Fasting during the whole month of Ramadhan is made obligatory on Muslims. The command was given in verse (Q2: 183):

"O you who believe! Observing fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious"

From this verse and others as well, it is understandable also that the first and foremost quality of fast is that it creates piety and fear of Allah. The Quran, the tradition and the human reason provide ample evidence to this effect. As indicated above, Quran stated this fact explicitly in the verse where it has been made obligatory.

Moreover, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said the following, which signifies the same thing.

"Fasting is a shield for you (as it saves you from sins in this world and would protect you from hell in the Hereafter." (Muslim)

Regarding fasting as an accepted means of attaining piety and fear of Allah, the assertion of Quran in the above verse and in some others is more than sufficient. Thus, there will not be any compelling need to advance any further argument in support of this contention. But for the purpose of greater satisfaction it would not be inappropriate also if this fact is verified by reason. Let's then consider as to how and why fasting creates piety and fear of Allah in man.

First of all let's see what the Arabic word TAQWA (piousness) stands for. Prof. Jamal Badawi defined it as "a state of mind where one remains God conscious in all circumstances". S.D.Islahi explained taqwa as "the name of that profound care for saving ourselves from the displeasure of Allah which urges one for virtue and dissuades him from vice". Explained otherwise it is "a state of mind which forms a practical attitude that helps attain the obedience and pleasure of Allah". One who is obsessed with such a feeling thinks all the time of nothing except the pleasure of Allah. He is always afraid lest he should do some thing that would displease Him. He always worried lest he should miss any thing which would please Him.

This desire and effort to attain the pleasure and escaping the displeasure of Allah can only be achieved if one has a full control of him self and does not go by his whims. It is crystal clear here that the only way of attaining piety is that one does not leave himself unbridled and his desires unrestrained. This is evident from the following verse of the Quran:

"But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust, Lo! The Garden will be his home" (Q79: 40-41)

Once we understood the word it self, it is time now to consider what really fast is. As Allah (sw) pointed out in His Book, fasting stipulates three things as its prerequisite: refraining from food, drink and copulation from dawn to dusk (Q2: 187), i.e. one should abstain from these three demands of self which do occupy a vital place in the collective demand of the self. No other demand of the self seems to be as important, as all pervading and as forceful as these. These three are not as such merely desires but also instinctive urges of man so much so that one is subdued by them.

It is the fast that imposes the strongest check to these forceful demands, which, as said already, are not merely desires, but instinct urges. If one can keep under his control such strong instinct urges for a considerable length of time, it should not be expecting too much of him then that he would be able to subdue his other desires even more conveniently. This is undeniable fact. The admission of this fact, the fact that one would never dare to oppose, means that fasting creates in one full power of controlling him/herself and the urges emanating from it. It is the powerful means to beat down the mischievous behaviors of one's own or that of Satan in his/her adherence to the path of religion and Divine injunctions. In short, it makes him/her pious and fearful of Allah in the truest senseWe all know that Salaath is an important tool whereby the performer can avoid bad and disguising acts (Q29: 45). There is no doubt for Salaath's being reliable and sustainable source of piety and there would not be wrong to regard it as the richest food for piety. However, this important act is not totally free from hypocrisy and the absence of hypocrisy (Q107: 4-6) and being God conscious while performing it (Q23: 2) is the guarantee of the fact that it brings man near to Allah and keeps him away from evil deeds. On the other hand, for one who performs it with hypocrisy, only to be seen, without an inside feeling of Allah, the consequence will be reversed; his abode will be the lowest depth of hell.

If Allah speaks about Salaath as a means to enrich one with the wealth of piety which is not altogether free from hypocrisy, such devotion as fasting which is absolutely free from it would definitely do so. There is no doubt for fasting being immune of hypocrisy. It is a kind of deed which happens to be negative in character as it does not come into effect by doing certain acts (as in other virtual activities). It can neither be seen nor heard by any one. There can not be then any chance of ostentation of hypocrisy. It is indeed the real manifestation of ones loyalty for the one who prescribed it. It seems apparently because of this distinctive position of fast that Allah made use of the phrase "la'alakum tatqune" in the Quran with regard to fasting. No other specific act of worship or prayer contains these wordings although it is an established fact that every prayer creates virtue and piety.

As the purpose of fasting is to create piety and virtue in man, then piousness is its real touchstone. Fasting can be kept in the real sense if one not only control merely these three cravings (food, drink and sex) but also subject all his passions to the divine injunctions. Otherwise it is but starvation. The abstinence is only a mark and technical form of the fast. If one contented only with the apparent and physical form, he is akin to one who goes round the domain of he fast and does not enter it. The Prophet (pbuh) described the particular person where his fasting is but hunger and thirsty and benefits him nothing when he (pbuh) is reported to have said:

"If a person does not abstain from telling lies or doing wrong when he is observing fast, let it be known to him that Allah does not want that he should be stop eating his food." (Bukhari).

It should be understood here that the real aim of imposing restrain over the three appetites of man is to control and train oneself through such exercises. In other words, refraining from eating, drinking or sexual intercourse by themselves do not guaranty success. As a matter of fact, there would not be a distinction between one who does not keep fasting and one who keeps it without its real objectives.

Form what has been said it appears clear that fasting is a brief but effective exercise for imparting piety and self-discipline without the slightest inclusion of hypocrisy. This fact appears to me enough to convince anyone and conceive it as an indispensable for acquiring the essence and the required standard of piety.

