Why Do We Fast?

Very early in the morning, Baby Mo saw Abi and Umi eating the pre-dawn meal. "I want to fast too!" he cried eagerly.

Abi smiled. "You may try a half-day fast first, okay — until midday."

Baby Mo nodded firmly. The morning felt easy — he was busy playing. But as noon neared, his tummy began to rumble. Grrrr. "Umi," he whined softly, "I'm hungry…"

Umi sat beside him. "That hungry feeling is actually the teacher, dear. Think about it: out there are children who are hungry not from fasting, but because they have no food. When we fast, we feel a little of what they feel. So our hearts grow tender, and we want to share."

Baby Mo went quiet, thinking of those children. "So fasting teaches us to care for the hungry?"

"Yes. And fasting also trains us to be patient and to obey Allah — holding back from what we love, out of love for Him."

Baby Mo decided to hold on. To take his mind off his hunger, he helped Umi set out dates and water on the table for breaking the fast later. He arranged the cups neatly, and quietly set aside one food box "to share with someone who's hungry."

At last the midday call to prayer rang out — time to break his half-day fast! Baby Mo bit into his first date. The sweetness… was incredible. He had never tasted a date this good.

"Umi! Why does the food taste so much better?"

Umi laughed gently. "That's the gift of the one who fasts: the joy of breaking it. After patiently holding back, everything tastes nicer and is more appreciated."

That night Baby Mo slept proudly. Today he had learned three things at once: patience, gratitude, and love for those who have less.

The one who fasts has two joys: the joy of breaking the fast, and the joy of meeting Allah.

Now, if your little one wants to try, start with a half-day fast. Celebrate the breaking, and share one food item with someone in need. 🌙🍪