Shah Wali Allah writes in his masterpiece ‘The Conclusive Argument from God’:

“When a person tries to subjugate the lower soul and eliminate its bad qualities, his act will take on a sanctified form in the world of images. Among the purest of gnostics is the one who concentrates on this form, for he is furnished with knowledge from the unseen world and achieves union with the divine essence because of transcendence and sanctification. This is the meaning of his saying, may the blessings and peace of God be upon him: “Fasting is done for My sake and I reward it”.”