Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and His Blessing and Reassurance be upon the Noblest of the Messengers, his family, companions, and followers.

Verily, Allah-SWT- does not place a burden on any soul greater than its Capacity (Wusa’aha).  “Wusa’aha” means someone’s endurance capacity, which is less than what he is able to do (Ability) (Takatahu), i.e. Allah increases his Ability (Takatahu) by adding more Capacity (wesa’) to it to endure the burden.

Allah says in the Quran “Ya Ayuha Al-ladhena Amanu Kotiba A’laikum As-Syam” which can be translated as (O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you..”.  We understand from this verse that what Allah prescribed to the believers is within their Capacity (Wesa’), and not within their ability as indicated by the verse that says, “Wa A’la Al-ladheena Youtekonahu Fedyiat Ta’am Miskeen” which can be translated as (Those who are not able to do it may effect a redemption by feeding one who is indigent).  The word “Youtekonahu” means “not able to”.

With the above in mind, we can safely conclude that As-Siam is within everyone’s capacity (Sea’h), while As-Sawm is not within the common people’s Takah, i.e. they are unable to do it.  It is narrated that so many fasting people may be gaining no more than hunger and thirst from their fasting.  To abstain from consuming food and drink is Siam, but it is the common people’s Siam, and for whoever desires to increase his “Capacity” to just short of his “Ability” let him achieve that by doing Sawm.

The first level of As-Sawm is done by the “Elite” (Sawm Al Khawas) who abstain from consuming any food and drink and any talk or action except the remembrance of Allah (SWT) (Dhikr Allah).

The next level is the Sawm of “the Elite of the Elite” (Khawas El Khawas) who abstain from everything other than Allah.  The ultimate goal of their Sawm is abstention from food, drink, and all things other than Allah including even Dhikr Allah to reach a higher goal, which is Allah Himself.

There are certain differences between As-Siam and As-Sawm, e.g. to abstain from talking with people is not part of  As-Siam, but it may be included with As-Sawm, as is evident by Allah’s saying to Mary (Sayyda Maryam) in the Quran “Fa Kuli Wa-Shraby Wa Kar-ry A’inan, Fa Emma Tarayn-na Min Al-Bashri Ahadan Fa Koli En-ni Nadhartu Lil-Rahmani Sawm-an Fa lan Okal-lim Al-Youma Enseyan” which can be translated as, (So eat and drink and cool your eye, and if you do see any man, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to Allah-Most Gracious, and this day I will enter into no talk with any human being’).  Also, Allah (SWT) talks on the tongue of His prophet Zachariah (Zakariya) (AS), “Kala Rab-bi Eja’l Li Aayahtan. Kal Aayatuka Al-la Tukal-lima An-Nasa Thalatha Layalin Sa-wyian” which can be translated as, (Zakariya said: “O my Lord! Give me a sign”.  “Your sign” was the answer, “Shall be that you shall speak to no man for three nights).  In another verse Allah says to Zakariya, “..Thalathata Ayiamin El-la Ramzan” which can be translated to, (..For three days but with signals).

We see from these verses that Sayida Maryam (RAA) and Sayidna Zakariya (AS) were in the rank of As-Sawm (Maqam As-Sawm) cause they were among the Elite of the Elite.  In this reference, Sayida Maryam alludes to the Awliaa, while Sayidna Zakariya alludes to the prophets and messengers, as As-Sawm is originally done by the prophets and the messengers, and is inherited by the Awliaa.

As for As-Siam, it is by the Mercy of Allah that he accepts it from the common people and makes it within their capacity (Sea’a), “La Youkal-lifu Allah-a Nafsan Ella Wusa’ha” which can mean, (Allah does not place a burden on any soul greater than its Capacity).

Dear reader, if you agree with to this conclusion, then my diligence is successful and I earn double the reward, but if you disagree with me, my diligence would have been mistaken and I would get one reward only.

There is no Power or Might except with Allah.

Original Arabic text was published in Al-Behira Wal-Akalim Journal- Issue #219

Filed under: Let It Be Good, O' Allah on January 17th, 2011