Purpose of Ramadhan

The true purpose of Ramadhan, as of all forms of Islamic worship is to draw people closer to Allah. Though normal pursuits and occupations are carried on as usual, the emphasis on moral and spiritual values and concentration on them are intensified, and everything is subordinated to the main purpose. The hearing, the sight, the tongue, the mind are all under stricter control. For instance, not only vain talk, but much talk is also eschewed, so that there should be greater concentration on remembrance of Allah and reflection upon His attributes. The Holy Prophet said: `He who abstains from food and drink during the period of the fast but does not restrain himself from uttering a falsehood starves himself to no purpose.' It is related of him that during Ramadhan, his own concern for and care of the poor, the needy, the sick and the orphan was intensified manifold, and that his charity knew no limit.

Above introduction is taken from Hadhrat Zafrulla Khan (r.a.) ‘s article on Fasting … (http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000069.html)

Following is based on your notes:

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah has defined three main purposes of fasting:

Firstly, it is

So that you may stay away from moral and communal weaknesses, by increasing in fear and love of Allah.

Second is:

So that you exalt Allah for having guided you

And thirdly:

So that you may become thankful to Allah.

First:

Taqwa, through fasting is obtained when one’s fear of Allah (Khashiyat) increases. Due to this increase in awareness, one abstains from doing deeds that can be taken as basis for Allah’s displeasure. When a person reaches this state of conciseness pertaining to smaller matters , then it becomes easy for them to forgo or abstain from bigger sins. Abstaining from sins leads a person’s self towards good deeds and Muslim is one who lives their live under guidance of Allah and His messenger.

The second purpose is to Exalt Allah with purity of heart. It is important that what you believe and what you say should chime. Therefore, fasting offers us an opportunity to improve our being and purify our self further by understanding the oneness of God, and praising His glory. Perhaps this is the reason why the Takbeer on Eid ul Fitr is: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha IllAllahu Wa’Allahu Akbar, AllahuAkbar Wa LillahilHamd.

The third purpose, means so that you may become one who is thankful to Allah for all His bounties. Arabic lexicon describes “Being grateful” as to value and to give due consideration. Being Thankful to Allah means that a person should use all that is in their power, their mind, heart, body, eyes, tongue, ears, hand, feet etcetera to better themselves and their environment in conjunctions with the commandments of Allah. Ramadhan gives us this training in an amiable fashion, where our actions are restricted and we are to observe due diligence in executing various actions. For example, vain talk is discouraged, however, during a fast, speaking excessively is not looked upon favourably either. This is to allow a person to spend more time in remembrance of Allah. This is how Ramadhan trains us.