FASTING IN ISLAM

Fasting during Ramadhan is one the five pillars of Islam. This is because the prophet (peace be upon him) said : Islam is upheld by five pillars : first, to bear witness that there is no other God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger. The second is to pray regularly. Third, to pay zakat to the poor. Fourth, to fast during the Month of Ramadhan. Fifth, to visit the house of god in mecca once in a lifetime, for those who are able to make the journey.

Fasting can be defined as abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and having sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Fasting for the month of Ramadhan was prescribed during the second year of the Hijra. Fasting was an ancient form of worship prescribed by God from the beginning of time. The aim of ordering people to fastis that they should learn how to be patient, to have good morals, to purify their hearts, to ennoble their character and to be gentle in dealing with people. One should feel the sufferings of hunger and thirst in order to be quick to help those who are suffering when seeing them. One must always learn to feel the fear of God and his mercy. Fasting in Islam has been prescribed by the Qur’an and the sayings of the prophet. The Qur’an says :

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“O, you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed ti those before you, that you may learn self-restraint.” (Qur’an 2:183)

The reward of the accepted fasting is paradise. God the Almighty gives great reward for fasting as much or more that we can realize. This is because fasting is secret between man and his god. Therefore, it is the only aspect of worship that has been attributed to god. (From Djamaluddin Darwis, English for Islamic Studies, h. 135-136)

Posted in: serba-serbi