Fasting in Islam

Fasting in Islam is worship through abstention from food, drink, and specified acts during prescribed periods. The Ramadan fast, observed from dawn to sunset, is a central example.

Ramadan: The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims observe the obligatory daily fast. Its month-long cycle sets the central season for obligatory fasting.
Five Pillars of Islam: Five foundational acts of worship and duty in Sunni Islam, including fasting during Ramadan. Ramadan fasting is one of the five pillars.
Monday and Thursday fasting: A voluntary Islamic practice of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, days associated with the Prophet Muhammad's practice. It shows how fasting is practiced voluntarily outside Ramadan.
Christian fasting: Religious abstention practiced in Christianity, with forms and rules that vary among traditions. Christian practices provide a comparison, though their rules differ from Islamic fasting.
Suhoor: A meal eaten before dawn by Muslims preparing to fast. It is eaten before the daily fast begins.
Quran 2:183: A Quranic verse prescribing fasting for believers and connecting it with attaining God-consciousness. It states the purpose and prescription of fasting.
Day of Arafah: The ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, when pilgrims gather at Arafat during the Hajj. Fasting on this day is recommended for Muslims not performing Hajj.
Intermittent fasting: An eating pattern that alternates periods of eating and abstention, usually for health or weight management. It shares timed abstention but is not inherently an act of Islamic worship.
Iftar: The meal that ends the daily fast at sunset during Ramadan and other fasts. It marks the end of each Ramadan day's abstention.
Taqwa: God-consciousness and reverent awareness that shapes conduct in Islam. The Quran links fasting with cultivating taqwa.

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ZuhdRelated: Fasting trains restraint, though zuhd extends beyond a periodic practice to one's relation with the world.