Sawm
Fasting
What is Sawm?
Sawm is something that happens every year when in the month of Ramada-n all Muslims fast from dawn to sundown they all must stop eating food, drinking and having sexual relations with their spouses. People who are elderly, or on a journey and women that are menstruating, pregnant or nursing must break the
fast and make up the days they missed if they are healthy and able to.
Children start to fast and do prayers during puberty but other kids
may start earlier.
fast and make up the days they missed if they are healthy and able to.
Children start to fast and do prayers during puberty but other kids
may start earlier.
Why do they do fasting?
A mainly method of self-purification and self-restraint is fasting to health. A person is attracted to his or her point in the life by always being aware of god. God insinuates in the Qur'an: O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may learn self-restraint."
Did you know that during Ramadan many Muslims will try to eat a large meal called suhur just before dawn.
In addition to being a time of fasting, Ramadan is an opportunity for increased prayer and devotion.
Sawm is the act of fasting in Islam, and usually refers to the fasting done during the month of Ramadhan (9th month in the Islamic lunar calendar).
During sawm, a person is made more conscious of his activities, and hopefully, this 4 weeks of abstention would be habit-forming and the new and better habits would persist.
Sawm is one of the five pillars.
Reasons why they do fasting
There are many good reasons for this fast, including:
- Obeying God
- Learning self-discipline
- Becoming spiritually stronger
- Appreciating God's gifts to us
- Sharing the sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for them
- Realising the value of charity and generosity
- Giving thanks for the Holy Qur'an, which was first revealed in the month of Ramadan
- Sharing fellowship with other Muslims
What do they do other than fast?
Muslims who are intending to perform sawm shall recite:
نَوَيْتُ صَوْمَ غَدٍ عَنْ أَدَاءِ فَرْضِ رَمَضَانَ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى
Nawaitu sawma ghadin 'an adaa-i, fardhi syahri Ramadhaana hadzihis-sanati lillaahi ta'alaa
I state my intent to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadhan for Allah
نَوَيْتُ صَوْمَ غَدٍ عَنْ أَدَاءِ فَرْضِ رَمَضَانَ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى
Nawaitu sawma ghadin 'an adaa-i, fardhi syahri Ramadhaana hadzihis-sanati lillaahi ta'alaa
I state my intent to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadhan for Allah