Islamic Laws of Fasting- Sayyid Ali Sistani

God created humankind for worship even though He does not need the adoration or devotion of His creation. As such, the benefit of worship is for the creation who seek nearness to God and the fulfillment of their worldly obligations. Moreover, God rewards each person’s acts of worship based on their intention, sincerity, and subsequent impact in life. Fasting is a special form of worship only performed for God, and only He knows the extent of its reward. It is unique because it continues for hours while other forms of worship conclude after only a few minutes. In addition, it fosters sincerity, discipline, humility, and empathy by denying the body even those things that are permissible.

Thus, it has the potential to create systemic change within a person if they know its significance, rules, and details. This booklet provides a comprehensive look at fasting, its philosophy and goals, the rules that govern its performance, and the important details related to its fulfillment that every duty-bound person must know. This information is critical because a person’s fast becomes deeper, and not just restricted to a physical denial of food and drink, with greater understanding of its meaning and potential result.