![\"bronze](\"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/istock-1068249006.jpg\" "\\"Bronze")
\n\tA personal approach from a Muslim perspective
\nby Bet\u00fcl Cam, Head of Communications Mission 21<\/em><\/h3>\n\tWhen we talk about fasting, many people first think of renunciation: no food, no drink, rules, discipline. But fasting is much more than that. In many religions and spiritual traditions, it is a conscious pause, an invitation to take a fresh look at yourself, your own values and your relationship with other people.<\/strong><\/p>\nMy own relationship with fasting is characterized by diversity. I grew up in a household with an Alevi father and a Sunni mother. Neither of them fasted themselves, but they introduced my two sisters and me to both faiths as a matter of course. Religion was never a compulsion for us, but knowledge, history and attitude. Perhaps this is exactly where my current view of fasting came from: open, searching, connecting.<\/p>\n
Fasting in Islam and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\nThe fasting month of Ramadan is central to Sunni Islam. It is a time of inner reflection, solidarity with those in need and conscious self-discipline. The focus is not only on eating and drinking, but also on one's own behavior. How do I talk to others? How do I treat myself? What do I leave out and what do I allow?
\n<\/strong>\n![\"close](\"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/istock-1507013989-660x315.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
I had my first conscious experience of Ramadan during my studies in Germany. My fondest memories are of breaking the fast together after sunset. Students from different countries came together to wait for the moment when the fasting day ended. The meal was carefully prepared evening after evening and shared in an almost festive atmosphere. Eating was not a by-product, but a sensual ritual that brought people together. This communal iftar, as the breaking of the fast after sunset is called, is particularly important during Ramadan. It creates closeness, community and a deep feeling of love and gratitude.<\/p>\n
Im alevitischen Glauben hat das Fasten eine andere Form und Bedeutung. Die Bekannteste ist das zw\u00f6lft\u00e4gige Muharrem-Fasten, das an das Leid und den Tod von Imam H\u00fcseyin erinnert. Sein M\u00e4rtyrertod in der Schlacht von Kerbela gilt als Symbol f\u00fcr Gerechtigkeit und Opferbereitschaft.\u00a0 Es ist stiller, getragen von Trauer, Mitgef\u00fchl und kollektiver Erinnerung. Auch hier geht es nicht um k\u00f6rperlichen Verzicht allein, sondern um moralische Haltung, um Empathie und um das Bewusstsein f\u00fcr Ungerechtigkeit. Diese unterschiedlichen Formen des Fastens haben mich gelehrt: Es gibt nicht das eine Fasten. Aber es gibt eine gemeinsame Essenz.<\/p>\n
![\"kamil](\"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kamil-szumotalski-wbl3wtv4ty8-unsplash-900x675.jpg\")
An interreligious language of pause<\/strong><\/p>\nFasting is also found in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and many other spiritual traditions. The forms differ, but the motives are often surprisingly similar. Reduction, mindfulness, connection with God, with one's inner self, with the community.<\/p>\n
Especially in a time that is loud, fast and performance-oriented, fasting is almost like a counter-design, a deceleration. It invites us to consciously slow down. Not to consume everything that is available. Not to react immediately to every impulse. But to create space for thoughts, feelings and encounters.<\/p>\n
The perspective of Rev. Dr. Daniel Mbaya, President of our partner church in Nigeria, shows how personally and at the same time differently fasting is experienced. He describes fasting as a deeply inner attitude that has less to do with strength than with conscious vulnerability:<\/p>\n
\u201eI discovered what fasting means to me personally and spiritually through my own experiences, not through what I have read, studied or learned from others.
\nFasting for me is a conscious decision to put myself at my lowest, weakest point so that God may be exalted, honored and recognized as worthy.
\nIt constantly reminds me of my own limitations and at the same time points to God's abilities. Fasting strengthens my faith in Christ, deepens my prayer life and draws me deeply into the study of God's Word.\u201c
\n– Rev. Dr. Daniel Mbaya, Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN)<\/strong><\/blockquote>\nFasting today: personal, diverse, voluntary<\/strong><\/p>\nNot every religious person fasts. Not every fasting person is religious. And not every form of fasting follows fixed rules. This is also part of the reality and openness that many people live today.<\/p>\n
For me, fasting is less a duty than an attitude. The willingness to ask myself questions. What do I really need? What can I let go of, in the short or long term? And how can I treat myself and others more consciously?<\/p>\nI find it remarkable that Ramadan and the fasting period before Easter on February 18 coincide this year. Not as a symbol, but as an invitation to reflect on what we have in common. About forms of pause that are rooted in different religions and yet pose similar questions.
