Ramadan — A Deeper Look
Suggest editBeyond the Surface: The Inner Dimensions of Ramadan
Ramadan is widely known as the month of fasting, but its significance in the Islamic tradition runs far deeper than abstaining from food and drink. It is the month in which the Quran was revealed ('The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was sent down as guidance for the people' — 2:185); the month in which laylat al-qadr, better than a thousand months, falls; the month in which the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell closed, and the devils chained (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). For the believer who engages with it fully, Ramadan is a comprehensive spiritual renovation.
The Fiqh of Fasting: Essentials
The obligatory fast of Ramadan (sawm) requires abstaining from food, drink, sexual relations, and anything else that breaks the fast from the pre-dawn meal (suhur) until sunset (iftar), with the intention formed each night. The Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven' (Sahih al-Bukhari). The fast has exemptions for the ill, travelers, pregnant or nursing women, and the elderly — each with specific rulings on whether they make up the missed days, pay fidyah (compensation), or both. These rulings are detailed in the books of fiqh and vary somewhat between the four schools.
The Night Prayers: Tarawih and Qiyam al-Layl
Umar ibn al-Khattab's organization of the Tarawih prayer into a congregational prayer of 20 raka'ahs in Madinah established a pattern followed by most of the Muslim world to this day. The Maliki and Hanbali schools follow 20 raka'ahs; some contemporary scholars hold that 8 is the established Sunnah based on the Prophet's own practice of qiyam al-layl, as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari. The key is that qiyam al-layl in Ramadan — whether 8 or 20 raka'ahs — is an emphasized Sunnah with enormous reward. The Prophet said: 'Whoever stands in prayer in Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven' (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim).
Laylat al-Qadr: The Night of Decree
Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree or Power) is better than a thousand months of worship (Quran 97:3). It falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, with the odd nights — 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th — being more likely, and the 27th night most emphasized in many traditions. The Prophet intensified his worship in the last ten nights, would wake his family for night prayer, and made i'tikaf (spiritual retreat) in the masjid. The dua for this night — 'Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa'fu anni' (O Allah, You are forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me) — was specifically taught by the Prophet to Aisha (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, authenticated).
I'tikaf: The Spiritual Retreat
The Prophet observed i'tikaf every Ramadan for the last ten days, and in the year before his death he observed it twice. I'tikaf — seclusion in the masjid with the intention of worship — is a Sunnah mu'akkadah (strongly emphasized Sunnah) for the last ten days of Ramadan. During i'tikaf, the person remains in the masjid, minimizing worldly engagement, maximizing Quran recitation, dhikr, and voluntary prayer. It is a practice of disengagement from the world to engage fully with Allah.
Ramadan as Character Formation
The Prophet said: 'Whoever does not give up lying and acting on lies, Allah has no need for him to give up food and drink' (Sahih al-Bukhari). This hadith captures the inner purpose of Ramadan: it is not merely a physical exercise but a school of self-discipline, sincerity, and character. The hunger and thirst remind the believer of those who are always hungry; the restraint builds willpower that overflows into other virtues; the intensified worship recalibrates the soul's priorities. The scholars speak of Ramadan as a 'charging station' for the year — a month of concentrated tawbah (repentance), ibadat (worship), and generosity that sustains the soul through the remaining eleven months.