Fasting reinforces our belief that the realities about which we have been given information by Allah and His Prophet (SAW) are not material and sensual but are far more precious, invaluable and satisfying than the material and sensual urges like hunger, thirst, and sex. We do not live on bread only, but high moral values are a must for life. This is how strength is produced inside us to surrender and sacrifice pleasures of this world that can be enjoyed here and today for the sake of higher spiritual and moral objectives whose realization takes time or even demands us to wait till the Hereafter. Fasting also reinforces the fact that the real thing is obedience to Allah. It is Allah’s Will alone that is the final authority to determine right and wrong. Virtue and reward lie neither in eating nor in abstaining from eating; it is neither in sleeping nor in keeping awake. Virtue and reward are contained in submission and obedience to Allah. This is because only then the capability of giving priority to the accomplishment of Quranic mission over material and sensual urges can be produced. And this capability is piety (Taqwah). Fast has no physical form: the hunger, thirst and sexual urge can neither be seen by others, nor felt, nor can one fully share in the feelings of others. Fasting and prayers during the night can produce that high level of Taqwah as we have just talked about, but it can also be limited to producing that kind of piety that is concerned only with minor acts of worship and rituals, which rather reverses the order of priorities: giving priority to tertiary acts over the secondary, and giving priority to the secondary over the primary and obligatory deeds. Similarly, we become content with giving up minor sins! But, Allah’s scheme for inculcating piety through obligatory fasting has much more meaning to it.
The greatness and blessing of this month lie in Allah’s decision to send His Guidance in it, and He handed over the last piece of revelation to humanity through His Last Prophet. The purpose of enjoining fasting in this month is to produce that Taqwah in ourselves that generates strength and capability to uphold the guidance of holy Quran.
This Taqwah enables us, as individuals and as a nation, to carry out the mission of Qur’an – in such a way as is due. It is necessary to know this because many keep fasting during the day and remain awake during the night but fail to take even a single step on the path which fasting and recitation of Qur’an want them to take. We can truly realize the importance of this obligation when we have understood the relationship between Qur’an, fasting in the month of Ramadhan and Taqwah. We should keep this in mind that the month of Ramadhan was selected for fasting only because it was in this month that Qur’an was revealed. The greatness and blessing of this month lie in Allah’s decision to send His Guidance in it, and He handed over the last piece of revelation to humanity through His Last Prophet. The purpose of enjoining fasting in this month is to produce that Taqwah in ourselves that generates strength and capability to uphold the guidance of holy Quran.
