God has answered this question in the Quran:
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God.”
[AlBaqarah, verse 183]
If the goal of fasting is to become mindful of God, you can loosely interpret it to mean “Get closer to God”.
The best approach would be to find the most effective way to do that in these “limited days” of Ramadan.
You can have “quit smoking”, “I’ll cut out music”, “no porn”, “See you after Ramadan, GF!” as goals.
With this approach, you’ll be treating symptoms of a much deeper problem.
Real question: how can we enter this month and come out with a stronger relationship with our Creator by the end of it?
→ It’s only through the Quran.
If we examine the lives of Sahabah and righteous Muslims in the first three generations, we’ll find that they occupied their days and nights with recitation of the Qur’an.
Imam Shafi’i would recite the Quran twice, cover to cover, every day in Ramadan.
Ibn AlQasim, the most prominent student of Imam Malik, would recite the Quran 120 times in this month (averaging 4 complete recitals a day)
Imam Ahmad said he saw Allah in a dream and asked:
“O My Lord! What is the best deed that those seeking closeness to You may carry out?”
He replied: “Through My Speech, O Ahmad.”
Imam Ahmad asked:
“O My Lord! Does it have to be recited with understanding or without understanding”
God replied: “With understanding or without it.”
May Allah allow us to reach this blessed month of Ramadan and accept our worship.
