What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. A foundational pillar of practicing Islam is fasting during the month of Ramadan. This devotional act is observed by over a billion Muslims worldwide today. Fasting is one of the major acts of worship in Islam, and it is a powerful means of cultivating God-consciousness in the heart and mind. Fasting has physical and spiritual benefits, including purifying the soul, inspiring self-reflection, and increasing empathy and good works.
Why is Ramadan celebrated, and how is it observed?
God says in the Qur’an,
“Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed, as guidance for humanity…so whoever of you witnesses the month should fast it.”
[2:185]
Muslims, therefore, celebrate Ramadan by ritually fasting for the entire month in gratitude to God for His final revelation. By restricting the body’s appetites during daylight hours, believers rejuvenate their spirituality, repair their religious conscience, and cultivate their devotion to God. The fast’s most significant objective is restoring God’s centrality in our lives.
What is the purpose of fasting in Ramadan?
Muslims fast for the entire month in gratitude to God for His final revelation. By restricting the body’s appetites during daylight hours, believers rejuvenate their spirituality, repair their religious conscience, and cultivate their devotion to God. This is the fast’s most significant objective: restoring God’s centrality in our lives.
Ramadan is a period of practicing extra awareness about all the things that could soil our spirituality and fuel the ego that feeds off our catering to its appetites throughout the year. Vices are always forbidden, but we work with even greater dedication to avoid them and excel in devotion, kindness, patience, and forgiveness in Ramadan. Such inner purity is the intended result of fasting.