Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory on every mentally and physically fit Muslim to abstain from eating, drinking, and smoking from before the break of dawn till the sunset. “Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein.” Muslims fast in response to that command, and in obedience and out of love of God. For more than a billion Muslims, Ramadan is a month of blessing marked by prayers, Qur’an recitation, fasting and charity. Although fasting indicates restraining the stomach, other restraints are also in order. “He who doesn’t desist from obscene language, Allah has no need that he did not eat or drink.” The tongue must avoid backbiting, lies and slander. Ears, eyes, heart and mind must all be involved to avoid anything that spoils the spirit of fasting, which may render fasting as worthless despite the hunger and thirst. “If one slanders you or aggresses against you, tell him I am fasting.” It would be a grave mistake to think of fasting only in the literal sense of total abstinence from food and drink. Fasting teaches principles of honest devotion and sound conscience. When fasting, a person is faithful in secret and in public, for there is no authority to check his behavior, whether he is secretly breaking fasting. Fasting teaches patience, selflessness and self-control. When fasting, a person feels for those who are needy and deprived. It teaches adaptability and strengthens the will power to change the entire course of daily activities by breaking 11 months of routine. While they are hungry, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. This is clear because fasting is broken with a meal known as Iftar, beginning simply with dates and water.
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