Sawm — Rawzat

The Quranic Foundation

Allah reveals the obligation of fasting directly in the Quran:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبلِكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقُون “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa (God-consciousness).” (Quran 2:183)

The verse establishes three things simultaneously: the obligation (kutiba — decreed, made obligatory), the continuity of the practice (as given to prior nations through their prophets), and the purpose — taqwa. Not mere self-discipline or health, but a transformation of the inner self toward God-consciousness.

The following verses (2:184-187) give the practical rulings: who must fast, who may defer, the permitted hours, and the night of Laylat al-Qadr. These verses are among the most frequently recited during Ramadan.

Ta’wil: The Inner Meaning of Fasting

In the Bohra theological tradition, every outward practice (zahir) has a corresponding inner reality (batin). The ta’wil of sawm is profound:

The fast of the body (sawm al-jism) — abstaining from food, drink, and physical pleasures — corresponds to the fast of the soul (sawm al-ruh): restraining the ego (nafs) from the desires that keep it from drawing near to Allah.

The closed mouth corresponds to restraining the tongue from backbiting (ghiba), lying, and heedless speech. The Prophet (SAW) said: “If one does not abandon false speech and action in accordance with it, Allah has no need of his abandoning food and drink.” (Hadith — Bukhari)

The fast of the eyes — lowering the gaze from what is prohibited — corresponds to the inner vision turning toward the signs of Allah (ayat Allah) in creation and in the Quran.

The fast of knowledge is the deepest level: abstaining from ignorance and craving the knowledge transmitted by the Imam through the Dai al-Mutlaq. In the esoteric understanding, Ramadan is not only the month of bodily fast but the month of spiritual ta’lim — receiving the Imam’s knowledge through the Dai’s waaz and Quranic interpretation.

The Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) is recorded: “How many are those who fast yet gain nothing from their fast but hunger and thirst.” This teaching is central to the Bohra understanding of fasting — the zahir (bodily fast) must be accompanied by the batin (spiritual intention and transformation).

The Rulings of Sawm — Fiqh of Fasting

The Bohra tradition follows the Tayyibi Ismaili school (madhab) rooted in the Da’im al-Islam of al-Qadi al-Nu’man and later elaborated by the Duat Mutlaqeen.

What Breaks the Fast (Muftirat)

The fast is broken by:

Eating or drinking anything (including water, medications, smoking)
Sexual relations during the day
Intentional vomiting
Intentional swallowing of thick dust or smoke

Who Is Exempt

Children — not obligated until puberty (baligh)
Travelers (musafir) — may break the fast and make it up later (qada)
The ill — those for whom fasting is medically harmful may defer; those who cannot fast due to permanent illness pay fidya (expiation: feeding one poor person per day missed)
Pregnant and nursing women — may defer if fasting poses risk to themselves or the infant
The elderly — those too frail to fast pay fidya in place of each missed day

The Suhoor and Iftar

Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) is a sunnah: the Prophet (SAW) said, “Take suhoor, for there is blessing in suhoor.” In the Bohra tradition, the family often gathers for suhoor, and duas are recited before the intention of fasting is made.

Iftar (breaking the fast at sunset) is traditionally opened with dates and water, following the Prophet’s (SAW) practice. The dua at iftar:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمتُ وَعَلَى رِزقِكَ أَفطَرتُ “O Allah, for You I fasted and with Your provision I break my fast.”

The Bohra Iftar is a community occasion — mumineen often gather at the masjid or in homes, and the meal is shared with generosity. The tradition of niyaz (sacred food prepared with spiritual intention) is strong during Ramadan.

The Niyat (Intention)

The niyat (intention) must be made each night for the following day’s fast. The niyat is a conscious, internal declaration of the purpose of the fast — ideally made at suhoor or before. Without niyat, the fast is not valid in the Bohra fiqh.

Ramadan in the Bohra Community

Ramadan in the Bohra community is a total transformation of the daily rhythm — a month-long retreat within ordinary life.

The Masjid as Center

The local Bohra masjid becomes the focal point of daily life during Ramadan. The daily schedule typically includes:

Fajr (dawn prayer) + suhoor gathering at the masjid
Quran recitation — mumineen gather for talim (Quranic reading and learning) at the masjid in the mornings
Dhuhr and Asr prayers at the masjid
Iftar at the masjid — often with shared niyaz (sacred food) distributed by the community
Maghrib and Isha prayers at the masjid + waaz by the Aamil Saheb
Tarawih equivalent — the community recitation of Quran through the night

Waaz Every Night

One of the most distinctive features of Bohra Ramadan is the waaz delivered by the Aamil Saheb every night of Ramadan at the masjid. These nightly discourses cover topics from Quranic tafsir and ta’wil to the lives of the Imams, Islamic history, and practical spiritual guidance.

