Almighty Allah said I "You who believe Fasting is
prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you
It is evident from this
verse that fasting (siyam) is an ancient form of
worship, prescribed for us Muslims as well as other nations which
us, ever since the time of Adam. Muslim scholars (ulamas) differed in
opinions as to what is specifically meant by the reference in the verse.
"Fasting is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you..."
Some claimed that the
verse referred to the time prescribed for the fast
that is to say, that Allah commanded the Jews and Christians also to
during the month of Ramadan. Jews and Christians, however, added more
days over and above the days of Ramadan, then shifted the fasting from
Ramadan to other dates.
scholars said that the reference deals with the nature of fasting, in
it is an ordinance to abstain from things breaking the fast (muftirat)
and forbidden acts (mahzurat).
that the reference is concerned with fasting as being an obligatory
that is, Muslims, Jews and Christians alike are called upon to observe
it, but that we differ from them as to the time during which it falls
the manner of observance.
The commentary al-Manar
has this to say of the fasting of Jews and Christians :
in the books of the Old Testament do we find any definite text to prove
that fasting was prescribed. We simply find praise of fasting and
of those who fast. It is known that Moses has fasted for forty days and
this proves that fasting was considered a form of worship. Nowadays,
fast one week in remembrance of the devastation of Jerusalem and they
fast one day in August. It is reported that the Jews were ordered in
Torah to fast the tenth day of the seventh month. They used to fast
day together with its night and it is probably what they used to term
There are other fasting days which they observe."
there is no evidence in the known gospels of the new Testament
to prove the obligatory nature of fasting so far as Christians are
Fasting is simply mentioned as praise-worthy and is considered a rite.
A person who fasts is ordered, according to the New Testament, to
his head and wash his face in order to remove all outward signs of the
fast for fear that he might seem a hypocrite like the Pharisees. The
known and oldest of Christian fasts is that of Lent, which precedes
It is the same fasting period observed by Moses and Jesus and his
Church leaders prescribed other forms of fast including abstinence from
eating meat, fish, eggs and milk. There are differences, however, among
the various churches with regard to these prescriptions. Early
used to follow the fasting procedure observed by the Jews, partaking of
only one meal every twenty four hours. It was later modified to fasting
from midnight to mid-day.
According to the
commentary Al-Manar, "Fasting is an ancient form of worship
recognized by previous religions - even heathen ones. It constituted an
essential part of every religion. It was known to the ancient
from whom it passed on to the ancient Greeks, who used to enforce it,
upon their women. The Romans also observed the fast and pagans in India
and elsewhere practise fasting to this day"
Other pagans who
observed the fast include:
1) The Sabaeans of
Harran : they were ordered by their religion to abstain
from food and drink from sunrise to sunset for thirty days.
2) The Manoites
(followers of Mani) : their religion commanded that they
also abstain from food and drink in the same manner and for the same
3) The Indians have
certain holy days upon which they fast. For certain
spiritual ends they have to fast completely for a whole month. In order
to attain some of those spiritual objectives they may fast a whole
breaking the fast only once on the first day of each of the twelve
you may (learn)
self-restraint." Allah followed up the command to observe
by these words :
you may (learn) self-restraint..."
since genuine fasting helps us overcome lusts and thereby sets us at
beginning of the road leading to perfection.
this path, it is necessary to be always on the alert lest those lusts
the heart once more, and this is the meaning of taqwa or
(Taqwa) indeed, is a
function of the heart and is a voluntary effort comprising
the elements of caution, alertness and fear of God. The Prophet used to
point to his chest saying:
is the seat of taqwa."
According to Abu
Sulayman al-Darani: The pious (al-Muttaqun) "are those
whose hearts are purified by Allah from all lusts." In fact, once a
heart has been thus purged, his actions will be for the sake of Allah,
his speech addressed to Allah and his fate controlled by Allah alone.
This would be the road leading to
Al-Bustani was once
to define a pious person (al-Muttaqi). He said : "He is one whose
is addressed only to Allah and whose work is meant for Allah".
Ubbay Ibn Ka'ab
understood (taqwa) to mean cautiousness.
Once Omar asked
him to define it and his reply was :
" Have you ever
walked along a thorny road ?"
"Yes ." Omar
"What did you do ?"
Omar said : "I was
"That is taqwa", said