The month of Ramadan provides us with a sort of "Boot Camp." It is a month of intense moral training. Since we know that fasting is a special duty prescribed by God, we learn that any sins may spoil our record of fasting with God, so we go through great lengths making sure we are on our best behavior. Many people who experience fasting in this month, feel the impact that this intense training has on their habits, and realize the power of this transformative tool designed to make us better human beings- the ultimate goal of any spiritual exercise. The entire Ramadan atmosphere provides the driving force for this positive change.
It makes us realize the reality of life and death. Fasting makes us realize how dependant our lives are on things that we often take for granted, such as food and water. It makes us think about our dependence on God and His mercy and justice. Moreover, it reminds us of the life after death which itself has a great impact on our character and our world-view.
Ramadan is a blessed month for a special reason: It is actually the month in which God first revealed His final message and guidance for mankind to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). This message has been perfectly preserved in the form of a Book, called the Qur'an. Therefore, Muslims are supposed to do an intense study of the Quran in this month especially and evaluate their lives according to the standards and guidance contained in it.
Ramadan is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly pleasures and comforts, even for a short time, the fasting person gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly and s/he will achieve growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint, patience and flexibility.
Ramadan is, indeed, a special time for Muslims; however the feelings and lessons we experience should stay with us throughout the year. Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may “learn self-restraint”. This restraint and devotion is especially felt during Ramadan, but we all have to strive to make the feelings and attitudes stay with us during our normal lives. That is the true goal and test of this holy month.
When a person fasts, he is constantly reminding himself not to eat or drink, in spite of the fact that eating and drinking are perfectly lawful for him at other times. He abstains from these otherwise lawful acts on account of Allah’s promise, in hopes of attaining Allah’s reward. It naturally follows that he will abstain from sin, from those acts that are prohibited to him at all times. A Muslim needs to understand that this is the whole idea behind fasting. How can a person abstain from food and drink, and then go on to backbite people, spread rumors, tell lies and engage in all sorts of other sins?
Besides spiritual cleansing, fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health and mental well-being. The time, length and nature of the Islamic fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. One of the medical benefits is a much-needed rest to the digestive system. The reduced food intake during the day allows the body to concentrate on getting rid of harmful dietary toxins accumulated as natural by-products of food digestion throughout the year. Moreover, as a general note, it has been observed that underfed animals live longer than their heavily fed counterparts and suffer fewer illnesses during their lives.
When we remain thirsty and hungry in Ramadan we experience the affliction that the poor and needy people of the society experience the whole year. Therefore, fasting is a way of bridging the gap between the different classes and in and out groups in the society. While fasting, the poor and the rich are all equal in the eyes of Allah and wealth doesn’t matter in Allah’s eyes. As it is rightly said, “Allah doesn’t look at your wealth and your body; in fact He looks at your deeds.” This very feeling helps the poor to overcome the “inferiority complex.” On the other hand, the rich also realize the truth of the world and feel themselves equal to the poor, hence eliminating pride and “superiority complex.”
In a nutshell, even though the real purpose of the dynamic institution of fasting is to discipline our soul and moral behavior, and to develop sympathy for the less fortunate, it is a multi-functional and a comprehensive tool of change in various spheres of our lives, including: social and economic, intellectual and humanitarian, spiritual and physical, private and public, personal and common, inner and outer - all in one!
Rumi nicely puts it in poetry, “There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness. We are lutes, no more, no less. If the soundboxes stuffed full of anything, no music, if the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire. The fog clears, and new energy makes you run, up the steps in front of you. Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry. Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen. When you’re full of food and drink, Satan sits where your spirit should, an ugly metal statue in place of the Kaaba. When you fast, good habits gather, like friends who want to help. Fasting is Solomon’s ring….”
May Allah Almighty accept our fasting, forgive our sins and guide us all to the right path. May Allah bless us all during Ramadan, and throughout the year, with His forgiveness, mercy and peace and bring us all closer to Him and to each other.