Fasting is one of the commandments of Almighty Allah on Muslims and it is not identified with the Muslim world alone but with other faiths as well. Fasting, according to Muslim scholars, has literal and technical meanings. Fasting is defined as ?abstainance? in literal Arabic language while in technical parlance, it means abstainance with intention of servng Almighty Allah, from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse with one?s wife and from the likes, from the appearance of dawn till sunset. Fasting is divided into two categories, that is, voluntary and obligatory. Allah has some purposes for enjoining fasting on people of faith from generation to generation. One of these purposes, and the most important, is piety (taqwa). Allah says in the Holy Qur?an (Chap 2, verse 1 & 3): ?O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil). ? In another translation of Yusuf Alli, ?that ye may learn self-restraint?. It is important to note that service to Almighty Allah (Ibadah) has taqwa as its soul. No service to Almighty Allah can be accepted when it lacks this important element of taqwa. This is because the summary of what Allah wants from human being in life is to live a life full of piety. This piety will transfer to a self-driven acts that reveal this element, acts emanating from fear of Almighty Allah. The life of the person with this element would be one liveable to Allah and would be in the best interest of the actor and fellow human being. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur?an: ?And whoever fears Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him and will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whoever fears Allah, He makes his course easy for him.? From the above verses, fear of Almighty Allah secures a way out in case of difficulty, it guarantees a life of fulfillment from a source unexpected and it makes a course of struggle an easy one. All these are required from every Muslim from time to time and place to place and that is why fasting is not restricted to month of Ramadan alone. Every lunar month of the year has a period of fasting although it is forbidden to fast everyday of the month apart from the month of Ramadan. The analogical deduction one can make from obligation of Ramadan is to train the body to get used to fasting in all other days prescribed or enjoined by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Another rationale of fasting is equality in social aspect of life. Human beings are not created equally. There is social status, economic status and political status. This classification is rooted from the fact that fingers are not equal. However, fasting aims at closing the social gap, a fasting person sympatises with himself and others who are in fasting. He feels for others what himself feels when he is fasting. Sense of belonging is very high, likewise moral feeling. The rich and the poor feel alike and the affection between them is like that of twins. In fact, the calmness and orderliness the society witnesses durng Ramadan fasting cannot be accomplished at any other period during the year. The reasons for this are not far fetched. Fasting is an act of discipline as a result of endurance, patience and forbearance it connotes. It has been reported that it is of no use, the fast of a fasting person who cannot control his tongue from vain talks or who cannot disengage himself from social vices. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upn him) said on the authority of Abu Huraira that ?if one does not abandon falsehood and actions in accordance with it and foolishness, Allah has no need that he should abandon his food and drink.? In summary, fasting is ordained to purify the society from vices, corruption, disorderliness and all acts that are dangerous in order that one becomes closer to Allah and it enhances total submission to the will of Allah. Another important thing is to know what to do during the period that would earn one a lot of rewards. These include spending in the course of Allah, feeding fellow fasting persons, Qur?an recitation, night prayer. ?Isa Oyewole Abdul-Azeez is the coordinator of Islamic Center of Nigeria for Preaching and Audience, Ibadan. (Courtesy Nigerian Tribune) __
