IS RAMADAN A PRACTICE OF FASTING OR FEASTING

 

The truth about Ramadan

 What is fasting?

For thousands of years, biblical fasting has been the practice of abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. If you’re used to a routine of “three square meals a day,” going without food as a spiritual practice may sound strange. But fasting was a very common religious practice when the Torah and the Bible were written.

 

In the Torah and the Bible and throughout the centuries, God’s people have practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting during times of need and times of holy observances. Moses, Elijah, Queen Esther, and Jesus are among the many biblical men and women who fasted in order to draw closer to God and seek His will.

 

In Judaism, fasting is the biblical or rabbinic precept or custom of refraining from eating and drinking.  The Hebrew word for fasting is tsum, which means to abstain from food, while the Greek word for fasting is nesteuo, which means to abstain from food or drink.

 

"God says, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"  Isaiah 58:6

 

In Christianity fasting is a spiritual discipline that is taught in the Bible. Jesus expected His followers to fast, and He said that God rewards fasting. Fasting, according to the Bible, means to voluntarily reduce or eliminate your intake of food for a specific time and purpose.

 

"When you give up eating, don't put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look sad to show people they are giving up eating. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. So when you give up eating, comb your hair and wash your face. Then people will not know that you are giving up eating, but your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you." Matthew 6:16-18

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF FASTING IN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY

Often in the Torah and the Bible, God's people fasted immediately before a major victory, miracle, or answer to prayer. It prepared them for a blessing!

 

• Moses fasted before he received the Ten Commandments.

"Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments." Exodus 34:28

 

• The Israelites fasted before a miraculous victory.

"Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah." 2 Chronicles 20:2-3

 

• Daniel fasted in order to receive guidance from God.

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." Daniel 9:3

 

"While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.'" Daniel 9:21-22

 

• Nehemiah fasted before beginning a major building project.

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:4

 

• Jesus fasted during His victory over temptation.

"For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry." Luke 4:2

 

• The first Christians fasted during-decision making times.

"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:2-3

 

In both Judaism and Christianity, fasting is a spiritual expression of penance, not celebration or feasting.

 

However, in the case of Islam it’s seen as something very different. The supposedly holy month of Ramadan is a month of abstinence from food resulting in weight loss and you get a bit thinner or is it really that?  Let’s dive into it and see if Ramadan is actually a spiritual abstinence or a month of celebration and gluttony.

 

Now “according to muslims” it is said that Prophet Mohammed had once said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained."  So, if the gates of hell are closed is that the reason why muslims attack and kill non-muslims (please don’t tell me that that has never happened because I can provide a long list of all the attacks committed by muslims during Ramadan)

 Then we see muslims greeting everyone in simple words, ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ means ‘Happy Ramadan’. You may have now also noticed that the infidels/non muslim politicians have started conveying this greeting online and in the news.  And we all thought Ramadan is about spiritual abstinence ....  sounds more like a joyous celebration than spiritual abstinence.  That’s not all, some people also say ‘Ramadan Kareem’, which roughly translated means ‘May Ramadan be generous to you'.  You may have seen billboard signs erected along many streets/road saying “Ramadan Kareem”.  Now if Ramadan is abstinence why is it being publicly announced.  I haven’t seen the Jews and Catholic publically announce their month of spiritual fast / abstinence.

 

So, when we talk about fasting in Islam, the month of Ramadan comes to our mind.   According to Islam, fasting is one of the pillars of Islam (“islam” literally means surrendering to the will of Allah and making peace, or silm); fasting is supposed to bring about spiritual fulfillment and baraka, i.e. goods are multiplied many fold. For the surrenderer, the muslim, it is a month of blessings.  According to the Hadith Sahih Muslim, Book 6 (KITAB AL-SAWM,  THE BOOK OF FASTING),    the word “sawm” which has been used in the Quran and the Hadith for fasting means "to abstain"; thus a horse that abstains from moving about or from eating the fodder is said to be sa'im. In the technical language sawm signifies fasting or abstaining from food and drink and sexual intercourse from the dim beginning of dawn till sunset.

 

Now, let’s get down to the real facts ..... as popularly know to many, Ramadan according to muslims is described as a month long fast. Yet the entire month is filled with feasting. Indeed, binge eating during Ramadan has caused health crisis in Muslim countries. At the end of Ramadan many are surprised to find their clothes a little snugger, and their health in a perilous state.  Though the month-long season is associated with deprivation, overeating is common practice once the sun goes down. In many hospitals in the Gulf states of the Middle East and other muslim countries, the month of fast means a sharp rise in inpatients in an uptick in cases of indigestion, gastroenteritis and peptic ulcer disease.   .

 

So why is gluttony and excess portrayed as strict discipline and self control in Islam? Is there a spiritual component to Ramadan? My good friend Dr. David Wood explored the issue and uncovered the disturbing truth about Islam’s holiest month.   You can watch his video on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8DnIm1FkF4