Though it is a significant event, I'm surprised that not many non-muslims truly understand the purpose, significance and it in general, haha. So I shall try to see what I can share yea?
See, Ramadhan is a month that spans from 28 days to 30 days, and USUALLY happens towards the second half of the year. See, the Muslim calendar is similar to the Gregorian calendar, with 12 months and all, however, there is one difference. Each month of the Muslim calendar begins when theres a new moon, and hence ends when a new one is seen. Due to this characteristic of the Muslim calendar, it is shorter than the Gregorian calendar by 11 days, and thus each month would happen 11 days ahead of the date it previously happened! Thats why Ramadhan keeps getting closer and closer. It could even happen on January eventually! Damn, lol.
The purpose of fasting is simple, it is to remind one of the hardships faced by people, such as those who go on living with little or no food at all. This reminder serves as something to humble one as well as make one grateful of the bounty one receives, and takes for granted. Simple? Haha
However, there is more to it than it seems! This is where the lack of understanding comes in. See, what we mean by fasting is NOT only to consume food, but rather involves many other matters. The basic rule that you have to abide by is not not to eat, but rather to not have anything to enter one's body through the holes in one's body such as mouth, nose etc. So this means that we can't like put in finger in our mouth or smoke! Theres more! Other than not eating, one has to restrain oneself from thinking of bad things or do for any for that matter, you know, haha. One also cannot swear, cannot think of food, cannot drink and stuff like that.
This is where the other purpose of fasting comes in. To look at it merely as not eating would be shallow, in my opinion. The other purpose is to resist the temptations that exist within us. This temptation, we call it nafsu, is something that exists within ALL of us, at any given time or given place. Its like the wanting of the heart, the body, you dig? This wanting is not necessarily good, and may even be detrimental to us. Hence, fasting hopes to strengthen one's inner self-control against these temptations. So please people, be considerate and not offer us food or tempt us!
Scientifically speaking, fasting in GENERAL, and not necessarily in the Muslim context, is actually beneficial to the body! It supposedly gives the stomach a period of resting, relaxing and recovering. The stomach, as any part of the human body, cannot be overworked. What is meant by overworked is how it is always in use, as we consume food daily, hourly. A period of time where we do not consume food as regularly would help the stomach and also detoxify the body from the harmful substances that come along with today's food.
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As I typed all the above, my eyes were closed. Training is fun, and tiring, DOH. Till we met again, take care people!
and remember,
SEVEN MORE WEEKS TO PROMOTIONAL EXAMSSS
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