Fasting: A Remedy for Toxic Polarization

A Ramadan Reflection by Shaykh Ibad Wali, Senior Muslim Advisor for the One America Movement.

I recently saw an image of the people of Gaza, surrounded by the towering remnants of bombed buildings, sitting on narrow roads that resemble gray streams winding through the concrete rubble. Amid the desolation of their homes, hospitals, places of worship, and schools, they found consolation by coming together to break their fast. While the setting sun cast a gentle glow on their faces, filtering through the settling dust of destruction, they raised their hands in prayer before breaking their fast. Ramadan is a spiritual training ground for an entire month, to fast from sunrise to sunset, without food or water, and to stand in worship during the nights. It’s a sacred pact with God. That no matter the intensity of the challenges, no matter the senseless oppression, and no matter the lack of support, our trust is in God, who is with those that are patient.

Patience is not a practice I am too familiar with as a Muslim American. My anxieties hit the roof when I cannot get what I want delivered to my doorsteps within 24 hours or if my internet connection is too slow to load a page instantaneously. In my life, I have never had a day where I had to worry about food. I have always woken up to multiple options for breakfast and gone to sleep with a fridge stocked with leftovers. This reality stands in stark contrast to what many people in the world experience—hunger as a daily struggle, not a choice. Yet, Ramadan invites us all, regardless of who we are or where we are, to intentionally step into the experience of hunger. Fasting is a conscious act of self-deprivation that reminds us how fragile human life is and how deeply we depend on one another for survival.

Beyond personal piety, Ramadan and the act of fasting carry a profound social dimension—one that can serve as an antidote to the rising tide of toxic polarization that continues to fracture our American society today. Through abstaining from food, drink, and negative impulses, fasting cultivates patience, empathy, and restraint; virtues essential in deeping self-reflection, self-awareness, and selflessness standing before God. Every fasting person can choose to secretly eat at any given time. Who would notice? No one is watching me. Except, God.

Fasting is a pathway to purify the soul and rekindle God-consciousness (taqwa). The Quran states:

"O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you so that you may attain taqwa." (Quran 2:183)

Taqwa is an inner transformation heightening the state of awareness of God and, by extension, an increased sense of responsibility toward others. Knowing that God will hold me accountable, I act more responsibly. How can I dehumanize others or hold another in contempt while sensing the presence of God? The essence of fasting remedies the toxicity in the soul, which functions as a filter or a judge for our thoughts and ideas. My soul, reconnected with God, altruistically holds me accountable for my thoughts before they materialize into words or actions.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that fasting extends beyond physical abstention, stating:

"Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking, but rather, it is abstaining from improper speech and improper actions." (Ibn Majah) and “When one of you is fasting, let him not engage in foul speech or argumentation." (Bukhari)

By curbing impulses that lead to conflict, fasting directly addresses the thoughts behind the behaviors that fuel toxic polarization. When we practice self-restraint, we allow time and space for meaningful dialogue and reconciliation. The practice of fasting, though observed differently, unites people in a shared value of spiritual discipline. Across many different traditions and theologies, fasting has been used to cultivate God consciousness, humility, repentance and peace:

• Judaism: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is marked by a 25-hour fast where individuals seek forgiveness from God and one another, emphasizing reconciliation and self-examination.

• Christianity: Many Christian denominations observe fasting, especially during Lent, as a means of repentance, self-discipline, and drawing closer to God.

• Hinduism: Fasting, or vrata, is practiced as a means of self-purification and devotion, reinforcing discipline and non-attachment.

• Buddhism: Buddhist monks and practitioners engage in fasting to cultivate mindfulness and reduce attachment to worldly desires, fostering inner peace and compassion.

The discipline of fasting instills habits that counteract the forces of division. Toxic polarization thrives on impulsivity, harsh rhetoric, and an inability to listen with compassion. In contrast, fasting demands patience, mindfulness, and the suppression of ego-driven reactions.

Fasting reminds us of hunger, but the reality is that millions suffer from it daily, not as a spiritual practice, but as an injustice. Incredibly, the United States wastes 30-40% of its food supply every year, about 133 billion pounds, resulting in a financial loss of $161 billion annually. This waste alone is five times the amount needed, just $33 billion each year, to end world hunger. We, as faithful Amerians, have an ethical duty with abundance. Just as fasting teaches restraint and gratitude, it should inspire us to share resources more fairly, ensuring that food is not wasted and reaches those in need.

Fasting offers an alternative path in a fractured world, calling for patience over reaction, self-reflection over blame, and restraint over escalation. While Ramadan provides an annual opportunity for Muslims to embody these principles, its values and lessons are universal. In the spirit of solidarity, fasting can be reclaimed as a force for societal transformation. In hunger, we recognize our shared vulnerability, and in restraint, we learn the power of peace—with God, with ourselves, and with others. If our fasting, across all faiths, fails to renew our sacred duty to uphold the dignity and unity of humanity under God, then what have we truly gained? As Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cautioned, "How many are those who fast but gain nothing from their fast except hunger, and how many are those who pray at night but gain nothing from their prayer except sleeplessness." (Ibn Majah, Ahmad)

There have been over a dozen seismic transitions of power in Palestine throughout recorded history since 3000 BCE, with numerous additional periods of conflict. Palestine has been governed by powers representing all three Abrahamic faiths as well as various polytheistic traditions. And, perhaps, the next five thousand years will bring a dozen more shifts and changes. But what allows humanity to endure through these endless cycles of power are the same spiritual tools. Like those narrow roads winding through broken landscapes, faith creates pathways through devastation. When material security crumbles, when political powers rise and fall, when peace gives way to conflict and back again—it is our sacred covenant with the Divine that remains. By fasting, the spiritual discipline of abstaining from life's basic necessities teaches us that even in our most vulnerable state, we possess an inner strength that no external force can conquer. Ramadan teaches us that patience in adversity and trust in God anchors us, while freeing us from the worldly desires that fuel our spiritual crisis leading us to toxic polarization.