Introduction: Establishing the Concept:
Fasting, in its essence, is not merely a physical abstention from the desires of the stomach and the private parts from dawn until sunset. Rather, it is a devotion that transcends the material to reach the spiritual, that goes beyond the physical to reach the soul, and that transports the Muslim from the narrow confines of individualism to the expansive horizons of human existence.
When God Almighty decrees in His Holy Book: {O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous} [Al-Baqarah: 183], He encapsulates the ultimate purpose of this obligation in a single, comprehensive phrase: “that you may become righteous.”
Righteousness is the highest objective, and it is the legal framework encompassing all the values and morals that God desires for His servants.
If piety—as Imam Ibn al-Qayyim says—is “doing what God has commanded and refraining from what He has forbidden, out of love, hope, and fear,” then a profound, purposeful question arises for Syrians this Ramadan: How can this month be a passage for us from mere habitual fasting to a fast of true value?
And how can we transform this temporary abstinence from permissible things into a lasting acquisition of the higher meanings by which humanity cultivates the earth, and by which Syrians build their new homeland on solid foundations of morality, justice, and humanity?
First, piety as the “mother of values” and the starting point for civilizational development:
It is established in the science of the objectives of Islamic law that acts of worship are prescribed to achieve the well-being of people in this life and the hereafter, and that God is not in need of punishing us, as He, the Exalted, says: {What would God do with your punishment if you were grateful and believed? And God is ever Appreciative and Knowing.} [An-Nisa: 147] The obligation of fasting is a mercy to humanity, a training in the meanings of perfection and piety, which is the fruit of fasting. Piety is not merely a vertical relationship between the servant and his Lord, but rather a moral framework for all of life.
It is piety that makes a person a balanced being, neither like an animal indulging in desires, nor like an angel unaware of human weakness, but rather the honored human being of whom God said: {And We have certainly honored the children of Adam} [Al-Isra: 70].
Hence the close connection between fasting and the concept of “liberation”: liberation from the bondage of lust, from the shackles of habit, and from the dominance of consumerism that distracts humanity from its existential purpose.
In the current Syrian reality, where people are experiencing their first Ramadan after decades of the former regime, these meanings acquire a new dimension.
Liberation from political tyranny is incomplete without inner liberation from selfishness and the lust for power. A nation that aspires to build its future must embrace a “fasting of values” that reshapes consciousness on the foundation of individual and collective responsibility.
This is the greater jihad to which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) referred in the authentic hadith: “Strive against your desires as you strive against your enemies.” Dr. Magdi Shalash states, “Victory over enemies is impossible without first conquering ourselves.”
Secondly, fasting of values: between individual purification and social reform:
If piety is the overarching framework, then fasting works to purify the human soul according to a precise methodology.
Ibn al-Humam says in “Fath al-Qadir”: “Fasting calms the commanding self and curbs its excesses in matters related to all the limbs, including the eyes, tongue, ears, and private parts.”
Therefore, the great hadith qudsi states: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting; it is for Me, and I will reward for it. Fasting is a shield.”
The word “shield” (jannah) refers to the protection that safeguards its possessor from falling into the mire of vice.
From this arises a series of values essential for rebuilding the public sphere in Syria:
First: Honesty and transparency.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, God has no need of his giving up his food and drink.” Fasting that does not instill in its observer honesty with God and with people is an empty fast, devoid of value.
In the post-tyranny era, Syrians need a new culture based on honesty in political discourse, transparency in the management of public funds, and the rejection of the hypocrisy and deceit that characterized the previous regime.
Second: Refraining from harming others and practicing tolerance. Among the greatest human values in Ramadan is refraining from harming others with one’s tongue and hands, and purifying hearts from hatred and resentment.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described the true Muslim as “one from whose tongue and hand people are safe.”
Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak was asked about good character, and he said: “It is a cheerful countenance, doing good, and refraining from harming others.”
The new Syria needs precisely this kind of spirit, for the wounds of the past are deep, and the memory of war is burdened with pain. But the month of Ramadan is a golden opportunity to heal wounds, forgive those who have wronged us, and move beyond the injustices of the past to build a better future.
Third: Solidarity and social responsibility.
Fasting is a practical school for empathizing with the suffering of the poor and needy, as scholars have pointed out since ancient times. When the good-hearted Syrian experiences hunger, he remembers the hunger of his brothers and sisters in the camps in the north and south of the country, and the needs of the displaced and refugees who have not yet been able to return to their homes.
Here, fasting transforms from a mere individual ritual into a driving force for organized social action, through charitable meals, the distribution of food baskets, and grassroots initiatives that reflect the presence of civil society even amidst limited resources.
Third, the concept of “ease” in times of hardship – a purposive reading of lived reality:
One of the fundamental principles of Islamic law is “removing hardship,” as stated in the verse: {God intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship} [Al-Baqarah: 185].
However, ease here is not necessarily what we understand with our limited minds as a smooth life and abundant resources.
True ease – as scholars say – is that which leads us to God’s pleasure and dignity.
In the contemporary Syrian reality, where the vast majority suffer from immense economic pressures, soaring prices, eroding purchasing power, and service disruptions, the purposive meaning of ease is manifested in the individual’s ability to maintain their dignity despite hardship. Sociological analyses have indicated that Syrian families are redefining the concept of “sufficiency” in accordance with available resources, and are producing patterns of “rational management” based on accurately calculating expenses. It is a moral adaptation to reality, a preservation of oneself from begging, from indebtedness, and from slipping into forbidden acts.
The Syrian Muslim who endures power outages, copes with high prices, and maintains his prayers and family ties despite all hardships, is the one who embodies the meaning of “ease” that God intended: the ease of accepting God’s decree, the ease of patience in the face of adversity, and the ease of striving on earth while trusting in God.
This is what the sociologist Anthony Giddens termed “existential security,” meaning the individual’s feeling of stability in the world around him despite changing circumstances.
Fourth, Ramadan in Syria between the “public sphere” and the “moral future”:
The month of Ramadan in Syria reveals social dimensions that extend beyond the purely devotional framework, becoming a moment that exposes the structure of society and its transformations.
Mosques, which were under strict security control during the era of the former regime, are now returning as spaces of freedom and harmony, filled with worshippers who pray without fear, and where the call to prayer resonates without being silenced.
And here the question of the future arises: How do we build the Syria of tomorrow on the foundation of the values we cultivate during Ramadan?
It can be said that “fasting with values” is the practical approach to achieving a modern Islamic vision for society; a society whose relationships are based on honesty instead of hypocrisy, on tolerance instead of revenge, on mutual support instead of exploitation, and on equal citizenship instead of narrow loyalties. This is the meaning of “fasting with values” that we need: transforming theoretical objectives into daily practices, and making acts of worship a path to cultivating righteous individuals who, in turn, build righteous societies.
In conclusion:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith narrated by Abu Umamah: “You must fast, for there is nothing like it.”
It is unparalleled because it combines the purification of the soul with the strengthening of the body, and the individuality of worship with its social impact. The one who understands the purpose of their fast is the one who can transform this month into a catalyst for lasting change.
We ask God to make this Ramadan a true beginning for building a new Syria, based on the foundations of human dignity, justice, freedom and responsibility, and to grant us all the “fasting of values” before the fasting of the limbs, and to accept from us and from you righteous deeds.
