What is the purpose of fasting? What point is it supposed to accomplish?

Question

What is the reason of the fasting?

Why do you fast?

Answer 1

I went through this during Lent, and I had given up fast food.  I thought it wouldn't be that difficult, but really, it shows you how your conscious and subconscious minds work.  Self discipline just isn't as easy as working up will power...sometimes you slip up without realizing or even meaning it.  How simple sin can be.

It makes you more aware of yourself, your impulses and actions, and that knowledge is powerful, and a step further to self mastery.

Answer 2

Every time you think about food you pray.  So you pray a lot.

Answer 3

it shows you how the hungry suffer

Answer 4

It's to get people to conserve food during the winter months when supplies are low.  For example, the meat fast of Lent was originally every day, not just two days a week, because the late winter and early spring were the times when farmers were most tempted to kill their healthy livestock, instead of using it to breed in the spring and produce more animals (in addition to eggs, milk, wool, etc, all valuable commodities).  However, eating fish was okay because fish were simply caught, not cultivated.

Since the people who steadfastly obeyed the fast always had plenty of healthy livestock, it was deemed as proof that God wanted people to fast, since he seemed to be rewarding those who did it.

Answer 5

Peace be upon you sister,

Thank you very much for asking such an imporant question and giving my the opptournity to expain the wisdom behind fasting in Islam.

There are few benfits of fasting one of which is that so that we (humans) can learn to control our desires.

O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-  

(  Ã˜Â³Ã™ÂˆÃ˜Â±Ã˜Â© البقرة  , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #183)

e.g. When we aren't able to get food/drink due to some reasons or when single/divorsed/widowed people can't have their sexsual desires fullfilled.

or someother translators has also translated this verse a little differently as :

O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious - see V.2:2).  

(  Ã˜Â³Ã™ÂˆÃ˜Â±Ã˜Â© البقرة  , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #183)

The month of Ramadan is a month in which each good deed is rewarded 10 times more then @ usual times. So, Muslims are recommended to do as many deeds as they can. Thus they become the Pious (Rightous----Those who do good deeds for Allah's sake, such as Praying, fasting, or gving Zakaat)

The Fasting person also tastes real hunger. People like us who usually get the food and drink they want @ anytime, fail to think for those poor people who don't even get proper food. One of the wisdom behind fasting is also that we may feel how these poor and hungry people feel when they don't get anything to eat and thus we maybe motivated to help them (i.e. give more charity).

These are some of the benfits of Fasting which i have listed.

Please note that aboved quoted verses of the Quran are English translations of the original Arabic text of the Quran.

Answer 6

funny you should ask.

at the moment my friend (islamic) is fasting for the ramadan, apparently the point is to see what it's like to be less fortunate than ourselves. They cannot eat or drink all day but when the sun sets, they have a huge meal.

Answer 7

we obey the god's rules to say that we believe in god.And we do what ever God wants

Answer 8

in some cultures fasting is necessary on some days.

Answer 9

- For cleansing the body

- Gives you longivity by letting the body rest

Answer 10

its just something you do if you have no food  

Answer 11

I am fasting  only because, my Dear Prophet (pbuh) told to do so....

It's cleansing my body and soul

Answer 12

Sense I'm skinny and I eat the amount of two people is why

Answer 13

It teaches you to be patient and how to control inner temptations.You are grateful for what you have and are more charitable to the needy. The religious reason is to purify your soul by realizing how much God has given you and to remain grounded to the fact that you are dependent on Him. during this month you ask for mercy and forgiveness and also during this month,God forgives many sins of those who repent. basically, its to remember God.  

Answer 14

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The reward of every good deed of a person is multiplied by ten to seven hundred times according to his intention and sincerity; but with respect to the reward of fasting, Allah proclaims - Fasting is for Me and I Myself shall bestow the reward.  The person who fasts, forgoes his desires, eating and drinking for My sake.  He will be entitled to two kinds of delights; one will be at the time of breaking the fast, and the second will be at the time of meeting his Lord."

"O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn self-restraint."

"Allah is not in need of a person who goes without food and drink if such a person does not go without telling lies and acting accordingly."

"Fast is a shield; therefore, whoever is fasting shoud not resort to obscene language and immoral behavior.  If someone abuses or quarrels with a fasting person, the latter should say, O brother I am fasting (i.e I cannot reply to you)."

Fasting is a fundamental ordinance of Islam, being one of the five pillars of Islam aside from testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat (alms), and making Hajj pilgrimage to the House in Makkah.

Answer 15

1- I fast because my religion ask me to do so

2- you will get tired and weak but that is not the point-if you just feel that way then don't fast!

3- in the end of the day(break fast), you will feel the pleasure that only is given to those who fast.you will be thankful to the food and appreciate it more.

4- your stomach will get cleanse and rest that it has not had for the whole year.because our digestion system needs hours to process food, if we keep on eating, then it will not rest. everything needs some rest, agree?

5- there is a prophetic saying: "a big tummy is  nesting place for diseases and eating much is the cause for all diseases."

6-to train yourself to be patient and strict yourself from eating everything that you think you like( which mostly has concentrated fat, too much sugar and oil).

Answer 16

Transcendentalism. The philosophy that one can attain knowledge that transcends sensory phenomena

Answer 17

"O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint."  Holy Quran 2:183

Answer 18

i think it shows respect to God for when he fasted 40 days in the desert. and it is a form of praying.