O
Believers! Fast is prescribed for you as it was
for those before you so that you may ward off evil.
(Fast) a certain number
of days
(Qur'an: Chapter
2, Verses 182-183)
What
is the Fast of the Month of Ramadan?
Every
year in the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar,
Muslims around the world abstain from food, drink,
vain talk and certain other actions from before
sunrise until after sunset. |
| Fasting
is prescribed in the Abrahamic faiths
The
Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions all enjoin
fasting. Moses observed a fast of forty days at
Mount Sinai at the time of the revelation of the
Ten Commandments. (Exodus 24:18) Although less common
now, it is Jewish tradition to fast when mourning
or when in danger. Most practicing Jews still fast
on the Day of Atonement and for the one-week commemoration
of the destruction of Jerusalem in 597 B.C. Jesus
of Nazareth, peace be upon him, also fasted on the
Day of Atonement and the forty days of Moses’ fast
to ward off Satanic temptation.
Then
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and
forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:2)
Many
Christians observe a forty-day pre-Easter fast,
although now it includes abstention from only certain
food items rather than all food and drink. Muslims
fast the month of Ramadan and may, optionally, fast
on most other days of the year.
The
One God prescribes fasting for the faithful; and
it has many benefits. Material pleasures can be
generalised into food and drink, sexual pleasures,
and vanity. Fasting requires abstaining from these,
going against the natural instinct of Man to observe
the commandment of God. This builds and strengthens
a person's self-control, nearing them to their Creator.
Other benefits of fasting include:
q
Fasting
instils patience, teaches self control and discipline.
q
Fasting
increases compassion for the less fortunate.
q
Fasting
builds focus on spirituality and diminishes focus
on materialism.
q
Fasting
has many health benefits.
q
Fasting
can be atonement for sin and can earn great reward.
q
Fasting
is part of a strong spiritual and physical renewal
plan.
q
Fasting
commemorates important sacred religious events.
The
Muslim fast of the month of Ramadan is a continuation
of the long history of fasting in the Abrahamic
faiths. The self-improvement benefits of fasting
make it an important means of improving one’s faith
and practice of religion.
And men who fast and
women who fast God has prepared for them forgiveness
and a vast reward.
|
| What
does the fast of the month of Ramadan entail?
In
short, the fast involves abstention from all food,
drink, vain talk, and sexual intercourse from the
time before dawn when the sky becomes light enough
to distinguish a black thread from the white thread
of the horizon, until after sunset when redness
leaves the Eastern half of the sky. Some people
are not to fasting due to age, health, childbearing
conditions, etc., and may be giving charity in lieu
of the fast and/or may have to make up days of fast
at a later time.
However,
the true spirit of the fast of the month of Ramadan
is more than just abstention from a few things.
It is a time of sustained, amplified effort toward
spiritual perfection
"Thirst
and hunger you undergo, feel and live through, here
and now, to bring to your mind the severity and
sharpness of the drought and starvation that will
be the order of the day on the Day of Judgment.
q
Give
alms to the poor and destitute.
q
Treat
your parents and elders with respect.
q
Be kind
and loving to your children and juniors.
q
Take
care of and look after your relatives.
q
Keep
from giving tongue to that which should not even
be whispered.
q
Shut
your eyes to that which is indecent to have an eye
for.
q
Turn
a deaf ear to that which is too slanderous to be
all ears to.
q
Be compassionate,
gentle and benign unto orphans so that after you,
your children,
if need
be, receive the same treatment from others.
q
Turn
repentant to God and seek His nearness."
- Holy Prophet, peace be
upon him and his family
In
addition to fasting and aiming for excellent moral
character, Muslims devote as much time and energy
as possible in the month of Ramadan toward prayer
and supplication to the One and Only God. During
some of the nights of this month, Muslims will remain
awake the whole night in worship.
After
the last day of the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate
Eid ul Fitr to commemorate the completion of the
fast. They get together for prayer, food, and modest
gift exchange (particularly for children). However,
it is a day of mixed feelings, because the most
blessed month of Ramadan with all of its opportunities
for forgiveness and reward are gone for another
year.
"I take refuge with Thy
kindest disposition, O Lord, lest the dawn of this
night breaks forth, or the month of Ramadan comes
to an end, and I still stand as an accused (unforgiven)
sinner, liable to be punished, on the Day I am presented
before Thee."
[From
a prayer of the last night of the month of Ramadan,
taught by Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, peace be upon him]
|
| Why
is fasting prescribed particularly in the month
of Ramadan for Muslims?
The
month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic
lunar calendar. Since a lunar year is about a week
and a half shorter than a solar year, the month
of Ramadan cycles backward through the seasons.
It is a sacred month because God ordained it for
the revelation of sacred texts. Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq
quotes the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his
family, as saying,
"The
Books of Abraham were revealed on the first night
of the month of Ramadan; the Torah was revealed
on the sixth of the month of Ramadan; the Gospel
was revealed on the thirteenth of the month of Ramadan
. . ., and the Holy Qur’an on the twenty-third of
the month of Ramadan."
It
is also considered sacred because it contains the
Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr). "Qadr" literally
means destiny, and on this night God determines
each and every event to occur during the next year
to any and all of His creation.
Imam
as-Sadiq, peace be upon him, informs us that,
"During
Laylatul Qadr, the angels, the spirit, and the trusted
scribes all descend to the lower heavens and write
down whatever God decrees that year, and if God
wishes to advance something or postpone it or add
thereto, He orders the angel to erase it and replace
it with whatever He decrees."
The
Holy Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him and his
family, tells us about the great blessings of the
month of Ramadan.
"[The
month of Ramadan is] overflowing with advantages,
merciful, ready to put up your sins of omission
and commission to God for obtaining his forgiveness.
Its days, nights and hours, in the estimation of
God, are more select, refined and important than
the days, nights and hours of other months. It surpasses
all months in merits and favors.... So, sincerely,
free from evil and sinful thoughts and actions,
with clear conscience, pray and request that God
may give you heart and confidence to observe fast....
throughout this month.."
Conclusion:
Muslims
observe fast, as in any act of devotion, to seek
nearness to God, seek His pleasure and Forgiveness,
and generate a spirit of piety in Man. Fasting in
this month honors the revelation of God’s word and
purifies one in preparation for the night of decrees
and in hope of forgiveness. Fasting is a yearly
spiritual renewal, given abundant reward in this
month of God’s Mercy, that is part of the Islamic
path to the ideal self.
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