Why do Muslims fast?

By :  Maulana Abu Bakar

This is a common but interesting question which a child may ask his parents. Non-Muslim may also pose it to Muslims. here are some of the reasons why Muslims observe a one-month fasting during Ramadan.

1-  To obey Allah's injunction.                                                                                  

 Muslims must believe in, obey and implement, all words of Allah contained in the Holy Qur'an.

This is because of Allah's words are the guidelines He has made for all people.

 Allah ta'ala says:

The truth is from your Lord, so be not at all in doubt (Qur'an 2:147)

 Fasting is an important injunction that is directed to all Muslims (men and women), Allah Ta'ala says:

O you who believe, fasting is prescribes for you..... (Qur'an 2:183)

 This injunction prescribed fasting as a compulsory duty for all Muslims, thus Allah Ta'ala says:

O who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perhance you will guard yourselves... The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qu'ran was sent down, a guidance for the people, and clear verses of guidance and criterion. (Qur'an 2:183)

Whoever deliberately forgoes fasting in Ramadan, should know that he has disobeyed Allah's injunction and no amount of fasting thereafter can give her/him a reward equivalent to one missed ramadan as obvious in this Hadith:

 Hazrat Abu Huraira (radhiallahu ta'ala 'anhu) reported that Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam) said:

"Whoever did not fast one day of Ramadan without a genuine excuse or a disease then even if he fasted for a complete year, it would not compensate for that (missed Ramadan) day." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol 3, p.88)

2-  To practise the tradition, and way of the pious people.

 Fasting is not new to Islam; it is, indeed, as old as Adam, who was the first creature and the first Muslim to submit to only one Allah, Qur'an mentions that Prophet Hazrat Musa (alaihissalaam) used to fast for 40 days and Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam) said that Hazrat Dawood(alaihissalaam) used to fast for half of the year. Also, Hazrat 'Issa (alaihissalaam) used to fast for 40 days.

3-  To learn how to attain piety. 

 By the very nature of human beings, they are susceptible to sins and transgression of Allah's limits. Generally Mislims are prohibited from gossiping, backbiting, slandeing, hypocrisy, lying, cheating, holding grudges and fornicating as these vices oppose the teaching of the Holy Qur'an.

Since Muslims are human beings created to err as a result of reminded and coached against any social vices from time to time This will require a fixed training period where muslims will know and learn. 

That training period is fasting during Ramadanwhich occurs once in a every year.

4-  To reap the full reward of the "Night of Power" (Lailat-al Qadr) 

The Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam) in one night during Ramadan. It is called the night of Power i.e. Lailat-al Qadr. A good deed on this night is better than the rewards of deeds of 1,000 months (about 83.3 years).

Specifically this night is in the last ten days of Ramadan and usually in one of the odd days (i.e. 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29th).

A Muslim is expected to perform extra prayers (Nawafil), recite the Qur'an, do "zikr" etc.... Since no one knows precisely which of the odd days is "Lailat-al Qadr", Mislims are expected to be in suclusion (Etikaf) during the last ten days of Ramadan.

 The following chapter of the qur'an details the event of Lailat-al Qadr:

"Indeed we revealed it (Qur'an) in the night of Power "Lailat-al Qadr". And what will explain to you what the night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the Angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: (They say) Peace (continously) till the rise of the morning!" ( Qur'an 97:1-5 )

5-  To show Muslims how to get their past sins forgiven.  

Islam is the religion that stresses equality: both the poor and the rich (men or women) are equal as slaves in the sight of Allah. In Islam the surest way to obtain Allah's forgiveness for one's past sins is Pilgrimage ( the fifth pillar of Islam) that unfortunately is only easy for the rich to afford its expenses.

But Allah never ignores the poor; rather he has made fating during Ramadan as a means of placing the poor and the rich on equal footing in terms of asking for forgiveness of their past sins.

 Allah has choosen Ramadan for all Muslims to get their past sins forgiven as evident in this Hadith:

 Narrated Hazrat Abu Huraira (radhiallahu ta'ala 'anhu) reported that Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihe wasallam) said:

"....  whoever fasts during Ramadan with sincere faith and hoping for his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol3, p.70)

 From the foregoing, it can be concluded that fastng is an epitome of the pillars of Islam. Therefore, every able-bodied Muslim must fast to learn how the other four pillars operate.