Fasting: A Culture of Self-Control

FASTING: A CULTURE OF SELF-CONTROL The month of fasting reminds us that without this life support system, man would be completely helpless. He would experience the ultimate state of helplessness. Then there would be no water on earth for him to drink. There would be no food for him to eat. There would be no oxygen for him to breathe. There would be no sunlight to light his path. There would be no gravity to enable him to build his civilization. The month of Ramadan reminds man of the importance of the life support system, so that he is filled with gratitude to God. Fasting (roza) reminds man that without this life support system the whole of life would be destroyed. Therefore, fasting brings about both the feeling of being God-fearing and the feeling of being grateful. Undoubtedly, another name for Islam is to live with these feelings.

FASTING: A CULTURE OF SELF-CONTROL Fasting, in some form or the other, is part of every religion as given in the following verse of the Quran, “Believers, fasting has been prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil.” (The Quran, 2:183) In Islam fasting is called roza. The Arabic equivalent of roza is sawm. Sawm literally means abstinence, that is, to refrain from doing something). The ninth month of the Hijri calendar, that is, Ramadan, has been especially chosen for fasting. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory for every Muslim, except when he has a genuine reason not to do so. In every human being there are two faculties to take into consideration: one is desire and the other is reason.