Fasting is a common practice among different world religions. Fasting has been considered by and large in all religions of the world as a fruitful way of self control and purification. If prayer is the essence of soul, fasting is an essential part of prayer and thus it becomes part of the soul. Although methods of fasting may differ, the aim of fasting has been to attain spirituality and highest morality in life, in order to maintain deep love with Supreme Being. In this article, a short introduction to the divergent practices of fasting in widely accepted religious traditions has been provided.
In Hinduism, fasting is one of the important parts of religious rituals. It generally indicates the denial of physical needs for the sake of spiritual demand. According to Hindu religious belief, fasting helps one to create an attunement with the Brahma by establishing a harmonious relationship between body and soul. Hindus observe fast depending on personal devotion and deity of choice during certain days of the month such as Purnima (full moon), ekadashi (eleventh day of every lunar fortnight)
Many Hindus observe fast in the month of Sravan (mid July-mid August). This month is also sacred to the Hindus for ‘Janmastami’ (birth day of Lord Krishna), and ‘Rakhi’ festival. During this time temples are decorated with lights and become live with chanting bhajans (devotional songs). Some Hindus will not cut their hair or shave over the month of Sravan. In the fasting time they engage themselves with some charitable work. They offer donations for temples, poor, and other social activities. They also cook for the hungry and poor. By these good deeds they hope that they will be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.
There are some variations among the Hindus in practicing fasting. During fasting some eat one vegetarian meal while some others do not eat at all. Some Hindu observes fasting all year round on particular days of week. They also observe fast on the particular day of the week for their devoted deity. A seven-day rundown of practices of fasting and offerings by the Hindus may be presented as under:
On Saturday, many Hindus also fast for Honuman (monkey) God. This fast is usually observed by men. This day they go to the temple of Honuman to make offerings of flowers and oil. They pour oil all over the statue of Honuman. On Sunday, Hindus fast for all goddesses. They fast on this day in order to believe that through this fast they will get energies from goddesses. On Monday they fast for Lord Shiva and his wife Durga. This particular fasting is popular mainly among the Hindu women. In the morning women, particularly, unmarried women, go to Shiva’s temple with offerings of butter, milk, honey, sugar and tulsi (herb) leaves. It is believed that by offering these to Lord Shiva they will find their dream husband. On Tuesday, many Hindus fast for ambe ma (another name of Durga) and Monkey God ‘Honuman’ this day they recite the Ambe maa’s aarti (devotional offerings) and visit temples for prayer. On Wednesday, some Hindus fast for their God Bahuchara mataji and recite the aarti and visit temples for prayer. On Thursday, many Hindus fast for Laksmi (Vishnu’s wife), and Bhuvenashvri mata. They fast this day for good health, wealth, and to achieve success in life. This day they prayer in the morning and evening in family program. On Friday, some Hindus fast for Santosi ma. This fasting is also important to Hindu woman. This day they do not eat any food and fast continuasly for sixteen Fridays. At the end thy invite many who are aged under sixteen and prayer to Santosi ma in order that satisfaction and happiness will come in the family.
Besides these weekly fasting, Hindu followers observe fast in different religious festivals. They fast for a variety of reasons. Fasting is also guided by precepts and instructions in their horoscope or astrological signs (janma patrika). They also fast with the instruction of their priest and astrologer.
In Buddhism fasting is considered as an ascetic pactice. It is one type of invigoration practice. In fasting Buddhism holds thirteen specific practices, four of which related to food: eating once a day, eating at one sitting, reducing the amount of food, and eating only that food what one receives from the first seven houses. This fasting is mainly voluntary activity and not involved into the regular Buddhist monastic activities.
Buddhist followers’ consider fasting as one of the ways of purification. Theravedan and Tendai Buddhist monks fast as a means of freeing the mind. Some Tibetian Buddhist monks fast to aid yogic feats, like generating inner mind. However, in Buddhism, fasting highlights one's attachments to food and to good flavour; thus it helps the practitioner to distinguish how much of his or her craving for food is need, and therefore, normal and necessary, and how much is greed, and therefore a hindrance to liberation.
