Institution of Fasting in Islam

Transcript of the talk delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on June 21, 2016 at an interfaith iftar dinner held at the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA) in the City of Warren, Michigan

Assalamu alaikum - “Peace be on all of you.” It’s wonderful to have you here at the Islamic Organization of North America. It is so rewarding to get together to build awareness and to gain understanding of the people of various faith traditions and cultures living around you. I hope and pray that we continue to be blessed with this gift of togetherness.

I am here to share with you some thoughts about fasting as an institution and a mode of worship in Islam. Traditionally, fasting is associated with religious observance, as followers of the world’s major religions practice some form of fasting.

In Islam, fasting implies abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and spousal relationship, from dawn to sunset. But the meaning of fasting is not restricted to this literal sense. There are other spiritual, biological, and psychological aspects of fasting.

The Qur’an states that fasting was prescribed by God upon the earlier faith communities, and proclaims that the main purpose of fasting is to attain God-consciousness, piety, and righteousness.

When we fast, we realize how weak we are, how fragile the human body is, how needy and how dependent we are on so many things that we don’t even think of usually. It’s a situation that makes us wonder who we really are—created beings, full of needs. And if we are created, if we are needy, then every created thing belongs to the Creator alone who provides for His creatures. This is the beginning of the process of unifying God, which is not only to believe in one God, as opposed to multiple gods, but to realize that all attributes of perfection belong not to the creation, but to their Creator. So with fasting we experience the unique oneness of God—the most compassionate; the most merciful.

When we fast, we realize that hunger hurts. We appreciate the value of food. We realize how precious a gift it is and we are filled with gratitude. Food becomes a token of love, a sign of divine favor, a sign that turns our attention from the food itself to the Supreme Being who has given us our daily bread. It gives a pleasure of being in the presence of God’s everlasting mercy and love. This pleasure is the essence of worship. It makes us reflect on the countless gifts of mercy that we have been given. Everything becomes a sign speaking of God’s mercy.  

Fasting reminds us of our needs. Our needs are the means to feel empathy for the needy. That is why sharing becomes a source of joy, a source of realizing our position of being the honored guests of the Lord of the worlds. We become less anxious about providing for our needs. The merciful sustainer has already taken care of them. Even if the stomach yells, the spirit rejoices to this good news. It is the end of egotism. We are liberated from the illusory world of the ego.

All those who fast also know that fasting teaches patience to resist temptation. This leads one to achieve a higher level of personal maturity. It also teaches self-sacrifice and enables one to be humbled from the experience of fasting. Fasting individuals will attest that they are forced to control themselves from vices and attractions that easily distract us in everyday life.

A fasting person learns how to regulate his or her daily routine in a prescribed manner thus teaching discipline. All this is done with an intention to make the person feel humble and realize one’s weaknesses and strengths at the same time. The strength in fasting teaches us that we can take control of our lives and tame ourselves in the way we want. This act leads to self-efficacy when one can say to oneself, “If I can fast and control myself, I can do many other things in life.”

There is also good news in fasting for those who do not profess or practice a particular faith. Medical research on fasting has shown benefits in areas of obesity, cancer, lupus, skin conditions, allergies, addictions, blood pressure etc.  

Fasting also has positive psychological effects. When food in the body is short, the body releases chemicals to help protect the brain from negative effects. During the first few days, the body responds to starvation by releasing catecholamine (katəˈkôləˌmēn) and other chemicals in the brain. The body responds to the stress through a boost of these feel-good chemicals.

There is evidence that fasting increases production of protein BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), that builds more neurons in the brain resulting in a more efficient mental processing. Fasting also helps in disassembling and recycling of cellular components that helps in slowing down the growth of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

For those who fast regularly, there is evidence of overall increased vigilance, improved mood and feeling of well-being. In addition to fasting in Ramadan, many devout Muslims, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and a few other days during the year.  

Fasting is not only for the body and the mind but also for elevating one’s level of spirituality and closeness to God. The physical fast is a symbol and outward expression of the real, inner fast. In fasting one expels or discharges from within oneself the impurities of thought and character and makes an attempt to reunite with God.

Fasting permits one to release oneself from earthly bonds and join with the sacred. The time spent otherwise in eating and drinking can now be spent on reflecting about the purpose of our being and in making efforts toward attaining the ultimate goals in life leading to self-actualization. Fasting, my dear brothers and sisters is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and self-control.

Indeed, the biological, psychological, spiritual, and other benefits of fasting are difficult to count.

Thank you. 

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