Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘Because they have not understood the significance of the fast, they have abandoned the primary purpose and have clung to a secondary matter,

On the first day of Ramadan we were in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Baha together with a group of pilgrims and resident Baha’is, such as Haji ‘Ali-i-Yazdi, the brother of Haji Muhammad Tahir-i-Malmiri. Because of the difference in the lunar calendar, some of the Muslims had observed the first day of Ramadan the previous day. ‘Abdu’l-Baha asked Haji ‘Ali whether the people in the market had observed the fast yesterday or today. He replied that some started the fast as from yesterday and some from today.

‘Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘Because they have not understood the significance of the fast, they have abandoned the primary purpose and have clung to a secondary matter, thus they have become the cause of division. In the early days of Islam this was not so, it has gradually become like this.’ Then He continued, ‘Fasting means abstinence from that which increases the appetite for lust and passion. This has been the wisdom of the fast. Just as people abstain from indulging in food, they should likewise abstain from the promptings of the baser self and protect themselves from their evil effects. However, as it can be seen,’ He said, ‘they dispute with each other over the basic principle and instead of spending their extra time in meditating and pondering upon the Writings, in performing good and charitable deeds, and in suppressing their evil promptings, they are engaged in advancing their personal interests and improving their business.’

(Baha'i World, vol. 19, p 753)

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_World/Volume_19/Essays_and_Reviews