I don’t exactly remember when I started fasting but I remember always begging my parents to let me fast and they would keep on forgetting till one day they finally felt I was old enough to partake.They woke me up for sahur(meal taken before fasting for the day).I felt like a big girl at that moment especially knowing that during dinner I would be part of the ‘fasting people’ to get their food first with the largest portion.
It started with fasting on weekends and breaking whenever I wanted to gradually fasting from sahur till about 12pm to gradually fasting till 4pm then till the official iftar time.When I started fasting from sahur to iftar time.I did one day in-one day out.So if I was to fast today,then I won’t fast the next day.Then soon after I started fasting the whole 30 days from sahur to iftar. I do remember breaking my fast here and there.Sneaking to drink water or taste my friends food after boldly telling them no thank you I’m fasting.I find it funny how I always insisted on fasting then at some point I end up breaking it like I never begged to fast in the first place.
I liked the Idea of fasting but never knew why we fasted except that it was a thing Muslim did during Ramadan which is one of the pillars of Islam.As I grew older and became aware of my deen I started learning things like conditions to fast,things that break fast and how important fasting is to the Muslims.But most important of all,I learnt Ramadan was not just abstaining for food but also remembering the poor.Knowing how they felt like and also a period of giving back which also makes sense why the giving out of zakat(Compulsory charity on those who are able) right after the Ramadan period. Also,I viewed Ramadan as a second chance at life yet again.The second chance to right our wrong,to change and to make good use of the blessings of the month.
Melowithfiddy 