This year the Islamic month of Ramadan will start on December 20th. Muslims all over
the world will start this month with fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in
Quran.
"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you
so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)
The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing,
piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and
avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.
But why do we need to fast? It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to
spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the
whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some
sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we
argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.
Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering
food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking
cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to
be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting that I cannot respond to
your provocation". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are
advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.
Medical benefits of Ramadan Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a
secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive
tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash
diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no
malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at
or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is
voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.
Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last
beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary
intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting.
Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash
diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible
is taken in moderate quantities.
The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan,
we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from
water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all
fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation
mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in
plant life, improve their longevity.
The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and
lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal
recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and
essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held
in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While
improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any
patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are
suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones,
etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.
There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who
fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate
decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses
against you, say I am fasting." This psychological improvement could be related to better
stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior
changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better
utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each
unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints
with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not
only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.
One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels
descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.
Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else
knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in hadith qudsi that "Fasting is
for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon
him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him
giving up food and drink".
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