In Judaism you have, Yom Kippur-The Day of Atonement. This is when Jews repent for all the wrong doings they have done in the past and they fast for 25 hours.
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, it starts from the moment the new moon is seen and finishes when the new moon of shawal is seen. It is a month of spiritual guidance, praying and lamenting to Allah. It is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed and it can be seen as a medium for purification and developing the conscience of our relationship with Allah it is also the month in which “Lailat-ul Qadar [night of power].” Fasting during the month of Ramadan was ordained upon the Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh) in the second year of Muhammad’s migration to Madinah. Ramadan came to be an important month in the Islamic calendar because it’s the month in which the Qur’an was revealed with clear guidance and differentiation (Between Good and Bad). It was when the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was praying in a mountain in madinah called “Mount Hira” when all of a sudden the prophet heard a voice, it was angel Gabriel. Gabriel had bought down to Muhammad (pbuh) the first word of the Qur’an which was recorded as “surah Iqra” and that is when the religion of Islam started. So this month is very important as it commemorates the start of the religion of Islam.
All Muslims should fast because it is the 4th pillar of Islam, these pillars are the basis from which the religion stands and develops, without strictly obeying the 5 pillars you cannot classify yourself as a Muslim. For a person to deny fasting or not to fast without a valid reason is very harsh indeed. The punishment will be so great that one will not be able to bear it in the hereafter. The prophet (pbuh) has said in a hadith:
“Whosoever eats during one day of Ramadan, without a valid reason [acceptable in shariah], shall never be able to recoup that day even if he fasted for the rest of his life”
When Muslims all over the world fast in the same way it shows the unity among the Muslim ummah and from that peace and harmony is gained. In Ramadan no one is rich or poor everyone is equal as both the rich and poor would be doing the same things. Allah has ordered us to fast because he wants us to remember the unfortunate people that live in this world and that it is our duty to look after them. Some Muslims consider fasting hard but they no not think that what they suffer for one month the poor are suffering for their lifetime. Having said that fasting teaches us self-discipline and we have a understanding of what life is like for the poor and unfortunate and it should make us question our own character, am I doing my part in helping overcome poverty in this world?
Allah has not prescribed fasting for us just so that we please him but it is for our own good. There are many rewards in fasting but there are also many punishments like the one I have mentioned before. Fasting is so dear to Allah that he has allocated a special door of entry into heaven for those who have fasted with sincerity “In paradise there are eight gates among which is a gate called Ar-Rayyan which only those who fast will enter.” (Hadith) likewise “It is a month of endurance and the reward for endurance is paradise. It is a month of sharing with others.” (Hadith)
Fasting Ramadan is Farz (compulsory) upon every Muslim, Male or female, who has the following qualifications:
- To be mentally and physically fit, which means to be sane and able.
- To be of full age, the age of puberty and discretion, which is normally about 15.
- To be present at one’s permanent settlement, your home, business premises etc. This means not to be on a journey of about 50 miles or more
- To be fairly certain that fasting is unlikely to cause you any harm, physical or mental, other than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst etc.
The people are/allowed to be excused from fasting are:
- The insane as they do not know the meaning of fast, they would just think of it as a fun thing to do and also it might cause mental and physical damage to them.
- Children under the age of puberty
- The very old and weak who cannot bear the hardship of fasting
- An ill person as it might damage their health
- A Muslim soldier serving in a Muslim army
- Women who are breast-feeding, pregnant and who are on their menscycle
Those people who have missed out/broken a fast it is compulsory for them to make it Qaza. That is to fast at some other time, preferably before the next Ramadan. Or if for any reason that is not possible the person concerned must pay the equivalent of one meal to a poor person. If the person concerned is poor himself then he is forgiven for not fasting with an acceptable reason.
A typical day for a Muslim family in Ramadan would be to make up before sunrise and have a meal called Suhur, as this is all you would have, to last you a whole day. Then afterwards you would pray Fajr salaat and most people would go back to sleep but it is more rewarding to stay up and read Nafal salaat and the Qur’an. After that people would be ready to set of on their day-to-day activities bearing in mind that business has to be done without cheating and lying. Bad thoughts and deeds should be avoided. During the course of the day a Muslim should pray Zuhur and then afterwards Asar. Soon afterwards it would be time for Iftar, when Muslims all over the world would be seating down to break there fast with the Adhan of Magrib. It is advisable to have a light meal to keep your digestive system working. The prophet (pbuh) himself only had a glass of water and a date (a fruit grown in hot countries) as stated in a hadith. Then Magrib prayer would be offered and then you could do whatever you desire, most people take a rest. Then the extended prayer that only happens during Ramadan would be offered, known as “salat-ul-taraweeh.” In which during the course of the month the whole Qur’an has to be read/recited. After that you can indulge yourself in a big feat and have a little celebration to reward yourself for the good deed you have done during the course of the day. Afterwards you would go back to sleep and get ready to wake up again for the next morning.
To fast in Britain is much more difficult for a Muslim then to fast in a Muslim country because there, it is a way of life, culture and tradition where everyone is doing the same thing where as in Britain Muslims are a minority and the society is different. It would be increasingly hard for a Muslim to fast in Britain because they would have to wake up themselves whereas in an Islamic country the Adhan wakes you up. Here there are not as many mosques as in Islamic countries and so one might have to travel a great length just to go and pray in a mosque. Here the weather is constantly cold, not helping at all, it makes the person hungry and so do the smells of food that are smelt while walking past shops.
To me as a Muslim fasting is more important than festivals because festivals have no real significance whereas fasting does. Festivals are there for enjoyment and pleasure and rewarding yourself for good deeds but if you have not done a good deed then why celebrate? Muslims believe that one day they will return to Allah and Allah will question them have you been following my religion (which includes practicing the 4th pillar of Islam) and have you done any good deeds. He will also ask them did you take advantage of the holy moth of Ramadan and what did you gain from it, for there were many rewards for those who fasted. Festivals do create a sense of unity, happiness and joy but it does not have the spiritual values that fasting does. When you fast you are showing people that you are willing to go without food for a day, you are willing to sacrifice your pleasure for your own good and to please Allah, also to see how life must be for the unfortunate. Some people will argue that festivals are more important, but then the real question is, is festivals more important than one of the 5 pillars of Islam?
In my opinion fasting is an act which everyone should do not just Muslims. It would give everyone the chance to think of how fortunate they are and it would also provide the opportunity to feel sympathy for the poor. In my conclusion I would say fasting encourages love, discipline, unity, peace and sympathy, which are the basic attributes a human should have. If you want you’re past sins forgiven and to be once again purified of all wrong doing then fasting is the way to do it. “He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward, Allah will have his past sins forgiven….” (Hadith)
Glossary
Fajr—the first prayer of the day
Zuhur- The second prayer of the day
Asr- The third prayer of the day
Magrib- The fourth prayer of the day
Isha- the fifth prayer of the day
Hadith- Quotes and sayings of the prophet
Iftar—When you break the fast
Islam—A way of life, the religion of Muslims
Mosque- A Muslim place of worship
Nafal salat- a part of the salat, which can be prayed as many times whatever reason, whoever for
Qur’an—sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad
Suhur—An extra meal, before first light
Tarawee salaat- Taraweeh is a recommended congregational prayer offered by the prophet
Niyyah—you intentions
Qazah—to make up for something you have missed for example a prayer or fast
Adhan- call to prayer
Salaat- prayer
Bibliography
