Fasting or denial of food is an ancient custom known in many parts of the world since well before the advent of the three Abrahamic religions i.e Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In India, for instance, the Jains, the Vedic Hindus, and Buddhist and others practice abstaining from food as a practice. The reasons for fasting share a certain common thread, that of pleasing gods and making up for sins of all sorts. During prolonged periods of calamity such as droughts fasting was observed en masse by communities to appease gods and seek relief.

Etymology and Pre-Islamic Fasting

The word Ramadan literally means ‘intense heat’ and was symbolic of the summer month to which it was originally ascribed. However, with the adoption of the lunar Islamic calendar in the seventh century, the month keeps shifting all through the year.

Understanding whether Arabs practised fasting before Muhammad’s time presents a significant challenge. The primary difficulty stems from the scarcity of contemporary sources, with virtually all pre-Islamic Arab historical information being recorded at least 120 years after Islam’s emergence. This temporal distance means that the historical narrative might have been distorted not just by the passage of time, but also by the tendency of early chroniclers to reinterpret past events through the lens of their contemporary perspectives.

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After carefully examining the available evidence, several key insights emerge.

The pre-Islamic Arab way of life was fundamentally structured around the concept of sacred months. During these periods, the typically prevalent blood feuds were suspended, creating a temporary state of peace. These holy months were not just religious observances but also served critical social and economic functions. They facilitated religious pilgrimages and often coincided with important trade fairs that brought communities together.

The significance of these holy months is well-documented. The Quran itself references them, implicitly acknowledging that the practice of ceasing hostilities during these months was a long-standing tradition that predated Islam. Additional corroboration comes from pre-Islamic poetry and ancient oral traditions, which provide reliable accounts of this cultural practice.

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Regarding pre-Islamic fasting practices, the most credible historical accounts point to Rajab, the sacred spring month, as the primary period of observance. This aligns with the broader cultural practices of ancient civilisations like the Babylonians and Israelites, who similarly observed two New Year periods—one in spring and another in autumn. The spring month was traditionally viewed as a time of spiritual purification and penitence. In fact, the biblical prophet Ezekiel attempted to institutionalise a similar practice within Israelite religious rituals, though his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

While the Islamic observance of Rajab might be debated, the widespread practice of fasting is undeniable. Periods of abstinence were common, extending beyond food to include refraining from wine, sexual activities, hair cutting, and personal grooming. Food abstention was merely another form of self-discipline.

Ibn Battuta’s Account of Ramazan in India

During his six-year stay in India from 1333, Ibn Battuta served as Chief Qadi in Mohammad Bin Tugluq’s court. He documented the water infrastructure in Mehrauli, constructed by Sultan Altumush, and noted the area’s rich cultural landscape. The locality featured water tanks, a saint’s tomb dedicated to Qutub ud Din Bakhtiyar Kaki, and a musician’s quarter known as Tarab Abad. During Ramazan, Ibn Battuta was particularly struck by the musicians’ devout participation in Tarawih prayers, observing how each would carefully prepare their prayer mat and perform ablutions upon hearing the Azan.

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Battuta noted the custom of sending honorary robes to courtiers and nobles, and the adorning of royal elephants with silver, silk and other precious items. For Eid prayers the Sultan would ceremonially march to the Eidgah with a band of slaves, officers of the court, along with drumbeaters, and other musicians. At Daulatabad in Maharashtra he observed, the Tarawih prayers and distribution of food to the poor.

Chanderi: Charity during Ramazan

There are perhaps thousands of instances of emperors, sultans, kings and their nobles commissioning mosques and Eidgahs public amenities like water tanks, step-well, bridges, and sarais during the month of Ramazan. To illustrate, two examples from the pre-Mughal period are cited here.

Chanderi, the grand fort and an important centre through much of the medieval period, provides two instances of public amenities being commissioned during the holy month.

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Following a period of drought in central India the patronage of step-wells had become commonplace the late 15th century. Continuing the tradition, several years later, on the 9th day of Ramazan in 1524 (11th July), Malik Abu Fath Mohmmad, a noble posted at Chanderi and owing allegiance to Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, inaugurated a step-well.

Again, from Chanderi we have an instance of the construction of an Eidgah (mosque for Eid prayers). This one precedes the step-well by nearly 300 years. In 1195 CE, during the reign of Ghiyasuddin Balban, his noble Sher Khan got and an Idgah constructed in Chanderi, which stands till today. The inscription on the mosque reads as follows, “Thank God that Masnad-i-’Ali Sher Khän of noble origin was inspired by God to carry out construction of this edifice. That man of dignity completed this namazgãh (ie. ‘Idgah) in the reign of the ruler on the surface of the world, Ghiyathu’d-Din. (He is) that ‘Ali whom the title of Sher Khãn befits, just as the title Sher i-ag (lion of God) was the becoming sobriquet of (the fourth caliph) ‘Alr. The eye of Time has not seen the like of this building, in point of cleaniness and purity, throughout the climes and countries”.

A Matter of Dates from Kashmir

Kashmiri writer MJ Aslam’s work shines an interesting light on the practice of eating dates to break one’s fast in Kashmir. The fruit’s significance in Islamic culture is profound, with 20 Quranic references and a specific Hadith recommending dates as the preferred method of breaking the fast. The Prophet Muhammad advised breaking the fast with dates, or water if dates were unavailable.

According to Aslam, the tradition of breaking the Ramazan fast with dates is therefore deeply rooted in Islamic practice, though its adoption varied by region. In Kashmir, this custom was not initially prevalent due to the absence of date palm trees. Dates were primarily cultivated in regions like Makran, Baluchistan, United Punjab, and the Arabian Peninsula, with significant trade routes connecting these areas. Historically, dates from Punjab and other regions were imported to Kashmir in limited quantities.

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Over time, increased exposure to Islamic traditions through trade, pilgrimage, and cultural exchange gradually introduced the practice of breaking the Ramadan fast with dates amongst Kashmiri Muslim communities. What was once an uncommon practice has now become a standard feature of Iftar meals in Kashmir, reflecting the evolving nature of cultural and religious traditions.

HistoriCity is a column by author Valay Singh that narrates the story of a city that is in the news, by going back to its documented history, mythology and archaeological digs. The views expressed are personal