Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib (a.

Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib (a.s.), quoting his cousin the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), says: "Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadhan out of faith and seeking Allah's pleasure and guards his ears, eyes and tongue from harming people, Allah will accept his fasting, forgive his past sins...,,* Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) relates the Prophet's advice to Jabir ibn Abdullah: "o Jabir, whoever, fasts the days of Ratnadh an, stands for prayers in parts of its nights, guards his/her sexual desires, reins in his/her tongue, lowers his/her gaze and injures, not the feelings of others, will become free of sins as on the day he/she was born." * Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.), on the authority of his illustrious forefathers, quotes his noble ancestor (s.a.w.) as follows: "If a fasting person when abused, replies peace be upon you I will not abuse as you do, the Lord, the Exalted and Most High, says, By fasting, My servant has saved himself from the evil of My (other) servant, I grant him refuge against the fire." * * Ahmad i bn Han bal and the compilers of Sunan have narrated the above with slight difference.

* Sheikh Saduq. Thawab aL-AmaL p. 88. * aI-Kafi. a1-Kulayni. ".. Once the Prophet heard a fasting woman abusing her maidservant. He ordered some food and told her to eat'. lam fasting', she said. He replied Can you be considered fasting when you have just abused your maid.

(Beware) Fasting does not mean only to abstain from(mere)eating and drinking'." * What follows is an advice from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s.) to a fasting Muslim: "When you fast, guard your hearing and sight against the forbidden, and your limbs and all other organs from the vile. Do not rm'e at or injure a sen'ant. Be dignified as a fasting person should, and keep silent and calm, except when remembering Allah.

Do not regard your fasting day as an ordinary day and refrain from intercourse, kissing and loud laughter, because Allah dislikes that." * The Prophet says: "Whoever backbites his Muslim brothers, his fasting will be invalid* and his ablution null. Should he die it, such a state, he will die like the one who decreed lawful what Allah has forbidden." * Such, therefore, are the lofty ethics, fasting persons are exhorted to observe, as Ramadhan is a month for worship and for reforming one's self.

As is clear the objectives of the great reformative duty called fasting cannot be fulfilled except by adhering to these lofty morals and ethics.