THE THREE CLASSES OF FASTING
In his Kitaab, Tableeghud Deen, Imaam Ghazali (rahmatullah alayh) says:
“Fasting,.with regard to quality, are of three kinds:
(1) The Saum of the Awam (general public-the masses). Their fast consists of only abstention from the physical acts which nullify the fast. While they abstain from eating, etc., they involve their bodies in sin. Such saum is merely fasting in name. (Only the Fardh obligation is discharged thereby).
(2) In addition to abstaining from food, etc., the Sa-im (fasting person) restrains the body from acting in violation of the Shariah. He withholds his tongue from gheebat and eyes from casting gazes at ghair mahareem. This is the middle category of fasting.
(3) The third category of fasting is the Saum of the elite servants of Allah Ta’ala, viz. the Muttaqeen. In addition to their limbs abstaining from transgression, their hearts and minds arc perpetually engrossed in thikrullah. At all times, in their hearts there is nothing but the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. This is fasting in the state of kamal (perfection)”.