Fasting in the Buddhist community is known as ‘zhai’ which means being vegetarian and at the same time, practicing fasting as well. The importance is that removing the meat from one's diet, twice a month on the new or full moon days, or six times a month, or more often, is also considered as a kind of fasting. The principle of fasting holds that removing indulgences to luxuries from the diet is already a form of fasting, and brings merit to the one who fasts.
When a Buddhist practitioner adopts a direct fasting practice, he or she eats dry bread for three days to prepare the stomach for no food. The standard fasting period in Buddhism is eighteen days and only a small amount of water is taken daily. If this first fast is successful and beneficial to one's practice, then one can attempt a thirty-six day fast. Some practitioners have extended the period gradually over years to include fasting for up to seventy-two days. This is an extreme practice that is only recommended to one who has taken all the required steps under the supervision of an experienced teacher.
In Buddhism, facting is not for all. Here Rev. Heng Sure, Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, offers analogy of a car. He said that without gasoline in the tank, the car would not carry you down the road. Persons who function in the world of the marketplace need nutrition to carry on business. Certainly over-eating and under-eating both defeat the purpose of food, which is to nourish the body and keep us healthy so that we can work to benefit the world.
Fasting is a common practice in Jaina religious tradition. It is a part of their every religious festival. The type of fasting in Jainism is different from all other religions. To the Jains, fasting is an effectual event to purify body and mind. It helps to maintain and teach self control, and is important to do when a perceived error in deed or thought has taken place. In Jainism, different types of fasting are practiced. Some of them are listed below:
Complete fasting: This fasting demands to give up food and water entirely. Generally it leads to death and is undertaken by someone who has finished all of his/her duties and wishes to leave this world peacefully.
Partial fasting: this fasting demands eating less than one demands and to simply avoid hunger.
Great fast: Some Jaina monks fast for months at a time following Lord Mahavira who fasted for over six months.
Masaksaman: To give up food and water or only food continuously for a whole month.
Aththai: To give up food and water or only food continuously for eight days.
Tela: To give up food and water or only food continuously for three days.
Bela: To give up both food and water or only food continuously for two days.
Chauvihar Upvas: To give up food and water for the whole day.
Upvas: To give up only food for the whole day.
Digambar Upvas: One may drink water only once a day, before sunset.
In the Old Testament fasting is seen as something even more necessary for life—communion with and dependence on God. Fasting in Judaic tradition is sometimes enjoined, sometimes made voluntary, and sometimes ritualized. Abstaining from food was the part of the ancient Judaic culture. Fasting in the Bible can generally be viewed as a pattern of religious activity that would have been common in any number of cultures. Though the Torah does not enjoin fasting on the people of covenant but it is highly present in the instruction of Old Testament.
The first clear reference of fasting was found in the Exodus, as it is said “So he (Moses) was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water” (Exodus 34:28). In Judaism, fasting is seen as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin. Such understanding of fasting is sometimes referred to as a means of humbling one. There are many verses in the Old Testament in favour of fasting. In Joel it is described as “Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord (Joel 1:14).” This verse explicitly refers that fasting is enjoined only for elders of the community.
In Jewish practices, there are two major and four minor fasts. The two major fasts are known as Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av). Yom Kippur fast is known also as the fast of the Day of Atonement. Both the major fasts last over twenty four years, begin before sundown and end after the next sundown when it is dark outside and three stars can be seen in the sky. This fast is absolute. The fast person may not eat food, drink, brush his teeth, comb his hair, or even take bath. The last chapter of Yoma deals some with the laws of fast promoting repentance by regulating fasting and labour on the Day. Eating, drinking, washing, anointing, wearing shoes and cohabitation were all prohibited.
Yom Kippur is one of the most important days of the Jewish fasting, along with prayer, and is practiced as a means of repentance. This fits well with the idea of performing penance for any sins committed during the year and restoring one’s soul to a state of wholeness. On the other hand, Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av) fast is a practice in the remembrance of the second defeat by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. which was followed by the destruction of the Temple and the city.
The four minor fast days are: the fast of Gedaliah, the fast of the 10th of Tevel, the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, and the fast of the Esther. Strict adherents to Judaism strictly observe each and every fasting day. Other Jews may practice modified forms of fasting. This can be abstaining from food but not water, fasting but not observing bathing restrictions, or not observing some of the fasting days at all.
