The Universal Practice of Fasting | Quran 2:183
By Ruisi Liu
The purposeful act of denying one from vital resources—fasting—is a practice that has been observed across various cultures and religions for thousands of years. The Muslim way of fasting is unique, while sharing commonalities with other traditions of different faiths.
Early Muslims were not the first society to observe fasting: In ancient Egypt, fasting was often tied to religious rituals and purification rites, while in Hinduism, it has been a way to purify the body and mind, with practices like the three-day fasting of Ekadashi dating back over 2,000 years. In Judaism, Yom Kippur, has been observed for millennia as a day of fasting and repentance. Christians, too, have long practiced fasting, with Lent being a period of 40 days leading up to Easter, mirroring the Christian belief of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
From the East to the West, cultures had their reasons to abstain temporarily from food with a purpose; be the purpose to obtain spiritual self-discipline, to connect with God, for self-denial, for health reasons, and the like.
In modern times, Muslims in the west and around the world have been particularly known for their month-long ‘streak’ of continuous fasting, with sundown being the only time to enjoy consumptions abstained during the day. The end of the month-long fasting is celebrated by a finale of Eid al-Fitr, where feasting and festivities contrast the demure spiritual contemplation of the prior month.
This has given Muslims quite the worldwide reputation; Ramadan’s method of fasting can appear extreme or self-torturous to the secular eye (cue the questions; "what, no food all day? Not even water?") and slightly ‘disruptive’ to the status quo of a heavily-scheduled, capital-driven society where fasting is seen not as a spiritual elevation but rather a burden on energy and ‘productivity’.
Those who harbour disdain for fasting are akin to those who claim that the fruit of faith is not sweet, when they have not tasted the fruit at all.
However, for those that understand and/or practice fasting, where lies the differences in theological intentions across different faiths?
The following verse can become confusing when presented:
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may achieve God-consciousness” (Chapter 2, verse 183).
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona.
This verse has been misunderstood in the following ways:
Does God imply that Muslims are directed to fast in an identical fashion as nations ‘before’ them? If this were true, it would mean that all types of fasts are indistinguishable from each other, and it would conclude that Muslims are permitted to fast the same fasts as the other religions do. Or;
If fasting was ‘prescribed’ for other nations as it is prescribed for Muslims, does it mean that early Christians/Jews (and historic nations of other Abrahamic-linked faiths) fasted the same way as Muslims do, with all the same regulations?
Analogously, one can dissect it through an easier hypothetical scenario. Take this sentence:
“The Doctor has prescribed medicine for Chris as he has prescribed for Mustafa.”
What does the word 'as' mean, here?
It could mean one of three possibilities:
That both Chris and Mustafa were prescribed the same medicine, same dosage. Perhaps both patients were told to take Tylenol twice a day, at the same time of day, by the same Doctor.
(Framing it back to the Islamic context, this would mean that the fasting of previous religious nations are identical to the fasts that Muslims practice. This was the formerly understood meaning by previous generations of scholars, but this may not be the most accurate).
That both Chris and Mustafa received medicine from the same Doctor—while the medicine itself is different. Perhaps Chris received Penicillin, while Mustafa received Tylenol.
(Framing it back to the Islamic context, this means that the only common ground between any other religion and Islam is that both are prescribed to fast by the same God, but the types of fasting differ. This is possible.)
That both Chris and Mustafa were prescribed the same medicine, but different dosages. Perhaps Chris is told to take Tylenol once a day, but Mustafa is told to take it three times.
(Framing it back to the Islamic context, this means that God prescribed a specified amount of fasting days for a previous nation, and another amount of fasting days for Muslims. This is possible.)
Dr. Shabir Ally notes in the episode “The Universal Practice of Fasting | Quran 2:183”, although there are many similarities between fasting across cultures, a mistake occurred in Quranic commentary where classical commentators try to make sense of the fasting from previous nations and explain it to be the same as the fasting prescribed for Muslims, when previous nations have likely been instructed by Allah SWT to perform fasting differently. Without intention of picking fault with the great early classical commentators, Dr. Shabir Ally remarks, that one needs to recognize the context: in general, fasting has been recognized as a great way of being austere. It connotes having little to do with this world, having more to do with the life hereafter, drawing closer to God, feeling a sense of the deprivation of the base human desires and thus enhancing other faculties like spirituality and mental focus. So among the great religions of the world, we see many various practices related to fasting.
More aspects differ between faiths; such as the length of fasting, both in terms of period of fasting and the day of fasting itself, the type of fasting that will be endured, whether it be that one is allowed to drink, but not eat, whether one is allowed to eat, but not all kinds of foods. Whether one might fast a ‘fast of silence’, one where words are abstained. The Qur’an, for instance, makes mention of the fast of silence.
Mary, mother of Jesus (May God be pleased with her), in the 19th chapter of the Qur’an, was directed to say to her people:
“I have vowed a fast to the merciful God, so I am not going to speak to any human being this day.”
inni nazartu lilrahmani sawman falan uqallim al-yawma insiya.
Thus, the Qur’an hints at a varied approach to fasting, which does not apply to our method of fasting (In Islam, we do not practice any ‘silent fasting’ or ‘vow of silence’ that Mary vowed to God—but that does not in any way invalidate Mary’s fast of silence—May God be pleased with her).
In order to know what a verse means, whether it deals with science or with comparative religion, classical Quranic commentators asked those who were passing on information from previous generations. What did the previous generation say about this?
Al-Qurtubi's tafsir, for example, mentioned a former nation that also practiced a 30-day fast, akin to Ramadan. However, the king of that nation committed a sin and wanted to do penance for his sin, so he extended his fast to 40 days. Later came another king who also committed a sin, and decided to extend by another 10 days, making it 50 days altogether. This seems to be an attempt to explain the 'Pentecost'; derived from the Greek word '50th day' marking a major event in the Christian church.
However, even al-Qurtubi himself mentioned as a secondary suggestion: the possibility that what is intended here by the Quranic verse is not to say that previous nations had exactly the fast that we have, but to simply reiterate the reality that former nations of faith have existed; just as it is a fact that God is imposing a fast on us, and God had imposed a fast on the previous nation. The overarching ‘concept’ of fasting is shared, but the specifics were not the same.
Thus, it becomes simple. We do not need to look for this direct correspondence, but we can look for the spirit of the whole idea of fasting and what it entails for Muslims. God is addressing Muslims in chapter 2, verse 183 in the reminder that fasting is normal, as He has prescribed it to previous nations as well. Now, He has given Muslims with specifics and regulations on our fast for maximum spiritual benefit.
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