Ramadan: Returning to the Child Within

Islam is best understood through practice. It is not a theoretical system to observe from a distance, but an embodied experience that reveals its meaning through action. Many approach Ramadan out of simple curiosity and emerge transformed, noticing its effects both physically and spiritually. The direct experience of fasting highlights something often forgotten: our journey on this earth is first and foremost corporeal. It is through the body that we move, interact with the energy sustaining our environment, and inhabit space and time.

Spirituality is not an escape from the body, but a higher dimension that surrounds and permeates it, like an aura that gives meaning to our material experience. Islam is often reduced to a set of rules and prescriptions; yet these are, in reality, coherent instructions for navigating life. People accept the operating instructions of any device without hesitation, yet hesitate when confronted with the guidance of their Creator. From a rational standpoint, the logic of this guidance is compelling.

During Ramadan, this truth becomes strikingly clear. Fasting brings attention to the body itself: the hands and feet, the stomach and back, the eyes, the entire skeleton. It is not meant to exhaust, but to cultivate awareness. The more one practices, the clearer it becomes that the body is a temporary garment for the authentic self. Abstaining from food and water does not weaken the individual; it heightens awareness of one’s senses—sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste—and of that inner faculty that allows one to transcend the physical and connect with God.

The Qur’an’s guidance can also be seen through a lens of scientific wisdom, promoting balance, moderation, and harmony. Islam, therefore, presents itself as a universal guide for humanity. Reading individual surahs in isolation risks superficial or distorted interpretations; in contrast, the text as a whole preserves principles of balance and stability that have endured for centuries.

To practice Islam is to stay on the straight path, refine one’s sensitivity, and internalize the awareness of our temporality. We are destined to leave this world: our bodies return to the earth, while the traces of our actions—positive or negative vibrations—remain in the universe. Responsibility is not only individual; it is collective. Just as a structure cannot stand if unsupported from all angles, social balance relies on the stability of its members.

Fasting, far from being a mere ritual, is a tool for holistic balance. A person who is stable within contributes to the stability of their environment. While Islam is studied academically for its history, evolution, and social impact, its scientific-spiritual dimension—permeating practices and institutions for centuries—remains less explored. Today, with over two billion followers, it continues to influence a world still seeking answers to fundamental questions: Why are we here?

While millions fast, others pursue forms of indulgence to avoid confronting the very interiority that could foster a more conscious and balanced coexistence. Fasting, in this light, is not deprivation but elevation—a return to the essential that preserves the self and guides it toward higher dimensions.