شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِیْۤ اُنْزِلَ فِیْهِ الْقُرْاٰنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَ بَیِّنٰتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدٰى وَ الْفُرْقَانِۚ-فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْیَصُمْهُؕ-وَ مَنْ كَانَ مَرِیْضًا اَوْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ اَیَّامٍ اُخَرَؕ-یُرِیْدُ اللّٰهُ بِكُمُ الْیُسْرَ وَ لَا یُرِیْدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ٘-وَ لِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللّٰهَ عَلٰى مَا هَدٰىكُمْ وَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ(۱۸۵)

 The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qurʾan was sent down; guidance for people and clear directions and the Criterion; so whosoever from amongst you attains this month should most definitely fulfil its fasts. And whosoever is ill or travelling, so he should make up the same number of fasts on other days. Allah only intends ease for you and He does not intend difficulty for you, so that you complete the prescribed number ˹of fasts˺ and that you glorify Allah as He granted you guidance, and so that you may be grateful.^[1]

Dear Islamic Brothers! In this sacred verse, Allah Almighty ordained fasting in Ramadan. It should be noted that just as prayer was made obligatory upon every Muslim after affirming Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah) and Risālah (Prophethood), and believing in all the essential tenets of faith, fasting in Ramadan is also an obligation upon every sane and adult Muslim male and female. It is stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtār that fasting was made obligatory on the 10th of ShaꜤbān al-MuꜤaẓẓam, 2 AH.^[2]

The Wisdom behind the Obligation of Fasting

In Islam, many acts of worship have been prescribed to commemorate spiritually uplifting historical events. For instance, the SaꜤy between the hills of Safa and Marwah performed by pilgrims commemorates Sayyidah Hājra رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا. She walked and ran between these two hills