For many years while growing up if someone asked me why we fast as Muslims, my response was “to understand how the poor feel”, it was widespread amongst family, friends, the media and even religious classes that this was the reason.

I never really questioned it as it felt like it made sense and it seemed to be a widespread belief. But as I grew up and became more exposed to Islamic literature, I realised that there was much more to fasting than this, and we should look to the Quran for the reason.

The Command of Fasting

In Surah Baqarah verse 183 we are given the command to fast.

“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you may develop taqwa.”

The key reasoning here is for us to develop taqwa, which can be translated to mindfulness of Allah in everything that we do. Taqwa is like an alarm that reminds us to do good and stay away from that which is unlawful.

During Ramadan, Allah gives us the opportunity to train ourselves by keeping away from that which is permissible such as food, drink and sexual relations with your spouse. The idea being that if in Ramadan you can stay away from the permissible, and build your willpower, then post Ramadan you would have built your ability to be able to keep away from that which is unlawful.

When fasting, we find ourselves with a level of control that we may rarely see outside of these hours. If you are fasting and you happen to walk past a coffee shop that is giving out free drinks, even though no one would know, you do not break your fast. If you think about it we could all quite easily break our fast multiple times a day with no one knowing, but we do not break our fast out of obedience and taqwa. This heightened level of mindfulness is preparing us for post-Ramadan.

True fasting is one with all our senses truly submerged into the act, your tongue – ensuring you are not argumentative and you are patient, your eyes – ensuring that you are not looking at that which is not pleasing to Allah, your ears, your limbs and so on. Ultimately, having control over your nafs.

What are we trying to achieve within Ramadan?

1. Healing your sick heart

2. Guiding the wandering mind

3. Awakening our conscious

4. Enlightening the darkened soul

5. Purifying ones ego

6. Perfecting ones conduct and behavior

7. Oppressing your desires

8. Strengthening your Imaan

These 8 things are achieved by the following 4 tools:

1. Patience

2. Having the ability to force yourself to do that which benefits you

3. Fulfilling your promises

4. Grow the quality of patience within yourself

Practical Steps to Take for a Fruitful Ramadan

1. Spend your nights in worship, even if it is 2 rakahs or dhikr

2. Ensure you pray extra prayers where you can, every act of worship is increased in reward

3. At Suhoor time – Ask for forgiveness and pray 2 rakahs before eating as Allah is close to you at this time

4. Increase your acts of good deeds and be charitable

5. Dhikr in your free time

6. Dua with sincerity

7. Repent to Allah with Istagfar

8. Pay your zakat in Ramadan to maximise your reward

9. Increase your reading of the Quran, with the aim to finish it at least once within the month, this is done through reading 1 juz a day

The amplified reward within Ramadan allows us to be able to wipe away sins while striving for an elevated spiritual self though attaining and nurturing taqwa.