What inspires us to fast? In honor of those who are hungry, poverty stricken, and living in fear we fast. Brother Yahya Naqvi is back with some powerful verses about the philosophy and moral rationale behind fasting.
With food clean and a body immune of bacteria
I fast for the empty bellies of Nigeria
With a car in the driveway and no crime on my block
I fast for the frightening silence of every night in Iraq
I fast to retune and I fast to remind
That I have homeless people of mine in Palestine
I fast all throughout the day
In hope God shows me a way
To clean the lazy filth of a life so privileged
I am reminded of every village and town being pillaged
I need to fast not to stay in shape
I need to fast for the sisters being raped
Tied up, they can’t escape
And the pigs of Abu Ghraib have the evidence on tape
I need not fast to save money for the bank
Without true action there is no weight to my thanks
For there is a mother whose son was shot point blank
And the officer that shot him keeps rising in rank
With food clean and a body immune of bacteria
I fast for the empty bellies of Nigeria
With a car in the driveway and no crime on my block
I fast for the frightening silence of every night in Iraq
I fast to retune and I fast to remind
That I have homeless people of mine in Palestine
The oppressed suffer enough and I too shall endure
A little bit of thirst helps me envision the pain of Darfur
I shall remain a little hungry and not feel so spoiled
To remind myself non-Muslims control the holy Meccan soil
I shall pray all my prayers, no matter the heat
To remember the occupying forces that refuse to retreat
I shall not take a sip and I shall not eat a crumb
Till I fulfill the duty to the Lord from whom we all come
Now you know why the plates is empty, so is my glass
Because there are people in need and for them I’m in fast
