Ramadan and the Benefits of Fasting - May 3, 2019
Written by Munawar HaqueRamadan and the Benefits of Fasting
Transcript of the talk delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on May 3, 2019 on occasion of the Friday night family event at AMDA Masjid
Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
My dear brothers and sisters! InshaAllah, we are about to enter into the blessed month of Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak to all of you. In His infinite wisdom, Allah (SWT) has made certain times, certain people, certain places, and certain objects more holy and blessed than others. The prophets and messengers of Allah are the best of human beings. The Book of Allah is the profoundest of books. The city of Mecca is the holiest of cities. The day of Jumu’ah (Friday) is the most honored day of the week. The two Eids (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) are the most blessed days to rejoice and celebrate. Likewise, the month of Ramadan is the most precious of all the months; in terms of the Qur’an being revealed in this month, in terms of the fasting ordained in it by Allah, in terms of multiplication of rewards for good deeds, and in terms of getting closer to Allah.
What makes this month so special? It is a month of infinite blessings from Allah. It is a month of patience. It is a month of generosity. It is a month of charity. Most importantly it is a month of opportunities, which are not available throughout the year. It was in this month that the Qur’an was revealed. It should be well understood that the Qur’an is the verbatim word of Allah (SWT). The human intervention, manipulation, and fabrication that other scriptures have gone through do not apply to the Qur’an. This last revelation and gift for guidance of the entire humanity is guarded and protected. This protection has been undertaken by Allah (SWT) Himself as mentioned in the Qur’an.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and it is We Who will preserve it” (al-Hijr, 15:9).
The purpose and timing of the revelation pertaining to fasting has to be understood in the backdrop of the difficult situations the companions of the Prophet (SAW) had to encounter at Mecca before their emigration to Medina. While in Mecca, they faced oppression, persecution, starvation, social and economic boycott, and had to live in a climate of fear. After the hijrah, the believers had to be made ready for further challenges. They had to be organized into a jama’ah (party) that could bravely and successfully engage with the polytheists of Mecca who had evicted them from their houses and deprived them of their homes and belongings.
Initially, fasting was introduced as a voluntary act. It was not mandatory. It is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) found the Jews in Medina to be fasting on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) to commemorate the day of their liberation from the bondage of Firaun, and to thank Allah for that. Henceforth, the Prophet (SAW) commanded the Muslims to fast on that day and another day preceding or following that day. Up to this time, fasting was a sunnah and not an obligatory act. After the hijrah from Mecca to Medina, the ayah pertaining to obligatory fasting in the month of Ramadan was revealed in Surat al-Baqarah.
فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ
Therefore, whoever of you is present in that month, should fast (al-Baqarah, 2:185).
As-Siyam literally means to restrain and to abstain from something. As a term in the Shariah, siyam means to abstain from food, drink, and spousal relations with the purest of intentions just for the sake of Allah (SWT). But the meaning of fasting is not restricted to this literal sense. There are other spiritual, biological, and psychological aspects of fasting. The Qur’an states that fasting was prescribed by God upon the earlier faith communities, and proclaims that the main purpose of fasting is to attain God-consciousness, piety, and righteousness.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may have taqwa.” (al-Baqarah, 2:183).
When we fast, we realize how weak we are, how fragile the human body is, how needy and how dependent we are on so many things that we don’t even think of usually. It’s a situation that makes us wonder who we really are—created beings, full of needs. And if we are created, if we are needy, then every created thing belongs to the Creator alone who provides for His creatures. This is the beginning of the process of unifying God, which is not only to believe in one God, as opposed to multiple gods, but to realize that all attributes of perfection belong not to the creation, but to their Creator. So with fasting we experience the unique oneness of God—the most compassionate; the most merciful.
When we fast, we realize that hunger hurts. We appreciate the value of food. We realize how precious a gift it is and we are filled with gratitude. Food becomes a token of love, a sign of divine favor, a sign that turns our attention from the food itself to the Supreme Being who has given us our daily bread. It gives a pleasure of being in the presence of God’s everlasting mercy and love. This pleasure is the essence of worship. It makes us reflect on the countless gifts of mercy that we have been given. Everything becomes a sign speaking of God’s mercy.
