Question For Muslims About Jesus

Thunderian

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I was thinking about Ramadan today and the thought struck me that Christians and Muslims may have a different view on this.

In the 40-day fast that Jesus undertook after his baptism, was it from sun up to sundown, or was it a total, round the clock, fast for the entire length of time?

Just curious what the thoughts on this are from Muslims.
 

Trenton

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I always assumed he fasted 24/7 for 40 days. It didn't state otherwise at least.

Though being Christ he would assumedly be the only human able to do this.

But I'm not Muslim, I'm curious what they think of this as well.
 

Thunderian

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The Christian view is that he fasted the full 40 days from food, but not water, and this is doable for humans.
 
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I was thinking about Ramadan today and the thought struck me that Christians and Muslims may have a different view on this.

In the 40-day fast that Jesus undertook after his baptism, was it from sun up to sundown, or was it a total, round the clock, fast for the entire length of time?

Just curious what the thoughts on this are from Muslims.
It may have been either. Personally, I haven't seen a text which clarifies it. God tells us in the Quran that Moses fasted thirty nights plus ten:

And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added ten, and he completed the term, appointed by his Lord, of forty nights...

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the guidance that He sent to them by speaking directly to Musa and revealing the Tawrah to him. In it, was their law and the details of their legislation. Allah stated here that He appointed thirty nights for Musa. The scholars of Tafsir said that Musa fasted in those days and did not need any food.

At times Prophet Muhammad would fast straight through without breaking his fast and other times he would fast from sun up to sun down. The Islamic ruling on fasting is no food, water or sexual relations with spouse from the break of day until sunset. This is made clear in the Quran.

I found this article which was interesting:

The Gospel of Matthew shows that Jesus “fasted forty days and forty nights” (Matthew 4:21). The Gospel of Luke adds the detail that “in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” (Luke 4:2). Since Jesus fasted, his true followers will also fast, if they indeed follow his teachings. He said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). People had complained to Jesus saying, “Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink”“ (Luke 5:33). But Jesus replied that as long as he is with them his disciples should not fast, but after he is taken away then “they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:35). This is why Jesus also gave them instructions on how to fast for the sake of God (Matthew 6:16-18). If they were never to fast, such instructions would be pointless. The Bible shows that the disciples were fasting afterwards: “they had fasted and prayed” (Acts 13:3), and again they had “prayed with fasting” (Acts 14:23). The Bible mentions fasting as one of the observances of a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:5), and “fastings often” as a proof of the worth of a disciple of Jesus. Luke 5:33 quoted above reveals that (a) fasting means abstinence from eating and drinking, and, (b) that although the disciples were not to fast until after Jesus was taken away, Jesus himself continued to fast, otherwise the complaint would have been against him also. It is clear that the Jewish Rabbis were fasting (Matthew 9:14, and Mark 2:18). And Jesus too was called a Rabbi (see John 1:38; 3:2; 6:25 and Matthew 23:8). So he too must have been fasting.

The disciples were unable to drive out a demon from a boy, but Jesus drove it out. When the disciples asked how he did it, he said that this kind can be driven out only “by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). This shows that because the disciples were not fasting they could not drive out the demon, and, that Jesus could drive it out because he was fasting. Some copyists attempted to change this verse by leaving out the words “and fasting”. This is how, for example, the Revised Standard Version reads. But this reading gives the passage an impossible meaning that Jesus’s disciples were not praying either. This is perhaps why the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version restores the words “and fasting”. The New Testament From the Ancient Eastern Text also includes the words “and fasting” (Mark 9:29).


God rescued us from this uncertainty by revealing his final incorruptible message in which He instructs all able believers to fast for a month each year. Today Jesus’ true followers are still fasting according to God’s pure instructions. Muslims are the true followers of Jesus and all of God’s Messengers.


Further Reading

What Jesus said about Jesus


 

Thunderian

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The disciples were unable to drive out a demon from a boy, but Jesus drove it out. When the disciples asked how he did it, he said that this kind can be driven out only “by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). This shows that because the disciples were not fasting they could not drive out the demon, and, that Jesus could drive it out because he was fasting. Some copyists attempted to change this verse by leaving out the words “and fasting”. This is how, for example, the Revised Standard Version reads. But this reading gives the passage an impossible meaning that Jesus’s disciples were not praying either.
Great example of how some versions of the Bible try and water down the power of God's word.

