KANSAS CITY – Fasting is part of every religious tradition. Control over our bodies brings us one step closer to the divine. When we abstain from something that is a fundamental part of our physical reality we are engaging in a spiritual discipline. We are not engaging in an act of deprivation but an act of discipline. We are not demoting the body and its needs. We are elevating it.

We are by nature forgetful, and when we disrupt our usual patterns we remember. We remember that we are physically weak. We remember that we have spiritual strengths. We remember what we take for granted and we remember who we take for granted, mainly the poor and sick. In short, we remember God.

Fasting is a prayerful state that compels us to exercise our own will in defiance of our impulse to consume.

Socially, fasting during the month of Ramadan is a collective activity. We are all in this together. The individual choice to participate in a collective ritual while simultaneously observing the exact same standards brings us together and solidifies our sense of communal interdependence.

Psychologically, fasting is an act of self empowerment. It’s a choice that defies practical considerations. We are defined by our struggles. When we fast, we are taking ownership of our own spiritual growth rather than allowing circumstances to mitigate the damage of life’s challenges on our psyche.

Spiritually, fasting is a state of transcendence that reinforces the infinite part of our existence.

Although there are countless physical benefits to fasting which science has confirmed, the intention with which we approach fasting should be religiously motivated and not be reduced to its practical benefits.

In addition to improving our health, fasting can equip our mind to experience the numinous by opening up our doors of perception.

Unique Challenge

Many Muslims live in cultures that facilitate and reinforce the social element. In Muslim majority countries, Ramadan is a kind of national holiday. But in places like the United States fasting during the month of Ramadan has its own unique challenges.

In the United States the spiritual ambiance of Ramadan has to be consciously orchestrated by each individual.

In the US the moral meaning of Ramadan is something that Muslim communities must deliberately inject because it cannot be absorbed from our environment.

Muslims in the US are more inclined to fast, not as an act of compliance and social conditioning, but as an act of personal commitment. There is no social oversight and little to no psychological pressure.

Muslims in the US are also so far removed from the poverty that is a daily feature of so many lives overseas, that charity is often a highly organized effort. We must look for those in need because they do not literally reside on our doorsteps.

To be a Muslim fasting during the month of Ramadan is to embrace the moral meaning of the month far beyond the ritualistic aspect of prayers and abstention.

There are no special breaks granted to us during Ramadan. Our daily work schedules remain the same. No special programming on television or naps in the middle of the afternoon. But in spite of this, many Muslims will testify that they experience the power of Ramadan more in the US than they do in other parts of the world.

Two Worlds

Hanan Fouad of Kansas says that she has observed Ramadan here and in Egypt and feels it more in the United States.

“In Egypt, women generally pray Taraweeh prayers more at home. But here, women fill up the masjid Mashallah. In Egypt the work schedules are modified to make fasting easier. Here work and other activities go on normally.”

She also engages in another popularly growing custom of putting up “Christmas lights” for Ramadan and `Eid.

Fairduz, another member of the same community has also developed a routine to help her approach Ramadan with the proper intentional spirit.

“Unfortunately, throughout the rest of the year, my relationship with my Creator often takes a sidestep to give way to a busy world, to the never-ending worldly duties and responsibilities, and the demands I and others put on myself,” she says.

Fairdudz believes that to achieve a particular spiritual orientation, the mind and body must make a conscious effort to wean away from the cacophony of life.

“What I usually do is clear the path to Ramadan by mentally and physically putting aside a lot of things that make me a very busy person on any other month (hard to do but I try), and start busying myself spiritually by reflecting more on the words of the Qur’an, doing sunnah fasting, charity, more du’a, and simply having a calm and collected self,” she said.

“I engage in this spiritual preparation, not alone, but with my entire family. A week or two before Ramadan, I sit my children down and we talk about how we plan to make the most out of Ramadan.”

Others take a more social role.

Sofia Khan and Shadab Azaz organize an annual Ramadan food basket drive to help the needy.

And in communities all across the country, interfaith Iftars have become common and widespread, so that even non Muslims are beginning to partake in the festivities.

Fasting is part of every religious tradition. Control over our bodies brings us closer to God, but if done properly, it should also bring us closer to one another.