Fasting reminds us of our needs. Our needs are the means to feel empathy for the needy. That is why sharing becomes a source of joy, a source of realizing our position of being the honored guests of the Lord of the worlds. We become less anxious about providing for our needs. The merciful sustainer has already taken care of them. Even if the stomach yells, the spirit rejoices to this good news. It is the end of egotism. We are liberated from the illusory world of the ego.
All those who fast also know that fasting teaches patience to resist temptation. This leads one to achieve a higher level of personal maturity. It also teaches self-sacrifice and enables one to be humbled from the experience of fasting. Fasting individuals will attest that they are forced to control themselves from vices and attractions that easily distract us in everyday life.
A fasting person learns how to regulate his or her daily routine in a prescribed manner thus teaching discipline. All this is done with an intention to make the person feel humble and realize one’s weaknesses and strengths at the same time. The strength in fasting teaches us that we can take control of our lives and tame ourselves in the way we want. This act leads to self-efficacy when one can say to oneself, “If I can fast and control myself, I can do many other things in life.”
What are some of the medical benefits of fasting? Medical research on fasting has shown benefits in areas of obesity, cancer, lupus, skin conditions, allergies, addictions, blood pressure, and more.
Fasting also has positive psychological effects. When food in the body is short, the body releases chemicals to help protect the brain from negative effects. During the first few days, the body responds to starvation by releasing catecholamine (katəˈkôləˌmēn) and other chemicals in the brain. The body responds to the stress through a boost of these feel-good chemicals.
There is evidence that fasting increases production of protein BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), that builds more neurons in the brain resulting in a more efficient mental processing. Fasting also helps in disassembling and recycling of cellular components that helps in slowing down the growth of neurodegenerative [nur′ō-dĭ-jĕn′ər-ə-tĭv] disorders like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
For those who fast regularly, there is evidence of overall increased vigilance, improved mood and feeling of well-being. In addition to fasting in Ramadan, many devout Muslims, following the example of r beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and a few other days during the year.
Fasting is not only for the body and the mind but also for elevating one’s level of spirituality and closeness to God. The physical fast is a symbol and outward expression of the real, inner fast. In fasting one expels or discharges from within oneself the impurities of thought and character and makes an attempt to reunite with God.
Fasting permits one to release oneself from earthly bonds and join with the sacred. The time spent otherwise in eating and drinking can now be spent on reflecting about the purpose of our being and in making efforts toward attaining the ultimate goals in life leading to self-actualization. Fasting is a Godly prescription for self-reassurance and self-control.
Indeed, the biological, psychological, spiritual, and other benefits of fasting are difficult to count!
By the grace of Allah, fasting is also, a source for the forgiveness of sins. The Prophet (SAW) said:
مَنْ قَامَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
“Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith and hoping for its reward shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him.” The Prophet (SAW) also said:
الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ
“Fasting is a shield.”
Fasting guards us and protects us from sins and from the hell fire. Further, our fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for us on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (SAW) said: “The fast and the Qur’an shall come as intercessors on the Day of Resurrection. The fast shall say, ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and drink during the day, so let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an will say, ‘I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him.’ Then they will be allowed to intercede.”
Man is a combination of body and spirit. During fasting, when our physical body apparently gets weak, our spirit is elevated. The zikr or remembrance of Allah (SWT) is the spiritual nourishment for the soul, and the best and greatest of zikr is the Qur’an. We are all aware that we are often unjust to ourselves in the sense that we often subject our bodies and souls to excesses. Fasting in Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to attain physical and spiritual healing.
According to a hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says:
الصِّيَامَ هُوَ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ
“….. Indeed, fasting is for me, and I will give reward for it.”
The virtues and greatness of the month of Ramadan should never be underestimated. It is not only the month of fasting but also the month of Qur’an, the month of mercy, piety, patience, charity, forgiveness and thankfulness to Allah (SWT). We should not let this month pass away without doing our utmost to please Allah (SWT) and having our sins forgiven.
We pray to Allah (SWT) to make us among those who are able to take advantage of the opportunities provided to us in the month of Ramadan; to make us among the people of taqwa, to accept our good deeds, to forgive us, to keep us safe and protected from the hell-fire and to make us all enter into His Jannah.