Timing of Fasts

Posted on June 27, 2007 in Spiritual Fasting

Fasting is a universal concept, and is an integral part of all the major religions of the world. It is associated with important festivals and milestones in each religion, and is practiced even today with a lot of fervor all over the world.

Hindus: Among the Hindus, fasting is observed on Ekadasi (the 11th day of each lunar fortnight) or Purnima (full moon), and festivals such as Shivaratri, the nine days of Navratri just before Diwali, and Karwa Chauth.

Usually, during a fast, a Hindu will not eat or drink from the sunset of the previous day to a further 48 hours after the next day’s sunrise.

Muslims: Amongst the Muslims, fasting in the holy month of Ramadan has two beginnings and two endings: the start of the month of fasting, and the day of fasting and the endings of both. According to the Qur’an, the fast begins “when you can see the white streak of dawn against the darkness of the night.” The starting time of a fast is called fajr (dawn) and it goes on until maghrib (sunset) during the month of Ramadan.

Bahá’ís: The Bahá’ís observe a 19-day fast from sunrise to sunset during the Bahá’í month of `Ala, during which they completely abstain from eating and drinking.

Buddhism: Buddhist monks and nuns who follow the Vinaya code of life usually fast every day after lunch.

Jainism: Amongst the Jains, fasting is a way of self-purification. Jains fast for various periods of time. Their fast usually begins at sunrise and goes on till sunset, during which period the Jains may drink boiled natural water or not drink any water at all.

Judaism: The Jews usually observe a fast during the seven days during the Jewish calendar of which five are considered minor fast days. On these days, they fast from sunrise to sunset.

Fasting Among the Chinese: According to Chinese medicine, there are two periods in the year meant for natural cleansing. These are the times of transition into spring and autumn, or 10 days before the spring equinox or solstice or March 10 through April 1; for autumn, it is from about September 11 through October 2.

Medical Fasting: Religious reasons apart, people also fast for medical reasons, such as just before one goes in for surgery or any other procedure that necessitates anesthesia. This is necessary since the presence of food in the patient’s digestive system can lead to complications when under anesthesia. You could also be asked to fast when you have to undergo certain medical tests so that a baseline can be established.

After a few days of fasting, it’s a wonderful feeling to discover that we have all that we really need to heal and renew ourselves on every level right within us. This liberates us from one big attachment-food. If you do go on a fast, you too will realize that fasting works simultaneously on several levels-physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, and therefore we are greatly transformed at the end of each fasting session.

Comments

One Response to “Timing of Fasts”

  1. Anneka Brimhall Says:
    September 7th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    You might consider adding the fasting habits of the LDS church. All members age 8+ are encouraged to fast once a month for 24 hours. it is called fast sunday. During the sermon the members and nonmembers alike are invited to share thier testimony to the congregation. The purpose of the fast is to practice control over our physical bodies. The money saved on meals is then donated to the needy in the area.

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