by Mouhcine Azizoun

Created on: August 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2010

Ramadan is the most important month for Muslims. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is an essential requirement in Islam. After puberty it is obligatory to fast except for the traveler and those with chronic health problems. Fasting is considered as atonement for sins. The prophet Muhammad described the five prayers Muslims pray everyday as a river. If one swims in that river five times a day, he will certainly be spotlessly clean from dirt. The same goes for Ramadan. The latter could be described as an oasis. Muslims swim there for thirty days non-stop, which means they will be completely clean from dirt. The dirt here represents sins.

The crux of fasting is self-control. The prophet of Islam Muhammad said that the believer or the Muslim is just like the Date Palm, which is an interesting tree. The Date Palm and palms in general are symbols of beauty. Castles are often embellished with them. Also, the Date Palm is the source of one of the most beneficial fruits humanity has ever known: dates. The most interesting thing about the Date Palm is that it does not need much water. It grows on deserts where there is almost no rain. The Date Palm is Muslims' role model. In other words, the real believer should be similar to it. He should be a symbol of beauty, he should be productive, and he should consume as less as possible. But how can Muslims reach this state?

There are three things that help Muslims reach this state. First, the oft-echoed statement "Cleanliness is from faith" or "cleanliness is part of your faith" is the force that makes Muslims put a huge emphasis on being tidy and beautiful. Another force is the emphasis Islam puts on Wudhuk or ablution and on being tidy and neat. Muslims perform ablutions at least five times a day. Second, the first word of the revelation was "recite" or "read", which means learn, is another force that makes Muslim stresses on learning things and being productive. Third, Ramadan is the other force that help Muslims reach the state of the Date Palm. By fasting Ramadan, Muslims complete the three prerequisites of being a real believer: consume less, be productive, and be a symbol of beauty. These three characteristics are what make the Date Palm an interesting tree. These three are the main characteristics of a real believer.

It is scientifically proven that eating as less as possible is beneficial to the body. When one does not dispense the body with energy from food, the body must turn to its resources to provide itself with the energy. This process is of paramount importance to one's health. Bearing in mind that "a healthy mind in a healthy body", we can say that Ramadan is a tool that enhances the productivity of the believer. Also, during fasting, people must curb on bad temper, wrongdoings and bad behavior. This makes people nicer when dealing with others. This is considered part of beauty. The saying "beauty is only skin deep" is a cast-iron evidence that being nice to other is part of beauty. A person character is more important than the person's look. Therefore, we can say that Ramadan is a force that makes the believer more beautiful. For the foregoing, Ramadan is the main factor that help Muslims become like their role model: Date Pale (consume less, being productive and beautiful).

The above are some of the reasons why Muslims fast during Ramadan. Abstinence from earthly pleasures during this holy month is an opportunity to make amends for the sins that one has been doing.  More importantly, fasting Ramadan pave the way to Muslims to reach the state of the real believer.

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