By Sulaiman Rifai
More than one billion Muslim people are fasting this month from dawn to dusk all over the globe. This is indeed a blessed month and Muslim people are happy to welcome this holy month. Muslim devotees are dedicating their time and energies in devotion, supplication and religious rituals during this holy month. More times are spent in the mosques, more people are reading the holy Quran, and more charities are exchanged between people. Fasting is one of five pillars of Islam. It is beyond the scope of this article to cover all aspects of this pillar and yet I will try my best to give some basic points about fasting and most of time our Non-Muslim brothers ask. Why do Muslim fast and how do they starve from dawn to dusk and how do they go without water or drinks whole day and now it is nearly 17 hours in western countries. Some people see it as a daunting task. But believe me it is not a difficult task and even 8 years old children could do it. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of beautiful aspects of Islam that unites all Muslims all over the world and gives practical dimensions to the universal brotherhood of Muslim people.
The month of fasting is a place of exile from illusion and fashion and a pilgrimage deep into one’s self.
By Tariq Ramadan
The month of Ramadan is at hand and with it, Muslims will be entering into one of the finest and most beautiful schools of life. The fasting month is a school of faith, spirituality, awareness, giving, solidarity, justice, dignity and unity. Nothing less. It is the month when introspection among Muslims should be deepest; the month of their greatest contribution to humanity. The month of Ramadan is the world’s most widespread fast and yet its teachings are minimised, neglected and even betrayed (through literal application of rules that overlooks their ultimate objective).