Sadia Dehlvi

I truly believe that one of the secrets of getting close to God lies in keeping oneself hungry while feeding others. It is not surprising that fasting forms part of most spiritual and religious traditions. Sufi masters stress that hunger brings about illumination of the soul, for Allah provides spiritual sustenance to those who keep hungry for His sake.
Rumi writes, “Hunger is God’s food for which he quickens the bodies of the upright”. Shaqiq Balkhi (d. 809 AD) taught that 40 days of constant hunger could transform the darkness of the heart into light. Sahl Tustari (d. 896 AD) fasted perpetually and earned the title of Shaykh ul Arifin, Master of the Knowers. He said, “Hunger is God’s secret on the earth”. Abu Madyan, the African mystic, writes, “One who is hungry becomes humble, one who becomes humble begs and the one who begs attains God. So hold fast to your hunger, my brother, and practise it constantly for it means that you will attain what you desire and will arrive at what you hope”.
Ramzan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar which begins with the sighting of the new moon or when the previous month completes 30 days. Muslims follow a lunar calendar in which every day of the year is of different duration in various locations of the world. The lunar calendar consists of 355 days and demands that all Muslims who fast for a period of 33 years must fast for the same amount of time, no matter where they live. The lunar calendar moves forward by 11 days a year, so Ramzan comes at different times.
Islam is built upon five pillars: that you worship none else but Allah and accept Prophet Mohammad as the seal of Prophecy; establish regular prayers; give a specific amount of income for charity; perform the pilgrimage to Mecca if able to; and fast in the month of Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting is a Quranic order: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint”. (2:183)
Fasting begins at dawn, which is defined as the time when one can see the difference between a black and white piece of string in natural light. This is the time of the Fajr, morning prayer, around an hour-and-a-half before sunrise. Fasting consists of refraining from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity. All Muslims, unless sick or travelling, are required to fast once they reach puberty.
Ramzan is a time of heightened attention to the rules of righteous behaviour. Prophet Mohammad swore that the breath of a fasting person was more pleasing to God than the fragrance of musk. He stated that there were two joys associated with fasting; one of breaking the fast and the other when meeting his Lord. The Prophet clarified that five things break the fast of a believer; lying, backbiting, slander, ungodly oaths and lust.
Ramzan presents a great opportunity for purifying oneself and shedding the maladies of the heart, to increase one’s faith through the power of patience. Helping the needy with charitable acts is specially meritorious in this sacred month. The Prophet once described the best charity in Ramzan as setting things right between people who harbour acrimony against one another. He also said that fasting is one-half patience and that patience is one-half imaan, faith. The Messenger was the most generous of people, and in Ramzan he became even more generous, his companions describing him as a wind that bears gifts.
Ramzan is a time when God generously opens His gates of mercy, providing us with special opportunities to improve the quality of our lives in the world and in the Hereafter. Harbouring suspicion, rancour or negative opinions about others is especially noxious in Ramzan. The same goes for all forms of cheating, vanity and irrational anger. Islamic scholars have said that in order to get the most from Ramzan, one should not engage in excessive speech and be vigilant about what we say. The sacred month is a time to examine shortcomings and build resolves to rectify them.

— Sadia Dehlvi is a Delhi-based writer and author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam. She can be contacted at sadiafeedback@gmail.com