I am amazed about the concept of Ramadhan fasting. When it was introduced, people would have been fearful that this type is fasting is harmful to health and might have long term side effects.
I was talking to a doctor yesterday and he was saying that this type of fasting has its positives too.
I was talking to a muslim friend of mine and his opinion was that this type of fasting was prevalent during the Prophets’(pbuh) time also…
I would like to know the historical and the religious perspective for the fasting…
fasting in Ramdhan was made obligatory on muslims during the second years after hijra....
so thats 1424 years back (in Islamic calendar)....
the verse that made it compulsory in the Quran is:
Quran 2:183
* O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);
*
Quran 2:185
*The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful. *
so we know that other nations before the muslims were also ordered to fast....
maybe not during the same month, maybe not for the same number of days, but they also had to fast as ordered by Allah....
Fasting was prescribed to people before prophet (pbuh).
I do not know what were the rules then.
I think fish was not allowed for certain day of the week also.(saturday?)
Partial Fasting is also a form of worship in other current religeons.
Some non-muslim friends of mine say that partial fasting means refraining from consuming the drink or type of meal/refreshment which one really loves to consume, strictly for the sake of God.
for previous nations, there were fasts when one cud not even talk to anyone (e.g. when Maryam (as) gave birth to Isa (as), Allah told her that when approached by her people, to tell them that she is fasting and will not talk to anyone today)....