Fasting for Gratitude and Penitence

It was in the month of Ramadan that the first revelations of the Quranic verses came down to the Prophet. It was a great blessing of God that He revealed this guidance in the form of the Quran so that it might be a true guide for man. That is why this month came to be held as one of developing feelings of gratitude for the believers. Taqwa or a God-fearing life means a cautious life. Success for man in both worlds lies in his invariably adopting the path of caution in all matters of life. It is taqwa, a guarded, disciplined life of penitence that is the goal of fasting. Fasting, an experience of powerlessness despite the possession of power is an annual exercise in self-discipline. And only that person has fasted, in the true sense of the word, who emerges from the experience not only a grateful and pious devotee of God Almighty but also a human being in complete control of his thoughts, words and deeds.