This year, and many before, the fasting rituals of the three major monotheistic religions converge. The holy month of Ramadan and Lent began three days apart, and the former spans about a month while the latter about forty days. Jewish Passover follows them as they end. These three fasts differ in every way, and the stories surrounding them are diverse. They have even fallen victim to false news and stories. Follow me, as I was chatting with a non-Muslim friend of mine: she was telling me that some of her acquaintances and herself had researched the story of Ramadan online and found a story of an alleged prophet named Ramadan whose wife had an affair with the Prophet Muhammad. When he discovered the affair, she bought his silence by dedicating a month to him and in his name. I still don't know where she got this story from, which is, of course, purely imaginary and has no historical or legal basis. However, I do know of many stories circulating among the general public about the origins of the month, such as feelings of compassion and solidarity with the poor, all the way to the belief that Ramadan was named after "al-Ramda’" (intense heat,) because it occurred during a period of intense heat (which is actually true!). Other sources indicate that the name may be derived from devotional practices that took place during this month. Which begs the question: how and why did the month come about, and why have people fasted since almost the beginning of time, and what is the wisdom behind it?

Many have suggested that fasting goes back to prehistoric times, where it was rather involuntary, as before agriculture, humans relied on hunting, which was no easy task and a rather dangerous one, and thus the human being was forced to spend long periods of time without nourishment. Then came cultures and the early religions, specifically Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, who saw fasting as an ecological fight to reduce the burden and harm that harvesting and eating caused for both animals and plants. Some also perceived fasting as medicine rather than as a healing prescription. The science of fasting as a remedy for a wide range of illnesses had been validated and replicated by the 19th and 20th centuries.  Fasting has been used to cure a wide range of illnesses, including arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, lupus, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel, paralysis, and many more, according to historical records and study findings. And now, for the most important part, the spiritual and religious fasting, and more specifically Ramadan.

Because the Islamic lunar calendar is based on the moon's phases, the beginning of Ramadan varies every year. It starts the day after the new crescent moon, which can be challenging because it is only visible for roughly 20 minutes and is rather weak.  Lunar calculations are used to determine whether the moon is in the sky if it is obscured by clouds or haze and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The obligation of fasting came in the Qur’an: «O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. » (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 183). Thus, fasting is an act of worship that strengthens and reinforces the believer’s faith, preventing him from falling into forbidden things or persisting in them and forming a protective barrier that protects him from pursuing sins and evils. And while there exists the argument of getting to feel what the poor feel on a daily basis and helping them, while this is not entirely untrue and helping them is required, many scholars reply to the common saying with one question: if Ramadan’s purpose is to feel with the poor, then why are the poor themselves obliged to fast?

The month of Ramadan, where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and engage in deep religious practices and multiply their charitable actions, is as long as the beginning of Islam. The very Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during that month while meditating in the cave of Hira’, specifically during one of the most important of its nights, Laylat-ul Qadr.  Fasting became the fourth of the five pillars. 

Although Ramadan is an essential component of Islamic ritual, people who are too old or ill to fast are granted exemption. Instead, Fidyah must be paid by these people.  The act of giving  Zakat and Fitrana, which has its origins in early Ramadan customs, is also promoted for all Muslims.