Here's a list of the top five best-selling English translations of the Bible. The ones in red, the King James and the New King James, are the only ones who keep the words "and fasting" in Mark 9:29.

New International Version.
King James Version.
New Living Translation.
New King James Version.
English Standard Version.

Compare the rest at this site.

Luke 5:33 quoted above reveals that (a) fasting means abstinence from eating and drinking
The Bible tells us of three different kinds of fasting.

There's a regular fast like the one that Jesus subjected himself to after his baptism, where he ate nothing, but obviously drank.

There's the partial, or specific type of fast that Daniel underwent, where you give up one or more specific items. He said, I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth.

And there's the total fast, like what Paul subjected to after his conversion, where nothing is eaten or drunk. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. This is also the kind of fast that Queen Esther called for:

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise;
It seems like three days is the max for that kind of fast.
 

Haich

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We fast from dawn to dusk making sure at dawn we have a filling meal. This doesn't have to be a roast dinner lol I usually have porridge, pancakes etc. Usual breakfast foods. Smoothies are great too

During daylight hours as Grateful Servant mentioned, we abstain from sexual activities, food and water. It really clears your mind and allows you to find the spiritual perspective we all crave. You also have an insight into how starvation affects those who are less fortunate than us. We're encouraged to increase charity during this time, helping out at local homeless shelters or donating unwanted clothes are key things which don't cost anything except your time

It's not clear if Jesus fasted straight for 40 days or if he broke his fast at dusk and resumed at dawn, either way I think we should all try fast at least once a week. Such a rewarding act!
 

Haich

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It's doable by humans. Not specifically by this human. I don't plan on trying it. :)
The first day is gruelling but by the 3rd day your body adjusts and it's prettt amazing how much you can achieve on just air and patience lol
 

Thunderian

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We fast from dawn to dusk making sure at dawn we have a filling meal. This doesn't have to be a roast dinner lol I usually have porridge, pancakes etc. Usual breakfast foods. Smoothies are great too

During daylight hours as Grateful Servant mentioned, we abstain from sexual activities, food and water. It really clears your mind and allows you to find the spiritual perspective we all crave. You also have an insight into how starvation affects those who are less fortunate than us. We're encouraged to increase charity during this time, helping out at local homeless shelters or donating unwanted clothes are key things which don't cost anything except your time

It's not clear if Jesus fasted straight for 40 days or if he broke his fast at dusk and resumed at dawn, either way I think we should all try fast at least once a week. Such a rewarding act!
I agree with the benefits of fasting 100%. My wife and I fasted together before we got married, and since then we've fasted together and separately to seek God's will by denying ourselves. It cleans you out on a lot of different levels, doesn't it?
 

Haich

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I agree with the benefits of fasting 100%. My wife and I fasted together before we got married, and since then we've fasted together and separately to seek God's will by denying ourselves. It cleans you out on a lot of different levels, doesn't it?
It really does, I felt so much lighter and a lot of stress was just gone from my head. I stopped overthinking and was so grateful and thankful for everything I had !
 

Camidria

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We also fast every now and again for different things, and it is truly rewarding! I Have never been able though to do a full fast, usually we eat one meal of vegetables a day and the rest of the time we are on water. Usually the answers in our prayers comes swiftly and God has always been faithful!
 
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Gospel always has multilayered meanings. Fasting on a strictly mechanical level means not providing your body with food (or very little of it). On a spiritual level it means fasting from the world and repel temptation entirely, which is illustratred by Satan's temptations in the desert.

On a sidenote: there's a logion in the Gospel of Thomas that goes as follows:

"If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the (Father’s) kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath [of the] (*) Sabbath (fast from the world) you will not see the Father."

Controversial logion due to the variety in which it is translated. The above would be a translation of Jean-Marie Servin who argues that the general English translation which say "if you do not observe the sabbath as a sabbath, you will not see the father" should be "sabbath of the sabbath" instead, amplifying the need to abstain from the sabbath. According to Antoine Guillaumont, the expression should be correctly read as "to fast from this world", a basic reiteration of the logion's first part.


The Christian view is that he fasted the full 40 days from food, but not water, and this is doable for humans.
 
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