A Scholarly Analysis of Issues Related to Fasting and Their Educational Aspects in Tafsir Ma'alem Al-Irfan Fi Durus Al-Quran

Abstract

This article presents a scholarly analysis of the issues related to fasting (Ṣawm) and its educational dimensions, as discussed in the Tafsīr Maʿālim al-ʿIrfān fī Durūs al-Qurʾān. Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, is obligatory for every adult Muslim and serves as a means of developing taqwā (God-consciousness), patience, and self-accountability. The article examines the various rulings and spiritual dimensions of fasting with a particular focus on the moral and educational aspects emphasized in the tafsīr. These include the importance of sincere intention (niyyah), the significance of suḥūr and iftār, the prohibitions during fasting, the practice of iʿtikāf (spiritual retreat), and the rulings on compensating missed fasts and paying kaffārah. Each of these elements is discussed not only in terms of jurisprudence but also in light of the character-building and ethical training they offer such as promoting sincerity, discipline, repentance, generosity, and awareness of divine presence. The study concludes that fasting is a comprehensive training process that enhances an individual's spiritual, moral, social, and physical well-being.

Keywords: Tafsīr Maʿālim al-ʿIrfān fī Durūs al-Qurʾān, Fasting, Islam, patience, iʿtikāf, suḥūr and iftār, kaffārah