Fasting Islam: As everything has purpose in Islam, purpose of fasting in Islam is also defined. Purpose of Fast of Ramadan is unanimously elaborate by the famous scholars of Islam derived from the Quran and the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet Muhammad SAWW.

Fasting is called sawm in Arabic found in the Holy Quran. The word sawm literally means "to abstain" from anything or any act. In Surat Maryam, Allah tells us about Mary the mother of Jesus that she said,
 

“I have vowed a fast (sawm) for the sake of the Merciful, so today I shall not speak to anyone.”[Maryam 19: 26]

The meaning is “I have vowed to abstain from speaking to anyone today”. According to Shari'ah, the word (sawm means to abstain from all those things that are forbidden during fasting from the break of dawn to the sunset, and to do this with the intention of fasting.

As for the legislative meaning of sawm in Islam, Allah SWT the creator of all the affairs says in the final revelation, i.e. Quran defining the purpose of fasting in Islam,
 

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who were before you, in order that you may learn taqwa” [Al-Baqarah 2: 183]

Thus, the scholars derive two main purposes of fasting, especially purposes of fasting in Ramadan, that is fulful the obligation defined by Allah SWT on us as He defined it on those who were before us, and to attain Taqwa.

So, the purpose of fasting in Islam is to create Taqwa in oneself. And the Taqwa is and Arabic word literally meaning "piety". And Islamically Taqwa is a concept in Islam that is interpreted by some Islamic scholars as god-consciousness. Taqwa is perceived from the Holy Quran in English as one being enlightened or enlightenment. The concept of having piousness and being in an altered state of mind.

Last Updated: 21/7/2015