Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by all the religions of the world, with more restrictions in some than in others. Lest it be understood as mere starvation or as an act of self-denial and asceticism, and therefore, a renunciation of the world.
It is not entirely accurate to translate the Arabic word siyam to “fasting”. For the purpose of this article, it will be referred to as the “Islamic fast”.
Sawm or Siyam is a special kind of service to God by able-bodied and sane persons, by observing a particular kind of abstinence from food, drink, and marital relationship for a specified period from dawn to sunset, being compulsory in a specific lunar month called Ramadan , the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
The word Ramadan is derived from the Arabic root r-m-d which means “to burn away”. This is the month in which God grants amnesty to all the believers, to all fasting Muslim men and Muslim women.
In Islam, the following categories of persons need not fast:
- The very young, the elderly, the infirm, the insane.
- Menstruating women, pregnant and nursing mothers, however they must make up for the days not fasted later in the following months as soon as they are able to keep the fast.
- Travelers also can postpone the fast if they wish to.
-Persons suffering from some diseases that cause low blood sugar.
During the Islamic fast (and indeed at all times), the person must refrain from indecent talk, slander, lies and backbiting.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If one does not abandon falsehood and other actions like it, God has not need that one should abandon one’s food and drink” (Bukhari).
There is a big difference between the Islamic fast and mere starvation. The Ramadan fast is an exercise of self-discipline involving food intake, use of tongue, hands, eyes, ears, thoughts and sex.
Many of the undesirable habits and traits of the previous months are automatically corrected in this month. Some Muslims might have been habituated to a particular type of wrong doing like gambling, smoking, drinking, backbiting, fraud, hot temper, domestic violence, and so on.
Fasting breaks these habits either gradually for some or immediately for those with a stronger will-power, especially if supported by constant supplications. To do so, it needs faith and determination.
Fasting is an institution for the improvement of the moral and spiritual character of a Muslim. The purpose of fasting is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God-consciousness, compassion, the spirit of caring and sharing, to love humanity and to love God.
The aim of this spiritual exercise is to enable man to achieve proximity to God and obtain His pleasure. Fasting is the most rigorous of all spiritual disciplines imposed on every adult Muslim man and woman, it frees oneself from egoism, replacing it with incredible peace within the person which makes him able to accept human differences.
The month of Ramadan suffuses the whole environment with a spirit of righteousness, virtue and piety. Just as plants have their season of flowering , so is Ramadan, it is the time of the year for the growth and flourishing of goodness and righteousness.
The month of Ramadan is earmarked as a time for all Muslims to fast together and ensure similar results. Collective aspects of fasting manifest themselves in the fact that it takes place in the same lunar month for the faithful all over the world.
Fasting the lunar month of Ramadan is such an important Pillar of Islam that if one dies without having made up the missed fasts, the guardian (or heir) must make them up, for they are a debt owed to Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.”
(reported by Bukhari)
Muslims believe that the influence of the devils on the believers who obey Allah is diminished. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (Bukhari)
Month of the Quran
The first verses of the Quran (Surat Al Alaq 96:1-5) were revealed in the month of Ramadan while Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira outside of Makkah. Years later when the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory, the Angel Jibreel used to sit with the Prophet (PBUH) every day during Ramadan so that the latter could recite all that had been revealed so far of the Quran. In his final year, the Prophet recited the entire Quran twice in Ramadan.
Muslims continue the tradition of reading the entire Quran at least once during Ramadan. In Muslim countries, it is not at all unusual in this month to see many people reading the Quran while riding the bus or metro to and from work. Others find time early in the morning, late at night, or at intervals throughout the day.
Many others read or recite the Quran during Tarawih Prayers, which are held only during Ramadan, or in private late night Prayers called Tahajjud.
Muslims who cannot yet read Arabic well, spend some time each day listening to a tape or CD of the Quran being recited. Muslims consider Ramadan to be a good time to get into the habit of reading at least some of the Quran or its translation every day, and if they haven’t read either of them cover to cover, Ramadan is the time to do it.
In addition to reading the Quran, Muslims try to spend more time in dhikr (remembrance of Allah) during this month and make an effort to perform Tarawih Prayer, preferably in congregation. Muslims also perform the late night Prayer called Tahajud. They may do this before or after eating the pre-dawn meal, just before the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer.
Ramadan is also a favourite time for Umrah — a visit to the Ka’bah in Makkah. When performed in Ramadan, Umrah takes the same reward as Haj (but it does not replace the obligatory Haj.
Fasting means abstaining not only from food and drink, but also from sexual intercourse, lying, arguing, and back-biting. While fasting, Muslims must be careful to restrain their tongues, temper, and even their gaze. Ramadan is the time for Muslims to learn to control themselves and to develop their spiritual side.
Basically, Muslims try to have a pre-dawn meal, known as sahur, before they begin fasting. The fast lasts from dawn to sunset. As soon as the sun has set, Muslims break their fast without delay. Generally, Muslims may break their fast with a small amount of food — the sunnah is to do so with an odd number of dates — and then perform the Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer before eating a full meal.
For more information on the rules of fasting, including who is exempted, see The Meaning and Rules of Fasting.
Charity in Ramadan
Ramadan is also the month of charity. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “…Whoever draws nearer to Allah by performing any of the optional good deeds in this month, shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in this month, shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah)
Ibn Abbas, one of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) companions, narrated: “The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Jibreel visited him, and Jibreel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to recite the Holy Quran to Jibreel, and when Jibreel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).” (Bukhari)
Thus Muslims should try to give generously in Ramadan, both sadaqah (optional charity) and Zakat Al Maal (obligatory charity). Sadaqah does not only have to be money. It can also be a good deed—such as helping another person—done for the sake of Allah and without expecting any reward from the person. Most Muslims pay their zakah during Ramadan because the reward is so much greater in that month. It is obligatory for every Muslim to pay a small amount of Zakat Al Fitr before the end of Ramadan. This money is collected and given to the poorest of the poor so that they may also enjoy the festivities on Eid Al Fitr.
And because of the great reward for feeding a fasting person, in many places iftar (the break-fast meal at sunset) is served in mosques, with the food donated or brought by individuals to share pot-luck style. In some Muslim countries, tables are set up on the sidewalks or outside of mosques to serve iftar to the poor and others. Such traditions also build a sense of brotherhood and community.
www.onislam.net
