Facts on Fasts

Mind, Body & Soul need to go together for a better life form. Mind involves all the life matters, Body desires everything to consume but what about Soul? What does it need to grow, survive & last? It’s been long believed that the soul needs to be prepared for the final day. All religions, whatever ways they devise, work towards the same goal. Many common facts are found repeated in all the religions, fasting being the one.

What is Fasting? It is a method of self purification & it increases self-discipline. Fasting is not only a part of worship, it is thought to be imperative for the well being of a human being as it nourishes both physical & spiritual demands. It is a training of the mind & the body to endure and harden up against all hardships, to persevere under difficulties & not to give up. Fasting is no fun. It’s not a hunger strike or a punishment.

Why to Fast? We are harangued by a lot of considerations & worldly indulgences that do not allow us to concentrate on spiritual attainment. It is our experience that temptations & ways of the world tend to spoil our purity & austerity. We indulge in food all of the time, snacking & nibbling the whole day, which leads to obesity. We drink too much Coffee, Coke and or Tea. But, when we fast, we cannot even taste any of those mouth watering foods & have to give up all these to complete our fast.

Fasting – a Universal practice: - Fasting is part of the faith life of religions old & new all over the world. It is as old as the human race and practiced for religious & spiritual reasons. Fasting is a universal

Phenomenon within both Eastern & Western cultures. Fasting is mentioned in the Bible, in the Mahabharata, in the Upanishads & in the Qur'an as well. It is considered as spiritual discipline, self-discipline, preparation & devotional practice in most of the religions. Many religions including Muslims, Jains, Hindus, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, etc., all fast, basically serving different reasons and following the path provided to them by their ancestors or scriptures. Conversely the fact is that each religion practices a different method of fasting!

Understanding Islamic Fasting: - Like all duties in Submission, fasting was decreed through Abraham. The Islamic lunar calendar, being 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, migrates throughout the seasons. In this way, the length of the day, and thus the fasting period, varies in length from place to place over the years. Every Muslim, no matter where he or she lives, will see an average Ramadan day of the approximately 13.5 hours.

During Ramadan, Muslims all over the world fast. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (Seher) before dawn and a post-fast meal (Iftaar) after sunset. During fasting they abstain from eating, drinking, vulgar talk & sexual activity as commanded by God in the Qur’an. To a Muslim, fasting is not just refraining from eating & drinking but carries the added significance of worship, psychological comfort, morality & legislation.

Who can & who can’t? Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on those who can do it. Though sick people, pregnant women and some travelers in certain conditions are exempted; an equal number of other days must be substituted by them later. Those who can fast, but with great difficulty, may substitute feeding one poor person for each day of breaking the fast.

Boundless Benefits of Ramadan Fasting: - Psychological effect of Ramadan fasting are also well observed by the people who fast. Personal hostility is at a minimum & the crime rate decreases. They describe a feeling of inner peace and tranquility, arguments & fights are then avoided by Muslims. They take advice from the Holy Prophet S.A.W. (PBUH) who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you to fight or argue, you say, “I am fasting". Fasting Muslims realize that manifestations of anger may take away the blessings of fasting or even nullify them. One must not only abstain from food & drink but also from evil habits, which may include lying, stealing, gossiping etc.

"Fast to be healthy" said the Holy Prophet Mohammed because fasting has its advantages from the point of health & hygiene too. It has been found to be an effective treatment for psychological & emotional disorders too. Fasting hastens the destruction of the decaying tissues of the body by means of hunger & then builds new tissues through nutrition. This is why some scientists suggest that fasting should be regarded as an effective means of restoring youthfulness & longevity. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract & for lowering cholesterol as well.

The physiological effects of fasting include lowering of blood sugar, cholesterol & systolic blood pressure. In fact, fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, & essential hypertension. The benefits of fasting on health do not stop there but are instrumental in alleviating many other diseases, including those of the digestive systems, such as chronic stomachache, inflammation of the colon, liver diseases, indigestion, & conditions such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, asthma, diphtheria & many other maladies.
It’s proven true that fasting is a cure; some studies say that fasting actually improves the performance of the body. The energy level is actually gets increased during the hours of fasting. The first International Congress on "Health & Ramadan", held in Casablanca, stated that, “In no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition”.

Social Value: - Fasting gives the chance to feel what a hungry & needy person feels when he/she does not have any food to eat. It removes the differences between the rich & the poor. Usually, the rich load their stomachs four, even six, times a day with dainty foods; while the poor cannot find sufficient food to satisfy their hunger even twice a day. A great social barrier thus exists between these two classes. This barrier is removed only when the rich are made to feel the pangs of hunger like their poorer brethren & go without food throughout the day. How can one feel or care for the other or sympathize with him/her when he can’t understand them? We can understand the importance of giving charity & helping the hungry & needy people. This course undoubtedly awakens sympathy for the poor in the hearts of the rich. & it is for this reason that the helping of the poor is especially encouraged.

Fasting teaches self control and people with self control can resist wrong doing or temptation. Submitting to God—obeying Him—gives us the strength to resist the devil. Fasting binds Satan. When we fast, we feel it; we are afflicting our body. Fasting together even strengthens the whole family & makes them feel closer. We may feel sluggish or lack energy, our stomach would ache & we feel thirsty. We feel so puny & insignificant when fasting — light-headed, lacking energy & having bad breath. We realize how much we desperately need God to sustain our life in every way.
Have a Happy Ramadan, readers!!

Courtesy: RJ Salma Javid Khan