Why do Muslims fast in Ramadan ?

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What is Fasting (Sawm)?


Sawm (Arabic: صوم) is an Arabic word for fastingregulated by Islamic jurisprudence. In the terminology of Islamic law,Sawm means "to abstain from eating, drinking or seeing what is againstIslam, the saying of rude language".[1] The observance of sawm duringthe Islamic holy month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam,but is not confined to that month.

Etymology
Ṣawm is derived from Syriac: ܨܘܡܐ ṣawmā. Literally, it means "to abstain", cognates to Hebrew tsom.


Other languages
For example, the Muslims of Afghanistan, India, Iran, Bangladesh,and Pakistan use the word rozah which comes from the Indo-Iranianlanguage of Dari. In Turkey, Sawm is called oruç (compare Kyrgyz öröz),while the Malay community in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore call itpuasa, which is derived from Sanskrit, upvaasa. Puasa is also used inIndonesia, Southern Thailand and Southern Philippines. Interestingly,the word is also found in the Maltese language.


Definition
Muslims are prohibited from eating, drinking, smoking, and engagingin sexual intercourse from dawn (fajr) to sunset (maghrib). Fasting isessentially an attempt to seek nearness to Allah and increase one'spiety. One of the remote aims of fasting is to sympathize with thoseless fortunate ones who do not always have food and drink readilyavailable. Also one must try to avoid cursing and thinking evilthoughts. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling one'sdesires (of hunger, thirst, sexuality, anger) and focusing more ondevoting oneself to God.

Sawm also carries a significant spiritual meaning. It teaches onethe principle of love: because when one observes Fasting, it is doneout of deep love for God.


Conditions of Fasting


Intention (Niyyah)
For a fast to be intentional/valid in the first instance, anintention (niyyah) must be made beforehand; this is considered to forman oath. If this is not performed then the fast is not valid, it is notrequired to be made verbally.


General conditions
Throughout the duration of the fast itself, Muslims will abstainfrom certain provisions that the Qur'an has otherwise allowed; namelyeating, drinking, and sexual intercourse. This is in addition to thestandard obligation already observed by Muslims of avoiding that whichis not permissible under Qur'anic or Shari'ah law (e.g. ignorant andindecent speech, arguing and fighting, and lustful thoughts). Withoutobserving this standard obligation, Sawm is rendered useless, and isseen simply as an act of starvation. The fasting should be a motive tobe more benevolent to the fellow-creatures. Charity to the poor andneedy in this month is one of most rewardable worship.

If one is sick, nursing or traveling, one is considered exempt fromfasting. Any fasts broken or missed due to sickness, nursing ortraveling must be made up whenever the person is able before the nextmonth of Ramadan. According to the Qur'an, for all other cases, notfasting is only permitted when the act is potentially dangerous toone's health - for example; those elderly who are too weak to fast forextended periods of time, diabetics, nursing, and pregnant women, butthis must be made up by paying a fidyah which is essentially theiftaar, dinner and suhur for a fasting person who requires suchfinancial help.

According to the clear guidance of the Qur’ān and the Sunnah ifsomeone does not afford fasting due to illness or traveling he ispermitted to leave the fast and complete the left over fasts later on.However, the question of those suffering a permanent disease has notbeen resolved in the sources. One view is that they can leave theobligation if medical experts advise this. As to the question how tocompensate for the failing it is held that they can feed a poor persona meal in lieu of every fast to make up for the obligation. Such adelinguent person should always be willing to fast when granted health.

Observing the fast is not permitted for menstruating women. However,when a woman's period has ceased, she must bathe and continue fasting.Any fasts broken or missed due to menstruation must be made up whenevershe can before the next month of Ramadan. Women must fast at times whennot menstruating, as the Qur'an indicates that all religious duties areordained for both men and women.


Beginning and Ending the Fast
In accordance with traditions handed down from Muhammad, Muslims eata pre-dawn meal called the suhoor. All eating and drinking must befinished before Salat-ul-Fajr, the pre-dawn prayer. Unlike theSalat-ul-Zuhr and Salat-ul-Maghrib prayers, which have clearastronomical definitions (noon and sunset), there are severaldefinitions used in practice for the timing of "true dawn" (al-fajras-sadq), as mentioned in the hadith. These range from when the centerof the sun is 12 to 21 degrees below the horizon [1] which equates toabout 40 to 60 minutes before civil dawn. There are no restrictions onthe morning meal other than the restrictions on Muslims diet. Aftercompleting the suhoor, Muslims recite the fajr prayer. No food or wateris allowed to go down the throat after the suhoor. However, waterunlike food may enter the mouth, but not go down the throat during wudu.

The meal eaten to end the fast is known as al-Iftar. Muslims,following the Sunnah of the Prophet, Muhammad, break the fast withdates and water, before praying Salat-ul-Maghrib, after which theymight eat a more wholesome meal.

Why Do Muslims Fast In Ramadan?

It has been enjoined on us so that we may become pious. A piousMuslim and Muslimah does whatever Allah and His Messenger have toldthem to do. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):


"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) isprescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that youmay become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)? [al-Baqarah 2:183]

And Allah says in a hadeeth qudsi: "Fasting is for Me and I will reward for it. He gives up his desire and his food and drink for My sake." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7492; Muslim, 1151.


The purpose of fasting is not to just get hungry and thirsty butit is to become pious. So one should stay away from Un-Islamic thingssuch as:

- Getting angry
- Using Bad language
- Back biting and gossip
- Arguing and fighting with Muslims.
- Being rude and impolite
- Looking, touching , flirting with non-mehrems of the opposite sex.
- lying and cheating
- Engaging in riba (interest, usury)
- women non wearing Hijab
- men shaving beards and having cloths below ankles
- allying with the enemies of Islam against the Muslims
- promoting Un-Islamic ideologies such as democracy and socialism.
- basically staying away from anything that is Haram.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and false actions and ignorance, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057.

He also (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Afasting person may get nothing from his fast except hunger and the onewho prays at night may get nothing from his qiyaam but a sleeplessnight." Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1690; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.


- The reward for fasting is immense, as mentioned in the following Hadeeth :
"Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward,each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundredtimes. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Meand I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and hisfood for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a timewhen he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, andthe smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better withAllah than the smell of musk." [al-Bukhaaree]

Also, Sahl ibn Sa`d said that the Prophet (peace be upon him.) said: "Indeedthere is a gate of Paradise called ar-Rayyaan. On the day ofResurrection those who fast will enter through it; no one enters itexcept for them, and when they have entered, it is closed so that noone enters it, so when the last of them enters it, it is closed, andwhoever enters it drinks, and whoever drinks never becomes thirsty." [Ibn Khuzaimah, Saheeh].


- Fasting is a shield against the Fire:
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh]


- On the Day of Judgment, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Ahmad, al-Haakim and Abu Nu'aim, Hasan]


- Fasting is a means for one's sins to be forgiven. The Prophet (peace be upon him.) said: "He who fasts Ramadan, due to Iman and hoping for reward (from Allah) then his past sins are forgiven." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]


- The supplication of the fasting person is answered:
"There are in the month of Ramadan in every day and nightthose to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is forevery Muslim a supplication which he can make and will be granted." [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad, Saheeh]

Source:
- Wikipedia
- Al-Siyaam - 70 Matters Related to Fasting - Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Posted in: Ramadan