In Judaism, the purpose of a fast is to lower the volume on the physical pursuits in order to focus more acutely on the spiritual selves in odrer to facilitate the process of return to God and the essential state of purity. It is also employed to remember the sacrifices and the tragedies of the Jewish people to mourn the loss.
Like all other religions, Christianity also laid emphasize on fasting. To give importance on fasting, Jesus Christ entered a time of fasting before his ministry. He also provided teachings his desciples how to fast and carried the Jewish tradition of fasting. Accordint to Matthew, Jesus addresses the traditional Jewish practices of alms giving, prayer, and fasting. He said, fasting must not be done to gain fame before a human audience. Our Lord said whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocraties, for they disfigure theirn faces as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their rewards. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your father who is in secret; and your father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 5: 16-18).
Some of the early Christian books following the New Testament encourage Christians to fast twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday. Early Christians carried on the tradition of fasting to the moments of decision. Before to receiving Baptism, the candidate fast one or two days. To narrate the nature of fasting in early Christians, the language of Shepherd may be quoted: Commit no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a clean heart; keep his commandments and walk in His ordinances, and do not permit any evil desire to enter your heart, and believe in God. And if you do these things and fear Him and restrain yourself from every evil deed, you will live to God; and if you do these things, you will complete a fast that is great and acceptable to God (Shepherd of Hermas, Section Parables, 5.1.5)
Later, during the Patristic era fasting rapidly came to be seen as part of the ideal, discipline Christian life. As a Christian calendar to commemorate sacred seasons, formal fast days were added. The earliest of which was a two-day fast prior to Easter. By the fourth century, this had expanded to a forty day lenten fast.
Mediaval Roman Christianty multiplied the fast days. Obligatory fast days were called Ember days, which were four separate sets of days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday ) within the same week and which were roughly equidistant across the year. These were the week between the third and fourth fundays of Advent, the week between the first and second Sundays of lent, the week between pentacost and trinity Sunday, and the week beginning on the Sunday after the holy Cross day (September 14).
In present day Christianity, there are some common fasting practices. Firstly, Ash Wednesday (March 9), this practice begins the traditional period of Lent. Lent is a time of self examination and repentance in advance of Easter and Ressurrection Sunday. As Lent begins many believers will refrain from eating favorite food item and pleasant activity as a reminder that how the Lord Jesus gave up his life. Secondly, fourty days prayer of Lent. During this time general Christians are asked to focus on special prayer emphasize.
Fasting in Islam is one of the fundamental principles. Ramadan, the ninth month of Islamic calender, is fixed for fasting. It is an event of God fearing, The Holy Quran declares “O those who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as were enjoined upon those before so that you be God-fearing (Quran 2:183).” It is obligatory for all capable Muslims. Islam also offer a window of exemption for those who are sick or travelling but this must be made up by paying a fidyah which is essentially the iftar, dinner and sadaqah for a fasting person who requires such financial help. The Holy Quran says that “(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew (Quran 2:184).”
Besides this obligatory fast, Muslims observe some voluntary fasting in order to get the grace of God. The voluntary fast days are 13th, 14th, 15th day of each Islamic calendar, six days in the month of Shawal, 9th of Dhul-Hajj, and 10th of Muharram. In Islamic instructions there are some days when fasting is prohibited. Those days are: 3 days of Eid-ul-Adha, Day of Eid-ul-Fitr, and only fast every Friday. Amr-al-Ashari naratted that Muhammad (pbuh) has said: Verily, Friday is an eid (holiday) for you, so do not fast on it unless you fast the day before or after it."
During fasting Muslims will abstain from certain provisions, namely, eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk. Fasting in Islam is not only for being refraining from food but a great opportunity to increase the spiritual power also. It is merely not a physical component. It has some spiritual aspects include refraining from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad characters.
It helps one to be more pure on mind and helpful to others. Muslims practice fasting to develop their love for God and seeking His grace and pleasure. It increase charity and strong the sense of brotherhood. It also develops self discipline, sound consciousness, and selflessness. It increase the power of patience and moderate in a healthy life style. It is also guidance for Muslims. As the Holy Quran says “the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful (Quran 2:185).”
