Fasting is to be done for the sake of Allah and means that the Muslim or Muslim woman must not eat food from the beginning of dawn until sunset. Believers are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke, or abstain sexually. In addition to this “external” form of fasting, fasting also has an “internal” dimension. This means that believing Muslims should refrain from sin even more than usual, such as they should not speak, hear or do anything bad.
For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan also means recognizing that as a believer, one is dependent on Allah alone. For many Muslims, Ramadan is a deliberate time-out for body and mind, during which they find peace and reflect intensively on their faith. Fasting means concentrating on the essentials and doing without the superfluous. Many Muslims think a lot about Allah and themselves, pray intensively and read the Koran. The month of fasting also has a social aspect. The lack felt in their own bodies is intended to encourage Muslims to help others and to develop understanding for poor and starving people.