Fasting in Islam

Religious fasting is not a uniquely Muslim practice; it has been practiced for centuries by religions such as Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Taoism, among others.[4] It is stated in the Quran that Allah says:

O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may develop God-consciousness.

— Quran 2:183[4]

Some cultures in North America fasted to serve as penance for sin and avert catastrophes.[4] Incas of Peru and Native Americans of Mexico observed fasts to appease their gods. Former nations such as Assyrians and the Babylonians observed fasting as a form of penance. Jews observe fasting as a form of purification and penitence on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur annually. Food and drinks are not permitted on this day.[4] Fasting took a different form in the West such as hunger strikes which is a form of fasting, used in modern times as a political weapon which was made popular by the leader of India's struggle for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi. He undertook fasts to compel his followers to obey his precept of nonviolence.[4] Early Christians during the first two centuries, associated fasting with purification and penitence. The Christian church made fasting a voluntary preparation for receiving the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion and for the ordination of priests.[4] Later, they were made compulsory and other days were subsequently added. The Lenten fast was expanded in the 6th century to 40 days where one meal was allowed on each day. Fasting was retained by most Protestant churches and was made optional in some cases after the Reformation. However, stricter Protestants condemned both the festivals of the church and their traditional fasts. The Roman Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as their fast may involve partial abstinence from food and drink or total abstinence.[4]

In the Quran, the practice of fasting is mentioned. In verse 2:183,[3] the Quran expresses situations in which a Muslim is allowed to abstain from fasting and introduces alternative solutions such as feeding needy people. Also, it is emphasized in verse 2:183–185 that it is not necessary for people who are traveling or sick to be fasting, and can be postponed until "another equal number of days."[3] According to verse 5:95, among other things, fasting may be used to make up for certain sins, such as sacrificing an animal during a state of ihram. Verse 2:185 also states that the Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan.[3] Another verse, 97:1, states that it was revealed "on the Night of Power," where Muslims observe in one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan.[3]

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil); (Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need – but whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know – The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) a number of other days. [...] It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. [...] So hold intercourse with them and seek that which God hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall; and touch them not when at devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by God, so approach them not. Thus God expoundeth His revelation to mankind that they may ward off (evil).

— Quran 2:183-187

Perform the pilgrimage and the visit for God. And if ye are prevented, then send such gifts as can be obtained with ease, and shave not your heads until the gifts have reached their destination. And whoever among you is sick or hath an ailment of the head must pay a ransom of fasting or almsgiving or offering. And if ye are in safety, then whosoever contenteth himself with the visit for the pilgrimage (shall give) such gifts as can be had with ease. And whosoever cannot find (such gifts), then a fast of three days while on the pilgrimage, and of seven when ye have returned that is, ten in all. That is for him whoso folk are not present at the Inviolable Place of Worship. Observe your duty to God, and know that God is severe in punishment.

—  Quran 2:196

O ye who believe! Kill no wild game while ye are on the pilgrimage. Whoso of you killeth it of set purpose he shall pay its forfeit in the equivalent of that which he hath killed, of domestic animals, the judge to be two men among you known for justice, (the forfeit) to be brought as an offering to the Ka'bah; or, for expiation, he shall feed poor persons, or the equivalent thereof in fasting, that he may taste the evil consequences of his deed. God forgiveth whatever (of this kind) may have happened in the past, but whoso relapseth, God will take retribution from him. God is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong).

— Quran 5:95

Such of you as put away your wives (by saying they are as their mothers) They are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave them birth—they indeed utter an ill word and a lie. And lo! God is Forgiving, Merciful. Those who put away their wives (by saying they are as their mothers) and afterward would go back on that which they have said; (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. Unto this, ye are exhorted, and God is informed of what ye do. And he who findeth not (the wherewithal), let him fast for two successive months before they touch one another; and for him who is unable to do so (the penance is) the feeding of sixty needy ones. This, that ye may put trust in God and His messenger. Such are the limits (imposed by God); and for disbelievers is a painful doom.

— Quran 58:2-4

Fasting is primarily an exercise of devotion to willingly renounce oneself, for a definite period of time, from all bodily appetites in order to form spiritual discipline and self-control.[5] Muslims are prohibited from eating or drinking from dawn (fajr) to dusk (maghrib) when the adhan is sounded. It is considered time to begin fasting when a person standing outside can tell a white thread from a black thread, i.e. the light of the dawn and the darkness of the night.[6]

Fasting has been prescribed to all Muslims as a form of religious obligation for overcoming their lust and desires within a reasonable limit so that one can control oneself and prevent becoming a slave to their appetites. The Qur'an states that if humans cannot prevent themselves from desires then they cannot achieve salvation:

As for him who fears to stand before his Lord and restrains himself from low desires, Paradise is surely the abode.

— Quran; 79:40–41[16])

Muslims abstain from a permissible norm of daily life due to the command of Allah so it strengthens one's self-control and increases consciousness of the Lord. It is not prescribed as a punishment for people or to inflict burdensome practices. It is a moral and spiritual training whose underlying idea is to teach moderation and spiritual discipline so that human temptations do not surpass the moral disciplines implemented in Islam. Furthermore, fasting is mandatory for only a definite period of time and does not promote total renunciation from the appetite of the flesh. Eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse become permissible for a human at the end of the fast. Therefore, Islamic fasting aims at promoting proper limits within its natural bounds.

