Ramadan is so much more than fasting

For years, I watched Ramadan pass by without being able to fast. Each year, I felt the ache of longing, the quiet sorrow of being unable to partake fully in what felt like the heart of the month. I told myself that Ramadan is about so much more than fasting—it is about devotion, reflection, and service. I prayed, I gave, I sat in dhikr, and I reminded myself that Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. And yet, deep down, I still wished I could fast.

Then, this year, I was finally allowed. Tentatively, with raised eyebrows from my medical team, I stepped into Ramadan with hope. I woke for Suhoor, felt the familiar dryness in my throat as the day stretched on, and anticipated the sweetness of breaking my fast at Maghrib. But by the evening of the second day, I was rushed into the hospital. My body, despite my will, was suffering. And there, as I lay in that sterile room with monitors beeping around me, I was told the words I had feared: fasting was hurting me.

I felt my heart sink. But in that quiet moment, I also felt something else—a whisper of realization. Ramadan is not just about fasting; it never was. It is about surrender. It is about obedience—not just in sacrifice, but in listening when Allah tells us to care for ourselves. It is about deepening our devotion in whatever way He has made possible for us.

If I could not fast, then perhaps my role in Ramadan was something else. Perhaps my test was to trust that my worship was just as valuable, even if it looked different. I could still wake for Suhoor, not to eat but to pray. I could still sit at Iftar, not to break a fast but to join in gratitude. I could still give, still reflect, still draw closer to Allah in the ways He had left open for me.

So to those who cannot fast, I see you. I know that sadness, that longing. But I also know that Allah sees you, too. Your Ramadan is no less meaningful, no less blessed. Worship is not one path; it is many, and Allah, in His infinite mercy, has already carved one just for you.