Getting up at 4 a.m. in the morning, ever ready to keep a fast,
was not a hard task for me as an eager child who wanted to grow up quickly.
This was the age when sweet sleep did not matter and hunger never struck. This
was the age when keeping a fast in the month of Ramadhan, which begins on
Monday, May 6, was neither obligatory nor recommended. At that age my
enthusiasm to starve all day was always at high. Even with so much enthusiasm
my mom never let me fast. She told me that for kids of my age, there was
something similar to a fast. This was called a “birdie fast.” Cute sounding as
it may be, the idea of it was not acceptable to me. In a birdie fast a kid
would get up for the Prayer before dawn, eat breakfast, then keep fast till
lunch, eat lunch, and then fast till dinner.
Unlike the regular fast, in which you eat at dawn and then fast
till sunset, in the birdie fast you are allowed to drink and eat. Being the
youngest and eager to grow up, I thought that this so-called birdie fast was no
fast; not only did it sound childish but it was not much different than my
regular eating schedule. To convince this stubborn child my mom explained that
my birdie fast was special. An adult keeps one fast in a day, but with my fast
I would be keeping two fasts, breakfast to lunch and lunch to dinner. This I
liked; more fasts in a day meant more blessings. Keeping two fasts a day meant
I was ahead of my older siblings in the count of my fasts and blessings.
However, as the years passed and sleep and food became more and
more precious, the entire idea of getting up before dawn and starving all day
seemed hard. Forget keeping two fasts, it became hard to push myself to keep
one. The enthusiasm started to fade. I started to question, why does God need
us to starve in the month of Ramadhan and how does it benefit him? Yes, growing
up I always heard that by fasting one gets blessings, but I wanted to know why
God made fasting obligatory. It is true that God does not need us to fast but
it is something for our own sake. The Quran states: “O you who believe! Fasting
is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may
(learn) self-restrain” (2:183 ). Fasting helps one achieve self-control and
selflessness.
During the month of Ramadhan the believers offer extra prayers
and give extra alms while feeling the plight of the poor and needy. This
experience helps in honing the human character for the rest of the year and
hopefully rest of his or her life. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on
him) said that in this month God opens the doors to paradise and puts Satan in
chains. This statement means that one has the ability to stay away from evil
deeds and increase in good works. Fasting is not prescribed or appreciated by
God for those who are sick or are traveling. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah
and founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said that if a person keeps a
fast while being on a journey or being sick is not doing so to please God but
rather is putting him or herself in danger and disrespecting the words of God.
This account displays that God has made it very easy for us to fast and
illustrates that it is better in the eyes of God to not fast if you are sick or
traveling.
There is no doubt about the spiritual blessings of Ramadhan, but
there are many physical benefits of fasting as well. Fasting not only cleanses
one spiritually but it also detoxifies the physical body. Abstaining from food
causes the body to use its stored fat while burning away toxins. Fasting
reduces blood glucose and insulin levels, causing glycogen in the liver to
break down, providing glucose to the body. After keeping in view the various
spiritual and physical benefits it makes it easier each year to gear up for
Ramadhan. As a mother of a two year old now it is upon me to ignite the same
excitement I had as a kid for the month of Ramadhan. This task not only leaves
me with excitement but also appreciation for our parents, especially mothers, who made fasting a fun and blessed
task for everyone. Ramadhan is not only a springboard to achieving a spiritual
and content life but is also a catalyst for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.