History of Fasting Before and During the Prophet Muammad SAW

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is ordered in the 2nd year after the Prophet's Hijrah to Medina. That year also saw the first major war between the Muslims and the Meccan Mushrik, the Ghazwah al-Badr

IN the Qur'an the commandment of fasting says, "O you who believe, are required of you to fast as required of those before you so that you will be devout." (Qur'an 2: 83). The fasting order is aimed at those who believe and is intended to make them noble and pious individuals.

The command of fasting is not a new and special thing for the people of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihiwasallam. This has been ordered and has been done also by the previous people. We do not know exactly how fasting was done by people in the past, but we can find some snippets about this fast in the Bible for example.

Referring to the Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament) it is mentioned that there were fasting orders either carried out in a particular month or even fasting which was specifically done to get closer to God. In Judges 20: 26 for example it says: "Then all the Israelites, that is to say, all the people, came to Bethel; there they lived crying before God, fasting until dusk that day ... " Elsewhere, during David's reign (‘alayhi salam), it is stated that they" fasted until the sun set "(2 Samuel 1: 12).

Another verse mentions that the people of Jerusalem and surrounding areas were ordered to fast in the ninth month (Jeremiah 36: 9). Muslims today also fast in the month of Ramadan which is the ninth month of the hijri calendar. They were formerly commanded to fast among other things to "open the chains of despotism" (Isaiah 58: 6). The practice of fasting also continues to be practiced until the time of Jesus (Prophet Jesus ‘Peace be upon him) and is also practiced by Himself (see for example Matthew 3: 1-2).

So observing fasting is a thing that has been carried out for a long time by humanity. In fact, not only humans, many animals do fasting at certain moments of their lives which sometimes become a process of transformation in these animals.

Among the Arabs, especially the Quraysh, the habit of fasting was not something foreign at all. In Shahih Bukhari as narrated by Aisyah radhiallahu ‘anha mentioned that since the time of ignorance, the Quraysh used to fast on the day of Ashura’ (10 Muharram). Rasulullah also used to do it. When he moved to Medina, he also ordered it to the Muslims, until the coming of fasting orders in the month of Ramadan. Since that time the fast of Ashura 'became something that is sunnah for the Muslims.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan was only ordered in the 2nd year after the Hijrah of the Prophet sallallaahu sallam to Madinah. In the month of Ramadan that year there was also the first major war between the Muslims and the Mushrikin Makkah, the Ghazwah al-Badr. In a hadith it is mentioned that Umar bin al-Khattab radhiallahu 'anhu said, "We fought in two battles with the Prophet sallallaahu' alaihi wasallam in the month of Ramadan, namely on the day of Badrdan Fathu Makkah (conquest of Makkah City), so we did not fast on both days that ”(HR Turmidzi, said the status of this hadith is da'eef).

In Tabari Tabari (Vol. 2, p. 417) it is stated that the fasting order in the month of Ramadan has been announced since the month of Sya'ban that year. Similarly, one or two days before Iedul Fitri in that year the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam ordered his friends to issuing zakat fitrah. And on the day of Eid, the Prophet and his Companions came out to do Eid prayer. That's when these things were done for the first time in the midst of the Muslims in Medina. That same month, on about the 17th of Ramadan, the Muslims fought against the Meccan Musharaka in Badr. Allah gave them a great victory at Badr, so they welcomed the Eid al-Fitr holiday that year with two victories. According to Ibn Kathir in his date book, Al-Bidayahwa-l-Nihayah (Vol. 5, p. 54), zakat the property which has fallen to the threshold is also stipulated in the 2nd year.

Since the decreasing of the fasting order to this day, the Muslims always carry out the obligation of fasting, endure hunger and thirst and withstand the passions, from dawn until sunset during the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan. Nobody does it except those who have udzur syar`i among them or those who have a disease in their hearts (the latter does not usually openly violate it).

Many important events occurred this month. In addition to the Battle of Badr, as mentioned above, the conquest of Mecca also took place in the month of Ramadan. Around the 10th of Ramadan in the 8th of Hijri, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam departed from Medina for Makkah with 10,000 troops. A week later they entered Makkah and conquered it almost without fighting (al-Mubarakfury, pp. 547-556). By doing so, it was as if Ramadan became the opening and closing of the great war between the Muslims of Madinah and the Meccan Makkah at that time.

Likewise, Ramadan fasting is essentially a form of great warfare between ourselves and our passions. And when we succeed in winning the war, we also celebrate our self-righteousness right after leaving the Ramadhan madrasa. Every time we break the fast (fathara), our body is ready to receive food with great pleasure. When we return to nature at the end of Ramadan, our souls should also be fully prepared to receive an outpouring of knowledge, faith, and love from Him. So that our souls can grow healthy and rise high to Him.