معنى رمضان والصيام

The month of the Qur'an. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, which follows the moon. Allah says: شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ "The month of Ramadan, in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for people" (2:185). Because the lunar year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan moves earlier every year and, over the years, passes through every season.

A prescription. Allah says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ "O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety (taqwaa)" (2:183). The fast of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam (Bukhari 8, Muslim 16). It was prescribed in Medina, in the second year of the Hijra [À VÉRIFIER].

What is fasting (ṣawm)? Abstaining from food, drink and marital relations, from dawn (the start of Fajr time) until sunset (Maghrib), with the intention of doing it for Allah.

Why we fast. The verse says it: "so that you may attain taqwaa", the awareness of Allah that protects from wrongdoing. Fasting teaches us to say no to what is normally allowed, the better to say no to what is forbidden. It also brings us closer to those who go hungry.

The virtues of the month, from authentic hadiths: • "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." (Bukhari 1899, Muslim 1079) • "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hoping for reward, his past sins are forgiven." (Bukhari 38, Muslim 760) • Allah says (hadith qudsi): "Fasting is for Me, and I give its reward." (Bukhari 1904, Muslim 1151)

More than hunger. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhari 1903). Fasting also concerns the tongue, the eyes and our behaviour.

The start of the month. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Fast when you see it (the crescent) and break the fast when you see it; if the sky is overcast, complete the month as thirty days." (Bukhari 1909, Muslim 1081). Today, communities follow different methods: local sighting of the crescent, sighting in another country, or astronomical calculation. These are serious interpretive choices, and it is recommended to fast with one's community. The centre announces the start and end of the month [À VÉRIFIER : méthode suivie par le centre].

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Verse 2:183 gives the purpose of fasting before giving its rules: "so that you may attain taqwa". Taqwa means living conscious of Allah, to the point of avoiding what displeases Him. Fasting is training: for a month, we willingly give up what is permitted (eating, drinking) in order to learn to give up more easily what is forbidden for the rest of the year.

Ramadan is also the month of the Qur'an. Every night of Ramadan, Jibril came to review the Qur'an with the Prophet ﷺ (Bukhari 6). That is why many Muslims increase their reading of and listening to the Qur'an during this month.

The hadith qudsi "fasting is for Me" points to something particular: fasting is an invisible act of worship. No one can check that we are truly fasting except Allah. So it develops sincerity. And there is a gate in Paradise called ar-Rayyan, through which only those who fast will enter (Bukhari 1896, Muslim 1152).

As for the start of the month, several methods exist. These are serious choices of interpretation: they can be discussed respectfully, but we avoid letting this question divide the community. The centre announces its method, and the imam can explain it.

Lessons to draw from it • Set one or two precise goals before Ramadan (Qur'an, prayer, behaviour), not just "getting through the hunger". • Fast with the tongue and the eyes too: a fast that does not change behaviour loses much of its meaning. • Remember, when feeling hunger, those who are hungry all year round, and act for them. • Respect other communities' different choices about the start of the month, while following the one you belong to.

Key points to remember • The fast of Ramadan is a pillar of Islam; its purpose is taqwa (2:183). • Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was sent down (2:185). • We fast from dawn to sunset, with the intention of doing it for Allah.

The main message Ramadan is a school of taqwa: with the Qur'an and fasting, we learn to live the whole year conscious of Allah.