Fasting on Ramadan? Do we have any misconception? Yes, some parents disregard their children to do fast because they think they will become sick or weak if they fast whole day. But things are not like this.
Seriously do you think who made us, Almighty really wants us to be sick for doing “Roza”? Moreover, other religions; What they really think about our fasting “Roza”? How much difference in between their ritual ‘Upavāsa’ and our ‘Roza’?
Refuting the Misconception
Fasting is one of the religious observances that prevail in many religions other than Islam. It is stated in the Qur’an as being imposed on the previous nations:
“O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious – see V.2:2)” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 183)
Though there are other religions that acknowledge the fasting ritual up till now, yet, there is a distinguished difference between fasting in Islam and in other religions.
Such a distinction is that fasting in Islam is performed in a specific month, accorded to the Hijra Calendar, by absolute abstention from food and drink as well as other lusts beginning from sunrise till sunset, i.e. the Muslim is fasts throughout the working day.
Fasting in such a way might lead some people to imagine that Islamic fasting would reduce the production movement of man in particular and society in general.
In fact, Fasting is in the clear of such accusations as it is supposed to purify and elevate the soul which provides man with undeniable spiritual energy that enable him to work and produce. During the Prophets (pbuh) time Muslims fought and won in the battle of Badr while fasting and so did the Egyptian soldiers in 1973 war.
Fasting was always the main spring of such soldiers’ energy.
The reduced production of some Islamic countries during the fasting month is rather due to many reasons other than fasting. Many people stay up late during that month without sleeping enough hours, thus, they become tired all the daylong. Accordingly, their production is reduced and their work accomplished slowly and sluggishly making fasting their only excuse. If fasting has something to do with their vivacity, as they proclaim, it may affect them in the late period of the day and not in the early hours of their fasting.
Fasting proved to have many healthy, spiritual, social and educational benefits. Nevertheless, it is supposed to be an annual occasion to revise, contemplate, evaluate, and criticize one’s behavior, to eliminate any negative attitude or social disease.
All this pushes the procession of society forward quickly, sincerely, and with better attentiveness.