The Linguistic meaning of Saūm
The word siyām (sing. saūm) is derived from sama, which means to restrain from eating, drinking, talking, etc. If an individual refrains from these things, he is a sāim. The Noble Qur'an uses the word in the general sense when it revealed the conversation between the angel and Mary, the mother of Jesus. The angel instructed her:
So eat and drink and be glad. And if you see any human being say: Verily, I have vowed a fast unto the most Gracious (Allah) so I shall not speak to any human being this day. [Qur'an (19):26]
The phrase, "I shall not speak" is the interpretation of the Arabic word saūm. The reason for this interpretation is that saūm cannot mean fast, i.e., to restrain from food, because Mary had just been told to eat from the fruits of the palm tree. This general meaning is common to the Arabic language.
The Juristic meaning of Saūm
In the terminology of the Shari'ah, the word saūm means to abstain from food, drink and sexual activity from dawn to sunset, with the intention of doing so sincerely and solely for Allah, the Exalted. This is because fasting purifies the soul and cleanses it from the evil that might cause it to become a miser and their ill behaviour. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 1/496, 497]
The linguistic and Juristic meaning of Ramadān
The word Ramadān is called as such to indicate the heating sensation (of the stomach as a result of thirst). Others have said that it is called as such because Ramadān scorches out the sins with good deeds, as the sun burns the ground; others have said that it is called as such because the hearts and souls are more readily receptive to the admonition and remembrance of Allah during Ramadān, as the sand and stones are receptive to the sun's heat. The framers of this beautiful language may have been inspired in naming this month Ramadān. Otherwise, the relation between the heat and its properties is miraculously similar to that of Ramadān. While the heat represents the matter that helps shape, form, and mold virtually every matter ─ from metal and plastics, to plants and living cells ─ Ramadān undoubtedly helps a serious believer remold, reshape, reform, and renew, his physical and spiritual disposition and behaviour. [Essentials of Ramadān the Fasting Month, P: 16]
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