darulmaarif.net – Indramayu, 28 February 2026 | 02.00 WIB
“A life never lived is a life not worth living” — Socrates
This sentence from Socrates feels relevant when we talk about fasting. Because fasting, if not thought about, could stop being an annual routine. It comes, lives, then just goes away. However, when examined in depth, fasting becomes an existential experience that changes the way we view ourselves, our bodies, each other and God.
Philosophy of Fasting: More than Just Resisting Hunger and Thirst
Some people may ask: what is the importance of discussing the philosophy of fasting? Isn’t it clear that fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam?
That’s precisely where the urgency lies. Ramadan fasting is not only a collective ritual, but also a very personal inner event. The only ones who really know whether we are fasting or not—not just formally, but honestly—are only ourselves and Allah SWT. Other people may see us looking weak and think we are fasting. However, inner space is a quiet area between the servant and his God.
In the Qudsi hadith, Allah says:
Fasting is for me and I will repay it
Meaning: “Fasting is for Me and I myself will repay it.” (HR. Imam Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith is the basis for the philosophical reflection that fasting is the most intimate worship. It is not always visible, but it really determines the quality of human existence before God.
Ontological Dimensions of Fasting as Self-Awareness
Ontologically, fasting is an existential experience. He unites humans with their limited bodies and restless souls. Hunger and thirst are not just physical sensations; both are reminders that humans are not completely autonomous creatures.
Jean-Paul Sartre in Existence and Absence talks about humans as “being-in-the-world”—meaning beings who are conscious and constantly determine the meaning of their lives. In fasting, a Muslim stands between biological impulses and moral will. He is aware that he is capable of eating, but chooses not to. This is where its existence is tested.
In the verse of the Qur’an, Allah SWT emphasizes the main purpose of fasting:
O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become pious people.
Meaning: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become pious people.” (QS. Al-Baqorah Verse 183)
Taqwa here is not just fear, but the ontological awareness that we always live under Divine supervision.
Fasting and Moral Philosophy
From the perspective of moral philosophy, fasting is a virtuous practice. Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics calls virtue (arete) the midpoint between two extremes. Fasting trains humans to be in the middle: not to drown in gluttony, but also not to disproportionately extinguish primordial needs.
Fasting teaches discipline, patience and self-control. Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
Whoever does not abandon false speech and puts it into practice, then Allah does not need him to abandon his food and drink.
Meaning: “Whoever does not abandon false speech and false deeds, then Allah does not need him to abandon eating and drinking.” (HR. Imam Bukhari)
This hadith emphasizes that fasting is not just physical restraint, but moral transformation. Hunger is a test of patience, thirst is a lesson in humility.
The Social Dimensions of Fasting: Between Solidarity and Cohesion
Fasting also has a strong social dimension. Émile Durkheim in Basic Forms of Religious Life explains that collective rituals strengthen social cohesion. Ramadan is a shared rite that unites people.
When rich people feel hungry, they learn to empathize with poor people. Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
It is not a believer who feels full while his neighbor is hungry next door.
Meaning: “It is not a believer who is full while his neighbor is hungry beside him.” (HR. Imam Bukhori in Al-Adabul Al-Mufrod)
Fasting becomes a bridge of solidarity. He shifts the orientation from “me” to “we”. From individual to collective.
Fasting and Moral Freedom
In his book, Foundations of Moral Metaphysics Immanuel Kant stated that true moral action is action that arises from free will, not just instinctual impulses. In this context, Fasting brings such freedom. A Muslim does not eat not because he cannot afford it, but because he chooses to obey. He becomes master of himself. It is not dictated by passion.
Ramadan fasting shows this dynamic, namely that believers do not simply endure hunger because they are afraid, but because they choose to obey commands that are believed to be good and right. This is a manifestation of true moral freedom.
The Transcendence Dimension of Fasting
In Sufism, fasting is understood as a way to purify the soul (tazkiyah al-nafs). Ibn Arabi in Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya views fasting as a form of controlling the senses and a spiritual journey towards Allah SWT.
Fasting is not just abstinence, but transformation. This is an annual narrative to borrow Paul Ricœur’s term From Text to Actionbecomes a “collective narrative” that shapes the meaning of people’s lives. Ramadan is a sacred text that we live by, not just a page of the day that we simply read.
Fasting as a Philosophical Event
When we start studying the philosophy of fasting, slowly the horizons of our understanding open up. Fasting is no longer seen as just an activity to endure hunger and thirst, but rather as an expression of ontological awareness—awareness of the fragile self in the face of the body’s limitations. In hunger, we are reminded that the body has limits; in patience, we find that the soul has power.
Fasting is also not just a moral obligation, but a priority exercise. Educate will, organize motivation, and train self-control until virtue is no longer a theory, but becomes a character. At this point, fasting is a process of self-formation—an inner discipline that slowly perfects one’s morals.
Furthermore, fasting is a social event. When we feel hunger, we are learning empathy. When we hold back, we strengthen solidarity. Fasting shifts the orientation of life from “me” to “we”, from personal interests to collective concerns.
In the dimension of freedom, fasting presents a beautiful paradox: by limiting ourselves, we are actually free. We no longer live as prisoners of instinct, but as subjects who choose consciously. That’s where fasting becomes the realization of inner freedom—freedom that comes not from following desires, but from controlling them.
And in the end, fasting is a transcendental bridge. It refines human relations with Allah SWT. In the silence of sahur and the shade of breaking the fast, we learn that life is not only about the visible world, but also about the presence of the Invisible One. Fasting becomes a life narrative that is continually updated every year—inviting us to reinterpret the meaning of existence.
So when we are able to see what is hidden behind the visible in fasting, Ramadan no longer stops being an annual ritual obligation. It transforms into a philosophical event that touches all human dimensions: the limited body, the searching mind, the formed ethics, the affirmed solidarity, and the deepened spirituality.
Therefore, Ramadan is not just a ritual obligation, but a philosophical event that involves the body, mind, heart and soul. And in the end, the most basic question in fasting is not how many hours do we endure hunger and thirst? Except: Who are we after the fast is over?
Hope it is useful. Wallohu a’lam.
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