Medical Benefits of Fasting during Ramadhan

Ramadhan is the name of 9th month of lunar calendar, when all Muslims are required to fast. Fasting during Ramadhan is obligatory for all adult, sane and ableMuslims. Muslims eagerly wait for the month with happiness and expectation. Fasting is an act of obedience and submission to God’s command through the highest degree of commitment, sincerity and faithfulness to seek God’s mercy, to atone for sins, and to avoid condemnation to hell.

This year the month of Ramadhan started on September 1. Fasting is from dawn to dusk when Muslims abstain from food, drink, sexual relation, foul language, and arguments. Muslims get up in the morning to have light breakfast before Dawn. Fasting is broken traditionally date and water at sunset.

People who are travelling, or are sick, women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing babies can make the fast later. People with severe medical problems, terminally ill and too old can compensate by feeding the poor.

During this month, it is important to remember the plight and suffering of less fortunate ones all over the world who go hungry and thirsty. This act brings us closer to them. It is a month of training for self control, self discipline, and self restrain. It strengthens us to give up bad habits. Muslims are more generous and charitable in this month than any other time of the year.

Ramadhan is the month when Qur’an was revealed by God. Therefore, considerable amount of time is spent in reading Qur’an individually and listening during supplemental (Taraweeh) prayer. During the in last 10 days of Ramadhan, Muslims search for the night of power. It is considered the most rewarding night in this month.

There are many medical benefits of fasting. It can be a solution to the epidemic of obesity throughout the world. There are many adverse effect of total fasting or crash diet in weight loss programmes. While in Ramadhan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadhan is at or slightly below the national requirement guidelines. The lesson learned in terms of dietary intake during Ramadhan can be applied not only for the rest of the 11 months, but throughout our entire life.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol and lower systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadhan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity and essential hypertension.

In 1994 the first international conference on “Health and Ramadhan” held in Casablanca entered 50 research papers from all over the world, from Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who had done extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvements in many medical conditions were noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patient’s health or baseline medical condition.

In Islam, Fasting is time of training, contemplation, patience, devotional prayer, and reading Qur’an. The main purpose of fasting is to come closer to God. The fasting can be beneficial in treating many medical conditions and in no way harmful to health.