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_001.jpg) Most of us who are fighting the battle of the bulge have
experimented with some form of fasting, like an all fruit fast, a water fast or
an sugar-free fast, you name it. But what many may find rather strange and
intriguing is a whole nation of people; be it man or woman, old or young, rich
or poor; going completely without food and drink from dawn to dusk for a whole
month - Ramadan. What is the significance of Ramadan beyond shortened work
hours? Is it not a very harsh practice? Is it merely a time when Muslims
sleep and fast and hardly work all day; and eat, drink, enjoy and stay awake
all night? What really is the spirit of Ramadan?
Fasting Prescribed in All Religions
In English “fasting” means to abstain from food or from
certain kinds of food voluntarily, as an observance of a holy day or as a token
of grief, sorrow, or repentance. This
practice can be found in most of the major religions of the world. For
example, in Hinduism, fasting in Sanskrit is called upavaasa. Devout
Hindus observe fasting on special occasions as a mark of respect to their
personal gods or as a part of their penance. Most devout Indians fast
regularly or on special occasions like festivals. On such days they do not eat
at all, eat once or make do with fruits or a special diet of simple food.
For Jews, the day Yom Kippur (“Day of Atonement”) is the last of the Ten Days
of Repentance observed on the 10th of Tishri. It is forbidden on that day to
eat, drink, wash, wear leather, or have sexual relations. In addition,
prohibitions on labor similar to those on the Sabbath are in force.
It should also be noted that Moses (peace be upon him) is recorded in the
Torah to have fasted.
“And he was there with the Lord 40 days and 40
nights, he neither ate bread not drank water.” (Exodus 34:28)
For Catholics among Christians, Lent is the major season
of fasting, imitative of the forty-day fast of Jesus (peace be upon him). In
the fourth century it was observed as six weeks of fasting before Easter or
before Holy Week. It was adjusted to forty days of actual fasting in most
places in the seventh century. Jesus
(peace be upon him) is recorded in the Gospels to have fasted like Moses.
“And he fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and afterward
he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:2 & Luke 4:2)
It is in this context that God states in the Quran:
“O believers! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you in order that you become more conscious of God.”
(Quran 2:183)
Among the Best Righteous Deeds
Although in most religions, fasting is for expiation of
sin or atonement for sin, in Islam it is primarily to bring one closer to God,
as stated in the above-mentioned verse. Since, God-consciousness is the
prerequisite for righteousness, great stress is placed on fasting in Islam. Thus,
it is not surprising to find that when Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, was asked:
“Which is the best deed?” He replied, “Fasting,
for there is nothing equal to it.” (Al-Nasa’i)
There are as many levels of fasting as there are facets
to being human. Proper fasting should encompass all dimensions of human
existence for it to have the divinely intended effect. The following are some
of the major levels of fasting:
The Levels of Fasting
The Ritual Level
This level of fasting requires that the basic rules for
fasting be fulfilled, which are avoiding food, drink and sexual intercourse
between dawn and sunset for 29 or 30 days each year. On this level, one is
basically following the letter of the laws regarding fasting without particular
consideration for the spirit of fasting. It is the entrance level which must
be fulfilled for the fast to be Islamicly correct, but the other levels must be
added for the fast to have any real impact on the fasting person. Fasting on
this level alone will not benefit one spiritually, except from the perspective
of submission to divine instructions, if one chooses to follow the ritual
consciously and not merely according to tradition. Thus, by itself, the ritual
level will not purify one of sin or atone for sin.
The Physical Level
Fasting on the “physical” level causes the fasting
person to experience the pangs of hunger and thirst when the prophetic (Sunnah)
way of fasting is observed. Prophet Muhammad used to consume a very light meal
before the dawn (suhoor) and moderate meal (iftaar) to break the
fast at sunset, while scrupulously avoiding filling his stomach. He is
reported to have said:
“The worst container a human being can fill is his
stomach. A few morsels of food to keep a person’s back straight are sufficient.
However, if his desire overcomes him, then let him eat a third, drink a third
and leave a third for breathing.” (Ibn
Majah)
The Prophet used to break his fast with a few fresh or
dried dates and a glass of water just before beginning the sunset prayer.
This level allows the fasting person to experience the pangs of hunger and
thirst and thereby develops sympathy in him or her for those starving and dying
of thirst in other parts of the world.
Medical Benefits
On the physical level, some chemicals in the brain that
transmit messages and create feelings, called neurotransmitters, are affected
by fasting. Fasting encourages the endorphin neurotransmitter system, related
to the feeling of well being and euphoria, to produce more endorphins and, in
fact, makes us “feel” better. This is similar to the effect of exercise (but
without the physical work).It has also been noted by medical experts that
fasting improves the physical health in numerous ways. For example, during the
fast the body uses up stored cholesterol (fat) that is often deposited in the blood
system, as well as in other fatty areas of the body. Thus, it helps to keep
the body firm and minimizes the danger of heart attacks. The difference
between the ritual level 1 and the physical level 2 is that a person dong only
ritual fasting may eat large meals prior to beginning the fast and immediately
upon ending the fast, and thus not feel any hunger or thirst throughout the
whole month. However, like level one, if the fasting person does not
incorporate the other levels of fasting, the fast will only be physically
exhausting. The Prophet said:
“Perhaps a fasting person will gain nothing but
hunger and thirst from fasting.”(Ibn Majah)
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