Why do you fast?

I first met Kristin when we were Freshmen at Cornell University. Over the next four years we became fast friends- travelling together, cooking together, meeting her husband for the first time, and living together. When she chose to convert to Islam her senior year, I was there to hear her questions and watch the process. Kristin is an incredible friend and a wonderful individual. Please enjoy her guest blog post on why fasting is important to her. 

This is a question that almost every fasting Muslim in the U.S. will get asked at least 5 times over the next 30 days. And for every Muslim you ask, will will probably get a different answer. The simplest answer is "because Allah told us to,"  but few Muslims have the courage to say that in our secular guided society. Most will give you answers like "so that we can understand the plight of those who have less then us," or "to clear our heads." The truth is that most people who have fasted will tell you that it is worth doing. Muslims don't want to just say, "because Allah told us to" because there is so much that can be gained by fasting. It changes your outlook on life and the way that you view other people and yourself.

However, I was in a class the other day that talked about Ramadan, the rules of who should fast, what to do if you can't fast, and why we fast. For once I feel like I got an answer that truly explains why we fast. Allah told us to fast in order to increase our taqwa, our awareness of Allah. This kind of explains all the other benefits that you get from fasting. You feel more peaceful, you are better at working with other people, you are in general more empathetic, and you go to your prayers and other religous duties with more joy in your heart.

People wonder why Muslims get so excited about an entire month of not eating or drinking during the day. All I can say is that you should try it and you will see. If you fast from your heart it becomes a complete joy and reawakening for the faster.

My name is Kristin Pufpaff, I am in the limbo of mid veterinary school. Having just finished my first year at Ohio State in June (my family is from Michigan and I feel like a traitor)  I have no idea what I'm going to do with my future degree. I want to be involved in Halal meat production, large animal medicine, ultrasound, and some small animal medicine. I just have no idea how to fit those into one career. My personal goals include business ownership for my husband, children for us, the movement of my in-laws to the US, world travel, and going on hajj.