Finally, fasting have two sides, spirituality and world affairs. Spiritually, fasting aims to maintain a deep relationship with Supreme Being by improving moral quality, equality among mankind, self consciousness, selflessness so forth. It also helps one to shaken off his/her all devil attitudes. In worldly affairs, fasting promote fraternity and brotherhood. It develops the human level of patience and understanding. As a result of spiritual and worldly development through proper practice of fasting we will find a peaceful society.
In Hinduism, fasting is one of the important parts of religious rituals. It generally indicates the denial of physical needs for the sake of spiritual demand. According to Hindu religious belief, fasting helps one to create an attunement with the Brahma by establishing a harmonious relationship between body and soul. Hindus observe fast depending on personal devotion and deity of choice during certain days of the month such as Purnima (full moon), ekadashi (eleventh day of every lunar fortnight)
Many Hindus observe fast in the month of Sravan (mid July-mid August). This month is also sacred to the Hindus for ‘Janmastami’ (birth day of Lord Krishna), and ‘Rakhi’ festival. During this time temples are decorated with lights and become live with chanting bhajans (devotional songs). Some Hindus will not cut their hair or shave over the month of Sravan. In the fasting time they engage themselves with some charitable work. They offer donations for temples, poor, and other social activities. They also cook for the hungry and poor. By these good deeds they hope that they will be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.
There are some variations among the Hindus in practicing fasting. During fasting some eat one vegetarian meal while some others do not eat at all. Some Hindu observes fasting all year round on particular days of week. They also observe fast on the particular day of the week for their devoted deity. A seven-day rundown of practices of fasting and offerings by the Hindus may be presented as under:
On Saturday, many Hindus also fast for Honuman (monkey) God. This fast is usually observed by men. This day they go to the temple of Honuman to make offerings of flowers and oil. They pour oil all over the statue of Honuman. On Sunday, Hindus fast for all goddesses. They fast on this day in order to believe that through this fast they will get energies from goddesses. On Monday they fast for Lord Shiva and his wife Durga. This particular fasting is popular mainly among the Hindu women. In the morning women, particularly, unmarried women, go to Shiva’s temple with offerings of butter, milk, honey, sugar and tulsi (herb) leaves. It is believed that by offering these to Lord Shiva they will find their dream husband. On Tuesday, many Hindus fast for ambe ma (another name of Durga) and Monkey God ‘Honuman’ this day they recite the Ambe maa’s aarti (devotional offerings) and visit temples for prayer. On Wednesday, some Hindus fast for their God Bahuchara mataji and recite the aarti and visit temples for prayer. On Thursday, many Hindus fast for Laksmi (Vishnu’s wife), and Bhuvenashvri mata. They fast this day for good health, wealth, and to achieve success in life. This day they prayer in the morning and evening in family program. On Friday, some Hindus fast for Santosi ma. This fasting is also important to Hindu woman. This day they do not eat any food and fast continuasly for sixteen Fridays. At the end thy invite many who are aged under sixteen and prayer to Santosi ma in order that satisfaction and happiness will come in the family.
Besides these weekly fasting, Hindu followers observe fast in different religious festivals. They fast for a variety of reasons. Fasting is also guided by precepts and instructions in their horoscope or astrological signs (janma patrika). They also fast with the instruction of their priest and astrologer.
In Buddhism fasting is considered as an ascetic pactice. It is one type of invigoration practice. In fasting Buddhism holds thirteen specific practices, four of which related to food: eating once a day, eating at one sitting, reducing the amount of food, and eating only that food what one receives from the first seven houses. This fasting is mainly voluntary activity and not involved into the regular Buddhist monastic activities.
Buddhist followers’ consider fasting as one of the ways of purification. Theravedan and Tendai Buddhist monks fast as a means of freeing the mind. Some Tibetian Buddhist monks fast to aid yogic feats, like generating inner mind. However, in Buddhism, fasting highlights one's attachments to food and to good flavour; thus it helps the practitioner to distinguish how much of his or her craving for food is need, and therefore, normal and necessary, and how much is greed, and therefore a hindrance to liberation.
Fasting in the Buddhist community is known as ‘zhai’ which means being vegetarian and at the same time, practicing fasting as well. The importance is that removing the meat from one's diet, twice a month on the new or full moon days, or six times a month, or more often, is also considered as a kind of fasting. The principle of fasting holds that removing indulgences to luxuries from the diet is already a form of fasting, and brings merit to the one who fasts.
