Acts of worship - such as fasting the month of Ramaḍan - are not merely form and ritual but are rather aimed at achieving great spiritual goals.
Sûrah al-Baqarah (Chapter The Cow), verses 183-4.
2:183 Oh those who believe, fasting is prescribed [written] for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may attain to taqwâ. 184 (Observing the fast is only) for a stipulated number of days and as such if any of you are ill or on journey then the same number (should be made up) of other days. And those who are able to fast but only with extreme difficulty (e.g. the feeble due to old age) they may ransom themselves by feeding a miskîn (poor person) (for every day missed). But whosoever performs good voluntarily (by feeding more of the poor than required) it is better for him. And that you fast is better for you if only you knew.
Dimensions of Fasting Session 1 (20-5-2015) - Mln. Riad Saloojee