Something profound happens when you finish sehri before dawn and avoid eating until sunset. Most people outside the faith see Ramadan and think it only involves avoiding food and drink during daylight hours. But fasting is only part of the process.
The real transformation happens inside. It appears when you feel hunger and choose patience anyway. It appears when exhaustion weighs on you, yet you still stand for Taraweeh. It appears when you recognise how much you took for granted before your first sip of water at iftar.
The Meaning of Ramadan in Islam
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It’s the month when the first revelation of the Quran came to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the angel Jibreel (AS) in the cave of Hira.
Fasting, or Sawm, is one of Islam’s five pillars. Here’s a look at Ramadan in Quran: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting, as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” (Quran 2:183)
In the Sunnah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1899)
How Ramadan Teaches Patience Through Fasting and Worship
Patience during Ramadan in UK isn’t theoretical. It’s practical, moment-by-moment, throughout every fasting day. You wake up for suhoor while it’s still dark outside. You eat not because you’re hungry but because you know you’ll need it later.
Then the fast begins, and with it comes a slow-building discomfort that varies from person to person. Some people struggle most with thirst, especially in hot climates or during summer months when days are longer. Others find hunger the hardest part during afternoon hours when blood sugar dips and everything feels harder than it should.
And then there's the fatigue that comes from being hungry and thirsty while still managing work, family, and all your normal responsibilities. This is devotion to faith at the highest level, doing what's valuable even when it's difficult.
Building Gratitude During Ramadan Through Reflection and Charity
After hours of thirst, simple water feels remarkable. The same goes for food. Even simple dates at iftar feel like a luxury after a day of fasting. When you abstain from basic necessities for hours each day, you start noticing them in a different way. That is gratitude in its most immediate form.
The ability to eat whenever you want, drink whenever you're thirsty, and have enough food to be selective; these are blessings. Ramadan strips away the numbness from constant abundance and makes you feel the value of what you have.
Gratitude in Ramadan extends beyond food and water. When fasting and your health allows, you notice the blessing of a functioning body. When breaking fast surrounded by family, you notice the blessing of companionship. When you sleep after Taraweeh, you recognise the blessing of shelter.
But for millions of people around the world, these blessings don’t exist. Ramadan makes you realise their hardships, so you give Zakat in Ramadan to offer them hope.
These were always blessings, but Ramadan amplifies them so you can become aware of them.
Strengthening Self-Discipline Through Ramadan Fasting
Ramadan is a 30-day intensive course in self-discipline. Every day, multiple times, you choose to go without food and water from pre-dawn to sunset.
Your body wants food, but you wait. Your body wants water; you wait. Your body wants rest, but you get up for Fajr. This constant practice of choosing intention over impulse strengthens your discipline like gym repetitions strengthen muscles. The more you do it, the better you get at it.
Ramadan is not just a massive act of willpower; it is countless small acts each day. Every time you walk past the kitchen, and every time someone offers something, you decline. Every time you adjust your schedule to accommodate prayer times instead of letting prayer fit your convenience, you are learning self-discipline. These micro-decisions accumulate into macro-change.
The Psychological Benefits of Ramadan
Beyond the spiritual dimensions, so many psychological shifts happen during Ramadan. One common effect is improved mental clarity. Your days are more structured. Your focus remains on worship during Ramadan. You read the Quran, offer prayer, and stay busy in dhikr.
The collective nature of Ramadan is also powerful. Everyone around you is fasting, and the entire community engages in the same practice. You break your fast together. You pray together, and a shared sense of purpose combats daily isolation.
Kaffarah for Broken or Intentionally Missed Ramadan Fasts
Actions have consequences, even in matters of worship. Islam has a system for addressing failures. It’s called Kaffarah.
What is Kaffarah in Islam?
Kaffarah means “to cover” or “to expiate.” It's a penalty or atonement for when you break a fast during Ramadan intentionally. The concept applies to several other aspects of Islam, but in the context of Ramadan, it applies to circumstances where the fast is broken intentionally without a valid excuse.
When Kaffarah Becomes Mandatory
Kaffarah becomes obligatory when someone deliberately breaks their Ramadan fast. However, if someone breaks the fast due to a medical emergency or genuine need, they don’t have to pay Kaffarah.
How to Fulfil Kaffarah (Fasting 60 Days or Feeding the Poor)
A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) saying he had broken his fast. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told him to free a slave, fast for 60 consecutive days, or feed 60 poor people. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1936)
This hadith establishes that the first and primary Kaffarah method is to free a slave. The second method is fasting for sixty consecutive days, and the third is feeding 60 people.
You cannot break the days up or spread them out when fasting for 60 days. If you miss one day in the middle without a valid excuse, you must restart from day one. Also, those sixty days must occur outside Ramadan and avoid days when fasting is prohibited, such as both Eids.