Trusting the Fast

الْوَكِيلُ

Al-Wakīl — The Trustee

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ

The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful

Surah Al-Baqarah (2:185)

ارادہ

Today, on the first day of Ramadan, I will trust Al-Wakīl with whatever form my worship takes — within the boundaries of what is healthy and right for my body.

تدبر

Al-Wakīl on the first day of Ramadan: you have handed your worship to Him. From dawn to sunset — your meals paused, your habits softened — not because someone is watching, but because Al-Wakīl asked. The fast is an act of tawakkul: trusting that the One who prescribed this practice will sustain you through it. (For those whose health requires nourishment — pregnant or breastfeeding, ill, on medication, in eating disorder recovery — your obedience to Allah can be found in accepting His concession (rukhṣah). For temporary inability, the fast is made up later (qaḍāʾ) when you are well; for pregnancy and breastfeeding specifically, your madhab may also require fidyah alongside qaḍāʾ — please follow the ruling of your school. For chronic, incurable conditions, fidyah (feeding a person in need for each missed day) takes its place. Whatever form your Ramadan worship takes today, Allah's mercy is wider than the form, and He sees you fully.)

آیت پر تدبر

The Quran was revealed in this month — and you are alive to receive it again. Every Ramadan is a re-revelation, a fresh encounter with the Book.

دعا

The du'a for sighting the new moon — said at the start of every lunar month, but carrying special weight when that moon is Ramadan's.

حدیث

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'When the month of Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained.'

— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1899, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1079