The Ramadan fast is a particularly demanding Muslim practice. Why would already undernourished enslave Muslims undergo it?
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Religion, for most people, is a sense of belonging, faith, and service to God. To fulfill this, following religious scriptures or, in Islam, the Five Pillars is important. Therefore, on a basic level, the undernourished enslaved Muslims fasted because it was what their faith required of them, and it was their choice to comply with this: “a strict Mahometan; [he] abstains from spirituous liquors and keeps the various fasts, particularly that of Ramadan.” However, this came at great sacrifice, as the intensity of slave labour while fasting would have been both physically and mentally torturous.
Another reason for Muslim slaves to have fasted would be that it connected them to their homeland, faith, heritage, and Allah (SWT), which was enough to help them endure anything. The belief that Allah (SWT) knows their struggles would provide great solace, helping them through the fast. Additionally, the common teaching in Islam that prioritizes Deen over Dunya—spiritual faith over worldly materials—suggests that the enslaved, who remained so faithful to their religion that they even practiced in a Christian country with masters who did not share their faith risking great punishment, were likely able to uphold this notion and fast.
Beyond the spiritual aspect, the act of fasting itself was autonomous for the slaves; they decided whether or not to fast. This choice is something that enslaved people often did not have. Therefore, the act of fasting may have been both religiously significant and personally freeing, allowing them to exert control over one aspect of their lives.