Fasting in Ramaḍān

After Ṣalāt, the next greatest pillar in the Islāmic worship is fasting. In actuality, Islām has instituted different forms of worship taking into consideration the various types of inner purification. In other words, if Ṣalāt removes the impurities and weaknesses of a person in one aspect; and makes him able to become a beloved of God, then fasting fulfills this purpose in another manner, and Zakāt1 is prescribed for a third aspect, and Ḥajj holds a fourth purpose, separate to the previous three. In this manner, various forms of worship fulfill varying purposes and are helpful in the reformation and progress of mankind in various respects. If one contemplates, it becomes clearly evident that the order in which the various Islāmic forms of worship were instituted, is the exact order of their significance as well. In other words, the most significant and most vast in its influence upon human morals and spirituality is that worship which was instituted first. After this a worship of lesser rank was instituted and after that a worship of lesser rank, and so on and so forth. Those people who do not offer their worship merely as a tradition and have the habit of analysing its effect upon their souls can easily understand that the first position of all worship belongs to Ṣalāt. After this is fasting, and then the other forms of worship. In any case, until then, only Ṣalāt had been ordained and then in the second year of migration at the arrival of Ramaḍān, fasting began as well.2 In other words, the injunction was revealed that in the month of Ramaḍān, with the exception of the sick and weak, and those on journey, every adult Muslim man and woman, would abstain from all types of food and drink from dawn till dusk, and during these hours, intimate relations between husband and wife would also be abstained from. Furthermore, the days of fasting would particularly be spent in the remembrance of Allāh, recitation of the Holy Qur’ān, and in charity and alms. During the nights of fasting, special arrangement for the Tahajjud Prayer would be made, etc.3 As such, it is written with regards to the Holy Prophet(sa) that his Ramaḍān was a complete embodiment of worship. Although the entire life of the Holy Prophet(sa) was nothing except worship, but during fasting, the Holy Prophet(sa) would particularly spend the better part of his time in voluntary services and in the remembrance of Allāh. He would often remain awake during the nights, and during Ramaḍān the Holy Prophet(sa) would offer charity and alms to such an extent that the Companions likened him to a fast wind which knew no stopping.4 Moreover, in order to keep the spirit of fasting alive, the Holy Prophet(sa) would always admonish the Companions not to think that by the mere abstinence of food and drink as a tradition, they would be counted among those who had fasted; rather, that they should bear in mind the actual spirit of fasting, so that a sense of inner purity, restraint of desires and a faculty of sacrifice and service of the needy may be fostered. Furthermore, he would state that, “Most unfortunate is he who is afforded an opportunity to fast in Ramaḍān and does not thereby have his previous sins forgiven.” The Holy Prophet(sa) would also encourage fasting as a voluntary service, but it was a Sunnat of the Holy Prophet(sa) to order a middle course in every matter. As such, the Holy Prophet(sa) would forbid people from fasting continuously and would say that:

“Allāh has commanded that a person owes rights even to his own soul, he owes rights to his wife and children, he owes rights to his friends and neighbours, and in this manner there are other rights as well. The fulfillment of all these rights under the Sharī‘at and Will of God is also a form of worship.”

Therefore, a person should not overly emphasize the observance of a specific type of worship and neglect the other rights which are owed by him. Therefore, during this year, fasting in the month of Ramaḍān was ordained, and a second pillar was added to Islāmic worship. However, it should be remembered that just as the Holy Prophet(sa) would offer voluntary Ṣalāt in his own way prior to the ordinance of the five daily Ṣalāt and would instruct his Companions to follow suit, in the same manner, prior to the ordinance of fasting in the month of Ramaḍān, the Holy Prophet(sa) would observe voluntary fasting as well. However, until then, this had not been formally and specifically instituted for a specific time period. As such, it is narrated in the Aḥādīth that prior to the obligation of fasting in the month of Ramaḍān, the Holy Prophet(sa) would fast on the day of ‘Āshūrah, i.e., on the 10th of Muḥarram and would encourage the Companions to do the same.