For the mumineen, attending the nightly waaz is not merely encouraged but considered an essential part of Ramadan’s spiritual merit. The waaz of Ramadan and the waaz of Ashara Mubaraka are the two primary annual occasions for sustained theological education.

Quran Khatam — Complete Recitation

One of the spiritual goals of Ramadan is completing the recitation of the entire Quran — khatam al-Quran. In the Bohra community, this is done:

In the masjid, with multiple readers taking turns across the month
In the home, with family members contributing to the collective recitation
Individually, through personal recitation spread across the 30 days

The Bohra tradition places great emphasis on the correct tartil (recitation) of the Quran — the melodic, rhythmic recitation style preserved through the Fatimid chain. Learning and practicing proper Quranic recitation during Ramadan is a key communal activity.

The Last Ten Nights — Laylat al-Qadr

The last ten nights of Ramadan contain Laylat al-Qadr (لَيلَةُ القَدر — the Night of Power/Decree), the night on which the Quran was first revealed and on which the Prophet (SAW) and the Imams confirmed that Allah decrees the matters of the following year.

The Quran describes this night:

لَيلَةُ القَدرِ خَيرٌ مِن أَلفِ شَهر “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” (Quran 97:3)

In the Bohra tradition, special gatherings are held on the odd nights of the last ten days — 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th of Ramadan. The 27th night is considered the most likely night of Laylat al-Qadr, though the tradition affirms that it moves among the odd nights. These nights feature:

Extended congregational prayers
Special waaz by the Aamil Saheb (or, in some communities, the Dai himself)
I’tikaf — retreat in the masjid for the last ten nights (a highly recommended sunnah)
Intensive dua and Quranic recitation through the night

Fasting and Misaq

There is a connection in the Bohra tradition between fasting and the misaq (covenant). The mumineen who have taken misaq are spiritually bound to a complete practice of Islam — including sawm — under the guidance of the Dai. The zahir (bodily fast) and batin (spiritual fast under ta’lim) are understood as inseparable in the covenant.

The Spiritual Station of Ramadan

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “The month of Ramadan has come to you — a blessed month, in which Allah has made fasting obligatory upon you. In it, the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained.”

In the Bohra ta’wil:

Gates of heaven opened = the knowledge of the Imam flows freely to those who seek it; the path to wali (the Friend of Allah — the Imam) is made clear
Gates of hell closed = the distractions of the nafs (ego) are reduced; the spiritual veil between the mumin and divine guidance is thinned
Devils chained = the forces of falsehood (including batil — the opponents of the Imam) are constrained; this is the month to strengthen walayah

Ramadan and the Hijri Calendar

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Because the lunar year is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan moves through all seasons over a roughly 33-year cycle. A Ramadan in summer means longer, hotter fasts (up to 18+ hours in northern latitudes); a winter Ramadan means shorter, cooler fasts (as few as 10-11 hours).

The Bohra community follows the Hijri (lunar) calendar closely — moon sighting for Ramadan and Eid is announced by the Dai al-Mutlaq, and the community follows the Dai’s announcement globally.

‘Eid al-Fitr — The Feast of Breaking the Fast

Ramadan ends with the sighting of the new crescent moon, and the first day of Shawwal (the tenth month) is Eid al-Fitr (عِيدُ الفِطرِ — the feast of breaking the fast).

Before the Eid prayer, every Muslim who is able must pay Zakat al-Fitr (also called Sadaqat al-Fitr) — a specified amount of staple food (or its monetary equivalent) given to the needy. This purifies the fast and ensures that those in the community who are less fortunate can also celebrate Eid with dignity.

The Eid prayer is performed in the masjid, followed by the Eid waaz — a discourse celebrating the completion of Ramadan and the spiritual state of the community. The community exchanges greetings:

تَقَبَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنَّا وَمِنكُم “May Allah accept from us and from you.”

In Lisan ud-Dawat (the Bohra community language): “Eid Mubarak” — with the traditional greeting often followed by warm embraces, shared sweets, and the joy of the community gathered in full dress for the celebration.

Sawm — Fasting in the Bohra Tradition