Fasting in Islam
In Islam, fasting means abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan for a whole month; it is not only a physical act but also restraining the tongue, anger, and wastefulness. The aim is to strengthen willpower, remember the value of blessings, and recall the deprivation of others.
Muslims eat suhoor before dawn and break their fast with iftar at sunset; iftar is often a moment of sharing and solidarity. The sick, elderly, pregnant/nursing, and travelers are given ease; those who cannot fast make up for it later or support the needy with fidya.
Fasting is not just hunger, but an act of purifying the heart and increasing social empathy. The Prophet (peace be upon him) summarized this: “Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast will earn a reward equal to that of the fasting person, without diminishing the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.” (Tirmidhi, Sawm, 82).