Reflections On Fasting

Being my umpteenth attempt at writing this I hope I shall succeed in completing it when I have failed so far. Gathering a coherent train of thought has been a struggle, due to the fact that I am fasting. So much for reflection. It isn't because I have been miserable with hunger or thirst. Most likely my glucose levels are low, a mistake on my part as I ought to be more cognizant of my diet these days. 

Every year as Ramzan (or Ramadan as pronounced in Arabic) approaches preachers that I have come across replay a certain playbook. In their sermons they level complaints of Muslims falling short of their religious duties, how they are not taking advantage of the "infinite" rewards showered by Allah during the month, and exemplify Muhammad, his companions, or certain saints over the ages, whose lead should be followed. Yet time and again a gentle reminder is provided of the impossibility to replicate or achieve such levels of piety and spirituality.

Muhammad and his companions have been mythologized in Islamic lore - the stories of their actions and deeds hovering in the consciousness of every Muslim - just as Hercules, Achilles or Odysseus have been in Greek mythology. These Greek heroes, however, still had weaknesses. Islamic lore, on the other hand, rarely portrays weaknesses or mentions them in passing thus promoting a notion of a perfect being able to do no wrong.

The intent of such rhetoric is to shame and emotionally blackmail people into action. Yet the preachers inadvertently stack the odds against people. By promoting mythical standards impossible to replicate they discourage people from attempting to better their lives; the task seemingly too tall an order. Rather than making religion accessible they tell incredible tales of virtue and piety, stressing on outward ritualistic manifestations instead of inner spiritual enlightenment.

What is more absurd is the stress to "make the most of Ramadan", with the rewards being "manifold". This utilitarianism of the soul unfortunately misses the real beauty and benefits of fasting. Providing reasons external to one's self defeats the purpose of it. This is essentially the problem with mainstream Islam as well - at least the Sunni strand that I am aware of: using the discourse of reward and punishment it diminishes the benefits the individual can gain with regards to willpower and character, which for all intents and purposes are the primary reasons for fasting. Such overtures are repeated year after year, and even if people make changes to their behavior, these end up being short-lived and temporary.

Another common behavior to be noted during Ramzan is people incessantly complaining of feeling hungry or tired. People also end up losing their tempers more readily. There is even an unusual expectation that no one eat or drink in front of them, wrapped in the shroud of "being respectful". Such misled notions are reinforced by state regulations demanding restaurants and cafes to close during fasting hours, while making it a felon to eat or drink in public, resulting in either a fine and/or being jailed in countries such as the UAE and Pakistan. Perhaps such "respect" ought also be considered in our daily lives towards the poor and the destitute as they  suffer from hunger on the streets while we walk past with our own disposable meals.

Fasting is essentially having the will to refuse, of one's own accord, food, drink and sex. These desires are natural aspects of human life but the point of giving up the right to each of these pleasures, during the ordained time, is meant as a reminder that life is more than just the material and physical world.

An egocentricism resides in the notion that the world ought to revolve around one's own whims and beliefs. A Muslim exceptionalism I would call it. It is an unwarranted demand that everything go easy on them for they are "fasting".  But the choice to fast is one's own hence the responsibility also lies on the individual, not on the world around them.

One ought to stoically observe their fast even if others around are eating or drinking. The sight or smell of food, rather than leading one into a frenzy, should be considered a gentle reminder of fasting for a grander purpose. Shaming someone else into submission has no benefit, except perhaps the feeling of self importance. Indeed someone may decide not to eat or drink while being around you but that is their choice and cannot nor should it be expected or forced. 

Perhaps the reason such a nuanced view is not adopted is due to the externalization of the reason to fast. Considered a "command of God", one of the pillars of Islam, it has assumed an air of obligation just because. Although that is the basis for fasting, it is not the reason for which fasting has been ordained. Some might claim it is to empathize with the poor by knowing their plight of hunger. Others will say it is to be reminded of one's privilege so as to become grateful for what one has. And so forth.

Each of these reasons are correct. But they still miss the mark on the fundamental reasoning behind fasting. All this suggests an underlying misunderstanding of the intent of fasting. So let us go to the source of it all, the Qur’an:

Verse 183 from Surah Bakarah (The Chapter of the Cow).

This is one of several verses that ordains fasting upon Muslims. As we shall see below, this verse has seen varying translations over the years, having morphed due to the interpretations of the translator:

Pickthall (1930): O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);
Yusuf Ali (1934): O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,
Sahih International (1997): O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
Muhammad Sarwar (2001): Believers, fasting has been made mandatory for you as it was made mandatory for the people before you, so that you may have fear of God.

Translations from: The Quranic Arabic Corpus

The verse speaks of the benefit of fasting and yet each translation seems to vary quite a bit with respect to the effects fasting induces. One speaks of staying away from evil, another of becoming righteous, one about fearing God, and yet another about acquiring self-restraint.

The key word here is تَتَّقُون (tattaqūn in transliterated Arabic) - the last word before the period. It is the verb form of the noun taqwā which means righteousness, or awareness/fear of God. We see both these translation variants being used in the Sahih and Muhammad Sarwar translation. But then where do the "ward off (evil)" and "(learn) self-restraint" translations come from?

It may seem at first the translators took some artistic license. But in fact those definitions are extracted from the Qur’an by cross-referencing other passages. In this particular case the cross-referenced passages refer to behaviors in tandem with taqwā (to keep things simple I will share just the Sahih International translations while highlighting the parts of interest):

You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allah - indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination. (3:186)

But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him. (3:76)

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah , witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (5:8)

The theological viewpoint on the reasons for fasting are technically all of the above: acquiring patience and self-restraint, becoming aware and fearful of God, being righteous, and staying away from evil. But let us for a moment look beyond Islamic orthodoxy, especially when it comes to concepts of morality.

Fasting helps strengthen an individual's character by exercising one's willpower (correlated to self-restraint and righteousness from a theological standpoint). It in turn can translate to being good to others in society (theologically framed as fearing God and staying away from evil). Individuals espousing self-restraint and patience, from a societal perspective, also caters for the better maintenance of order and harmony; a good in itself. So even though fasting is meant to have an effect on the individual's way of living, it inherently also holds the key for societal flourishing. 

But perhaps because of the externalization of reasoning we are led to believe that the very act itself helps in magically manifesting the aforementioned attributes in ourselves. Fasting will not help us grow self-restraint if we do not allow ourselves the opportunity to be challenged, if we do not intend for such a transformation from happening. If we continue through it as an obligatory mechanical process then its effects will be lost on us.

In order to make fasting meaningful we need to enter into it with clear intent. Focusing on our self, on how and what we eat, reflecting on the plight of the under- and unprivileged, reflecting on our own behavior, pushing ourselves to the limit in order to physically, mentally and spiritually grow; these would be ways we could grant ourselves a transformation in Ramzan, and in our life.

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