Fasting has been around for thousands of years. However, each religion has its own particular reasons for putting this concept into practice. Ramadan serves as a time of fasting for individuals of the Islamic religion. The Qu’ran commands Muslims to fast, saying: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn self restraint.”
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. A lunar month generally lasts between 29 and 30 days, or for one lunar cycle.
Islamic individuals all over the world can know when the time of fasting begins by observing the stages of the moon.
This year, Ramadan began Nov. 6 and will end on Dec. 6.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are called to fast, and individuals focus on developing their faith and putting less emphasis on the tasks and concerns of everyday life. At this time, it is common for Muslims to visit mosques and spend hours praying and studying the Qu’ran, the holy book of Islam.
The Qu’ran states: “Ramadan is the month during which the Qu’ran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings and the statute book. Those of you who witness this month shall fast … to fulfill your obligations, and to glorify Allah for guiding you, and to express your appreciation.”
The Ramadan fast is one of the “five pillars” of Islam and is mandatory for all adult Muslims. Exempted from this time of fasting are those who are nursing or with child and those who are ill. These individuals make up the fasting days after Ramadan is complete.
There are two aspects to this time of fasting.
“We believe that the concept of fasting is not new, but in fact, other religions have observed fasting in one form or the other. In our religion, fasting essentially emphasizes the learning of self restraint. It has two dimensions: a physical dimension and a spiritual dimension,” said Dr. Masoud Rais-Rohani, a professor of aerospace engineering.
The physical part of fasting includes refraining from eating and drinking specifically, as well as other activities, such as smoking, during the fasting period. This time of restraint lasts from dawn until dusk each day.
The fast is generally broken with ritual meals of dates and water before regular evening meals are eaten.
Considered more important during this time, however, is the practice of abstinence in an person’s thoughts and behavior. The purpose of the fast is not to punish but rather to help Muslims develop more self control and more awareness and compassion for those less fortunate, who have suffered through severe hunger or thirst.
Muslims are required to give a special charity, in the form of finances or food during this time as well. This gift is then distributed wherever it is most needed. Besides the physical aspect of fasting, Ramadan also encourages spiritual growth.
Rais-Rohani explained that the spiritual aspect “deals with human fault and personal constraint and emphasizes redirecting one’s attention toward Allah and obedience to Allah.”
It also serves as a month of devotion. During this time, acts of worship, such as prayers and Qu’ran recitation, have more emphasis.
“Muslims believe that the Qu’ran was revealed during one of the last 10 nights of the Ramadan. We don’t know exactly which one, so the last 10 nights are given special attention,” said Rais-Rohani. According to the Islamic religion, the prophet Muhammad received what are believed to be his revelations from Allah during Ramadan.
These revelations were later transcribed into what is now the Qu’ran. Rais-Rohani explained that the last 10 nights of Ramadan are extraordinary because the night in which the Qu’ran was written is, according to the Qu’ran, “better than thousand months.”
During this time, many Muslims increase their acts of charity and prayer in order to increase their chances of gaining an eternity with Allah.
Rais-Rohani continued to explain that “Muslims believe in the day of judgment, heaven and hell and personal accountability.”
According to Islamic beliefs, ultimately the only way to go to heaven is by the mercy of Allah, but Muslims themselves can behave in certain ways and accomplish certain tasks to improve their chances of getting to heaven.
So, for Muslims, Ramadan is not only a fast from eating and drinking, it is a time of discipline and spiritual strengthening. It is a time of purification, forgiveness and mercy. Ramadan serves to strengthen an individual’s faith in Allah and help him find contentment and peace in this world, and ultimately gain eternity in heaven if Allah allows.