination. Thus, fasting is not only a form of worship but also a powerful tool for enhancing willpower and self-control, which can positively impact all aspects of an individual’s life.
