Ramadan: Definition and Merits

Home » Articles » About Ramadan » Ramadan: Definition and Merits

Definition of Fasting: Fasting is called sawm in the Qur’an. The word sawm literally means “to abstain”. In Surat Maryam, Allah tells us about Mary the mother of Jesus that she said, “I have vowed a fast (sawm) for the sake of the Merciful, so today I shall not speak to anyone.” (Maryam: 26) The meaning is “I have vowed to abstain from speaking to anyone today”. According to Shari`ah, the word sawm means to abstain from all those things that are forbidden during fasting, from the break of dawn to sunset, and to do this with the intention of fasting.

Merits of Ramadan & Fasting: Ramadan is the month of fasting. Allah, Most High, has prescribed fasting or Siyam to Muslims during this blessed month, saying, ‘O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may develop God-consciousness.’ (Al-Baqarah: 183) Ramadan is the month of Qur’an, since the Qur’an was sent down in it. Allah says, ‘Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong).’ (Al-Baqarah: 185) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to call upon Allah to grant him life until he reaches Ramadan, saying, ‘O Allah grant us blessings in the month of Sha`ban, and make us reach Ramadan.’ But, the question now is: Why the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept on asking Allah, Most High, to make him reach Ramadan. That is because Ramadan is the month of great mercy, forgiveness, and blessings.

Ramadan leads man to his original job and basic role in life, that is to worship Allah Most High. Allah says, ‘I didn’t create jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.’ (Adh-Dhariyyat: 56) Worship, in fact, is based on Tawheed or belief in the Oneness of Allah. Belief in the Oneness of Allah necessitates submission to the will of Allah in all aspects of life, even in one’s desires. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘No one will attain perfect faith until his desires follow what I have brought, i.e., his Shari`ah.’ Therefore, Ramadan comes to drive man back to the straight way. Ramadan frees man from slavery to customs and habits such as food, drink, marital relations, etc. Ramadan is the month of reform, victory and progress. It reforms the individuals as well as the society. In Ramadan the gates of Paradise become wide open, while the gates of Hell-fire will be closed. Fasting enjoys particular privilege, namely it is a worship which is attributed to Allah, Most High. In a Qudsi Hadith, Allah says, ‘All deeds of Adam’s sons are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I give reward for it.’ Fasting enjoys this special position for the following two reasons:

  • It is a hidden act of worship that no one knows except Allah and so it is far from hypocritical display and showing off.
  • It overcomes the accursed Satan or the Shaytan

Sahl ibn Sa`d reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There is a gate to Paradise that is called Ar-Rayyan. On the Day of Judgment, it will be said: ‘Where are those who fasted?’ When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Whoever fasts during this month with purity of belief and with expectation of a good reward (from Allah), will have his previous sins forgiven.’ (Reported by Ahmad) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say these words at the end of the month of Sha`ban: ‘O Muslims! A noble and generous month has come to you. A month in which a night is better than one thousand months, and this month is the month of charity, patience, and mercy. In this month the gates of Paradise become wide open and the gates of Hell are locked, and the devils are chained…”

The Impact of Fasting on the Soul

We learn in this Ramadan how to discipline ourselves for the sake of Allah. In our morning and evening, we follow a strict schedule of eating and drinking. We are constantly aware that even in our such mundane activities as eating and drinking, we must remain under divine injunctions. We change our habits in our daily routines because we learn that we are not the servants and slaves to our habits, but always the servants of Allah. Then after Ramadan, we have to keep this spirit of discipline in other modes of our life and must continue with our submission to the commands of Allah. Fasting renews our enthusiasm for worship and devotion to Allah. In this month we are more careful of our daily prayers and have special prayers at night.

There is no religion without prayer and Muslims learn in this month how to strengthen and deepen their religious life. To summarize all the moral and spiritual gifts of fasting, we can say that fasting gives us the great gift of Taqwa. Taqwa is the sum total of Islamic life. It is the highest of all virtues in the Islamic scheme of things. It means, God-consciousness, piety, fear and awe of Allah and it signifies submission to Allah and total commitment to all that is good and rejection of all that is evil and bad.

About Author: Ali Selim

Parent page: About Ramadan