Fasting During Ramadan Is For Self-purification

Most religions recommend fasting at certain periods of the year. Jews observe Yom Kippur, members of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy churches fast during the 40-day lent period before Easter, Hindus fast on various days including full moon days. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan.

The Holy Qur’an says: “Fasting has been ordained for you as it was ordained for people before you”. Islam prescribes total fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting in Islam is not only abstinence from food and drink, but also refraining from misbehaviour and loose talk.

The Holy Prophet said: “If a person does not refrain from falsehood and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from food and drink”. Ramadan provides an excellent opportunity to achieve the highest goals of life. “Just liberate a bondsman or provide food in the day of famine, to an orphaned relation or to a needy man in distress”.

Night hours during Ramadan are particularly conducive for spiritual and academic activities, suitable for meditation. Western scholars have described historiography as a Muslim science. The reason why Muslims have excelled in this field is that the Qur’an frequently asks man to learn from the fate of previous communities.

The Qur’an, emphasises rational thinking: “In the crea-tion of the heavens and the earth,/ In the alternation of night and day;/ In the ships that sail the ocean with cargoes beneficial to man;/ In the water which God sends down from the sky,…/ In the disposal of the winds;/ And in the clouds that are driven between sky and earth;/ Surely in these there are signs for rational men”. (2: 164).

Ramadan is also the month of nature cure. Fasting is a simple and natural way to cleanse and rest the body. Part of our energy is spent on digestion. In Ramadan, during daytime, this energy is released. The body uses this energy to heal and revitalise itself. Fasting makes us feel refreshed both spiritually and physically.

By giving the digestive system a rest, fasting detoxifies the system and stimulates metabolism, aiding healing and renewal. Even neuropaths recommend fasting one day a month.

Ramadan must be full of remembrance of God, full of prayers, supplications and meditations, Tawba and Istighfar, because genuine repentance leads to the state of sinlessness. Ramadan stresses care for the poor and the neglected, respect for parents and youngsters, love for relatives and friends and consideration for believers of all faiths.