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by A. Abdul Aziz,

Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'

The third act of worship in Islam is fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadhan by all able, adult Muslims.

The fasting begins before daybreak and continues till sunset. During this period, a Muslim does not eat or drink anything and abstains from any vulgar speech or act.

Fasting in some form or another has been practised by almost all religions. The purpose of fasting in Islam is summarized below:

* by fasting a Muslim obeys the command of God which is a justification for fasting in itself.

* fasting is a mini sacrifice of one's physical needs and makes one feel better spiritually.

* experience shows that other worships like Salat (prayer) and Dua (supplication) are more enjoyable and spiritually more beneficial, when one is fasting.

* It is during a fast that we find out how the hungry and the poor people in this world really feel.

* even on purely medical grounds, fasting is an excellent activity and a good training for the body systems.

The true purpose of Ramadhan fasting, as of all forms of Islamic worship is to draw people closer to Allah.

Though normal pursuits and occupations are carried on as usual, the emphasis on moral and spiritual values and concentration on them are intensified, and everything is subordinated to the main purpose. The hearing, the sight, the tongue, the mind are all under stricter control.

For instance, not only vain talk, but much talk is also eschewed, so that there should be greater concentration on remembrance of Allah and refection upon His attributes. The Holy Prophet said: "He who abstains from food and drink during the period of the fast but does not restrain himself from uttering a falsehood, starves himself to no purpose". It is related of him that during Ramadhan, his own concern for and care of the poor, the needy, the sick and the orphan was intensified manifold, and that his charity knew no limit.

It must never be overlooked that the whole of fasting, whether obligatory as during the month of Ramadhan, or voluntary, as at other times, is to promote righteousness which means the progressive cultivation of spiritual values. The same applies when the fast is observed as an expiation or penalty.

The spiritual recompense of proper observation of the fast is high indeed. The Holy Prophet has said: "There are appropriate spiritual rewards for all worship and righteous action; the ultimate reward of the person who observes the fast solely for winning the pleasure of Allah is Allah himself".

Persons who are either sick or on a journey, are exempted from the fast of Ramadhan. They must, however, make up these fasts at another time. Those people who are chronically ill or too old to keep fasts are allowed to feed a poor man for every fast that they miss. Muslims who are not exempted as mentioned above, are required to fast for 29 or 30 days of the month of Ramadhan; the exact number of the days depends on the appearance of the moon.

Fasting starts with the sighting of the new moon of Ramadhan and ends with the appearance of the new moon Shawwal.

Aside from the obligatory fasts of the month of Ramdhan, a person may keep voluntary fasts at any time he wishes as long as these fasts do not interfere with his normal duties.

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