Spiritual fasting is practiced to build discipline, focus the mind, show humility, and deepen devotion.
Purpose
- Discipline and self-control.
- Spiritual focus and prayer.
- Humility and repentance.
- Solidarity with the poor.
Traditions
- Islam: Ramadan.
- Christianity: Lent and Fridays.
- Judaism: Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av.
- Hinduism and Buddhism.
Scripture
Matthew 6:16 to 18 gives guidance on fasting.
Safety
Pregnant women, diabetics and others should check with a doctor.
Traditions and practices
Fasting appears across religions. In Islam, Ramadan fasting runs from dawn to sunset for about 29 or 30 days in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. Judaism marks Yom Kippur with a roughly 25-hour fast and Tisha B’Av. Christian traditions include Lent, a 40-day period before Easter, which Catholic canon law marks with fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for adults aged 18 to 59.
- Hindu practices include Ekadashi and Navaratri fasts.
- Buddhist monastics typically do not eat after midday.
- Latter-day Saints observe a monthly fast Sunday, usually two meals.
Scripture references and safety
Jesus fasted for 40 days in Matthew 4, and Isaiah 58 speaks of the fast that God chooses. The Quran addresses fasting in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183 to 185. Fasting is generally not advised for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, people with diabetes on insulin, those with eating disorders, or people with significant illness without medical advice. Religions generally offer exemptions for those who are ill, traveling or elderly.
Traditions and practices
Fasting appears in many religions. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, lasting 29 or 30 days. Christians observe Lent, a period of 40 days before Easter in many traditions, and some fast on Fridays or during Advent. Jews observe Yom Kippur, a 25 hour fast, and Tisha B’Av. Hindus and Buddhists fast on specific days or lunar phases.
Scripture and safety
Biblical references include Matthew 6:16 to 18 on fasting privately and Isaiah 58 on the purpose of fasting. In Islam the Quran refers to fasting in Surah 2:183 to 185. Spiritual fasting is voluntary, and exemptions exist for the sick, pregnant, nursing, elderly and children. People with diabetes, eating disorders or on medication should consult a doctor and religious leader before fasting, since long fasts can cause dehydration, low blood sugar and fainting.
Religious calendar and numbers
Muslim fasting during Ramadan lasts about 29 to 30 days, with roughly 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide. In the Orthodox Christian tradition, fasting includes about 180 to 200 days a year of abstaining from meat and dairy. Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, with adults 18 to 59 limited to one full meal and two small ones. Yom Kippur, a day of atonement, lasts about 25 hours.
Practical and health notes
Fasts of less than a day carry low risk for healthy adults, but those with diabetes, kidney disease, pregnancy or eating disorders need medical guidance. Break fasts with water and light food. The Quran exempts the ill and travelers, and Orthodox Jewish law requires pregnant or ill people to consult rabbis.
Based on data from the Pew Research Center and religious authority guidance
