The wisdom behind fasting

The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root word, “Ramad,” which means “excessive heat”. In the past, people used to fast during summer when the heat was at its peak. Nowadays, fasting is sometimes observed in winter because the Gregorian calendar is eleven or twelve days longer than the lunar calendar, which means Ramadan cycles through all the seasons in the year in about 35 years. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

What does fasting mean in Islam?

Siyaam (fasting) literally means “refraining from.” From the Islamic context it means “refraining from food, drinks, and conjugal rites from dawn to sunset.” Fasting is not only abstaining from the aforementioned things; it also means abstaining from all mischievous acts, vices and bad behavior, as well as backbiting and gossip, wasting food and drinks, eating excessively, and failing to execute one’s normal duties and responsibilities. Anything that harms the self and others should be avoided in Ramadan.

Fasting in Ramadan

Fasting is not a new practice; people used to fast even before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Early Egyptians, Romans and Greeks used to fast. Prophets such as Adam, David, Joseph, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all) used to fast. Prophet Muhammad told Muslims thus about the fasting of Prophet David: “The best form of prayer is the prayer of David, and the best way of fasting is the way of David; he used to fast on alternate days.” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)

Prophet Joseph used to fast as well, and when fasting, he would say: “I am afraid to fill my stomach with food and forget the poor.” One of his aims in fasting was to experience the poor people’s privations so that he would be motivated to sympathize and empathize with them, and then help them.

Benefits of Fasting:

There are many benefits of fasting, including: 1- God consciousness (Taqwa), which basically means to be constantly mindful of Almighty God and then avoid sins, thereby shielding yourself from His anger and punishment. 2- Sincerity in all aspects of life.

3- Forgiveness of sins.

4- Gaining control over one’s desires, passions and emotions.

5- Increasing patience, resilience and fortitude. 6- Intensifying kindness and compassion towards the poor and the needy.

7- Realizing the value of food and drink, becoming more grateful to Almighty Allah.

8- Alleviating the symptoms of some diseases such as rheumatism, diabetes, hypertension, etc. It also helps in weight management, gives a rest to the digestive system, and lowers lipids (organic substances that include fats and waxes).

9- Strengthening social relationships through sharing meals and praying together.

10- Fostering the habits of good behavior, charity and mutual respect.

Although fasting is beneficial to a person in many ways, there are special considerations for those for whom the fast is extraordinarily difficult. People who are underage, elderly or chronically ill are not required to fast, and those who are temporarily sick, pregnant or travelling can make up the fast when their circumstances return to normal.

Courtesy of the TIES Center: the TIES Center aims at empower Kuwait’s expats through social and educational services that promote a positive and productive role in society, and to facilitate opportunities for intra- and interfaith interactions that promote social solidarity.