Purpose of fasting in Ramadan

However, the month of Ramadan is not only for the purpose of fasting. Abstaining from food and water is an essential part of fasting; however, the purpose of Ramadan is to turn mankind into more spiritual, compassionate and disciplined human beings. Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) has said: “Whoever does not leave evil words and deeds while fasting, Allah does not need him to leave food and drink.” (Sahih Bukhari, number 1903)

The benefits of Ramadan are manifold. We will take a look at few of them.

Discipline: In our everyday life, most people are not very disciplined with their eating, sleeping or other related habits. Anytime we are slightly bored or slightly hungry, we open our refrigerator to see what’s on the offer. When it comes to our bedtime routine, especially due to phones and other gadgets, many people are awake late into the night. The month of Ramadan serves as a training period for Muslims, as it ushers them into improving their habits. Muslims eat at particular times and follow a rigid sleeping schedule so they can offer the pre-dawn prayer with ease.
Sympathy: Staying hungry for a whole day, every day of the month, is ought to bring about a feeling of hunger and thirst. It naturally arouses feelings of sympathy and compassion towards the less fortunate. Hence, Muslims try to be extremely charitable in the month of Ramadan.

Righteousness: Even in the scriptures that were revealed before the Holy Quran, we find that prophets and saints used to observe fasting to rid themselves of evil propensities. Hence, Muslims have also been commanded to observe fasting to purify their inner-selves and strengthen their faiths. Very rightly Prophet Jesus (upon whom be peace) points out: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21).

Health benefits: According to Islamic belief, God Almighty who is the Creator of everything, has instructed mankind to follow a path that leads to spiritual, as well as physical, well-being of mankind. Fasting is no exception. Where it brings us countless spiritual benefits, it yields great amount of health benefits as well. Fasting decreases the risk of diseases related to metabolism, boosts overall fitness of an individual, improves cognitive performance, detoxes our bodies and greatly supports weight loss. In the society today, primarily in the developed countries, the concept of “intermittent fasting” is growing very quickly as more and more people are learning about the health benefits of fasting.

For Muslims, it is not one particular purpose that they fast for – rather they try to achieve all the above mentioned purposes and several more. The end goal for Muslims is to win the pleasure of their Creator, and become more righteous. Hence, fasting is an excellent tool for this purpose.

Tariq Azeem is Imam & Missionary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Jamaica. To contact call: 876-283-9533.