The scrolls of Prophet Abraham were revealed to him in the month of Ramadan, as were the Psalms, Torah and Injeel all revealed to David, Moses and Jesus, respectively, during this holy month.
After Faith, Prayers and Charity, the most important pillar of Islam is Sawm (Fasting) during the month of Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar). Sawm literally means "to abstain". Fasting during the month of Ramadan was ordained on the followers of Islam in the second year of the Prophet Muhammad's (Peace and blessings be upon him) migration to Medina. It is a month in which Muslims abstain from food before the break of dawn till sunset.
Since Ramadan is a lunar month, it rotates around the year and falls in all the possible seasons over a period of 35 years. This way, wherever you live around the globe, you will get to fast during all the seasons instead of fasting only on long summer days or on short winter days.
It is a month of self-regulation and self-training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. The lessons learnt during this holy month can be beneficial for one's entire life. One of the primary purposes of fasting is the inculcation of discipline, self-restraint and patience.
The fasting entails not only refraining from food, drink and marital relations during the daylight hours, but other important aspects of this sacred time. One is to remember not only the outward acts of fasting, but also its underlying purpose:
"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before so that you may attain taqwa (consciousness of Allah SWT)." (Koran)
There are numerous spiritual benefits from fasting. It is a means of acquiring taqwa (piety), without which a Muslim cannot gain closeness to the Almighty. The main benefit in the pursuit of piety is the suppression of the erratic demands of one's desires.
If these desires are allowed freedom, then they will succeed in making man a slave of lust, passion and base emotions, thus allowing one's faith to suffer. Therefore it is essential that the desires be restrained. Fasting helps in restraining these desires. It helps inculcate faith. Furthermore, it strengthens the bond with the Almighty.
Fasting trains the will to avoid desires and keep away from sin; it helps one to overcome one's own nature and to wean one away from bad habits. It also trains a person to get used to being organised and punctual.
Man becomes more aware and conscious of the less fortunate, which in turn teaches man to sacrifice his wealth and assist others in need. Thus the feeling for humanity is generated and increased in man.
For the acquisition of the numerous virtues and benefits of fasting there are, however, some essential conditions; one of them is that a person takes extra precaution in making sure he/she abstains from sin and futility. A person should spend much of his time in praying and reflecting on the changes that he/she should make in order to make him/her a better human being.
If one does not abstain from sin and futility, then his/her fasting will merely be staying hungry and thirsty, without any reward or spiritual upliftment.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "Allah says: "Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fast. Verily, fasting is for Me, and I shall apportion out the reward for it'."
It is further said: "For a fasting person, there are two pleasures which please him. When he eats upon completing the fast, he becomes happy, and when he will meet his Lord, he will be pleased due to his fast."
Fasting in Islam is in no way related to penance for sins nor is it regarded as a means of appeasing God's wrath, as in some religions.
Ramadan is in fact an enjoyable time. A special atmosphere prevails in homes, Mosques and communities as a whole. Muslims look forward to the coming of Ramadan with great longing and expectation and feel certain sadness when the month is at an end.
This year Ramadan starts on November 16th. We in Ireland will have to start our fast at around 6 a.m. and end the it at around 4.30 p.m.
This to most Muslims in Ireland is a short fast. In most Muslim homes people will rise at 5 a.m. and eat a breakfast, which may consist of cereals, fruit, bread and a beverage.
They will stop eating at 6 a.m., perform a prayer, and may go back to bed or prepare for the day ahead.
Those who can get back in time for breaking the fast at home or at the Mosque will do so, but others will wait until they finish work, school or college.
They will break the fast at the prescribed time with either fruit or a drink or any other food that is available and then return home or to the Mosque to eat.
In Dublin the Islamic Foundation of Ireland and the Islamic Cultural Centre will prepare meals for the fasting person. Anyone who is fasting can partake of the meal.
Last year the Islamic Centre prepared close to 400 meals per day for the month of Ramadan. Particularly in the month of Ramadan most students or single people would come to the Mosque to break their fasts because many feel a sense of belonging and the community spirit is better when they sit and eat together. Many students feel homesick during this month because they would miss the atmosphere of Ramadan at home during this special month.
The end of Ramadan marks the celebration of Id ul-Fitar. Muslims all over the world will celebrate this occasion by exchanging presents, dressing up in their best attire and by eating the best foods that they can afford.
This year many Muslims will feel a great sense of sadness for the people of Afghanistan who are fleeing the bombing there.
They are not as fortunate as us, because many are starving and have to endure the constant barrage of bombing, which will make the month of Ramadan excruciatingly hard for them.
They will be remembered with great sadness.
We will also ponder on the innocent people of Iraq who are enduring sanctions which are resulting in 5,000 children dying every month, and on the plight of the Palestinian peoples.
We will also remember September 11th, when 6,000 people were killed.
I believe this Ramadan will be a soul-searching month for all Muslims.
Fazel Ryklief is administrator at the Islamic Foundation of Ireland
