From the desk of Br Yassir Butt:

Gain a Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D in the Philosophy of Fasting

Q: How can I gain these degrees are they taught at the University

A: Yes you can attain a Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degree in fasting here is how Imam al Ghazali in Ihyaa Uloom ud Din says

“There are three levels of Fasting” the first is Fasting of the freshman (common People) that is to just fast from food and sexual intercourse.  If some one practices that then to me he has attained the Bachelors degree in Fasting

The Second level is the Fasting of the two above as well as all the other senses and extremities (hearing, Speech, Gaze, Hands, Feet) from in appropriate behavior

The final level of fasting is what I call the Doctorate or Ph.D level.  The Fasting of the Heart.  Described as restraining the Heart from thoughts of this World and its Worries as well as Pleasures and solely focused on Allah and his Glory and Bounties

If a person even worries about what and where he will get his iftar from, it can nullifies this state of being (spiritually speaking has nothing to do with Fiqh it is a state of mind).  Because that diminishes the Trust in Allah to provide for us

If one perfects this he attains the Ph.D in Fasting

I wonder where one stands in these categories

Paraphrased by Yasir Butt from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya Uloom ud Din