For Zeynep Kariparduc, the Ramadan fasting period which concluded on March 30 “is a deeply personal and transformative time.”
And she values the lessons she learns and relearns during this time, including remembering to “slow down, focus on prayer and strengthen” her connection with God.
Starting with Suhoor, the meal eaten before sunrise, to setting time aside for reading and reflecting on the Quran, and hosting iftar, which is breaking of the fast at the end of the day, surrounded by family — this monthlong fast shapes the lives of Muslims like Kariparduc.
“By temporarily stepping away from physical needs, I become more aware of my thoughts, words, and actions,” she said. “It’s a time for purification, both of the body and the soul.”
Kariparduc said she considers fasting a “universal” act of devotion across religious and spiritual planes.
The data supports her perspective. One in five Americans fast for religious reasons, according to a Pew Research survey of American voters from February 2024. Muslim Americans lead in the poll, with 8 in 10 saying they observe a fast.
While fasting transcends religious boundaries, not all faiths abstain from food and water the same way or on the same days.
The practice has been part of Christianity from the beginning, but today there are differences across denominations about how fasting is practiced.
Finding something in common
Kariparduc, the previous chair of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, and a Muslim faith representative, said she participates in organizing interfaith iftars, where people from different walks of life come together to share a meal during Ramadan.
The Emerald Hills Institute, where she serves as an advisory board coordinator, hosted one such iftar in Daybreak, Utah, on March 20, in collaboration with a local ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“When it was time to break fast, we had a call for prayer by a Muslim representative followed by a prayer from an LDS (Latter-day Saint) friend,” said Kariparduc.
At one point during the evening, attendees named something they admired about a different faith. One person praised Muslims for praying five times a day, others appreciated the “family-oriented” nature of Latter-day Saints.
Other weeks, Emerald Hills Institute leaders invited law enforcement, educators and students to these interfaith dinners.
Fasting has a life of its own, said Ravi Gupta, professor and head of the History Department and Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies at Utah State University.
No matter where you live, or whether you’re religious, you can find this practice around the world, he said. “It’s ... the flip side of the coin — sharing food has just as much religious, spiritual cultural significance.”
What Indian PM Modi gains from fasting
As Muslims all around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr late last month, marking an end to Ramadan, Hindus began a weeklong Navratri fast a day later from March 30 until April 7.
“When we sat down, they brought me a glass of hot water. I turned to Obama and jokingly said, ‘Look, my dinner has arrived.‘”
— Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Despite the differences in traditions, all major religions share a commonality, and that’s finding “different ways to inscribe meaning and importance” to everyday life, said Gupta.
The Navratri festival in India occurs twice a year, near the March equinox and September equinox. It’s a time for Hindus to cultivate strength, devotion and spiritual discipline through two nine-daylong fasts. Each day of the fast is dedicated to different Hindu goddesses.
Would not eating bring on weakness and sluggishness? Some people may feel that effect, but others, like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, don’t slow down.
In a recent podcast interview, Modi, while speaking about his springtime Navratri fast, said he only eats a specific fruit once a day.
“If let’s say I choose papaya, then for all nine days, I won’t touch anything else. Just papaya,” Modi said. He added that he’s been following these practices for the last five decades.
Aside from the recent Navratri fast, many people in India fast during the Chaturmas, a four-month period that coincides with the monsoon season, a time when the digestive system slows down.
In 2014, the Indian prime minister visited the White House in late September, which happened to coincide with a Navratri period. Modi sat face-to-face with then-President Barack Obama for a working dinner for the first time.
Concerns floated ahead of time after Modi’s team revealed his dietary restrictions. “How do you host the leader of such a major nation at the White House without serving food?” Modi said. “When we sat down, they brought me a glass of hot water. I turned to Obama and jokingly said, ‘Look, my dinner has arrived.‘”
Other guests enjoyed avocado with goat cheese and bell pepper, followed by a crisped halibut with basmati rice and mango crème brulee, according to The Washington Post. Obama remembered the incident and when he met Modi again, this time for lunch, he joked the Indian prime minister would have to eat twice as much since he skipped on dinner last time, Modi said.
Lex Fridman, a computer scientist and podcaster, recounted his experiences intentionally abstaining from food for the first time ahead of his interview with Modi.
“It’s been almost two days, 45 hours,” said Fridman, “just water, no food.” And during this short amount of time, the podcaster said his focus felt elevated.
Prime Minister Modi said he believes that the Hindu scriptures dictate ways to balance the mind, body and soul, and fasting is one of the pathways.
It can awaken the senses. “You may even notice the subtle aroma of water itself, something you probably never noticed before,” Modi said. “A small flower you’ve seen before, you will see it again today, but now you can perceive its details more vividly.”
He said he experiences an acceleration in his ability to observe, respond and think outside the box. But this practice needs proper application, like any other scientific process. “If someone is forced to go without food due to hardship ... can we call that fasting?” he asked.
Gupta from Utah State University concurred with the intentionality behind skipping meals. “In fact, most religious traditions work to avoid that kind of involuntary fasting,” he said.
Modi revealed he prepares his body days in advance of a fast through Ayurvedic rituals, traditional cleanses and yoga.
“For me personally, even while I go about doing my daily activities during a fast, my mind remains deeply introspective and focused inward,” he said.
Beyond abstinence
Fasting is a means to move beyond bodily urges and worldly attachments. Many fast to foster self-awareness or a closeness to God, while others do it to elevate the spiritual experiences during religious festivals and pilgrimages.
“You may even notice the subtle aroma of water itself, something you probably never noticed before. A small flower you’ve seen before, you will see it again today, but now you can perceive its details more vividly.”
— Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
In Christianity, “Fasting (during Lent) is about imitating the actions of Jesus as portrayed in the gospel and uniting yourself with him in his sacrifice on the cross,” the Rev. Thomas Reese told the Deseret News in 2020. He is a Jesuit priest who writes on Catholicism for Religion News Service.
Religious periods like Lent also create empathy for human suffering through pangs of hunger. Often, fasts in Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and other religions encourage charitable giving.
Latter-day Saints are encouraged to fast at least once per month. Each time, they generally abstain from food and drink for two consecutive meals and are invited to donate the money they would have spent on meals to the Church’s welfare system.
“There’s always been support for helping the hungry and needy through fasting,” said Jonathan Stapley, a Latter-day Saint historian and scientist, as Kelsey Dallas reported for the Deseret News. He is the author of “The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology.”
“You’re creating sacred time and space,” he said.