The Meaning And Purpose Of Fasting

THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF FASTING A ll India Radio, New Delhi, organized a programme on the evening of 19 August 1978 at 9:30 PM. Its title was “What is Fasting?” It was a half-hour radio discussion in which representatives of three religions were invited to present the concept of fasting according to their respective faiths. The writer of these lines represented Islam. The other two speakers were: Pandit Sachidanand Shastri (Hindu Dharma) and Archbishop Nasir (Christianity). The writer was also appointed as the coordinator of this radio discussion. Each speaker explained, in the light of their religion, what fasting is, why it has been made obligatory, and in what form it exists in their faith. Fasting—called Sawm in Arabic, Vrat in Hindi, and Fasting in English—exists in some form in every religion. Though its duration and method may vary, the practice is present across all traditions.