When a Buddhist practitioner adopts a direct fasting practice, he or she eats dry bread for three days to prepare the stomach for no food. The standard fasting period in Buddhism is eighteen days and only a small amount of water is taken daily. If this first fast is successful and beneficial to one's practice, then one can attempt a thirty-six day fast. Some practitioners have extended the period gradually over years to include fasting for up to seventy-two days. This is an extreme practice that is only recommended to one who has taken all the required steps under the supervision of an experienced teacher.
In Buddhism, facting is not for all. Here Rev. Heng Sure, Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, offers analogy of a car. He said that without gasoline in the tank, the car would not carry you down the road. Persons who function in the world of the marketplace need nutrition to carry on business. Certainly over-eating and under-eating both defeat the purpose of food, which is to nourish the body and keep us healthy so that we can work to benefit the world.
Fasting is a common practice in Jaina religious tradition. It is a part of their every religious festival. The type of fasting in Jainism is different from all other religions. To the Jains, fasting is an effectual event to purify body and mind. It helps to maintain and teach self control, and is important to do when a perceived error in deed or thought has taken place. In Jainism, different types of fasting are practiced. Some of them are listed below:
Complete fasting: This fasting demands to give up food and water entirely. Generally it leads to death and is undertaken by someone who has finished all of his/her duties and wishes to leave this world peacefully.
Partial fasting: this fasting demands eating less than one demands and to simply avoid hunger.
Great fast: Some Jaina monks fast for months at a time following Lord Mahavira who fasted for over six months.
Masaksaman: To give up food and water or only food continuously for a whole month.
Aththai: To give up food and water or only food continuously for eight days.
Tela: To give up food and water or only food continuously for three days.
Bela: To give up both food and water or only food continuously for two days.
Chauvihar Upvas: To give up food and water for the whole day.
Upvas: To give up only food for the whole day.
Digambar Upvas: One may drink water only once a day, before sunset.
In the Old Testament fasting is seen as something even more necessary for life—communion with and dependence on God. Fasting in Judaic tradition is sometimes enjoined, sometimes made voluntary, and sometimes ritualized. Abstaining from food was the part of the ancient Judaic culture. Fasting in the Bible can generally be viewed as a pattern of religious activity that would have been common in any number of cultures. Though the Torah does not enjoin fasting on the people of covenant but it is highly present in the instruction of Old Testament.
The first clear reference of fasting was found in the Exodus, as it is said “So he (Moses) was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water” (Exodus 34:28). In Judaism, fasting is seen as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin. Such understanding of fasting is sometimes referred to as a means of humbling one. There are many verses in the Old Testament in favour of fasting. In Joel it is described as “Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord (Joel 1:14).” This verse explicitly refers that fasting is enjoined only for elders of the community.
In Jewish practices, there are two major and four minor fasts. The two major fasts are known as Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av). Yom Kippur fast is known also as the fast of the Day of Atonement. Both the major fasts last over twenty four years, begin before sundown and end after the next sundown when it is dark outside and three stars can be seen in the sky. This fast is absolute. The fast person may not eat food, drink, brush his teeth, comb his hair, or even take bath. The last chapter of Yoma deals some with the laws of fast promoting repentance by regulating fasting and labour on the Day. Eating, drinking, washing, anointing, wearing shoes and cohabitation were all prohibited.
Yom Kippur is one of the most important days of the Jewish fasting, along with prayer, and is practiced as a means of repentance. This fits well with the idea of performing penance for any sins committed during the year and restoring one’s soul to a state of wholeness. On the other hand, Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av) fast is a practice in the remembrance of the second defeat by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. which was followed by the destruction of the Temple and the city.
The four minor fast days are: the fast of Gedaliah, the fast of the 10th of Tevel, the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, and the fast of the Esther. Strict adherents to Judaism strictly observe each and every fasting day. Other Jews may practice modified forms of fasting. This can be abstaining from food but not water, fasting but not observing bathing restrictions, or not observing some of the fasting days at all.
In Judaism, the purpose of a fast is to lower the volume on the physical pursuits in order to focus more acutely on the spiritual selves in odrer to facilitate the process of return to God and the essential state of purity. It is also employed to remember the sacrifices and the tragedies of the Jewish people to mourn the loss.