\nThis attitude of listening and respect is also the basis of Peacebuilding<\/a>. In our work, we experience time and again how important spaces are in which people from different backgrounds can meet each other. It is precisely where dialog is possible that trust, understanding and long-term prospects for a more peaceful coexistence emerge.\nPerhaps this is precisely the unifying power of fasting across religious boundaries. It reminds us that growth often begins with less. And that spirituality does not divide, but can unite if we give it space.<\/p>\n\t
Find out more about our peace work here:<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStrengthening the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Africa\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInterfaith Peacebuilding in Nigeria\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacebuilding and reconciliation work in South Sudan\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInterreligious peacebuilding in Indonesia\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fasten – Mehr als Verzicht Eine pers\u00f6nliche Ann\u00e4herung aus muslimischer Perspektive von Bet\u00fcl Cam, Leiterin Kommunikation Mission 21 Wenn von Fasten die Rede ist, denken viele zuerst an Verzicht: kein Essen, kein Trinken, Regeln, Disziplin. Doch Fasten ist weit mehr als das. In vielen Religionen und spirituellen Traditionen ist es ein bewusstes Innehalten, eine Einladung, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"iawp_total_views":358,"footnotes":""},"hf_cat_page":[],"class_list":["post-19746","page","type-page","status-publish"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19746"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19815,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746\/revisions\/19815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"hf_cat_page","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hf_cat_page?post=19746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
My own relationship with fasting is characterized by diversity. I grew up in a household with an Alevi father and a Sunni mother. Neither of them fasted themselves, but they introduced my two sisters and me to both faiths as a matter of course. Religion was never a compulsion for us, but knowledge, history and attitude. Perhaps this is exactly where my current view of fasting came from: open, searching, connecting.<\/p>\n
Fasting in Islam and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\nThe fasting month of Ramadan is central to Sunni Islam. It is a time of inner reflection, solidarity with those in need and conscious self-discipline. The focus is not only on eating and drinking, but also on one's own behavior. How do I talk to others? How do I treat myself? What do I leave out and what do I allow? I had my first conscious experience of Ramadan during my studies in Germany. My fondest memories are of breaking the fast together after sunset. Students from different countries came together to wait for the moment when the fasting day ended. The meal was carefully prepared evening after evening and shared in an almost festive atmosphere. Eating was not a by-product, but a sensual ritual that brought people together. This communal iftar, as the breaking of the fast after sunset is called, is particularly important during Ramadan. It creates closeness, community and a deep feeling of love and gratitude.<\/p>\n Im alevitischen Glauben hat das Fasten eine andere Form und Bedeutung. Die Bekannteste ist das zw\u00f6lft\u00e4gige Muharrem-Fasten, das an das Leid und den Tod von Imam H\u00fcseyin erinnert. Sein M\u00e4rtyrertod in der Schlacht von Kerbela gilt als Symbol f\u00fcr Gerechtigkeit und Opferbereitschaft.\u00a0 Es ist stiller, getragen von Trauer, Mitgef\u00fchl und kollektiver Erinnerung. Auch hier geht es nicht um k\u00f6rperlichen Verzicht allein, sondern um moralische Haltung, um Empathie und um das Bewusstsein f\u00fcr Ungerechtigkeit. Diese unterschiedlichen Formen des Fastens haben mich gelehrt: Es gibt nicht das eine Fasten. Aber es gibt eine gemeinsame Essenz.<\/p>\n Fasting is also found in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and many other spiritual traditions. The forms differ, but the motives are often surprisingly similar. Reduction, mindfulness, connection with God, with one's inner self, with the community.<\/p>\n Especially in a time that is loud, fast and performance-oriented, fasting is almost like a counter-design, a deceleration. It invites us to consciously slow down. Not to consume everything that is available. Not to react immediately to every impulse. But to create space for thoughts, feelings and encounters.<\/p>\n The perspective of Rev. Dr. Daniel Mbaya, President of our partner church in Nigeria, shows how personally and at the same time differently fasting is experienced. He describes fasting as a deeply inner attitude that has less to do with strength than with conscious vulnerability:<\/p>\n Fasting today: personal, diverse, voluntary<\/strong><\/p>\n Not every religious person fasts. Not every fasting person is religious. And not every form of fasting follows fixed rules. This is also part of the reality and openness that many people live today.<\/p>\n For me, fasting is less a duty than an attitude. The willingness to ask myself questions. What do I really need? What can I let go of, in the short or long term? And how can I treat myself and others more consciously?<\/p>\nI find it remarkable that Ramadan and the fasting period before Easter on February 18 coincide this year. Not as a symbol, but as an invitation to reflect on what we have in common. About forms of pause that are rooted in different religions and yet pose similar questions. Perhaps this is precisely the unifying power of fasting across religious boundaries. It reminds us that growth often begins with less. And that spirituality does not divide, but can unite if we give it space.<\/p>\n\t Fasten – Mehr als Verzicht Eine pers\u00f6nliche Ann\u00e4herung aus muslimischer Perspektive von Bet\u00fcl Cam, Leiterin Kommunikation Mission 21 Wenn von Fasten die Rede ist, denken viele zuerst an Verzicht: kein Essen, kein Trinken, Regeln, Disziplin. Doch Fasten ist weit mehr als das. In vielen Religionen und spirituellen Traditionen ist es ein bewusstes Innehalten, eine Einladung, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"iawp_total_views":358,"footnotes":""},"hf_cat_page":[],"class_list":["post-19746","page","type-page","status-publish"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19746"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19815,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19746\/revisions\/19815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"hf_cat_page","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mission-21.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hf_cat_page?post=19746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>\n<\/p>\nAn interreligious language of pause<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201eI discovered what fasting means to me personally and spiritually through my own experiences, not through what I have read, studied or learned from others.
\nFasting for me is a conscious decision to put myself at my lowest, weakest point so that God may be exalted, honored and recognized as worthy.
\nIt constantly reminds me of my own limitations and at the same time points to God's abilities. Fasting strengthens my faith in Christ, deepens my prayer life and draws me deeply into the study of God's Word.\u201c
\n– Rev. Dr. Daniel Mbaya, Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN)<\/strong><\/blockquote>\n
\nThis attitude of listening and respect is also the basis of Peacebuilding<\/a>. In our work, we experience time and again how important spaces are in which people from different backgrounds can meet each other. It is precisely where dialog is possible that trust, understanding and long-term prospects for a more peaceful coexistence emerge.\nFind out more about our peace work here:<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStrengthening the relationship between Christians and Muslims in Africa\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInterfaith Peacebuilding in Nigeria\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacebuilding and reconciliation work in South Sudan\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInterreligious peacebuilding in Indonesia\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"