What is fasting? And what is the purpose of it and why do peoples do it????

Answer 1

Fasting is when people purposely starve themselves. This is done for many reasons, most notably:

Protest - people will go on "hunger strikes" saying that they will not eat until a demand is met (a war is stopped, a bill is passed in congress, shoes go on sale at the gap, etc)

Religious - Many religions require fasting on specified days.

Social - Some people starve themselves because they feel they have a social need to do so so that they lose weight.

there are other reasons but those are the biggest ones, i'd imagine

Answer 2

Without siting sources I will answer for the religious aspect, though health is a good reason too.

When Esther had to go before the King she called for all the people to fast no food or water for three days! Many other times of great distress a fast of some kind was issued. David when his first son of Bathsheba was dying fasted. Then there is the wishing to draw close to God and deny yourself. Every time you feel a hunger pain you praise God and focus on him and his nature.

I have rarely fasted, but the times I did were when a great need occurred and I supplicated before God and while I did not get the answer I wanted I did grow closer to God.

Answer 3

Fasting is abstaining from certain foods (or all foods) for a certain period of time. Some examples:

Ramadan - eating and drinking are forbidden between dawn and sunset during the observation period

Lent - used to be a complete fast, traditionally now it's "give up something you enjoy", as well as meat on Fridays, for 40 days prior to Easter

The Lent semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: in old times food stored away in the previous autumn was running out, or had to be used up before it went bad in store, and little or no new food crop was expected soon: compare the period in spring which British gardeners call the "hungry gap". (Wikipedia)

Some people do it as a spiritual or religious discipline, some do it as a "cleansing" of their body, etc.

Answer 4

The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. Allah prescribes daily fasting for all able, adult Muslims during the whole of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the sighting of the new moon. Exempted from the fast are the very old and the insane. On the physical side, fasting is from first light of dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. On the moral, behavioral side, one must abstain from lying, malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are menstruating, pregnant, or nursing are permitted to break the fast, but must make up an equal number of days later in the year. If physically unable to do so, they must feed a needy person for each day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayers) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although fasting is beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly pleasures and comforts, even for a short time, the fasting person gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieves growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint, patience and flexibility.

In addition to the fast proper, one is encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. In addition, special prayers, called Tarawih, are held in the mosque every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (Juz') is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Qur'an has been completed. These are done in remembrance of the fact that the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was begun during Ramadan.

During the last ten days - though the exact day is never known and may not even be the same every year - occurs the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr). To spend that night in worship is equivalent to a thousand months of worship, i.e. Allah's reward for it is very great.

On the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted, a special celebration is made, called 'Id al-Fitr. A quantity of staple food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-Fitr), everyone has bathed and put on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends.

There are other fast days throughout the year. Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadan, Mondays and Thursdays, and the ninth and tenth, or tenth and eleventh of Muharram, the first month of the year. The tenth day, called Ashurah, is also a fast day for the Jews (Yom Kippur), and Allah commanded the Muslims to fast two days to distinguish themselves from the People of the Book.

While fasting per se is encouraged, constant fasting, as well as monasticism, celibacy, and otherwise retreating from the real world, are condemned in Islam. Fasting on the two festival days, 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha, the feast of the Hajj, is strictly forbidden.

Answer 5

Fasting is starving yourself for periods of time. It's supposed to speed up your metabolism. It helps clean out your system of toxins and junk in your body. Some religions do it as some sort of "doing without" thing to make you appreciate food and life more. Also when you deprave food from your body it makes your mind work quicker. There are methods to do this that are healthy. Don't do it on you own. Get instructions form someone who really knows how.

Answer 6

at least 3 purposes.
1.To pray and fast adds power to the prayer.
2.A doctor may tell you to fast before some treatment.
3.to lose weight.

Answer 7

Fasting is denying the flesh things that it most desires. Most people fast from food/drink.

You fast to draw closer to God. In a specific situation when you need to hear from God, fasting allows you to weaken your own fleshly desires and lets your spirit become stronger so you can hear what God is trying to tell you.

Jesus said some things come by prayer and fasting alone. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days.
Moses fasted for 40 days on the Mount when he received the 10 commandments.
Paul admonishes us to "die daily".

We must decrease for God to increase in our lives.

Answer 8

People fast as religious way of showing their love to G-d.

Answer 9

fasting is when you don't eat for a period of time - normally 24 hours.

some people do it to try to understand what hunger is like in impoverised countries, some do it for religious reasons, some people do it as atonement for sins, and others do it to cleanse their bodies or toxins.

usually water is permitted and it should never be done without a doctor's consent

Answer 10

Fasting, is to have a taste of what starvation is!

So that you will remember how the Israeli suffered under the captivity by the Egyptian.

To let you know the price of your Freedom is paid by many Sufferings of your ancestors.