Fasting That God Doesn't See: When Hunger and Thirst Have No Meaning

Have we ever imagined, after a day of enduring hunger and thirst, holding back the desert in our throats and the temptation of raging lust, then Allah said, "“I don't need all this”? Not because we don't pray, not because we don't do tarawih, but because this tongue is unable to restrain itself from something called Qaul az-Zur-words that deviate from the truth.

In the hustle and bustle of Ramadan, which we often measure by how long we fast or how much we recite the Koran, there is a deeper dimension that often goes unnoticed: that fasting is not just an empty ritual, but a spiritual dialogue between the servant and his Lord.

And in that dialogue, Allah teaches that He is All-Rich, requiring nothing from us—including our hunger. So why should we starve if what comes out of our mouths is still lies, backbiting, slander, and foul language?

Imagine the words of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. Narrated by Imam Bukhari hangs over our heads every time we fast: “Whoever does not abandon false speech (qaul az-zur) and does good deeds with it, then Allah does not need him to leave his food and drink.”

Subhanallah.This sentence is not just a warning, it is a gentle slap to anyone who thinks fasting is only a matter of the stomach. Hadith scholars, such as Ibnu Hajar Al-Asqalani in Fathul BariIts monumental nature captures the deep meaning of this saying.

When Allah "doesn't need" our hunger, it means the door to reward is wide open, but we choose to enter an empty space. We experience thirst, we experience fatigue, but the envelope of reward returns intact, untouched. All that remains is a weak body, devoid of an enlightened soul.

Meanwhile, out there, there are so many people who fast but still have razor-sharp tongues. They can hold down rice and water, but they can't stop themselves from gossiping about their neighbors, spreading slander in office groups, or bearing false witness for worldly gain.

In fact, Imam An-Nawawi in his syarah on Sahih Muslim reminds us that a perfect fast is one in which all members fast: the eyes fast from seeing what is haram, the ears fast from hearing gossip, Andoral fasting of all forms qaul az-zur.

Have we ever considered that every word that comes from our lips is both a prayer and a boomerang? That when we tell lies, we are actually building a castle of illusion that will eventually collapse on us?

That false testimony, which falls into the category qaul az-zur, mentioned in many narrations as a major sin on a par with polytheism? So how is it possible that we, who are fasting, who are supposedly in a "school of piety," actually pass the test of guarding our tongues with a zero?

Imam Al-Ghazali, the proof of Islam, beautifully divides fasting into three levels in Ihya' Ulumuddin-his. There is a general fast: only holding the stomach and genitals. There is a special fast: all members of the body fast from sin. And there is a particularly special fast: the heart fasts from everything that neglects Allah.

When we are still busy with qaul az-zur, With hurtful words and the prejudices we voice, we haven't even entered the gates of special fasting. We remain stuck at the lowest level, while we never attain the abundant rewards of the highest.

Interestingly, Ibn Qudamah in Al-Mughni citing the views of the the Salaf That keeping one's tongue from uttering lies is harder than holding back hunger. Because hunger is a physical thing that can be trained, while the tongue is a reflection of the heart that can sometimes be uncontrollable. We can hold back rice all day, but holding back harsh comments on social media? gossip while waiting for the time to break the fast? Holding back small lies for momentary gain? That's necessary jihad the greater one.

So, during this long Ramadan, let us ask ourselves: Why am I fasting? If the answer is simply fear of hell or simply following the crowd, perhaps we haven't found the essence. But if we want this fast to be accepted, lifted to heaven, and recorded as a valuable deed, then control our tongue. Because an unguarded tongue is the most silent destroyer of rewards. It works like a termite: invisible, but devouring wood from within.

Ramadan Reflection

In this holy month, when Satan is chained and the gates of heaven are opened, ironically, we can still be 'devils' to our fellow humans—simply with our words. Yet, every word we utter while fasting should be... prayer beads, become a prayer, become dhikr. But if those words change to qaul az-zur, then we are writing a decree that our fasting this year will probably only be remembered as a mere memory of hunger - not as an investment in the afterlife.

Allah is All-Rich, He does not need our hunger. But we, who poor and need forgiveness, really need the reward of fasting. Don't let it happen qaul az-zur become a veil that prevents our fasting from ascending to heaven. Let's make every breath this month an act of worship, and every word we speak a blessing. Because if not in this month of Ramadan, when else will we learn to guard our tongues?

God doesn't need our hunger, but we need His grace. Don't waste your fast on meaningless words.

And God knows best bish shawaab