The History of Ramadan Fasting: Before and Until Muhammad ﷺ

RAMADAN always arrives draped in a distinct atmosphere. It is not merely a month of abstaining from food and thirst; it is a season when the heavens seem to draw closer, prayers feel more swift in their ascent, and the soul is called to return to Allah Ta’ala.

The fast of Ramadan is a majestic Shari’ah (divine law) that did not descend in isolation. Rather, it emerged through a long historical progression, steeped in spiritual cultivation.

Allah Ta’ala affirms that fasting is not a new rite in Islam, but a practice ordained for the nations before the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. As Allah Ta’ala says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

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“O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you¹—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺.” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 183)

In his Tafsir Al-Qur’an Al-‘Azhim, Imam Ibn Kathir explains that this verse identifies fasting as a universal act of worship across the messages of all Prophets, serving as the most effective path to attaining Taqwa and purifying the soul.

Before Ramadan was made obligatory, Rasulullah ﷺ and the Muslims practiced voluntary fasts as a means of tempering their spiritual strength. Among these was the fast of Ashura (the 10th of Muharram). ‘Aishah radhiyallahu ‘anha narrated:

كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ تَصُومُهُ قُرَيْشٌ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ

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“The Quraysh used to fast on the day of Ashura during the Period of Ignorance (Jahiliyah).” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

When Rasulullah ﷺ migrated to Medina, he found the Jewish community also fasting on Ashura. He ﷺ remarked:

نَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ

“We have more right to Musa (Moses) than you.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).

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Thus, he fasted and commanded the Muslims to do the same. This fast served as a “historical bridge,” an initial stage of education to prepare the ummah for a greater divine decree.

Ramadan, however, holds a unique station. It is not merely a sunnah, but a pillar of the faith. Its legislation was revealed in the second year of the Hijrah, a time when the Muslim community began to find its footing socially and politically in Medina. Allah Ta’ala commanded:

….شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ

“Ramaḍân is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority…” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 185)

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According to Imam Al-Qurtubi in Al-Jami’ li Ahkam Al-Qur’an, the Ramadan fast was mandated as a culmination of faith-based education, following the establishment of Salat (prayer) and Zakat (charity).

Interestingly, the rules of Ramadan did not arrive in their final form instantly. Initially, those unable to fast were given the option to pay Fidyah (compensation). Allah Ta’ala said:

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ

“For those who can only fast with extreme difficulty,² compensation can be made by feeding a needy person ˹for every day not fasted˺.” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 184)

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Imam At-Tabari explains in Jami’ Al-Bayan that this was an introductory phase, allowing the believers to acclimate before the full obligation was set.

Furthermore, in the early days, if a person fell asleep after breaking their fast, they were forbidden from eating again until the following sunset. Recognizing the hardship, Allah Ta’ala granted a concession:

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ

“It has been made permissible for you to be intimate with your wives during the nights preceding the fast.…” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 187)

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This is a testament to the fact that the Shari’ah descended with mercy. Imam Al-Shatibi emphasizes in Al-Muwafaqat that a core principle of divine law is Raf’ al-Haraj (the removal of hardship).

The fasting of previous nations took many forms. Some followers of Prophet Musa ‘Alaihi Salam fasted as an act of repentance, while the followers of Prophet Isa ‘Alaihi Salam practiced it for self-purification. Maryam ‘Alaihi Salam even observed a “fast of silence,” as recorded in the Qur’an:

إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا

“..‘I have vowed silence to the Most Compassionate, so I am not talking to anyone today.” (QS. Maryam [19]: 26)

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Additionally, the Prophet Daud ‘Alaihi Salam was known for his alternating fast—fasting one day and breaking it the next. Rasulullah ﷺ said:

أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا

“The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of Daud.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Scholars note that while this is the “pinnacle” of voluntary fasting, it was contextualized as an ideal practice after the mandatory Ramadan fast was firmly established.

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In his Syarh Shahih Muslim, Imam An-Nawawi affirms that the Fast of Daud represents the pinnacle of voluntary fasting for those who are capable; it was never a general obligation during the dawn of Islam.

Furthermore, there are the monthly fasts known as Ayyamul Bidh, observed on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of the Hijri month. Rasulullah ﷺ said:

صِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ

“Fasting three days of every month is like fasting for a lifetime.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

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Scholars such as Ibn Rajab in Latha’if Al-Ma’arif explain that while these were recognized as sunnah practices from the very beginning of Islam, they were formally emphasized following the obligation of Ramadan to ensure spiritual continuity throughout the year.

It is clear, then, that fasting is a Prophetic inheritance. The Islamic Shari’ah arrived with its most perfected form: Ramadan as the foundational annual obligation, and the various sunnah fasts as spiritual refinements to be practiced year-round.

Rasulullah ﷺ further emphasized the peerless nature of fasting in Islam. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ

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“Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting. It is for Me, and I alone shall grant its reward.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Imam An-Nawawi notes that fasting holds this special distinction because it is the act of worship most shielded from Riya’ (ostentation or showing off). It is an internal, hidden devotion.

Ultimately, Ramadan is not just a month of ritual; it is a celestial legacy that connects the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with the footsteps of the preceding nations. Fasting is a “madrasah” (school) of Taqwa and has a long history of purifying the human soul.

Every time Ramadan arrives, Allah Ta’ala calls us to return to being pure, resilient servants who are close to Him. Ramadan is both a journey through history and a journey back home to the mercy and blessings of Allah Ta’ala.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)