Like all other religions, Christianity also laid emphasize on fasting. To give importance on fasting, Jesus Christ entered a time of fasting before his ministry. He also provided teachings his desciples how to fast and carried the Jewish tradition of fasting. Accordint to Matthew, Jesus addresses the traditional Jewish practices of alms giving, prayer, and fasting. He said, fasting must not be done to gain fame before a human audience. Our Lord said whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocraties, for they disfigure theirn faces as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their rewards. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your father who is in secret; and your father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 5: 16-18).
Some of the early Christian books following the New Testament encourage Christians to fast twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday. Early Christians carried on the tradition of fasting to the moments of decision. Before to receiving Baptism, the candidate fast one or two days. To narrate the nature of fasting in early Christians, the language of Shepherd may be quoted: Commit no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a clean heart; keep his commandments and walk in His ordinances, and do not permit any evil desire to enter your heart, and believe in God. And if you do these things and fear Him and restrain yourself from every evil deed, you will live to God; and if you do these things, you will complete a fast that is great and acceptable to God (Shepherd of Hermas, Section Parables, 5.1.5)
Later, during the Patristic era fasting rapidly came to be seen as part of the ideal, discipline Christian life. As a Christian calendar to commemorate sacred seasons, formal fast days were added. The earliest of which was a two-day fast prior to Easter. By the fourth century, this had expanded to a forty day lenten fast.
Mediaval Roman Christianty multiplied the fast days. Obligatory fast days were called Ember days, which were four separate sets of days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday ) within the same week and which were roughly equidistant across the year. These were the week between the third and fourth fundays of Advent, the week between the first and second Sundays of lent, the week between pentacost and trinity Sunday, and the week beginning on the Sunday after the holy Cross day (September 14).
In present day Christianity, there are some common fasting practices. Firstly, Ash Wednesday (March 9), this practice begins the traditional period of Lent. Lent is a time of self examination and repentance in advance of Easter and Ressurrection Sunday. As Lent begins many believers will refrain from eating favorite food item and pleasant activity as a reminder that how the Lord Jesus gave up his life. Secondly, fourty days prayer of Lent. During this time general Christians are asked to focus on special prayer emphasize.
Fasting in Islam is one of the fundamental principles. Ramadan, the ninth month of Islamic calender, is fixed for fasting. It is an event of God fearing, The Holy Quran declares “O those who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as were enjoined upon those before so that you be God-fearing (Quran 2:183).” It is obligatory for all capable Muslims. Islam also offer a window of exemption for those who are sick or travelling but this must be made up by paying a fidyah which is essentially the iftar, dinner and sadaqah for a fasting person who requires such financial help. The Holy Quran says that “(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew (Quran 2:184).”
Besides this obligatory fast, Muslims observe some voluntary fasting in order to get the grace of God. The voluntary fast days are 13th, 14th, 15th day of each Islamic calendar, six days in the month of Shawal, 9th of Dhul-Hajj, and 10th of Muharram. In Islamic instructions there are some days when fasting is prohibited. Those days are: 3 days of Eid-ul-Adha, Day of Eid-ul-Fitr, and only fast every Friday. Amr-al-Ashari naratted that Muhammad (pbuh) has said: Verily, Friday is an eid (holiday) for you, so do not fast on it unless you fast the day before or after it."
During fasting Muslims will abstain from certain provisions, namely, eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk. Fasting in Islam is not only for being refraining from food but a great opportunity to increase the spiritual power also. It is merely not a physical component. It has some spiritual aspects include refraining from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad characters.
It helps one to be more pure on mind and helpful to others. Muslims practice fasting to develop their love for God and seeking His grace and pleasure. It increase charity and strong the sense of brotherhood. It also develops self discipline, sound consciousness, and selflessness. It increase the power of patience and moderate in a healthy life style. It is also guidance for Muslims. As the Holy Quran says “the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful (Quran 2:185).”
Finally, fasting have two sides, spirituality and world affairs. Spiritually, fasting aims to maintain a deep relationship with Supreme Being by improving moral quality, equality among mankind, self consciousness, selflessness so forth. It also helps one to shaken off his/her all devil attitudes. In worldly affairs, fasting promote fraternity and brotherhood. It develops the human level of patience and understanding. As a result of spiritual and worldly development through proper practice of fasting we will find a peaceful society.
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন