General

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan 

The Quran tells us that fasting is prescribed for you so that you may fear God (2:183). So, what does it mean to fear God? Fearing God means that man should acknowledge his helplessness vis-a-vis God’s greatness.

The truth is that the acknowledgement of one’s helplessness is the beginning of imaan. When a person realizes God, at that point, he is overwhelmed by the feeling of his helplessness (ijz).

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

In the Chapter Al-Baqarah of the Quran, there are five verses that deal with fasting in the month of Ramadan (2:183-187). In the book of Hadith, Mishkat al-Masabih, seventy-three sayings of the Prophet have been quoted with regard to fasting. Detailed provisions regarding Ramadan can be found in the books of fiqh.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is a blessed spiritual period for believers, for it is during this month that they do their utmost to awaken and enhance their spirituality. The aim of fasting during Ramadan is to diminish a person's dependence on material things, so that he may elevate himself to a higher plane of devout living. Abiding by the guidelines of fasting raises believers to a state of humility, truth and honesty.