B U S I N E S S N A M E

Reflections
From the Glorious Qur’ān
I S S U E N O . 1 8 1 5 T H A U G U S T 2 0 0 9

Fasting - A Prescription for Mankind

‫الصيا ُم‬ ِّ ‫اي أَُّيه َا ذاَّل َين آ َمنُوا ُك ِت َب عَلَ ْي ُ ُُك‬ In Hinduism, the methods and days of
fasting vary among the different sects.
the Protestants have other days
when they observe fasts.
‫َكام ُك ِت َب عَ ََل ذاَّل َين ِم ْن قَ ْب ِل ُ ُْك لَ َعل ذ ُ ُْك‬ Some fast by not partaking in certain In Islam, fasting has been made
types of food while others avoid food obligatory on every Muslim, male
‫تَتذ ُقون‬ and drink for a specific period. The and female, who is an adult (i.e. has
Brahmins, whose belief forbids glut- reached puberty), is sane, healthy,
POINTS TO O you who have faith! Fasting is pre- tony and wealth, sometimes engage in and not traveling. The Islamic fast
scribed for you as it was prescribed for long-term fasting that may result in
PONDER involves the renouncement of temp-
those before you, so that you may be death. This form of extreme fasting tations of all appetites and desires
UPON God wary. can also be seen in Jainism where of the flesh during the day time for
(al-An’ām [6]:78) devotees sometimes starve them-
 How do the
the whole month. In addition, Mus-
selves to death as they seek the high- lims are expected to refrain from
followers of
est forms of spirituality and sainthood. any action that would be damaging
different relig- Most of the definitions for the English
ions practice The Zoroastrians engage in three days to them spiritually such as lying,
word ‘fasting’ speak of abstinence
fasting? of ritual fasting as part of their funeral quarrelling, backbiting etc.
from food and drink, however, the
ceremonies. In Judaism, fasting means In the Catholic Commonweal maga-
 Comparing
Arabic word ‘sawm’ is wider in its
complete abstinence from food and zine (1997), Roger F. Repohl wrote
these different
scope and covers abstinence from any
drink and even brushing teeth is for- an interesting article where he
forms of fasting, type of action, be it eating, drinking,
bidden on the major fast days of Yom explained his own experience as he
in what way talking or any other action. This is why
Kippur (The Day of Atonement) and tried to practice the Islamic fast and
would sawm be a horse that abstains from galloping or
Tisha B'Av (The Day of the Destruction then compare it to the Lent fast of
more advanta- grazing is called sā’im in Arabic. In
of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem) from modern-day Catholics. Some of the
geous? addition, sawm is a religious act done
sunset to sunset. Other than these, observations he made are:
only to seek nearness to Allāh,
there are a handful of fasting days. It
whereas a person may ‘fast’ for medi-
is also traditional for a bride and  The clearly defined fasting
cal or political reasons also.
groom to fast on their wedding day taught in Islam has a great
In different religious traditions, fasting before the ceremony. Jews generally psychological advantage
is practiced for various reasons includ- fast for the purposes of atonement, where self-delusion seen
ing spiritual purification, repentance, commemorative mourning or com- sometimes in the Lenten
mourning, sacrifice, enhancement of memorative gratitude. fast is avoided.
knowledge and power or a combina-
tion thereof. Even physicians, in the
In the Bible, there are numerous ac-  It is balanced, rewarding,
counts of fasting including the fasting and motivating. Ramadan is
past, prescribed fasting as a means of
of Moses for 40 days when he was on actually a joyous time for
healing and recovery. Numerous stud-
the mountain, the fasting of David as Muslims because it bal-
ies have also confirmed the therapeu-
an act of humbling his soul and even ances deprivation with
tic value of fasting.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount where he satisfaction and reawakens
In ancient cultures too, fasting rituals instructed his disciples to fast. Roman one to the truth that food
were practiced. The Maya of Central Catholics engage in a forty-day long and drink are a gift, not a
and South America required people to period of fasting known as Lent each given.
first cleanse themselves through fast- year, beginning on Ash Wednesday
ing before they could ritually cleanse and ending on Easter. Lent initially
 It builds communal solidar-
the idols that they used in their cere- involved extensive fasting but nowa- ity and resolve.
monies. The “vision quest” ritual of days it only means the abstinence of All in all, as this verse suggests,
the Native Americans required a boy certain types of foods and eating only fasting has been prescribed in virtu-
approaching puberty to leave the one meal a day. Followers of other ally all religious traditions and its
campsite to fast, in hope of being sects such as the Eastern Orthodox or greatest benefit is the enhancement
contacted by a guardian spirit. of God wariness in individuals.