Islamic fasting, as a time-restricted eating habit that inverts the normal human day-night routine for observance, can have deleterious health effects on sleep patterns and general health. Fasting in Ramadan has been shown to alter the sleep patterns[17] and the associated hormone production.

Statistical comparison of thousands of school children, part of whom was born without the month of Ramadan during pregnancy and part of whom where Ramadan coincided with the pregnancy, has revealed lower cognitive capability, and lower growth in adolescence if the mother observed Ramadan fasting during pregnancy. Children whose mothers fasted during Ramadan also have a higher incidence of several chronic diseases, e.g. Type 2 diabetes[18] (see the ruling regarding fasting pregnant women).

Fasting is one of the alternatives proved to reduce the DPP-4 level and activate the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and so, prevent osteoporosis. On the other hand, the circadian rhythm has a direct relationship with osteoporosis. This has been found by the biochemical markers, indicating that fasting at certain hours of the day, especially during those hours of the day which are recommended as part of the Muslim tradition (Islamic fasting), is very effective in reducing the effects of osteoporosis.[19]

The education departments of Berlin and the United Kingdom have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades.[20][21] Ramadan fasting has also been associated with loss of workplace productivity by 35 to 50%.[22][23]

Many of the purported health benefits associated with Ramadan fasting only take into account abstinence from food while ignoring the lack of water intake, which can have a harmful impact even in healthy individuals.[24] In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during Suhur and Iftar times, which may do more harm than good.

Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate, but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting.[25] The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterward.[26]

A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce renal injury in patients with moderate (GFR <60 ml/min) or severe kidney disease but was not injurious to renal transplant patients with good function or most stone-forming patients.[27] However, since sick and/or at-risk individuals are exempted from the obligation of fasting, Ramadan fasting may be skipped instead.

Ramadan fasting can be potentially hazardous for pregnant women as it is associated with risks of inducing labor and causing gestational diabetes, although it does not appear to affect the child's weight. it is permissible to not fast if it threatens the woman's or the child's lives, however, in many instances, pregnant women are normal before the development of complications.[28][29][30][31][32] Thus, it may be advisable for pregnant women to skip fasting and pay fidyah instead (if the women are able to pay; poor people may be exempted fully).[18]

If one is at risk of dehydration or other medical risks, which may lead to serious consequences, then it is permitted to break one's fast.[33] It has been advised to span the water intake throughout the night (instead of drinking heavily at a single time) and not to overeat upon the breaking of the fast as a solution of the usually reported excessive water and food intake on the sunset (excessive eating and drinking is actually prohibited in Islam). One can break their fast and substitute it on other months or pay fidyah if they are an obvious risk of health concerns, breastfeeding or pregnant (fidyah in this case) or in a work requiring hard physical labor according to Muhammad Abduh.[33]

It is permissible to skip fasting for a healthy person upon obvious risk, even if he has not fallen the risk yet, and the author of Al-Mughni (Ibn Qudamah) stated in his book that some scholars even permitted skipping fast upon very light harm such as toothache or bruises on skin and if a traveling person is permitted to skip fast even if he is able to, then these type of "sickness" should be permitted. This position is said to be held by Bukhari, 'Ata and the Zahiris.[33]

Nothing in the Quran states directly any instruction on the polar region and fasting; however, there are hadith about Al-Masih ad-Dajjal[38] that prove that fasts as prayers have to be estimated and done every 24 hours, according to the opinion of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Map showing the dates of midnight sun at various latitudes (left) and the total number of nights

These concerns are because, at polar latitudes, summer solstices feature the midnight sun and winter solstices have polar night. These natural phenomena occur because the Earth's axis tilts toward the Sun in summer and away from the Sun in winter, causing the poles to be exposed to the Sun's rays for six months each, non-stop. The reason most of the earliest Muslims did not experience these phenomena during Islam's early days is that they did not live in polar regions but in the subtropics, where the Sun can be directly overhead and does set at night.

In Tafsir Maarif ul Qur'an it is said that the Quran states that:

(During Ramadan) eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread.

— Qur'an, 2:187

This results that fasting is a duty for Muslims only when days and nights are producing otherwise fasting is not necessary.[39] The Muslims of Svalbard in Norway have to fast only when days and nights are prominent by the sun. If Ramadan comes in June/December (when days and nights are not prominent by the sun in Svalbard), they may leave fasting and then complete their fasting in March/September (when days and nights are prominent by the sun in Svalbard). In Islamic law it is called Qada. God says in the Quran:

God intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you in difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you, and perchance ye shall be grateful.

— Qur'an, 2:184

• Ancillaries of the Faith
• Fidyah and Kaffara
• The White Days
• Sauma in Mandaeism

• Fasting & Ramadan: Complete Interactive Online Guide
• Scholarly Articles on the Law of Fasting in Islam
• Fasting in the Quraan
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• Health in Ramadan
• How Fasting Helps with Self-Control
• How to spend Ramadan
• Fasting Six Days of Shawwal: Necessary?
• Sawm – The Fast of Ramadan
• My Ramadan