Commandment

The divine commandment for fasting was revealed after the Hijrah (Emigration from holy Makkah to holy Madeenah) when Muslims where relived of oppression, poverty and indigence that they had experienced in holy Makkah and started living in holy Madeenah in ease and comfort.  Had the order for fasting (Sawm) been given at holy Makkah, people might have related it to the Muslim’s poverty and stringency during their stay there.  They could have developed a feeling that fasting was for the poor, the indigent, the sufferer, and the oppressed and that the rich and the well-to-do, the owners of the gardens and lands were, perhaps, not the real addresses of this commandment. 

The verses of the Qur’an which contain the order for Fasting as an obligatory duty for Muslims are as follows: O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) piety (2-183).

Ramadan is the (month) in which Qur’an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (sings) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong).  So every one of you who is present during that month should spent it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later.  Allah, the most high, intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties.  (He want you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful  (2-185 Qur’an).

These verses, which announce the obligations of Fasting (Sawm) for the first time, do not lay down dry laws concerning Fasting which may be noticed in the case of manmade laws existing, for example, between the citizens and the rulers of a state.  They instead, appeal to the belief and faith, reason and conscience, heart and soul at one and the same time and prepare Muslims to take the commandment for Fasting as a most welcome tenet of religion, not as a dictate of law.  This is, in fact, an undeniable miracle of the Qur’an’s principles of calling to the truth and its ability to formulate prudent and psychologically sound laws.  It is sent down by one full of wisdom, worthy of all praise (Qur’an: 42).

Objective

The objective of Fasting is to discipline and reform the believers, not to put them to hardship. Fasting, in fact, serves as a medium of moral training helping Muslims to rise to a level of moral and spiritual perfection where they learn to control their desires and deal as a masters with them, not as slaves. If they develop a moral strength to give up desirable things such as cool water and taste full food from dawn to dusk to observe Fasting, will they not then try to stay away from things forbidden things from Allah?

Another objective of fasting is to repent and return to Allah, for it is a time when the devils are chained, and when many people are saved from hell fire every night by the grace of Allah.

Abstaining from vain talk is also another goal behind the fasting. Sins decrease the reward of fasting although they do not invalidate it. The Prophet (PBH) said: "Fasting is not [only] abstaining from eating and drinking, but abstaining from vain and obscene talk, so if someone insulted you or wronged you say: I am fasting" (Hakim) and he also said: 'Whoever does not abandon lying, and then Allah does not need him to abandon his food and drink" (Bukhari).

Rewards

The virtues of Fasting are elaborately mentioned in the following Tradition: “Abu Huraira (May Allah please with him) reports that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: The deed of a son of Adam is increased several times (in Ramadan) and the reward is increased by ten times to seven hundred times. Allah says that Fasting is especially for Him and He Himself will deliver its rewards (to His bondsman) as he abstains from eating and controls his desires only for Him.  There are (two instances of) happiness for the fasting Muslim: one is at the time of breaking his fast and the other at the time of meeting his Lord, And verily to Allah the smell of a fasting person’s breath is the best and cleanest?”

In another Tradition, the Prophet (PBH) has mentioned the rewards of fasting in this way: “Sahl bn Sa’d relates from the Prophet of Allah, blessings and peace be on him, ‘there is a door of Paradise called Raihan towards which only the Fasting people will be called. Only the Fasting will enter it and those who enter it will never feel thirsty.”

Wisdom in Associating Fasting with Ramadan

Allah has ordained Muslims to fast in the specific month of Ramadan and has thus made fasting and Ramadan dependent on each other.  Undoubtedly, this union of the two sources of blessings contains great wisdom and importance.  Most importantly, it is the month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed and, thus, humanity was blessed with the brightness of the daybreak of the divine guidance. It is, therefore, most appropriate that as the beginning of Fasting is tied up with daybreak, fasting for an entire month should also be tied up with the month of Ramadan which (due to the revelation of the Qur’an in it) marks the birth of a morning after a long and dark night of ignorance. In addition, as the month of Ramadan was richer than all other months in Allah’s mercy and favor and in spiritual environment, it deserved well that its days were further adorned with Fasting and its nights with acts of worship.