The Fast of Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan started yesterday and also I started fasting. For the next 4 weeks some of us will not eat nor dring from Sunrise to Sunset. Though the month is exclusive to the Islamic religion, the concepts of self-discipline and purification that Ramadan embraces are integrated within the concept of all major faiths throughout the world.

The substence to be understood has long been forgotton. What are the reasons behind the 4-week-fasting-dicipline?

The differences in individual religions aside, I believe that self-sacrifice shows commitment while strengthening ones mind. Gandhi agreed that this commitment is beneficial.
"The concept of sacrifice of giving up everything that you are attached to, you gain mental control," Gandhi said. "Your mind grows stronger. ... Everything in our lives is for physical well-being, but this is for your spiritual well-being."

Properly understood, fasting is a means for focusing on spiritual realities. It is a discipline to remind ourselves that our deepest longings as human beings cannot be satisfied by food and drink, but only by realizing - that "our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." - St. Augustine's prayer. The fast is performed to learn discipline, self-restraint and generosity, while obeying God’s commandments. In fact, one of the main purposes of fasting is to instill in us empathy for the poor and the less deprived. By exposing us to compulsory hunger, we are given a practical lesson in hunger and thirst and thus we become better motivated to empathize with the poor.

Most often we live at a very superficial level of our existence, forgetting our true essence and identity as human beings. In other words, we become totally preoccupied with the physical and material dimensions, forgetting the spiritual core of our personalities. Ramadan, therefore, comes to remind us of who we truly are and how we can discipline ourselves in such a way that we are fully awake to our full spiritual potential.

This discipline is a special way of seeing to it that this lesson sticks in our lives. By saying "no" for a time to the things we normally look to for satisfaction, we acknowledge once again that the only truly safe and secure place is in Him.

For those of you who perform this discipline - Ramadan Kareem - May the source acknowledge the efforts and the strength.