History of Ramadan WikiGuide - Historical Facts of Fasting in Islam
History of Ramadan and Fasting is very significant and clear fact in Islam. History of fasting in Islam is described as the month in which Quran was revealed on Prophet Muhammad SAWW by Allah SWT, called Ramadan, Muslims were obliged to fast during the whole month.
Whereas, Ramzan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri Calendar). Ramadan is Arabic word which means scorching. In the month of Holy Ramadan, in which the Quran was revealed, it was become compulsory on every sane and adult Muslim to fast during each day of the whole month of Ramadan, by abstaining from eating, drinking and coitus from daybreak (Fajr) to sunset (Maghrib) as a devotional ritual. As Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala in His book, the Holy Quran says,
“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Surah 2, Ayah 185:]
And in another place in Quran, Allah SWT by describing its ancient history and obligation says,
"O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous." [Quran; 2:183]
Thus, there are two main points regarding the history of fasting in Islam can be derived from Islamic text i.e. Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAWW, that Ramadan is the month in which Quran was revealed, thus Muslim were decreed to fasting during whole month as blessing to find righteousness and patience, and secondly, fasting in Islam is not started with Prophet Muhammad the last messenger of Allah, but it was historically obligatory upon previous nations also by Allah SWT, as Quran is evident on that by saying “was decreed upon those before you” to become righteous.
