The Fast was first of all modelled on the Jewish day of Atonement (Surah 2, 183) and was held in the month of Muharram. Later however the change was to the month of Ramadan (Ramazan). The fast is binding upon all adult Muslims of both sexes. During the daylight hours it is forbidden to eat or drink, smoke, touch a person of the opposite sex, play games of chance, swear or become angry, or wear make-up. Even the swallowing of one’s own salivia, or the insertion of medicine in ear, nose or head wound, or an injection, are considered as invalidating the fast.

This fast is a debt owed to Allah. It is partaken to partly atone for one’s sins, to help control sinful passions, to identify with the poor, and to earn a place in paradise. Many Muslims see Ramadan as a time to spiritually "tune up" their lives.

Undoubteldy, there is a spiritual intensity about the month of Ramadan. A Muslim is expected to read the Qur'an and pray more often, to give alms to the poor and be better behaved. Muslims believe that if they read the entire Qur'an during Ramadan they will receive a special blessing from Allah.

Girls often start to fast for a few days when they are nine years old and boys at the age of twelve. A pregnant woman is permitted to break the fast if she feels her child is in danger. Women do not fast during menstruation, although they should make up the time by fasting at some other time during the year. Those who are travelling, the elderly, the sick, and soldiers engaged in the holy war (Jihad) are not compelled to fast.

For those living in Muslim nations the normal activities of the day are turned upside down. Normally crowded streets become strangely quiet. Shops will all be closed and the few pedestrians seem to be in a hurry to get home. The women begin preparing the evening meal early in the afternoon and the last meal of the day is usually eaten about 2:00am. Men abstain from working at this time and are generally more free to chat. Conversations center on fasting.

During Ramadan it is clear how deeply rooted Islam is in society. People who may not normally be devout suddenly become very religious. Every Muslim wants to be seen to observe the fast. The pressure on all Muslims to remain faithful to Islam is never more obvious than at this time.

It should be noted that Islam in general is not an ascetic religion. Neither does it glory in the good things given by God to men. The fullness of the life of the Prophet, for example, is contrasted with the prevailing idea among Muslims of Jesus as a wandering monk who renounced the things of the world. The annual fast is rather to be seen as a temporary renunciation of what are normally the good gifts of God in order the better to recognise man’s true relationship to God. This is illustrated in the words of the prayer which accompany the ceremonial breaking of the fast each evening: “Oh God, I fasted for Thy sake and had faith in Thee, and confined in Thee; and now I break the fast with the food Thou givest. Accept this act.”

At the end of Ramadan comes, Id Al Fitr, the three day ‘Feast of the breaking the Fast’ and the giving of alms. Every child is to get new clothes, from underwear to shoes, and for poor parents this can be a hard time.

Ramadan is a reminder that Islam offers no real hope of acceptance with God, except on the basis of religious works. There is no hint of grace for the Muslim who fails to fulfil all the obligations imposed by Islam. This is the religious system under which 1.1 billion people live.

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