By Professor Dr Abdul Samad Noor
Among all creation, humankind has been endowed with a singular moral capacity: the ability to choose between virtue and vice, obedience and rebellion, restraint and excess. This dual potential is at the heart of the human condition. From the same soul may emerge acts of generosity and acts of harm; from the same heart, gratitude or ingratitude. Yet it is precisely the conscious decision to turn away from wrongdoing and adorn one’s life with righteousness that marks true nobility. In Islamic teaching, this moral vigilance is called taqwa — God-consciousness — and it stands as the central objective of fasting.
The Qur’an addresses believers directly: “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous… for a limited number of days” (2:183–184). Fasting, then, is not mere abstention from food and drink. It is a discipline of the soul, a means of restraining the self from moral lapses and cultivating inner awareness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, when asked to recommend a deed of enduring benefit, “Take to fasting, for there is nothing equal to it.” In that simple counsel lies a profound spiritual psychology: fasting reshapes desire, tempers ego and realigns intention.
As the blessed month of Ramazan approaches, it returns like a moral springtime. Within the Islamic calendar it holds a distinction unlike any other month, for it is suffused with mercy, forgiveness and multiplied reward. Every act of goodness performed in this month is magnified. The believer who fasts with faith and sincere expectation of divine reward is promised forgiveness for past minor sins; the one who stands in night prayer with the same spirit of devotion is likewise granted absolution. One good deed is elevated to the status of an obligatory act, and an obligatory act is multiplied manifold. Within it lies a single night — Laylat al-Qadr — described in the Qur’an as “better than a thousand months”.
Ramazan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed: “The month of Ramazan in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for humanity, clear proofs of guidance and criterion” (2:185). The sacred text and the sacred month are thus bound together in an intimate relationship — as body and soul, some scholars have said. In another chapter, the Qur’an declares: “Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree… The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months” (97:1–3). The descent of revelation marks Ramazan as a time not only of ritual observance but of renewed engagement with divine guidance.
The prophetic traditions further illuminate the spiritual atmosphere of the month. When Ramazan enters, it is said, the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of hell are closed, and devils are restrained. Whether understood literally or metaphorically, the meaning is clear: the pathways to goodness are widened, the obstacles to repentance are reduced, and the believer is invited into a space of unusual grace. Each night, according to tradition, a heavenly call resounds: “O seeker of good, advance; O seeker of evil, desist.” It is an appeal to the conscience, a summons to recalibrate one’s moral bearings.
The practices associated with Ramazan reinforce this orientation. The pre-dawn meal (suhoor) is described as blessed; hastening to break the fast at sunset is commended. Supplications at the moment of breaking the fast carry special promise. The Prophet is reported to have intensified his devotion in the final ten nights, seeking Laylat al-Qadr and encouraging his household to remain awake in worship. Iʿtikaf — spiritual retreat in the mosque — during these last days is portrayed as a profound act of dedication, a withdrawal from distraction in order to draw nearer to God.
Yet Ramazan is not confined to private devotion. It is also a month of generosity and social solidarity. Feeding a fasting person, even with a date or a sip of water, carries immense reward. Charity, compassion for the poor, care for orphans and widows — these are not optional embellishments but integral to the spirit of the month. Fasting that does not restrain the tongue from slander, falsehood and cruelty is, in the prophetic warning, little more than hunger and thirst. The fast is described as a shield, but it is a shield that can be torn by backbiting and dishonesty.
Ultimately, the sanctity of Ramazan demands reverence. It is not a burden imposed upon the faithful but, in the language of devotion, a royal guest — arriving not with weight but with waves of mercy. To honor it is to guard its spirit: to restrain appetite, discipline speech, intensify worship and extend generosity. If its lessons are embraced sincerely — with faith and accountability — a single Ramazan can alter the trajectory of a life.
(The writer is a renowned scholar, researcher, and literary figure in Pakistan, with significant contributions to Islamic Studies and Arabic Literature and can be reached at news@metro-morning.com)
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