One thing that I should add here is that the objective of fasting is not self-effacement or self-torture but self-control. He who controls his whim is held in high esteem in he realm of piety. One should not mortify his instinctive urges and at the same time there is no place in true Islam for naïve presumption that 'the longer the fast, the greater would be the attainment of its objectives'. It is clearly indicated that fasting is to be observed for a fixed number of days, i.e the month of Ramadhan (Q2: 184-185). The hours of the day where a believer is expected to fast have also been clearly stated - dawn to dusk (2: 187). It should then be observed accordingly and should not be subjected to exaggerations. In this regard, the divine injunction should be followed and there would not be any entrance for one to exercise his liking and opinion. From this last formulae of fasting, one would understand that not only does fasting aim at 'self-control' but also teaches and puts a restrain over one's opinion and liking in matters of religion.

Despite the foremost significance of fast is in imparting 'piety' and teaching of 'self-control', it has got many more advantages for the observer. To mention but a few:

• It strengthens one's faith in the sovereignty of Allah. The entire system of order and compliance that one considers during the period of fasting are a manifestation of authority and obedience which one may not find in any other act.
• It creates awareness of sympathy and fellow feeling in the Islamic society. As the riches are made to experience the pangs of poverty for the whole month, it reminds them of hardships of starvation and hunger. This practical experience and feeling, by creating in them a determination for ameliorating the poor, develops the spirit of sympathy and spending in the way of Allah.
• During the month of Ramadhan all members of the Muslim umma, the rich and the poor, the rule and the ruled, the elite and the ordinary are all in a similar situation sharing equal level of obedience. Their face reflects that they are all slaves of one Master and subject to Him with equal degree. Thus fasting is also a means to strengthen and keep the sense of equality in the society.
• Fasting prepares its observer for the struggle in the cause of Allah by its effect in training for and getting accustomed to hardship and endurance. For this the month of Ramadhan is regarded as the 'month of patience' and fasting as 'a half patience'
• Ramadhan is also a month in which the door of the hell is closed and the door of the paradise opened. It is the month of forgiveness and pardon.
• In addition to the above spiritual and social merits, fasting has its physical advantage. It not only prepares one to bear the hardship, ups and downs of life so that one would not be too much given over to ease, but also exercises a very good effect upon health. This is a fact proved beyond doubt and defended by medical authorities to the extent of recommending it in the hospital like any other medicament.

Ramadhan is the month in which Allah revealed His Book (Q2: 185) as a guidance and criterion to mankind. In this respect Ramadhan is regarded as the month of Guidance for which Muslims devote themselves and spend much of their time in learning out of Quran.

It is within this month that we also find a night - 'Lailatul Qadr' literally the 'night of decree' - that is better than thousand months. This night is describes in Q97: 3-5 as:

"… the night of glory is better than a thousand months. The angels and the spirit descend in it with every decree, by the leave of their Lord. The night is all peace, till the rise of dawn."

Subhan-Allah! What a wonderful night it is - a single night better than the whole life time of a man. At any standard of living, the average life expectancy of man all around the world is less than, if any, only a bit higher than 83 years.

The exact night here referred as the "night of Glory" is not known for certainty. Despite many jurists think that this particular night is the 27th of Ramadhan, opinion still differs greatly and there exists many views on the subject. Looking into the Quran, one finds also a similar instance in which Allah referred one special time of prayer as the "middle prayer" (Q2: 238) and urges believers to stand alert for it. Yet the particular Salaath here indicated is kept indefinite although many agrees on 'asr' as the "middle Salaath". Once again, opinion differs on this matter.

Having the disagreement on the particularities of either of the subjects - the "the night of Glory" or "the middle prayer" - as they are, we can see one fact with regard to both. Any one who performs his regular time at their 'determined time' is sure that he has obtained the rewards and blessings of the "middle prayer" no matter which one it was. Likewise, for any one who observed his fast, fulfilling all its essentials, for the whole month of Ramadhan, he is sure that he has enjoyed this holy night of Islam and with no doubt benefited from all what is in it. In short we are expected to be on standby in all times of prayer as well as for the whole month of Ramadhan. It could be possible for any given Salaath time or night of Ramadhan to be the one referred by Allah respectively as "the middle prayer" and the "night of Glory". Certainly any one who is watchful with this understanding towards all times of prayer and for the whole month of Ramadhan and observed it, he is also dead sure that he did not miss it. The reason behind leaving these peculiarities unspecified in the Quran maybe so deep and its objective seems to create the already mentioned mentality in the believers so that they would not miss any time of prayer as well as any day of Ramadhan.

Dear brothers and sisters, this month of bless is coming soon and, insha-Allah, we all will be among those entitled to observe it. May we then welcome it with all happiness, try to observe it properly keeping ourselves from any evil deed, be it in thought or action, and ask Allah for His unlimited forgiveness. May Allah make it the month of devotion and obedience for all those who would observe it out of their earnest sincerity to their Lord.

As Ramadhan is a month of Ibadah and prayer, may we all ask Allah with one voice for His help and victory for all those who are working day in day out for this Deen, for those who will be at home or away from their home and family during this holy month.

Lastly, I wish you all a "Happy and rewarding Ramadhan".

Compiled from from various sources and adapted by Abiye Yassin.