On the first night of Ramadan Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alyhi wa sallam) said: “A great and blessed month is approaching. One of its nights is better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting in it obligatory, while worship in its nights voluntary. He who fulfills one religious obligation in it receives the reward of 70 such obligations fulfilled in other times. It is the month of perseverance and endurance which can be rewarded only by admission into heaven. It is the month of comforting in which the means of a believer are improved. He who gives food to another to break his fast is forgiven his sins and he saves his neck from hell.”
A true Muslim worships Allah as a clear expression of his submission, sincere obedience, thankfulness and devotion to Him. He expresses his solidarity with Allah’s commandments and also his sincere commitment to what he professes by strictly practicing what has been revealed in the Holy Qur’an and exemplified in the Sunnah of the holy Messenger of Allah. A true believer is always concerned about his hereafter than the gains he is bestowed with by Allah when acts upon the teachings of Din. One of the pillars of Islam is the  Sawm - fasting in the month of Ramadan, the ninth of the Islamic calendar.
As all actions are weighed according to the intentions behind them, Muslims fast primarily because it is a means of seeking the pleasure of Allah. There is no doubt that the greatest award will be given by Allah to those believers on the Judgment Day, who seek no other benefit other than attaining the pleasure of Allah. Yet, apart from the spiritual benefits, there are also various physical benefits sawm offers to the Muslims.
Ramadan is the month when the Muslims show special care to the poor and the needy. Every Muslim tries to attain a perfect moral attitude by sharing what is given to him by Allah with his brothers and sisters displaying a great spirit of compassion, mercy and altruism. The holy Messenger of Allah  has taught his Ummah to show self-restraint, patience and sober mindedness to the greatest possible extant and never reply to a bad word or action in the same manner. The holy Messenger of Allah has taught us:
“On a day of fasting, let no one of you indulge in any obscenity or enter into a slanging match. Should some one abuse or fight you, respond by saying:  ‘am fasting; I am fasting.’”
This spirit of patience, determination and benevolence and broad mindedness and peacekeeping, besides, enhancing unity and solidarity in the society gives the believer joy and solace which in turn helps him in being happy and healthy. Getting along well with other people, settling disputes, removing anger, hatred and enmity from hearts naturally gives relief and welfare.
The environment you live in plays a vital role in shaping your behavioural attitude. Response to the stimulus by organisms being a reality, often people, otherwise virtuous, succumb to the temptations of devil when they are caught in an evil environment. The month of Ramadan in that connection is really a blessing  for the good and the bad people alike in the sense that a highly spiritual and virtuous atmosphere is automatically established aptly in line with what has been said by the holy Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that when Ramadan enters the Shayatin are put into chains. Of course this high moral attitude is not something which should be peculiar only to Ramadan. The Muslims need to show their exemplary character in each and every aspect of their life.  The rigorous training they get in this month of blessings must enable them to live rest of their life accordingly.
Although fasting in Ramadan is obligatory for every adult male and female Muslim, its observance is purely voluntary. It is a real test of a person’s belief and devotion. A pseudo believer can deceive others through his soft talk but he cannot persuade others that he is a devout Muslim unless he observes regular fast Ramadan. A hypocrite can exploit even salah for deceiving people as such people used to do in the times of the prophet , but he cannot keep fast for that purpose.
With fast a Muslim truly shares feelings of hunger and thirst with those who don’t have sufficient food to eat and pure water to drink. In normal conditions, people with handsome income may enjoy luxuries of life and live every moment of their life in extravagance never experiences any pangs of hunger which a poor person may feel every day of his life. The Ramadan experience helps bring the Muslims all over the world nearer to the poor generating a great trait of generosity among them. Indeed we are encouraged to be more charitable in Ramadan in order to follow the example of our beloved prophet who was described by his companions as *“the most generous of all people.”

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Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST