According to Islam, the purpose of human life is to establish “Ibadat” to Allah, the Creator of this ephemeral world. Allah has announced it in the Qur’an: “I have created the Jinn and the Man so that they might establish Ibadat to Me alone.” (51:56, 2:21)
Ibadat is an Arabic word meaning doing what Allah has enjoined and rejecting what Allah has forbidden in the Qur’an and Sunnah. And it is uprightly called the worship and servitude to Allah. Whoever establishes Ibadat, Allah assures him/her to be redeemed in the next world. (Qur’an 4:124, 16:97)
One of the important acts of Ibadat in Islam is Fasting (Siyam in Arabic) to be observed by Muslims. In Islam, Siyam means refraining from eating, drinking and sex from dawn to dusk and engaging in prayers and virtuous deeds.
In 622 after Christ, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺmigrated from Makkah to Madinah for his security and propagation of Islam, he saw there the Jews observing fast on the 10th day (Ashura) of Muharram, the first Islamic lunar month commencing with his migration. The Prophet asked them: “Why do you fast on this day?” They replied: “It was the day on which Prophet Moses with his companions crossed the Red Sea with Allah’s leave and Pharaoh of Egypt was drowned in the sea-water. And we were thus rescued from the persecution of Pharaoh. Expressing our gratitude to Allah, we fast on this day.”Hearing this, the Prophet said: “We are more closely related with Prophet Moses than you.” Then the Prophet asked his companions to fast on the 10th day of Muharram. (Abu Dawood) Subsequently the Prophet exhorted them that the same fast should either be prefixed or suffixed by another one fast.
In the second year of Hijrah, the fast was ordained by Allah for Muslims in Ramadan, the 9th month as per Islamic lunar calendar as stated in the Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you even as it was prescribed to those before you so that ye may learn self-restraint. Ramadan is the month in which was revealed the Qur’an as guidance for mankind and the criterion between right and wrong. And whoever is present (at home), let him fast this month….” (2:183-187)
With the revelation of these Qur’anic verses, the Prophet made the fasts in Ramathan mandatory (Farz) and the fasts in Muharram voluntary(Na’fl). The basic objective of fast in Islam is how to practise self-restraint. It means not only abstaining from food, drink and sex but also making a conscious effort to improve one’s character and conduct in Ramadan. The Prophet warns: “If a person does not renounce falsehood in words and deeds, Allah does not care even if he abstains himself from food and drink.” (Bukhari) “Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst as they do not refrain from falsehood.”(Darimi) The person who fasts should not utter foul words or speak loud. If anybody scolds him or comes forward to pick a quarrel with him, he should say: “I am fasting.” (Bukhari).
One of the important facts pertaining to Ramadan is that the Qur’an was revealed as the blessing and guidance for people during this month and Allah calls upon them: “This is the Book (Qur’an) which I have revealed as blessing; so follow it and be righteous so that ye may receive mercy.”(Qur’an 6:55)
Secondly, the Qur’an tells us that the fast was also ordained for the people before Prophet Muhammad. (2:183) Moreover, when a person fasts only for gaining Allah’s pleasure, it acts as atonement of his past sins. The Prophet says: “Whoever fasts in Ramadan with Iman(Faith) and passes Lailatul-Qadr, the last ten nights of Ramathan in prayers, seeking Allah’s pleasure and mercy, he will have his past sins forgiven.” (Bukhari) Fasting grows the spirit of love and equality when Muslims – male and female and rich and poor – get themselves assembled for Iftar and Taraweeh prayers in mosques.
Since the Islamic lunar month begins with the sight of new moon and ends with the sight of new moon, Ramadan is also calculated likewise. The Prophet says: “Begin the fast when you see the new moon of Ramadan and end it when you see the new moon of Shawwal. If the sky remains cloudy, calculate it as thirty days.” (Bukhari) Fasting begins with Sehri food taken just before the dawn and ends with Iftar food taken just after the sunset. The Qur’an tells: “And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread and complete the fast till the night begins.” (2:187) Whena Muslim fasts, he does not even eat a grain of food or drink a drop of water or engage in sex during day-hour. However, a Muslim is essentially required to adhere to this guideline (Qur’an 2:187) for the start and break of fast; or else his fast will be invalid. Actually, when this white thread of dawn appears in eastern horizon, the time of Fajr (dawn) prayer begins. Regrettably, many Muslims don’t follow it and give Adhan about 20 minutes before the appearance of the white thread in eastern horizon only during Ramadan and accordingly offer Fajr prayer. It invalidates the Fajr prayer and its Adhan.
Moreover, some Muslims wrongly assume that the intimate relationship with one’s wife at night during Ramadan is prohibited. It is permissible in night hours as the Qur’an states: “It is made lawful for you to approach your wives on the nights of fast.”(2:87)
Fasting of Ramadan ends with the sight of new moon of Shawwal and Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr on the 1st day of Shawwal and distribute Fitra and charity to the poor and needy before going to Eidgah or mosques for the Eid prayer. It is preferable to distribute them during Ramadan so that it enables the recipients buy needed items for the Eid festivity.